The Rhubarb Triangle from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
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TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 1 Pages 32 to 39 - Garry’s Report on Election day, Saturday May 18, 2019. Pages 39 & 40 – Basenjis Tail Piece. The Rhubarb Triangle From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Rhubarb sculpture in Wakefield. Still in Century Gothic Produced by Garry Dalrymple as a contribution to the June 2019 ANZAPA mailing Postal Address: Garry Dalrymple, 1 Eulabah Avenue, EARLWOOD NSW 2206. Home phone No. 02-9718-5827 (better after 7 pm) Email; [email protected] Page 1 – This Index Pages 1 to 3 – The Rhubarb Triangle Page 3 – May / June Issue Editorial Pages 3 to 6 – Hurstville ‘Discovery’ Writers Group Meeting, Feb. 5, 2019 Page 6 to 22 – SF&F Meeting Notes In 2005 Wakefield council erected a Pages 6 to 8 - Concord Library SF&F sculpture depicting a rhubarb plant in Meeting, Feb 4, 2019, ‘Leviathan Holmfield Park Wakefield. Wakes,’ by James A. Corey Pages 8 to 11 – Better Read than Dead Bookshop’s, SF&F meeting, Feb 5, 2019, ‘Kindred’ by Octavia Butler and ‘Rosewater,’ by Tade Thompson Pages 11 to 15 – Concord Library SF&F Book Club, ‘Frankenstein, or the new Prometheus’ by Mary Shelley, 1831 ed. Pages 15 to 18 – Sydney Futurian meeting of April 12, 2019, Conspiracies in Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories. Pages 19 to 22 - Sydney Futurian This Carlton village sign celebrates its link meeting of May 17, 2019, Your first with Rhubarb experiences of Science Fiction. The Rhubarb Triangle (also alliteratively Pages 22 to 32 – Traveller’s Tales, the known as the Tusky Triangle, from the events of May 1 to 27, 2019. Yorkshire word for rhubarb) is a 9-square- 1 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 2 mile (23 km2) triangle in West Yorkshire, crimson in colour with a smooth texture. England between Wakefield, Morley and Traditionally, the pickers pull the stalks in Rothwell famous for producing early forced candlelight as any exposure to strong light rhubarb. It includes Kirkhamgate, East will stop the growth. By the end of March Ardsley, Stanley, Lofthouse and Carlton. The the harvest is over and the root stock is Rhubarb Triangle was originally much bigger, totally exhausted and composted. covering an area between Leeds, Bradford History and Wakefield. From the first decade of the Growing and forcing rhubarb was originally 20th century to 1939 the rhubarb industry done by many hundreds of small farmers, expanded and at its peak covered an area smallholders and market gardeners. 2 of about 30 square miles (78 km ). In later years some growers expanded and Rhubarb is a native of Siberia and thrives in owned many thousands of roots and the wet cold winters in Yorkshire. extensive forcing sheds. West Yorkshire once produced 90% of the In the late 19th century early forced world's winter forced rhubarb from the rhubarb was sent to Spitalfields and Covent forcing sheds that were common across the Garden markets in London in time for fields there. Christmas and was sent to Paris for the In February 2010, Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb French market. was awarded Protected Designation of A special express train carrying rhubarb was Origin (PDO) status by the European run by the Great Northern Railway Commission’s Protected Food Name Company from Ardsley station every scheme after being recommended by weekday night during the forced rhubarb Department for Environment, Food and Rural season from Christmas until Easter. Up to 200 Affairs (Defra). tons of rhubarb sent by up to 200 growers Cultivation was carried daily at the peak of production The cultivation method for forced rhubarb before 1939. was developed in the early 1800s. In 1962, a rail strike caused the growers to The fields were fertilized with large quantities look for alternative transport and the of horse manure and 'night soil' from the service ended shortly after. nearby urban areas and Woollen waste from Rhubarb became less popular after the "mungo and shoddy" mills. Second World War when more exotic fruits The rhubarb plants spend two years out in the became more available. fields without being harvested. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the While in the fields the plants store energy name "rhubarb triangle" to a 1965 textbook from the sun in their roots as carbohydrates. mentioning pre-war trains rhubarb specials The roots are subjected to frost before being that ran from the West Riding rhubarb moved into sheds in November where they triangle to London and it was mentioned in are kept in complete darkness. In the sheds the Guardian newspaper in 1986. the plants begin to grow in the warmth and the stored carbohydrate in the roots is EU recognition of Yorkshire transformed into glucose resulting in forced Forced Rhubarb rhubarb's sour-sweet flavour. Twelve farmers who farm within the The sheds are long low buildings which are Rhubarb Triangle applied to have the name heated; originally with coal, which was "Yorkshire forced rhubarb" added to the list plentiful and relatively cheap in the area, but of foods and drinks that have their names this has been replaced by diesel. legally protected by the European Forced rhubarb grown in the sheds is Commission's Protected Food Name tenderer than that grown outdoors in scheme. The application was successful summer. Without daylight the rhubarb leaves and the farmers in the Rhubarb Triangle are a green-yellow colour, and the stalks, were awarded Protected Designation of measuring around 2 feet (61 cm), are Origin status (PDO) in February 2010. Food 2 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 3 protected status accesses European funding feet for 7 and a half hours, during an to promote the product and legal backing election day effort stretching from 7 am to against other products made outside the 6.30 pm, something that I doubt I could area using the name. have done two years ago when my mass Other protected names include Stilton was peaked at my 150 kg. cheese, Champagne and Parma Ham. At the time of writing, as a result of the Leeds Central MP, Hilary Benn, was involved activity I’m feeling pretty good and looking in the Defra campaign to win protected forward to breaking the 130 kg barrier, and status. proceeding further on to a two figure target Culture mass, and City to Surf participation, Wakefield Council holds an annual Rhubarb someday. Festival in February, celebrating the area's As an event, it is worth recording some links and promoting the surviving rhubarb impressions of this year’s Federal Election industry. A Farmers' Market, cookery day, not for the change in government or demonstrations, walks and tours of the the popular mood, but as a type of event forcing sheds are among the attractions. that is likely to change its appearance in Rhubarb growing and the 'Rhubarb Express' the near future. For example, the mobile are featured in Wakefield Museum. phone is replacing the party issued ‘How-to- Vote’ card in influencing the choices of wavering voter’s, and most importantly, the number of voters NOT voting on Election day, through Pre-poll and Postal voting, which this year was at a record number, A May/June Editorial Four and a half million out of 16 million enrolled voters, was at an unprecedented This issue, thematically borrowing from the high level, and this level is more likely to Foxes, is going to be heavy on Rhubarb, of Increase than Decrease at future Australian the Political and of the Vegetable kind. Elections, meaning? I do not know, As a Rhubarb grower of recent standing, I probably more voting based on unverified have always been interested in the on-line or TV presented ‘facts’, and more mysterious technique of ‘Forcing,’ of my ‘Spin’ than soberly interpreted policies Yorkshire ancestors, but in researching it supported by appealing to recognizable recently, I discovered that the technique traditional interest groups. What’s it all involves an Ethical issue, to a practicing leading to, an electoral Zombie Photo-Breatharian, i.e. should food plants, Apocalypse? Dunno, I’m just reporting it, like animals raised for human food, have as I saw it, on the day, at Sydney Town Hall. ‘Rights’ and if so, isn’t the technique of I would be interested to hear how you ‘Forcing,’ by the denial of sunlight to a plant experience it on the day, if / when you a bit cruel? As a public service, in this issue voted near your place. I make available to you some Wikipedia Garry P Dalrymple – May 23, 2019. sourced facts on this issue and I invite you to focus your attention to this important but Notes from the Tuesday February 5, neglected issue common to both Veganism 2019, Hurstville Writer’s group, and Vegetarianism. meeting in Hurstville Public Library’s Of the Political Rhubarb content of this issue, you may read how I spent a day out recently, Mary Gilmore (Georges River on Election day, Saturday May, 18, 2019, Council), 12.30 - 2.30 pm or later. during which time I spoke to (literally) From pages 06 & 07, Grey Foolscap Rough Notes book, Present were, twelve people, 8F and 4M. hundreds of people and observed some interesting things, which I choose to share Intro – I write this report, from my notes and with you. Personally, it was a day of my memories, both of which are liable to triumph. I stood up and was active on my transmission faults and denial of service 3 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 4 incidents. As an assessment of what I saw / House (Meeter and Greeter of visitors at understood to be the meeting. I make the meetings) – Hospitality Officer (The bringer distinction between ‘Good for Me’, and the of the all-important Tea, Coffee and possibility of ‘Good for You,’ rather than a Biscuits!) Publicity and Communications general ‘Good’ or ‘Bad.’ The event was Officer (Mainly contacting the Sutherland effectively and well run, but you are free to Shire Leader, the local newspaper about read between the lines, that this meeting the groups meetings and events.) was not really my glass of tea.