A VISIT to Anglesey will always be a special treat, not least when it involves crossing Thomas Telford’s illustrious Menai Bridge of 1826, with the superbly picturesque strait far below. The significance of the approach is underlined by the wording of the sign on the first tower—Môn, Mam Cymru: Anglesey, Mother of Wales.
Only a few miles from this memorable scene lives Medwyn Williams, himself a kind of living monument of the best kind. He is the greatest of our show growers, a king of long carrots and immaculate cauliflowers, who was awarded an MBE in 2006. He would be entitled to live in state, but, instead, greets me in his cosy sitting room, lined with family photographs and mementoes of his brilliant career. The anticipated masterclass soon dissolves into a friendly chinwag over a marvellous pile of bara brith and Welsh cakes furnished by Medwyn’s wife, Gwenda, an inseparable part of the family enterprises over the years.
In case you wonder on what authority I sing this man’s praises, let me be clear. In 2005, Medwyn won his 10th consecutive Gold Medal at the Chelsea Flower Show, a record for a vegetable display. That show is held in May, a month known to all gardeners as the Hungry Gap, because winter stores are at an end and fresh supplies are still at the seedling stage. There is a good reason why vegetable shows are usually held in late summer. Being told that it can’t be done in May is, to a man of Medwyn’s mindset, an irresistible challenge.
Denne historien er fra March 25, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra March 25, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
