Yup I agree with Danny, I am nearly a couple of years older, used to live just south of South Yorkshre, so a Northerner like yourself, and have now two allotments plus land (oh boy, it is getting worse), no cats of dogs as we now live in an aparment and it is just not fair. I make jam and chutney too but won't be using eco-friendly stuff, simply as it is not usually available here in Latvia, unless you include the white vinegar I use as a water softener instead of soft rinse. Free-range will be next year if.... and it is a big if.... we can sort out a hen house and some hens. We differ on one point I let my hubby cut down trees but he is a good lad, he is clearing forest of undergrowth at the moment and only cutting up fallen trees and dead ones, we will have to cut down some more mature stuff at some stage but the we have a whole forest to play with - well about 15 acres of the stuff.

So what is your favourite jam/chutney recipe

Most of my chutneys have apples in, could be due to the fact of having so many local apple trees. Even though ours failed to produce much this year (late frost I think), a lady up the road who can't speak a word of English took me by the hand and showed me her apple trees and got me picking a bucket and indicated that there were more around the back. When I went back to collect some more, she even helped me pick them. I love moments like that.