These potatoes were grown on an allotment in Blackburn, Lancashire. The variety is "International Kidney". To tell you the truth, I had never heard of that variety before.
I received them this afternoon as a rather special gift from the long married couple who had grown them, a couple I had never met before. They are currently staying in the Peak District village of Foolow which I have mentioned several times before in this humble Yorkshire blog.
The lady is called Christina and her husband's name is Morris. We talked for three hours - both in their tiny rental cottage called "Villager Jim" and in the nearby village pub - "The Black Bull" which for a few years was called "The Lazy Landlord" before reverting back to its traditional name.
Very generously, Christina and Morris paid for my pub lunch and as I know that Christina will be reading this blogpost I want to send out a big public "THANK YOU" both for the potatoes and the lunch. It was so kind of you and quite surprising really as I previously thought that all Lancastrians were mean-spirited. There are, it seems, exceptions to every rule.
And here's the lovely connection with blogging... The only way I "knew" Christina was that she has been visiting this blog for two or three years and has often left kind, intelligent and supportive comments. She is the same when responding to other blogs too.
Today I told her that the only reason I had agreed to meet her in Foolow was her history of leaving pleasant, thoughtful comments. She seemed like a "nice" person and I was right about that. She was!
And so was her husband Morris - lovely people. It was great to get to know two "strangers" and I hope they were not disappointed with the glowering Heathcliff-like Yorkshireman in front of them.
We learnt more about our families, our histories and the things that make us tick and Christina trustingly showed me a phone picture of her much-loved 96 year old father who has had to go into residential care because of a facial cancer that weeps and seeps and threatens his life. All the more tragic because his mental faculties are as sharp as ever.
And so this is what blogging can do - bringing people together in "real" life. To tell you the truth, I am a bit nervous about in person meetings with other bloggers or blog visitors but today's happy occasion proves that such hook ups can be uplifting and good. There are far more well-meaning people in this world than ne'er-do-wells.
Now for three picture, taken outside "The Bull's Head":-
Christina and Walter
Christina and Morris
Christina and The Incredible Hulk
I can tell that it was a thrill to meet another blogger.
ReplyDeleteChristina & Morris are fortunate to have an allotment in Blackburn, Lancashire.
ReplyDeleteYou're fortunate to have a pair of braces (Americans say suspenders) to hold up
your trousers, or what my Spanish house cleaner calls pantalones.
The Incredible Hulk never had suspenders. His purple pantalones stayed up as
if by magia !
"Christina & Morris are fortunate to have an allotment in Blackburn, Lancashire"
Delete...where, by the way, there are (or once were) four thousand holes.
I must have met about ten different bloggers and with only one exception, all turned out to be great people. The exception was one I was doubtful about and fortunately I did not inflict the person on Ray. I think Ray met the rest with me, or subsequently. I have missed meeting about four people just because timing when travelling didn't work out. I'm pleased your meeting turned out well. It is a matter of trusting your instincts about people.
ReplyDeleteOuch! I met you. You didn't introduce me to Ray. That makes me the exception.
DeleteThat is true. You weren't the one I mentioned. I can only defend myself by thinking I didn't have a full measure of you, and I didn't know what a kind, interesting and lovely person you turned out to be. Ray's loss by my caution.
DeleteHow nice to meet new friends in person.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos and the potatoes look good too.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely story! Back in the old days AOL had message boards about various things. I lamented the Wee Cookerie I loved was no longer being made. It was a small electric pressure cooker. A reader in Florida named Donna said she had one and would send it to me. She wouldn't let me pay for postage.
ReplyDeleteI understand your very cautious approach to meeting fellow bloggers (or commenters), but I can also confirm that so far, on the few occasions that I have had the privilege to meet someone I'd previously only "known" online, I found the person to be very nice and no different from how they had come across through their writing.
ReplyDeleteChristina, Morris and Walter look and sound like good company, and very generous they are, too.
What a great post, and photos. You all look lovely.....(especially the dog ! )
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely couple. Sad Heathcliff wasn't there as well! It is fashionable to sport braces, Burnham has them as well. His wardrobe is under close inspection by the riff-raff reporters.
ReplyDeleteYou probably know i met another blogger in her home town last year. I5 was lovelybt9 meet her in person. I'm glad you were able to do the same. Maybe we ought to start an annual bloggers convention where everyone gets together!!
ReplyDeleteIsn't that what The Laughing Horse Awards is for?
DeleteI'm glad your meeting with Christina and Morris was such a success. You all look like you had a jolly time.
ReplyDeleteI hope to one day meet some bloggers in real life. Maybe I should visit England!
ReplyDeleteI have met a good number of bloggers and it always surprises me how they are exactly like their online persona.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you had a lovely meet up.
My heart goes out to Christina and her dad. Life threatening conditions are awful to watch
How wonderful, I have met several bloggers, and made some dear friends though my blog.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy meeting blogging buddies in person. But so far, no one has ever given me potatoes! You lucky dog.
ReplyDeleteA sack of spuds and new friends. What a lovely day!
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a nice time. They are a lovely looking couple!
ReplyDeleteWhat a very, very beautiful couple! Nice picture of you, too, Neil.
ReplyDeleteI've only had the very best experiences meeting up with blog friends in real life.
They look like lovely people. You touch a lot of lives when you put things out in blogworld!
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to meet people you 'know' virtually and find them quite as pleasant as they appear on the page.
ReplyDeleteThat's great! I'm glad you got to meet a devoted reader. I must say, all the blog meetings I've had in the past have gone well and I've never regretted meeting up with any bloggers or readers. People are usually pretty reasonable and sensible and kind. ("International Kidney" is a very bizarre name for a potato!)
ReplyDeleteNicw
ReplyDeleteWe really enjoyed our time with you neil. You are one of life's gentlemen.
ReplyDeleteContinue to entertain all us in your own inimitable way.
Your blog is a beacon of light in a messed up world.
Glad the experience was a positive one, i once met up with someone I'd interacted online with and he turned out to be a bit of a nutter. Not dangerous, just probably a bit needy.
ReplyDelete