Williamson's Weekly Nature Notes

Give up? I don't blame you. But the scene shown here of Crambe maritima (sea kale) growing on the shingle beach north of Selsey Bill always spells two things to me. One is the blue of the bay which goes on round to Bognor Regis and was the inspiration for the music Sleepy Lagoon by Eric Coates.

He lived nearby at Sidlesham. Another of his famous tunes was Music While You Work which kept the nation's factory workers happy at their lathes making everything from Spitfires to sugar during World War Two. Why he was never honoured for his contributions to the nation is to me a national disgrace.

So far so good. What about Covent Garden? No, Coates' music was never good enough for the hallowed boards trod within for opera bouffes or balletomanes.

Of course you have already thought of Covent Garden market. In 1799, the plant was awarded public notice in a pamphlet written by distinguished Hampshire botanist William Curtis. He described its qualities as a fine table vegetable.

For full feature see West Sussex Gazette October 8