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After a gap of twenty years I have rediscovered my love of stage musicals.

I owe a lot to the form. It was the almost unbelievably fortunate circumstance of being asked while still in my 20s to update the book of Me and My Girl that gave me financial independence. “Book”, incidentally, is the jargon term for the written bits of a show that aren’t music or lyrics: the story and dialogue, in other words.

There are plenty who seem to feel that musicals are a low art form, something for the ignorant masses not to be uttered in the same breath as legitimate theatre, opera or ballet. Nor indeed, the same people would have us believe, are songs from the shows comparable in quality, authenticity or artistry to rock and roll, jazz, blues, hip hop and other popular modes. The songbooks of Porter, Berlin, Gershwin, Kern and early Richard Rodgers might be excluded from this anathema because their connection to staged musical comedy is all but forgotten and their songs can be accorded the status of swing and jazz standards.

Many still wrinkle their noses when they consider how much of the West End is given over to cheap, tinselly shows whose appeal is chiefly to either the matronly less-educated end of the coach-party theatregoing populace or to hysterically camp aficionados for whom Sondheim and Fosse are immortals and Judy and Liza and Barbra divinities.

Well, I won’t say I ever reacted against musicals quite so strongly as that, but I must confess that I have spent a large part of my life thinking that perhaps they just weren’t my kind of thing. Ingratitude, given how much Me and My Girl did for me, but – as I say – all that has changed.

Over the past few months I have been enchanted by Legally Blonde and Avenue Q, as well as by smaller shows like Departure Lounge and Ordinary Days. The other week I attended a cabaret of songs written by the brilliant young Scottish composer/lyricist Michael Bruce, whose Portrait of a Princess has been such a YouTube hit lately and the week before last I found myself simply blown away by Betty Blue Eyes at the Novello Theatre, a brilliant adaptation of Alan Bennett’s multi-BAFTA winning 1984 film A Private Function. Building on the best of Bennett but with the addition of dazzling lyrics by Anthony Drewe and fabulously hummable tunes from George Stiles, Betty Blue Eyes delivers as deliciously happy an evening as anyone could dream of. Continuing the tradition of great theatre directors collaborating on modern British musicals, BBE is directed by Sir Richard Eyre, who should be knighted all over again for best-ever-use-of-a-pig on stage. That radiant Betty is certainly worth the ticket price alone, but if you add Sarah Lancashire, Reece Shearsmith, Adrian Scarborough, David Bamber, Anne Emery… well.

So excited have I become by my new found enthusiasm for musicals that I’m even hosting an evening on Sunday 10^th April at the Criterion Theatre, Piccadilly called “The Great British Musical”, a celebration of past, present and future shows. Some of the very finest of our country’s performers will be there, from Alfie Boe to Julie Atherton. You will be happy to know that I have agreed not to sign a note or dance a step. The evening is in aid of Perfect Pitch whose whose raison d’être is the encouragement, fostering, development and production of new British musicals. Tickets may or may not be available by following this link.

So what is it about musicals that has recently lit my fire, floated my boat and wowsered my trousers? We imagine that musicals are all about escape, fantasy, romance and comedy. Well, it would be absurd to deny that they don’t deliver those much needed and highly prized rewards and that this surely would be reason enough to thank them. But for me as much as anything an evening at the musical theatre is a celebration of talent. It simply astonishes me, indeed often moves me to tears, how many men and women we have in this country who devote themselves body and soul to our entertainment. Eight times a week for months on end there are boys and girls out there doing things that I could never do. They earn a living wage, but really not much more. Only the known stars (often television stars lately translated to the stage) earn big money. The choreographers, musical directors, dance captains, musicians, company managers, administrators, directors and producers are devoted and dedicated practitioners of an art that matters. I love opera with a huge passion, but sometimes my soul yearns more for that easy transition from natural speech to song, that contemporaneity, the wit, the pizazz and the glamorous hoopla that only a great musical can provide. I know that teachers, nurses, soldiers, bus-drivers and millions of others also throw themselves into their work with skill and devotion and that the singling out of a profession that many will think of as quite self-regarding enough already might annoy, but there we are.

Gay people supposedly love musicals more than others because they offer a glittering and colourful Emerald City that contrasts with the grim black and white reality of gay life. Well, that was once true, of course it was, but now it is no more true of a gay experience than of a straight one. We are all as likely to want to leap over the rainbow and follow the yellow brick road as each other.

I think it is time to take the snobbery out of theatre. I am convinced that as I write the West End is in a wonderful, an almost unprecendently wonderful, condition. The balance of important new plays, classic revivals and high quality musical shows old and new is just about perfect at the moment, but it would be less of a world class theatre district, less of a significant cultural phenomenon were it not for the health and vitality of the stage musical. With figures like Michael Bruce and Stiles and Drewe writing from within the tradition and geniuses like Tim Minchin breathing new life from outside it, I can only be confident about the future. If you haven’t recently, then – wherever you live – try and find time to “take in a show” as they used to say – I know it isn’t cheap, but I think you’ll find it worth every penny.

Gay Marriage

Something for George Osborne to consider

“Charlie Sheen can make a ‘porn family’, Kelsey Grammer can end a 15 year marriage over the phone, Larry King can be on divorce No. 9, Britney Spears had a 55 hour marriage, Jesse James & Tiger Woods, while married, were having sex with EV…ERYON­E. Yet, the idea of same-sex marriage is going to destroy the institutio­n of marriage? Really?” Don’t know who wrote that originally, but it’s on the web passim …

stephenfry.com

For most of us, gardening means two things: a) farm and b) soil. Hardly anybody knows that a nature-filled activity doesn’t have to be that far and tedious, and can actually take place at the heart of the dirty metro, right in the comforts of your condominium.

There are people who resort to other types of gardening especially when their vicinity calls for it. Most people who live in a condominium, hotel, or any place that is not suitable for the usual way of gardening go for some container gardening.

Container gardening is suitable for some indoor gardening. Through this, people can grow flowers and vegetables in their doorstep, deck, terrace, or lanai. Container gardening is applicable to just about any place that can be a great spot for a practical and pleasing presentation.

However, container gardening still requires the element of light coming from the sun so as to grow a healthy plant. That’s why it’s a must for a person who wants to try container gardening to consider light as the primary factor in gardening.

Container gardening, as the name suggests, uses containers instead of the usual seedbed or area typically used for backyard gardening. Barrels, hanging baskets, bowls, crocks, boxes for plants, flowerpots, sacks, bowls or peat moss containers are some of the containers that can be used in container gardening.

In choosing containers for container gardening, there are certain factors that need to be considered. Any containers can be used as long as it can provide good drainage. Containers with tight opening should be avoided.

When considering the material used in the make-up of the container, it’s best not to use terracotta pots and bargained plastic pots. Terracotta pots can dry out fast and becomes brittle; while plastic pots may weaken when exposed to sunlight.

The plant selected establishes sizes of containers that are to be used in container gardening. These containers should provide enough space for the plants to develop and grow roots.

The next thing to consider in container gardening is the mixture of soil. The soil mixture should be well ventilated and fluffy. It should be easy to drain excess water at the same time maintain abundant moisture. The soil mixture should be rich in nutrients.

Good soil mixtures can also impede root rot trouble. Root rot problem can be avoided if the same soil mixture is used all throughout the container.

According to some container gardening experts, soil mixtures or “soil less” mixtures bring about the best results. These soil mixtures can be obtained from commercial garden centers. Some of the soil mixtures that are used in container gardening are Metro Mix, Pro-Mix, Redi-Earth, Jiffy Mix, and Super Soil.

However, for budget conscious people who still want to try container gardening, you can opt for a more affordable soil mixtures. That is, you’ll make your very own soil mixtures.

Homemade soil mixtures are composed of one part of sharp sand or vermiculite, one part potting soil, and one part compost. If you’re thinking of a hanging basket for your container gardening, the soil mixture is more of lightweight materials. The mixture is composed of equal parts of vermiculite, peat moss, and perlite.

Generally, since container gardening uses containers that have holes for water drainage, water retention is not that high. That’s why container gardening involves a lot of watering especially during the hot season.

Fertilizers are also important in container gardening. Though, this must be applied in considerable proportions since overuse of fertilizers can do more harm than good. Too many fertilizers may smolder and destroy your plants.

The last thing to consider is the type of plant you will use in your container gardening. Basically, container gardening doesn’t need a special type of plant. In fact, plants that grow in a typical backyard garden can also be used in container gardening.

If you would like to grow vegetables, you may opt for green onions, beans, lettuce, eggplant, tomatoes, squash, parsley, radishes, and peppers. These are the vegetables perfectly fitting for container gardening.

If you want some flowers, you can go for Dusty Miller, Geranium, Begonia, Candytuft, Chrysanthemum, or Shasta Daisy. Any type of flower is suitable for container gardening.

You can also grow herbs in containers like basil, anise, dill, coriander, and chervil. You may also want to try growing chives, mint, tarragon, thyme, fennel, and caraway. Using herbs in container gardening will not only offer you with a beautiful display but can also provide you with useful herbs you can instantly use in your cooking. What’s good about that is that you get it fresh and absolutely free.

That’s why most people who go for container gardening do not only see this as a hobby or a recreational activity. Most of them realize that this can also be profitable and practical. Vegetables and herbs that grow in containers can be instant sources of ingredients in your recipes.

So, for people who still don’t know the benefits container gardening brings, now is the time for you to find it out.

Container gardening is definitely a feasible activity that brings about a thousand benefits right in the heart of the busy metropolis.

What we plant often has a direct effect on our own health and the health of those near us. A pollen-producing male tree in our own yard will easily expose us to ten times more pollen than would a similar tree growing just down the block. This can be compared to second-hand smoke. It is possible to inhale some smoke from a person smoking a block or two away from you, but it is hardly the same as someone smoking right next to you. It is the same with plants.

If your own garden is full of allergenic plants, then you will be exposed most. Elementary school landscapes are frequently highly allergenic because all too often they have been landscaped with trees and shrubs that will not produce any seeds, seedpods or fruit?ɬ¢?¢‚Äö¬¨?¢‚Ǩ¬ùwhich the children might want to toss at each other. What is over-looked is that these tidy choices are usually male cultivars (clones) and although they are “litter-free,” they are prodigious producers of allergenic pollen. I am now involved with a pollen-free landscape planting at a new elementary school in Tulare County, California.

This work is being sponsored by their local asthma coalition and it is very encouraging to see preventative measures like this being taken. Children suffer greatly from allergies and asthma, and asthma is now the most common chronic childhood disease in the US. Another fine example of low-pollen landscaping surrounds the new American Lung Association Regional Headquarters in Richmond, Virginia. With “green” construction principles a new ‘Breathe Easy’ allergy-free office was constructed.

The allergy-friendly landscape plant materials are predominantly female, and compliment the clean air building. Other Breathe Easy offices are also now using pollen free landscapes, as are numerous Heath Houses. Twelve tips: Remember, the greater the exposure to pollen, the greater the incidence of pollen-triggered allergy and asthma.

1.Don’t plant any male trees or shrubs. These are often sold as “seedless” or “fruitless” varieties but they’re males and they all produce large amounts of allergenic pollen.

2.Do plant female trees and shrubs. Even though these may be messier than males, they produce no pollen, and they actually trap and remove pollen from the air. There is also some very good all-female sod to use for pollen-free lawns. As an added bonus, these female lawns stay low and require less frequent mowing.

3.Plant disease-resistant varieties: mildew, rust, black spot and other plant diseases all reproduce by spores and these spores cause allergies. Disease resistant plants won’t get infected as much and the air around them will be healthier.

4.Use only trees and shrubs well adapted for your own climate zone. Plants grown in the wrong zone will often fail to thrive. Because they are not healthy, they will be magnets for insects. Insect residue, “honeydew,” is a prime host for molds and molds produce allergenic mold spores. Often native plants will be the healthiest choices.

5.Be careful with the use of all insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides. Accidental exposure to all of these chemical pesticides has been shown to cause breakdowns in the immune system. Sometimes one single heavy exposure to a pesticide will result in sudden hypersensitivity to pollen, spores, and to other allergens. This is as true for pets as it is for their owners. Go organic as much as possible. Make and use compost!

6.Diversity is good. Don’t plant too much of the same thing in your landscapes. Use a wide selection of plants. Lack of diversity often causes over-exposure. Use lots of variety in your gardens.

7.Wild birds are a big plus because they eat so many insects. Plant fruiting trees and shrubs to encourage more birds. Suet also attracts many insect-eating birds. Insect dander causes allergies and birds consume an incredible amount of aphids, whiteflies, scale, and other invertebrate pests.

8.Use pollen-free selections whenever possible. There are many hybrids with highly doubled flowers and in many cases these flowers lack any male, pollen parts. Formal double chrysanthemums, for example, usually have no pollen. Another example would be almost all of the erect tuberous begonias. These have complete female flowers, but their male flowers have nothing but petals, making them pollen-free.

9.If you simply must have some high-allergy potential plants in your yard, just because you love them, then watch where you plant them. Don’t use any high-allergy plants near bedroom windows or next to patios, well-used walkways, or by front or back doors. Place the highest allergy plants as far away from the house as possible and downwind of the house too. Remember: the closer you are to the high-allergy tree or shrub, the greater is your exposure.

10.Know the exact cultivar name of a tree or shrub before you buy it. Don’t buy any that are not clearly tagged with the correct cultivar (variety) name and the Latin, scientific name. Compare the exact name of the plant with its OPALS/TM allergy ranking. With this scale, 1 is least allergenic, and 10 is the most allergenic. Try to achieve a landscape that averages at OPALS #5, or below.

11.If you have a tree or hedge that has high allergy potential and don’t want to remove it, consider keeping it heavily sheared so that it will flower less. Boxwood, for example, has allergenic flowers but if pruned hard each year, it will rarely bloom at all.

12.Get involved with your own city’s tree and parks departments, and encourage them to stop planting any more wind-pollinated trees. There are thousands of fine choices of street trees that do not cause any allergies and we should be using these instead. Working together we can make a healthy difference, and we’ll all breathe better for our efforts.

*Note, with the dioecious plants (separate-sexed) males cause pollen-allergy, and females because they are pollen free, do not. Examples of some of these dioecious plants are: red maple, silver maple, box elder, holly, willow, aspen, cottonwood, poplar, fringe tree, pepper tree, carob tree, Osage orange, mulberry, cedar, juniper, podocarpus, yews, ash, date palms, and even asparagus.

My background – well, I grew up on a plant nursery, it was literally at the top of the garden path. When I was young my grandfather grew tomatoes commercially, in fact in the same location I will be growing the balcony boutique collection of vegetable plants. I still remember the taste of those tomatoes. I suppose that was another inspiration to do this – to allow everyone the opportunity to have great tasting tomatoes and vegetables within easy reach. When my?É‚Äö?Ǭ†father took over the nursery he began to grow bedding plants and a massive array of plants throughout the year, the family business,?É‚Äö?Ǭ†Mott Street Nursery, is now run by my brother and continues as a wholesale nursery. ?É‚Äö?Ǭ†I worked on the nursery from a young age,?É‚Äö?Ǭ†and remember earning 50 pence an hour – it did go up as I got older. ?É‚Äö?Ǭ†I then went to university and went on to do other things, but I always had this idea in the back of my mind that everyone can have beautiful plants, and that it shouldn’t be complicated or a hassle to have them.