Anne Dyas from Dorridge, West Midlands, has reported that after more than 40 years of successfully growing vegetables, the recent drought has finally defeated her bean-growing efforts. Despite repeated sowings and constant watering, only a few sickly runner beans managed to struggle up the canes, yielding just a handful of beans.
In a letter to the Guardian, Dyas expressed her frustration, noting that while any five-year-old can typically grow runner beans, this year proved impossible. She joked about considering edible cacti or an olive grove for next year's planting.
Meanwhile, other readers wrote in with various observations. Dale R Hewitt from Romsey, Hampshire, complained about politicians frequently prefacing their statements with “Well, look…” or just “Look…”, finding the phrase irritating and vowing to vote for anyone who avoids it.
Stuart Harrington from Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, humorously noted that rising prices for eggs, butter, and chocolate have left him unable to have his cake or eat it. Tony Meacock from Norwich shared his routine of storing spectacles and hearing aids in separate cases when swimming.
Additional letters discussed Saint George, clarifying that while he was born in Turkey, he lived in Palestine, and noting that he is also the patron saint of Moscow.
