This autumn there has been an abundance of hawthorn berries. These little red berries have long been a part of English folk lore and country tradtion. There are several old sayings which relate to the haw: 'when all fruit falls, welcome haws' is one that I especially like as they do make a particularly good wine. Last year's haw wine is now ready to drink and the flavour encapsulates all that is good about the hedgerow.
Another medieval saying regarding the haw which fills me with foreboding is 'many haws, many snaws'. If this one holds true then we are in for a bumper crop of snow this winter. A lovely family from Finland, where they really do have cold weather, came in to the shop last week, and for some reason we chatted about windows. Apparently, in Finland it is illegal to have anything other than quadruple glazed windows. I explained that here in Bibury, where most of the buildings enjoy Listed status, it is illegal to have anything other than single glazed windows. Better get some logs in then!
I shall try to work 'many haws, many snaws' into my conversation over the coming weeks.
ReplyDeleteThese photos are beautiful, by the way. The only hawthorns I see regularly are the ones in the Green Park. Welcome as those are - and, incidentally, they are heavy with haws too - yours look even better, although that stone wall and the land beyond probably help, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words. Looks as if you will be getting some snow this winter in London too!
ReplyDeleteHi Richard,
ReplyDeleteYou can keep your bumper crop of snow up in Bibury thanks. I'm with your Finnish friends, bring on the quadruple glazing
Yvonne
Don't you think it would get a bit too hot without some good old leaky windows?!
ReplyDelete