At Scarborough: The harvest...

My dad is especially proud of his grape vine. This year the vine has produced more grapes than ever before. I am guessing its down to the especially hot summer. The vine, initially given as a gift as a small thin seeding. Dad pushed the fragile little plant into a container in the barn.

Over the years, the little vine has slowly stretched out across the beams in the old piggery. It's roots, popped through the container and into a hole in the cement and now firmly established in the soil beneath the barn.

This vine, has a mind of its own, or perhaps, yes guided by Dad. The first years of grapes were small and packed with seeds. We all questioned the plants fruit.

It's as if the vine has heard the feedback. It dug its roots down further, expanded its vine, guided by Dad attaching lines across the roof, supporting its increasing weight.

The grapes, this and last year have been, well like grapes should be. Well... No, better than we ever had expected grapes to be and to taste. You might expect that grapes grown in Britain should be below parr. Second to those commercially produced in hotter countries. This vine produces grapes that are now superior to shop bought ones. Not sprayed. Not fertilised, well not knowingly anyway. It's possible that the soil under the barn is rich from all the manure over the years from piggery.

Dad collects the grapes, not to sell. He gives them away in 2lb bags. He gave 15 of the bags to the hospice today. The patients love them and the chef accepts the harvest with a huge smile on her face. It's a lovely thought that the people in the Hospice have a bowl of grapes that were picked an hour before. The vine is giving its best and its best is appreciated over and over again....x