Merry Christmas everyone! Now heres a thought... well two actually!
Mistletoe, the well known and popular Christmas decoration, may disappear from Britain within twenty years, according to the National Trust. They warn that the continued decline of traditional apple orchards, where the parasitic plant thrives, threatens to erradicate it completely. In Somerset, for example, orchards have declined dramatically over the past 60 years. As well as the traditional association with Christmas, mistletoe also provides an important winter food for birds and supports the rare mistletoe marble moth. There are clear ways to avoid further demise: promote and eat English apples; buy English mistletoe; perhaps even convince your parents to drink English mulled cider (in moderation!) rather than mulled wine!
Find out more : Guardian BBC
Meanwhile, as global climates change, parts of Southern England are becoming increasingly good places for vineyards to make wine. Although this has been happening for a number of years, successfully, it has now got to the stage where some English wines are of better quality than their French counterparts! Find out more this week, or, in the not so distant future, watch channel Dave!
Best Festive Wishes,
JG
