One sure sign that summer is passing, other than the yellowing and falling of the first leaves, is the passing of the plums. Now when we walk beneath the plum tree that just a week ago dropped a score of succulent plums into the rich thick grass overnight, we find only seven or eight plums, some of which have already fallen prey to the yellow jackets and African honey bees, so be careful which ones you pick up. I have been stung, and my finger swelled up and hurt as if I had hit it with a hammer. The geese have been stung, so prefer to wait on the terrace for me to find the good plums, which I then feed to them, saving a few for myself. A visitng friend, wary of the grass and bees and things unseen, picked her plums right off the tree, though we rarely do. When they are ripe, they will fall, and now they have almost all fallen.

Here in Molene, things happen quickly, dramatically, and then are over, usually within about two weeks. Three weeks ago, with pecks of plums hanging from the boughs, you had to be careful that the plums were ripe, yet I think we will have no plums at all a week from today..

The British Red Cross Open Gardens programme, established over 70 years ago, offers a rare opportunity to explore the secrets of hidden and private gardens not usually open to the public.

The programme has a most impressive list of beautiful gardens of all shapes and sizes throughout the UK. From hills and vales to inner cities, you can find some rare gems in the most unexpected places.

Open your garden
Would you like to open your garden?

ecozen - animals ecology philanthropy

While The City is home to some of the richest concentrations of businesses in the world, its fringes include some of the most underprivileged boroughs in England.

On Tuesday 19th October at St Paul's Cathedral, The Prince's Trust is holding a special City event that will address this polarisation. Sponsored by Coutts and Co, Bridging the Gap will bring together CEO's and board level Executives of major Blue Chip corporations, key industry leaders and public sector organisations.

Sir David Garrard, Chairman of Minerva Plc and Sponsor of the renowned Business Academy in Bexley, has kindly agreed to address the audience as key speaker on the fundamental wealth/deprivation divide, and will be exploring ways in which City stakeholders can help Bridge The Gap in conjunction with The Prince's Trust.

The evening will begin with an exclusive champagne reception surrounding Nelson's Tomb, and will be followed by a private recital, tour of the cathedral and superb three course dinner.

Booking your place

Tickets for Bridging the Gap are £300 per head. All proceeds will go directly to The Prince's Trust. Through your support we hope to raise a sum that will help us make a significant impact to the skills and employment prospects of disadvantaged young people across London.

To secure your ticket: download the booking form. Print, complete and send it to the address provided no later than October 6th or call Naomi Edler on 020 7382 5137

DRINK TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT™ The delicious, refreshing, intriguing POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice is here. It’s all-natural and has more antioxidant power than any other drink. Yes, more than red wine, green tea, blueberry juice, cranberry juice, orange juice and Noni juice.

Antioxidants are extremely important because they guard your body
against free radicals. These aren’t hippies from the sixties on the loose inside your body. They're molecules that can cause premature aging, heart disease, Alzheimer's, even cancer. So try some POM Wonderful and drink to your heart's content.™

Do visit the History
section of the site it is very informative, with about 5 pages.

londonzen - park life

On 11 October 2004 an international conference on the theme of 'human progress' will take place at the Royal Albert Hall.

The RSA has unveiled the programme for its international conference, ‘A Day of Inspiration', which will deal with the significant challenges set out in its new manifesto.

The debate will feature a number of high-profile speakers including RSA Fellows and medallists.

Click here to find out more.

The film is called "Casuistry: The Art of Killing a Cat".

artzen - art culture info expo

The Toronto Film Festival

BadgerBadgerBadger

The International Coastal Cleanup on September 18, 2004

Join us Saturday, September 18 taking action to improve the health of our oceans and waterways—anyone can participate. The International Coastal Cleanup is the world's largest one-day volunteer effort on behalf of the marine environment.

In 2003 more than 450,000 people from all 55 U.S. states and territories and over 90 countries around the world participated in the cleanup collecting over 7.55 million pounds of marine debris. Volunteers also found 237 entangled animals last year, emphasizing the dangers that marine debris plays in the coastal environment.

Register Today! There are only 12 days left to sign up for this year's International Coastal Cleanup.