sime42

We have a similar thing going on. Much smaller, younger tree and just the blossom wilt, no coddling moth. Until about 4 years ago it was a very productive tree, it's been declining since then, but always had some fruit. Non this year. All the flowers browned off before they could set even. Following some good advice given on another thread on here recently about Blossom Wilt, I ruthlessly cut out all the affected growth. The poor tree looks decimated now. I'm hoping it'll do better with fruit next year, though it's not really grown back much yet. The interesting thing is that there's quite a few branches of other apples that I've grafted on over the years, and they don't appear to be infected.

You could just belt sander them then oil, and forget about wax. Something like Danish oil will build up a sheen by itself after a few coats, especially if you flood the surface each time. You'd probably want a cheaper alternative though for that area though.

VID-20230723-WA0008.mp4

With impeccable timing, this has just come on the radio. It sounds like our fears have already come to pass @Johnsond The Briefing Room - The China Threat - BBC Sounds WWW.BBC.CO.UK Is the government failing in its handling of Chinese investment and interests in the UK?

When did I say that I'm happy to have Chinese supplied renewables, Russian coal and oil from anywhere? I didn't, because I'm not. I don't think we should be consuming Chinese goods with the insatiable appetite that we have for the disposable crap either. By doing so we're driving their coal burning and all the other natural resources that they're plundering from Africa for example. I believe we should be making our own renewable energy plant and infrastructure here in the UK. Why aren't we doing that? We're ideally placed with our scientific and engineering expertise, not to mention our heavy industry heritage. We're missing or maybe have already missed a golden opportunity here, this could be the ideal solution to the problem of that elusive economic growth that seems to be the holy grail of government at the moment. Instead they're flogging the dead horse that is the flagging Service and Consumer Economy. It's nonsense. We should be making stuff, that lasts, not endlessly consuming stuff. The big push towards electric cars is bollocks. As if that's going to fix all the problems. Thanks, but I won't be buying one any time soon. I'll continue to drive my diesel van, sparingly, into the ground. Regarding clean air zones. Obviously they've been poorly implemented, it should be done so in a far more intelligent and nuanced way, like all top down government policy, but the idea behind it is sound. On the other hand, it wouldn't do the average overweight person any harm to get out of their car and walk or cycle occasionally, kill two birds with one stone and all that. You're very adept at evading questions, you should be a politician! I know you've a rabid dislike of the media, so let's set aside any media frenzy, perceived or otherwise for now. Have you not noticed that the weather, climate even, is changing, there's an awful lot less insects around than there used to be etc etc? Lots of things like that. Or is it all just a big lie from scientists? Since you're back in full-on zealot mode here's some Moonbatery for you. It'll be a good resource, you'll like it, lots of "common sense". Real science don't you know; https://goodsciencing.com/

So you do believe Climate Change to be a thing? I'm still not clear. Trying to distil that down to a coherent point; I think you're trying to say that we ought to be using our own UK manufactured renewable infrastructure, rather than Chinese. Correct? I completely agree. Our government don't seem to believe in that sentiment though unfortunately, they're unable to make those long term strategic decisions, for whatever reasons. We really should have nationalised critical infrastructure, but that ship has long since sailed as far as energy supply goes. France and China already own half of ours anyway. So what's the difference if some or ideally all of that is from renewable sources? I fear you may be missing the bigger point again.🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️ What are these "punitive actions to the average citizen in the short term" that you speak of?

Do you actually believe that this is all media hysteria? Surely this isn't another of your Moonbat jobs? Whilst I'm in China viewing their huge renewable energy infrastructure, you could have a little trip to Italy, or the US or China. You don't even have to open your eyes if you don't want to, you can just feel the unprecedented heat waves.

You don't need to read MSM, just open your eyes to what's going on in the world around you. 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️ We're all "normal working people" on here. 🤷‍♂️

The North is another country as far as the Government is concerned.

Seriously?

And now for some good news. Jaguar Land Rover-owner to build UK battery factory in Somerset WWW.BBC.CO.UK Jaguar Land Rover-owner, Tata, is going ahead with plans for a multi-billion-pound factory in Somerset.

Europe heatwaves: Wildfires rage in Greece as temperatures soar WWW.BBC.CO.UK Specialist firefighting planes are being sent to Greece to help tackle fires amid the extreme heat.

Yeah, that was my first thought.

I've just seen a Magpie attacking a Blackbird, it was pretty brutal. It was part of a gang of three, the other two were standing around close by. Vicious thugs. There were also a couple of other blackbirds at the scene, doing a lot of shouting but not much else. The blackbird survived, but looks badly wounded, some kind of wing damage. I intervened so that probably saved it, though it's probably doomed anyway now. It looks like a juvenile but fully grown female. So too big for the magpies to eat so I'm wondering what the motivation was.

We had one of them last week, tucking into the sunflower hearts. Not as vibrantly yellow as that though.

I was thinking Fungus Gnats (sciarid flies) as well, given that you mentioned lots of house plants. We get them sometimes, especially when there's lots of vegetable seedlings on window sills and also around the compost caddy in warm weather. They're not harmful in any way, just an annoyance really. https://www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/fungus-gnats

Good Gooseberries this year. This is the second bowl like this so far, probably another half left on the bush. It's only a medium sized plant too, they're heavy croppers when they get going.

I'm not quite sure what immigration or xenophobia have got to do with paying somebody in cash but since this derail has started already. I don't think the problems have got much to do with skin colour at all, more just another now dysfunctional system. It recently took us over an hour to get through border control, and that was at BHX, a relatively small regional small airport, at 2 o'clock in the morning. It used to take 20 minutes at most.

Cash less car parking is my particular favourite. Who wants to piss around on their phone downloading some or other App, (that might then take 5 minutes to set up), rather than just putting a quid or two in the machine and then going on about their business? Not me for one. It's the elderly that I feel sorry for in such situations. Many don't own a Smart Phone, let alone understand what an App is or how to download one. Progress eh?

I reckon it all comes back to the old cliche of "Work/Life Balance". A very good point was made a page or two back, words to the effect that;- if you've enough money for everything you need, and most things you want, and you're fulfilled in what you do then that's enough. No point in killing yourself by working as many hours as you can, or sacrificing family time by taking jobs miles from home.

Aspartame advice unchanged despite cancer question WWW.BBC.CO.UK The sweetener is found in a variety of foods, from diet drinks to chewing gum and some yoghurts.