How Henlady Got Her Name

Henlady was Thunderthighs' first teacher when he went to Woodlawn special school, where of course she was called Mrs <surname redacted> (see Thunderthighs speaks). 

Eventually we became friends on Facebook and then one day in a thread about fruit …

From Facebook archives ...

12 October  2010 at 20:24 ·

I have a sore thumb from peeling, coring and chopping 6lb of apples for chutney.

Bodrhanman  Well worth it though!

Bentonbag  You're welcome to a jar or six.

Mrs <surname redacted>   You have apple trees then?  We have 4 immature trees and had about 40 apples. Hope for more each year though.  Our plum blossom was frosted this year, so not enough plums to make jam. other years we had lots.

Bentonbag  We have 2 ballerinas (they go straight up like poplars) and a crab, but also get given lots by friends with trees who know we make jelly and chutney.   

We also have cultivated blackberries (Loch Ness), they're real thugs and suckers keep coming up in the lawn - but very good for blackberry & apple jelly.   

You were very unlucky with the plums, it seems to have been a good year for them.   

My tomatoes were very poor this year but Fester blames cheap seeds!

Mrs <surname redacted>   I grew cherry tomatoes in a basket in the sunlounge and did better than usual this year.  Our blackberries fruited, but only a pudding full.  I have started all new canes for next year and hope springs eternal! 

I grew strawberries in hanging baskets too- out of the way of the hens!  

My husband bought me a vine at Morrisons and it has grown a lot, but something is making large holes in the leaves!

Bentonbag  You have hens!  We had them at home when I was little and I keep thinking I'd like to keep a handful but don't know how I'd keep them secure from cats and foxes.  Thunderthighs saw a fox in our garden early one morning this summer.

Mrs <surname redacted>   We had 3 but lost one this summer.  They are great pals.  They have a hen house, but like our previous hens, have migrated to living in the house.  They used to lay an egg each, every day, beautiful organic large eggs.  They are free to roam the garden ( a half acre) all day. precious plants need wiring to keep them safe.  Neighbours cats occasionally come in the garden, but are not usually any bother.   

The hens are quite big and soon shout for help and frighten the cats.  The three together could terrorise a cat if they wanted. 

When they were young, we had them in a run attached to the henhouse, but they really need to roam.  They come when called!  We have three cats, only one bothers the hens a little bit - but they really all get on well. 

We too have urban foxes and have to get the hens in at dusk each night.  The fox got two of my rabbits, so our current rabbit resides in the house.  He has his own room at night but is free on the second and third floors all day. 

Yes, I do enjoy my pets

Mrs Freyarn  I 'hen sat' for my friend in the summer and at night they went in to a very secure hen house and had a chicken wire compound around the hen house. 

One has died recently but only because they ate it!

Bentonbag  Most of our hens at home ended up roasted while my Grandma was fit enough to slaughter, draw and pluck them, but it was usually for a special meal like Xmas, Easter or family visits.  Shop bought hens just don't taste or feel the same. 

Ours were truly free range.  Fed on “Indian corn” and kitchen scraps but also ate whatever they wanted, climbed trees, flew a bit and were a year or three old by the time Grandma got round to them.  She had a system of different coloured leg rings so she could tell which were the oldest ones.  We also had a cockerel so there was usually a new clutch of chicks each year.