Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Dorthe on May 26, 2005, 10:59:21
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Hi fellow allotment-holders
I know there was a topic earlier this year about the new magazine "Grow Your Own", but I have just been in contact with them regarding the free seeds, which are supposed to be included with the magazine. Of the 3 magazines I have bought, only once were the 2 packets actually present.. So I decided to complain...
Please see below my email, and the (very fast) reply from the editor..
I must admit that I was shocked by her reply, and will definitely not buy any more, so she has solved my dilemma about whether I should or shouldn't. So I will just stick to the Kitchen Garden Magazine..
And to add further insult to the issue, the seeds still haven't arrived!!
My emailed request:
----- Original Message -----
From: Dorthe Nielsen
To: georgina.wroe@aceville.co.uk
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2005 10:27 AM
Subject: Free seeds?
Hi There
I have bought this new magazine - Grow your own - since the first issue, mostly to look at the pictures and read what you have to say, but also for the free seeds. Now this is where I have been very disappointed. In the first (or second) the 2 packets were there, but there were no seeds in the packet of Romanesco Broccoli seeds. In the next (or was it the first) both packets were there and seeds as well. Now in the third magazine neither the seeds or the packets were present! I feel very disappointed with this. The magazine price is alone very expensive for what is not more than half hour read, and then to loose out on the "free" seeds, then I feel robbed.
Please could you send me these seeds that I have lost out on? And make sure that they are present in all future magazines.
And the reply half hour later:
Yes I'll put some in the post with some romanescu. Apologies if you feel 'robbed' by a magazine it takes you half an hour to read. You're either a very fast reader or need to try another magazine!
Best wishes
Georgina Wroe
Editor
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:o :o :o
the cheek !
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oooooooohhhhhh ;D I think you must have caught her on a bad day ;D
Grow your own is a bit yuppy doncha think? I only ever bought one (did get the seeds which I've sown and are up) and thought it a bit designerish. The designer eglus. Tsk! Very nice they are too but pricey :)My paper shop won't be stocking it as they don't seem to be able to get it (or they just don't want to) so I'll be sticking with Kitchen Garden. I thought the last ish was very good and I've read it loads of times and I notice my non-gardening OH reading it :)
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I Bought the first Two Issues... but then Struggled to find the latest issue. It looks like all the news agents have something agains this mag...
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I won't be buying it. I was thinking of trying it this month but will stick to Kitchen Garden.
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I didn't get any coriander with the second issue (packet was there but it was empty. Emailed the ed + she popped both packets from that issue in the post. Now have loads of chilli seeds.
It is a bit yuppy + over designed + very very badly proof-read (tho I can't talk when it comes to spelling, even I noticed it!) but I do think it's found a neche in the market with its content if not its presentation.
Could do with being 2ce the size to do the content justice, but then no mag is going to meet everyone's requirements - that's how so many survive in the first place.
It'll be interesting to see if it survives the first year - that's the danger time for mags. From what I've seen so far the jury's still out - so many pros, but quite a few cons.
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As a newbie, I bought both GYO and Kitchen Garden mags to try them out. Have to agree that GYO is very light on the information front - as a newbie I found a lot of stuff was glossed over (ie basics of care etc) that I really need to know. So, have decided to subscribe to Kitchen Garden - especially after the snotty reply Dorthe received!
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That's no way to talk to your readers! The only way to make a magazine great is to listen to what your readers want and she doesn't seem to want to listen. Then again you could have just caught her on a bad day. Editor's have bad days believe me!
GYO magazine is probably aimed at someone like me. 30 (ish), works full time, weekend gardener, no children, can afford to put a little bit of money into their hobby (but not too much!). However, just because I spend less time on the allotment than your average plot holder doesn't mean I want less information, and bigger pictures in my magazine. I agree with you it is a quick read. I like the layout and photography, it just needs more substance.
I might give Kitchen Garden a go this month, see what all the fuss is about :)
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Sounds like the editor has a real attitude problem. I bought the first issue but thought it was for yuppy gardeners, not those of us get down amongst the dirt!! I certainly give it a wide berth now. I find the Amateur Gardening magazine pretty good on a weekly basis.
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Well i think that Georgina is a right old cheeky beggar :o
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How very cheeky of her !!! :o
Thank you for your warning post as I am always up to try something new - I will never purchase this magazine!
I really hope her mag does not take off - such a way to talk to you ! >:(
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Well I bought the very first issue and I really enjoyed it. I am not one of the 'yuppy' gardeners, and I'm always spending time in the allotment. I thought the mag was real value for money and contained lots of practical information. I don't think Georgina was being rude, perhaps she is just a direct person. I do think you hsould give the mag a chance, particularly those of you who have never even tried it yourselves. :)
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Hello Dorphe
Apologies for what may must have seemed a rather brusque response. It was not my intention to offend but if you were able to read the whole magazine in half an hour, I truly think - regrettably - you would be better with a different mag. Kitchen Garden is aimed at the more experienced vegetable grower - we're merely hoping to encourage more inexperienced gardeners to give veg growing a go.
Very best wishes
Georgina Wroe
Editor
Grow Your Own
PS Seeds in post
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i subscribe to GYO and I think it is OK but I have not tried any others. I think sometimes it is easy to forget that emails/texts do not contain any indication of humour or voice expression that you get when you talk to someone. I think the reply could just as easily been a bit of jokiness that falls flat on an email...... but then again maybe not. I have read stuff on this board which I have thought 'how rude' but when I have looked again decided that it was humour. Thats why I like smileys!!! ;D ;D :D :D
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Ok, the email might have seemed rude to you - it probably wasn't meant that way. However its not very nice to go posting people's email addresses with private emails on a public forum, whether the email address is in the public domain or not. I have to email members of the public in the course of my work duties I personally wouldn't like someone posting copies of my emails to them and email address(which is public domain) all over some message board.
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That's true, I agree with Sarah. I also deal with members of the public and I treat all communication as confidential. I think that if Dorthe had a problem with the magazine they should take it up with them and not drag others into a slanging match. As far as I can see Georgina has posted the seeds and has now apologised. I can't wait for the next issue! :)
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Wow guys,
I have to agree with saraha that it is not really good to be quoting personal emails on a public bbs. Coming from the traditional allotment world it is sometimes difficut to take to a publication that does not look as though it has been photocopied and spread around the plots, full of muddy fingerprints and muck. I know I get most of mine that way. However, Grow Your Own seems to me to be aiming at a group of people we do not see that much on allotments, and I believe - really believe - that we should do our utmost to encourage any publication that aims to get those people who want to out there Growing Their Own. There is so much bombardment of people with green issues these days, people who are used to seeing the very best in both magazines and designs, that I believe Grow Your Own should be looked in that light. It is not a lightweight wanabee garden mag - it is a mag that presents people who are used to reading quality publications with the message Grow your Own.
Shouldn't that be worthy of encouragement. Wouldn't it be great if 10 000 people who were new to growing their own started reading this, AND Kitchen Garden, AND logged on to this bbs?
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If you cant do the time, dont do the crime!
Feedback on service is valuable to all of us, if it is supported by evidence all the better.
The email address is no doubt in the magazine anyway.
There is too much shoddy service around, respect often makes way for nonchalence and flippancy these days.
I subscribed to Kitchen Garden, heard nothing for 4 weeks and eventually wrote to them. After 3 days I got a one liner which just said "Be advsed your subscription will start from the 1st May" I felt this was poor service.
(I havent included the email address of the subscriptions department in case I offend)
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It doesn't seem to me that you have actually been given a terribly bad service. After all, the editor replied very promtly to your email when she must surely be very busy, and has sent you more seeds in the post to make up for the mistake. What more could you ask for?!
I can't see anything wrong with her email, I think she was probably being a bit light-hearted. Personally, i think I'd b quite impressed if a magazine editor took the time to presonally reply to my query and not leave it up to her staff!
As for her comment about trying another magazine - I think that's fair enough - no magazine can cater to everyones tastes and interests, or we'd all be buying the same one!! I think it's very honest of her to say this and not try to sell her publication and convinse you to keep buying something that don't suit you - nothing annoys me more!!
Anyway, I nearly bought the magazine last week and will prob pick it up when i hit tescos on Sunday - as a newbie I really could do with all the info and help i can get!!
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I find it very odd that so many newbies who haven't posted before are suddenly here to defend GYO! :-\
Read whatever suits you. For allotmenteers there's Kitchen Garden, and for the rest there's the other garden mags (including GYO). On the whole though a newbie would do better to put some time aside to read through Joy Larkcom's Grow Your Own Vegetables!
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What a cheek!!! Id ring back and complain to her superior.
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Yes I am a newbie but I'd like to think my opinion still counts. I haven't read the magazine yet, but I just thought that the tirade against the editor seemed like a bit of an overreaction. I'm not sure that the editor would even be the right person to contact for an enquiry like that so to see her helping out and getting slagged off for it was disappointing to me (I work in customer service and know all too well that sometimes whatever you say will be wrong!)
.....and yes I'm trying lots of different sources to find helpful info, thanks for the tip-off of somewhere good to look! :)
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i like kitchen garden, but i only brought it for a year as i felt that for the money it cost i could put towards a good gardening book instead, (or lots of gardening books if you scan the jumble sales and car boots!!)
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I find it odd, westsussexlotte, that you can make such a comment. I am totally baffled that people can say such things. Well I suppose we live in a democracy.
If you are inferring anything,westsussexlotte, about the sudden appearance of people willing to defend tGrow your Own, then perhaps you had better accept the fact that people actually like it. What they do not like though, is being bullied. Having it inferred that the only mag for allotment holders is Kitchen Garden.
Who would have thought that a bit of competition n a market place would cause such a fuss - I am totally bemused.
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I think the trouble with a lot of these magazines about a niche subject is that they eventually run out of new things to show. My mum gave me a huge pile of old gardeners world magazines and once you have read 12 - 18 months worth then the stuff starts getting repeated in slightly different format. This is absolutely correct because new people are getting interested all the time but for anyone who subscribes to a magazine for a long period may start to feel that it is not as good as it used to be. I will do 12 months of GYO and then try something else - not come across Kitchen Garden but will try and track it down as seems very popular.
This probably has no relevance at all anything but when the fingers get typing just can't stop em! :)
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Blimey, high horses all round then, I think a few people should chill, especially if you feel bullied by someone on a message board, get a sense of perspective maybe? Old hands (which I'm not) on here like to pass on information and opinions to each other after all information is power
If you like it buy it, personally I thought it was a load of toilet paper, if you are new to veg growing you'll gain more knowledge from The Kitchen Garden I feel but that's just my opinion for what it's worth :P
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;D Westy you are a shrewd observer and maybe right :o we'll see ;)
Never read either mag but thought GYO Ed was way out of place killed it for me ;D If I were her Boss she'd be out the door in a flash >:(
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Hello WSL :) Beware of frost this evening ;D ;D ;D
Wardy
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Hiya Wardy...
not frosted yet... must be a very resistant variety.... ;D
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The editor definitely has a way with words.... :o
I told my other half about her response and he was baffled by her tone. He's in PR and thought that she might be able to save a bit of face on the board.
He emailed her to let her know about the unsavoury PR that was happening about her magazine... He got this response:
From: "Georgina Wroe" <georgina.wroe@aceville.co.uk>
Reply-To: "Georgina Wroe" <georgina.wroe@aceville.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Grow Your Own
Date: Fri 27 May 2005 08:11 AM
aren't they horrible? I think that's what happens when you spend too much time on an allotment. Thanks for pointing it out though
----- Original Message -----
To: georgina.wroe@aceville.co.uk
Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2005 2:46 PM
Subject: Grow Your Own
Looks like you magazine is getting some rather unsavoury PR...
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/yabbse/index.php/topic,9813.0.html
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I'm sorry but she has a point. You are all being horrible to her. Why you must all persist in posting private emails on a public forum? Complaining about someone in this manner without giving them a chance to defend themselves is tantamount to bullying in my opinion - it was a private matter between you and her, instead you have dragged the entire forum into it, with poor little me look who evil this person is. If you don't like her tone with you then email her and tell her or her boss and don't buy the magazine. Post that you bought the magazine and she gave you what you considered to be a rude email response, there is no need to post the correspondance between you and her. I have to say I am disappointed by some of the members of this forum.
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I thought that the point of message boards were to share experiences, ideas, and seek to connect like minded people.
Being a member of this board I am an alotmenteer like most other members, I was just sharing my experiences, an experience that other people like myself would benefit from.
My partners email was sent to her in the hopes that she could save the face of her magazine with the community here. I actually like the magazine (see previous posts). Not knowing him from Adam or Joe she proceeded to dish another slided comment.
I was not trying to start anything, just wanting to share.
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;D Think I'll stick with Amateur Gardener! 8)
Helen
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Bless. I go with the people who scour second hand book shops.I have found several bargains in my searches full of info. I had Kitchen Garden for a year and enjoyed and have seen a copy of GYO I liked the recipes in there. But Hey sun is shining happy gardening everyone ;)
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hmm prepared for benefit of the doubt on first email but 2nd one is a bit much. They are obviously selling so many copies that a bit of bad publicity does not bother them.
Think this thread is now done and dusted and enough been said (written?).
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I agree, I doubt this is benefitting anyone, why not let's just get on with the important business!
(Although, to be fair to her, in her 2nd personal email she was hardly likely to say "oh really, how jolly nice of them", was she?!)
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I thought that the point of message boards were to share experiences, ideas, and seek to connect like minded people.
My partners email was sent to her in the hopes that she could save the face of her magazine with the community here. I actually like the magazine (see previous posts). Not knowing him from Adam or Joe she proceeded to dish another slided comment.
I was not trying to start anything, just wanting to share.
Sorry I didn't mean make my post sound so personal, but my point was there was no need for you or the OP to post personal emails. You could have just said how she replied to your partner. Similarly with the OP, the sharing of the experience would have been enough to be getting on with.
In defence of her comment, when everyone is lashing out at you it is easy to make innappropriate comments in the heat of the moment.
And what has she actually done that was so bad? She sent out some replacement seeds to the OP, and made the comment that perhaps the magazine wasn't the best one for her. What is so wrong with that? Perhaps the manner in which the comment was delivered caused offence but if that was the case why wasn't this taken up with her, instead of attacking her personally on a message board? Who knows how many emails she has got from people who have seen her address on this forum and decided to have a go at her.
To be really honest in customer service, it is highly unusual that an editor or manager takes the time to respond personally at the start - most if not all would just forward the email to someone else to deal with.
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I agree Sarahr with your main point, the fact that she mailed back after half hour is quite extraordinary. Free seeds sent through without a grumble, not bad really.
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I would guess with modern technology, that many magazines have a lot less staff than we assume - I wouldn't have thought a new mag in particular would necessarily have the funding for a PR manager/assistant ed/Customer Service rep etc. Perhaps its like Radio 4 plays, where 4 actors play 26 parts!! Perhaps its written in an allotment shed (with solar panels for charging the laptop!!!)
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while I'm on the subject, while I have absolutely nothing to say about the magazine, or really the issues being so hotly debated, personally if I was e-mailing someone about a matter that related to my professional responsibility, I would keep your 'professional' head on and never assume that your e-mail won't be forwarded.
That is, in the days when I wore suits and an expression of competent and serious professionalism - now I just wear wellies and children's yoghurt stains (well, not just wellies and yoghurt stains, but you know what I mean)
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To all those posting away on this board - you do realise that it will show up on Google. Walls have ears ;D
Westy Glad to hear you're unaffected by hard frost but what about hot air ;D
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I am absolutely astounded by everything I have read on this forum. I thought this was a friendly place but it seems to be just people trying to catch others out. Well done sarahr for speaking up, I hate to see bullying like this. And marthamad, I can only assume that your other half won't be working in pr for much longer if he treats all confidential emails in this manner. After all he must have a reputation to protect. It's quite simple, if you like the magazine buy it. If not don't. By all means share your opinions with others, but don't drag it down into the gutter. Sarahr was quite right when she said that it is quite rare to receive a responso from an editor so quickly, and especially to receive free seeds. What exactly can you complain about?! >:(
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It is a friendly place and we can talk to each other without getting hot under the collar or looking for offence where none exists :)
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The editor definitely has a way with words.... :o
I told my other half about her response and he was baffled by her tone. He's in PR and thought that she might be able to save a bit of face on the board.
He emailed her to let her know about the unsavoury PR that was happening about her magazine... He got this response:
From: "Georgina Wroe" <georgina.wroe@aceville.co.uk>
Reply-To: "Georgina Wroe" <georgina.wroe@aceville.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Grow Your Own
Date: Fri 27 May 2005 08:11 AM
aren't they horrible? I think that's what happens when you spend too much time on an allotment. Thanks for pointing it out though
----- Original Message -----
To: georgina.wroe@aceville.co.uk
Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2005 2:46 PM
Subject: Grow Your Own
Looks like you magazine is getting some rather unsavoury PR...
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/yabbse/index.php/topic,9813.0.html
I must be horrible because I spend too much time on an allotment.
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I find it very odd that so many newbies who haven't posted before are suddenly here to defend GYO! :-\
Very funny indeed! The all registered at about the same time...
And marthamad, I can only assume that your other half won't be working in pr for much longer if he treats all confidential emails in this manner. After all he must have a reputation to protect.
Confidential email? There was nothing confidential about it. If there was there would be a legal disclaimer of confidentiality in the signature of the mail.
I have not attacked anyone... just relayed inbiased information.
I was e-mailing someone about a matter that related to my professional responsibility, I would keep your 'professional' head on and never assume that your e-mail won't be forwarded.
Amen Ceri.
Enough of this topic... If off to plant som Borlotto Beans... :)
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Hey it's Friday, the start of a bank holiday weekend with the prospect of great weather. Just crack open a bottle of beer or wine and chill ;D
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Hear hear! Let's forget all this nonsense and go and enjoy the beautiful weather! Here's to beautiful blooming and less bitching! ;)
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By the way the computer changed my last words to 'pregnant doging', which if you can work it out was 'b*tc*ing'!!! :-[
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In defence of myself, from what I can see, there's newbies on here all the time, are there not?!
I still believe that the ed's comment was probably just her way of not taking the personal criticism too much to heart. It must be hard to have your hard work pulled apart, I've certainly been in that position before!
Anyway, I shall be bowing out of this discussion as I seem to be outnumbered and don't want to annoy any of my new lottie comrades. I'm off to enjoy a beautiful weekend of running away from stag beetles, but for the first time ever am hoping the forecast of a little rain on bank holiday monday is correct! Happy digging everyone :)
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Purple girl I think you had the last word. I love the way this forum changes our words. Look at all the trouble it gets us in to ;D
Go forth everyone and plant sommat before we do any more damage. Oh, and don't forget the drinkies. I shall be chillin later on my plot (as I usually do) and might even do some work :)
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Thanks Wardy, I'll be on my lottie in Suffolk if you're about that way come and see me for a chilled glass of home-grown elderflower cordial... ! ;)
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P.S. what other words does this forum change? I've never come across it before
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Look in recipes and you get "thingy" of butter as we're not allowed to say
K N O B :) We can't say c o c k e r e l so it's a thingyrel we can't say
s n i g g e r . Oh, there's loads. Most of which you'd never dream would get changed. It makes you titter. Can I say that? I just did
Talking of elderflower cordial we were discussing making it on another thread here yesterday. I like mine with sparkling spring water.
Happy gardening this bank holiday. I'll be slaving over a hot frying pan in my B & B while my OH swans off to something going on in Wales :)
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Horrible allotmenteer here! Elderflower cordial with gin and tonic...or make the cordial into ice cubes to float in your G&T! OMG how good is that! Or, put some in a plassy bottle, drop in the freezer and forget about until Christmas day when you could have it with champers! Delsimoso!
Yours, horrible allotmenteer, who has never read GYO but can't believe this thread and the tone it has taken. Feeling less like taking part about now..... :-\
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Horrible allotmenteer here! Elderflower cordial with gin and tonic...or make the cordial into ice cubes to float in your G&T! OMG how good is that! Or, put some in a plassy bottle, drop in the freezer and forget about until Christmas day when you could have it with champers! Delsimoso!
Yours, horrible allotmenteer, who has never read GYO but can't believe this thread and the tone it has taken. Feeling less like taking part about now..... :-\
Aww EJ, maybe that would give us a chance to catch up with your post count ;D
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EJ I would steer clear of this debate and stick to g & t with elderflower cordial - much more civilised :) Mine's a large one ;D