Sussex Pimp

Top view of a Sussex  Pimp . Yes,  new to me too! Each Pimp contains 25 individual bundles of silver birch tops and split kindling, Each bundle provides enough heat to start your fire – the natural oils in birch allow it to reach a great heat quickly. Who knew?

This particular company cuts silver birch around Christmas, then it's trimmed, bundled and stored in a barn for a year. They are sourced from local heaths which are being restored – the birch regenerates too quickly and overtakes the heath, so this helps the project to restore the ancient heathland in the Midhurst area

The company say they don’t know the definition of the word Pimp in this usage, but suggest it could derive from the Celtic word for five – ‘pimp’ – and  5 x 5 = 25, the number of bundles in the Pimp. Hmm. May be a bit of a stretch to believe this, but it does seem to be an ancient custom.