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Has anyone out there grown a peach tree from seed?? If so, how?
Has anyone out there grown a peach tree from seed?? If so, how?
You just put them in the ground in an out of the way place. Presto, lots of seedlings. Note tho, that peaches are hybrids, so you get some good ones and others that are barely edible, but never what you thought you planted. I sometimes use healthy seedlings as grafting stock.
Peaches are known for their seedling fruit being usually edible and acceptable tasting if not good. That is rare because most seedlings of other fruits produce very poor fruit.
Here is a picture of a peach seedling I grew at 18 months. It was almost 10 feet tall.
Peach seedlings are also known for producing fruit very quickly. Some produce as early as 2-3 years old.
Seedlings are generally more disease resistant as well.
This message was edited Apr 11, 2011 11:28 PM
JuJu......I am so impressed with your seedling peach tree...you sure have a green thumb. You live in south Texas?? I am passing this information on to my daughter who wants to grow a tree from a pit in Southern Illinois.
Farmerdill, you live in the Peach capitol of the world....how fortunate for you. Thank you so much for your input...
Strangely, I did nothing to this Peach tree. I had other Peach seedlings that were not in a raised bed that did not grow as fast. It may just be a more vigorous seedling combined with loose well drained soil.
JuJu, I would advocate some caution here. My initial reading of this thread, I thought you were suggesting that eating peach pits and the seedlings themselves, which are toxic to varying degrees. Then a rereading which showed that you were talking about the peaches (fruit) from the seedlings. My mistake, but I thought maybe worthwhile to clarify the difference in case others were reading too fast like myself.
My understanding is that some peach seeds need a cold treatment, so there could be some benefit to winter sowing or storing seeds in a refrigerator for a period of time before planting. Depends on your climate, when you are trying to sprout the seed and the variety of the peach.
Some peaches are reported to come relatively close to original variety from seed, but others do not. It is always fun trying for new varieties and the ones on their own roots, that survive for a long time, are going to be well suited for your location.
Good thread.
My neighborhood is full of Peach tree seedlings. You can always tell the difference from the store bought trees that are named varieties. Usually the seedlings are about racketball sized fruit or a little bigger. The taste is often superior to store bought Peaches which are bred to have a longer shelf life and less sugar content. However, they are usually not as good as home orchard variety Peaches which are larger and juicier. The seedlings are definitely tougher as I used to have a named variety that died without care while seedlings were still growing in vacant lots.
Peach trees grow well here but do not live long due to there being a couple of diseases that affect them here. I'll have to try a few pits-to-trees to see what I get. I'd rather have have a couple of apricots though. Apricots here have problems with setting fruits. The weather triggers them to start growing and flowering, then we get frosts that kills the blossoms/fruit. I have never had a tree ripened apricot (*sigh*). I do enjoy tree ripened peaches - they are much better.
Here are the late blooming varieties. This guy is extremely knowledgable and has written a few books on fruits.
I accidently grew some peaches from seed. I tilled in my compost where I intended to plant some raspberries. There were peach pits in the compost from canning peaches. The next spring I had a row of peach seedlings. I thinned them by vigorous vs scrawny the first year, then by branching pattern (I moved the best looking one to the tree row), then by health and vigor again, which left 3 of the original peaches. The blossoms got hit by frost two years in a row. The one that I moved got badly hail damaged. This past year, the 3 without hail damage finally set peaches. One dropped all its peaches while still green. One had one huge ugly peach - but it was rich and juicy. The littlest peach had the most - six small peaches. They had a firm texture a "bright" (sweet-tart) flavor, completely different from the big one. I intended to narrow it down to 1-2 trees, but it looks like it will take another year.
To sum up: there was nothing wrong with the flavor of the "wild" peaches. There was nothing wrong with the size, it was consistant with the size of the tree and number of peaches. The general health and vigor of the trees was helped by the fact I had the luxury of being able to thin down to the best ones.
Late blooming apricots were also a recent topic on the NAFEX discussion list. Juju, do you belong to that?
No sir.
Sure appreciate the feedback here as I have three seedlings of various age and have not tasted my first fruit yet. Last year the biggest bloomed and set profusely, I thinned as directed, but all fruit had dropped or disappeared not long after walnut size. This year two trees each have a few fruit buds. The smallest should be moved to her permanent home soon if I have room.
Thanks for all this interesting info. I have not tried growing seedling fruit trees thinking the fruit would be worthless. As I live in an area full of cedar and juniper, I am learning that my 2 apple trees will probably do poorly so, if they do, I will saw them down and plant peach seeds in their place. One of the posts brought out that he/she (sorry) was thinning by vigor, etc so that seems like a good idea for me - I can plant 5 or so seeds around each apple stump. I assume that will allow for no-shows as well as a selection by vigor. I think this year will be a good SC & GA peach crop year so I may plant seeds as I eat the really great peaches.
do peaches like pretty neutral pH? My soil is very acid (blueberries do fine) so I would use lime for peaches if they do.
If your apples do not work out, don't remove them, graft good apple scions onto the rootstock trees you have. This kind of grafting is called top-working. There are many people that will share cuttings for scion use with you. It is much faster than growing out a new tree that may or may not be worthwhile. You could end up with a tree that has multiple good varieties if you want.
Junipers and apples both grow well in Colorado. Some people/areas have problems with cedar-apple rust, some don't. Do not give up on your apples yet.
Krowten - Thanks for the grafting suggestion but I really am not that thrilled with growing apples (especially varieties I know nothing of). I was just disillusioned learning about the cedar tree problem. I have limited planting room and I know peaches grow in Eastern NC - not so sure about apples. I really enjoy my fig trees and blueberries and they don't give me any hassles.
pbyrley: Apples need winter chilling hours - How many hours varies by variety. That far south in 7b, you would need a variety recommended for your area. I wouldn't know what varieties that would be. Where did your apples come from? A local supplier should carry varieties for your area. A national supplier ought to at least be able to tell you whether or not it will grow in your area, and whether it has any resistance to Cedar-Apple rust. You should also see if your county extension agent or state agricultural college has any information on growing apples (or other fruits) in your area.
Has anyone out there grown a peach tree from seed?? If so, how?
Yes, though it's been years ago, when I was a grad student at the University of Georgia in Athens. At one of the experimental farms, we had a dwarf ornamental peach growing that happened to be fruiting when I was there, so I picked up one and took it home. I removed the flesh and washed the pit very well, put it into a plastic bag with some damp vermiculite, put it in the vegetable drawer of my refrigerator and left it there for several months. I honestly don't remember if it was already sprouting in the bag, but I took it out and planted it in a small nursery container. It grew and developed the same dwarf habit as the parent - VERY short internodes. Since I was moving around quite a bit back then, I gave it to a good friend who was with the Georgia Extension Service. He planted it in his yard on his farm near Tifton. I saw it some years later when I visited, and it had grown into a very compact, tidy bush about 3 feet tall. When I happened to bring up my old "seedling", he was surprised to find out it was not a graft. It seems dwarf trees don't commonly reproduce true from seed, but this one did.
Blueberries are a true joy. I don't grow apples myself either. BTW, did you know there is a relatively new variety of blueberry called "Bonus" that does fruit the size of half-dollars? It gotten good reviews so I've picked up a couple of plants to try. Just heard about it this year.
pbyrley, You might want to look into how long an average peach tree lives. It is not even a respectable fraction of an apple trees life span. Peach trees also have a number of problems, like peach leaf curl and borers for instance. Regular spraying is almost always neccesary. I have peaches and necterines and apples and pears, citrus and avocados and some other stuff and the stone fruit demands much more attention. Don
By the way, my two year old Peach seedling has a few fruit on it.
It has also put on a massive amount of growth again. This tree is out of control even though we are in a bad drought again. I will post more pics tomorrow.
This message was edited Apr 11, 2011 11:30 PM
Thanks Dimcgrw,
Since I am 74 years old, I don't have to worry that apple trees live longer than peaches. I know you have to spray peaches and would be willing to do that. I love to eat peaches even though they all got ripe in one week on a tree I had about 20 yrs ago. I and the June bugs loved them. When you spray the trees, the neighbors are very grateful also.
Thanks rjogden for the details - I think the refrigerator step will probably speed the sprouting time here. I plan to try sprouting mid-season and late-season peaches (one around the Gala apple stump and the other around the Fuji apple stump). I presume that early peaches means early blooming and our last frost would likely get early peach blooms. Any other details, especially on selection criteria, would be appreciated.
Also, do you have a feel for the desired pH for peaches? I have very acid soil - 4.3 to 4.5 at last test. Maybe, I will retest and tell the NC State people I want to grow peaches - they'll suggest how many tons of dolomite I need.
Well, here is an update on my "weed" that I almost dug up until I found out it was a Peach tree.
It has been around three years since the seedling popped up and the tree is huge, covered in fruit and the fruit is some of the best I have ever eaten. No fertilizer, no pesticides and I didnt water it the first two years.
If you look back further in this post, you will see pictures of this tree when it was just a few feet tall.
My experiment hasn't been as successful.
Thanks to all,
Using the method rjogden had mentioned, I put my peach pits into a jar of moist vermiculite ( I always have it on hand) and kept them in the refrig. all Winter. I think I had 5 or maybe 7 pits, each from a different purchase of grocery store peaches from July through Aug. About last March, I notice they were starting to sprout so I planted them near the apple trees I planned to saw down and 5 seeds sprouted fine. Two were destroyed, by deer(?) but 3 are growing well - about 12" tall now.
I have now sawed down both apple trees and thrown them into the woods.
I also have one peach tree I sprouted the year before, in a pot - I may leave it as a potted tree. It's about 3' tall (from the potting soil surface). It's likely way too hot here to plant it in the ground now.
Thanks again,
2012 Update: Of my four peaches from seed I have left, I have decided to remove 2 of the 4. Both were shy about setting fruit. One was unusually late, in a bad year it could be hit by a hard frost before the fruit were ripe. I didn't care for the flavor of the other one - tasted okay at first but seemed to have a bit of a bitter after-taste. So I guess one volunteer did have an off-taste - but it was as good as a picked-green store-bought peach. It is the same one that had its bark stripped off by hail, and has been runty ever since - before the hail storm it was a pretty tree. These are the same trees I had thinned previously for health.
Don't remove seedlings if you want to grow something similar at that same spot. Just cut them back to the split in the tree and graft Plums, other Peaches, Cherries or Apricots to them. In fact, you could graft all of those fruits to just one tree.That type of grafting is called Cleft Grafting and is very easy. You will get tons of growth in the first year and possibly fruit the second when doing this. Also, the roots are already established so you are years ahead of planting a store bought tree.
Good suggestion. I was going to replace one with a cherry - and I have had trouble getting Cherries started in my salty alkaline soil. I don't know if it is the soil or the gophers or both. I can get hold of several different red sweet cherries. I saw on this forum where "Bing" can be too aggressive as a graft, but I can get a "Stella" and another blackish one -"Van"? I just need to figure out where I can acquire a twig off a yellow cherry, "Anne" or better yet, "Rainier".
Since I have trouble with critters gnawing on the both roots and trunk or little trees - should I cut it off higher, maybe 18-24" and set the grafts up high?
Just remove the shoots that will come up from below the graft.
I am still enjoying this thread a lot.
Rjogden, do you have a guess as to how a (seedling) peach would do in Port St. Lucie, FL? We bought a second house there and I am ready to go get a mango & maybe an avocado. While re-reading this thread, I thought - why not? The real beauty to me, besides that I grew up in Augusta, GA, is that seedlings are just plain fun! If i got a few peaches to eat, that's a bonus. I wouldn't be willing to do a lot of spraying unless it was piggybacked to the mango tree's requirements (like adding Sevin to a fungicide).
Paul (UF, BSEE 1964)
Paul, when I was a small child during WWII we lived across the street from the old Orange Bowl in Miami (long before the upper decks were added). My grandfather encouraged me to plant avocado and mango seeds, which actually grew!
Right after the war, he transplanted the seedlings to the house he was building, and when I moved back to Miami in 1954, there were several huge mango and avocado trees in his back yard... bearing LOTS of fruit every year... and all from my childhood seedlings.
Never give up on seedlings!
I'm not sure you'll get enough chill hours in Port St. Lucie for peaches, but any / all citrus and tropical fruits should thrive there, even things like Barbados cherries. I'm envious you will have that growing environment as I sure miss the fruits of my childhood!
It sounds like your peach tree is a very superior variety, and you should think of propagating it. Put your name on it, and it is very satisfying to watch it become popular.
When i was operating the Shade and Ornamental tree nursery in Idaho, I discovered a mutation of a Purple Crab, that was much superior to the Royalty cultivar, that was the most popular at the time.
It took us five years to grow them to market size and by that time the tree was far and away better than the other 99 in that row grafted at the same time. I shared it with other growers and it is becoming very popular all over the Intermountain West, which is the area we sold our trees to. The tree is the Perfect Purple Crabapple and easy to find on Google.
I have one Babcock peach planted here and plan to plant another Peach this Spring to replace the Guava that cannot stand the frosts we are starting to get here.
Is there a chance you could send me a few bud sticks, that i could try? I would be glad to pay, and or send you some Himrod Grape cuttings which are fantastic grapes.
Rjogden, do you have a guess as to how a (seedling) peach would do in Port St. Lucie, FL?
I really hate to discourage you, but unless things have changed variety-wise we are pretty much at the southern limit for peaches. You might get a seedling peach tree to grow that far south, but there is absolutely no way to tell if it will produce fruit, or if it does whether they will be any good. And I don't personally know anyone who grows organic peaches successfully. Even the varieties "adapted" to this area or bred to grow here need a lot of attention (pruning, fruit thinning, fertilizing, spraying for diseases and insects) to produce fruit reliably. Count on regular fungicide and insecticide applications at a minimum.
I did my masters degree work on peaches up in Georgia - and despite the fact I now have low-chill apples and pears, cold-resistant citrus, blueberries, loquats, olives, mulberries, figs, persimmons, and even a pomegranate growing on my small property, I have no plans to grow any peaches.
Rich, thanks for your answer, I pretty much thought that would be the case. I certainly don't need the extra work you described.
The seedlings I planted in NC will be interesting to watch but I will likely be in FL so much that they won't get any loving care. My wife has no interest in spraying, only in reaping the results.
Today, I am going today to purchase a Valencia Pride mango from a nursery in Stuart. I was so enthusiastic about the impending purchase that I dug the hole 2 days ago.
Rich, thanks for your answer, I pretty much thought that would be the case. I certainly don't need the extra work you described.
The seedlings I planted in NC will be interesting to watch but I will likely be in FL so much that they won't get any loving care. My wife has no interest in spraying, only in reaping the results.
Today, I am going today to purchase a Valencia Pride mango from a nursery in Stuart. I was so enthusiastic about the impending purchase that I dug the hole 2 days ago.
Well, North Carolina is a different case, and peaches can certainly be grown there. They will need thinning to get large fruit (bigger than prunes) and should at least be sprayed to prevent fungus destroying all the fruit in wet/humid weather, but you might be able to find a copper-based fungicide to do the job. Just need to be careful about copper accumulation in the soil - it can become toxic.
I WISH I could grow mangoes! It's just a hair too cold up here in Gainesville.
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Article date: 21 February 2002
Lex Service PLC, the motoring and vehicle solutions company,announces preliminary results for 2001 which demonstrate a year ofstrong growth and continued improvement in the quality ofearnings.
Results highlights
- Profit before goodwill amortisation, exceptional items and taxup 19% to £65.1 million.
- Earnings per share on this basis up 18% to 41.9p.
- Full year dividend increases by 4.8% to 22.0p per share.
- RAC Motoring Services contribution grew 50% to £39.0 millionincluding £9.8 million from RAC Auto Windscreens.
- Value of long term business increased by 9% to £2.7billion.
- Lex Service PLC proposes renaming as RAC plc.
Lex Service Chief Executive Andy Harrisonsaid:
"Lex has been transformed over recent years with the acquisition ofRAC and the divestment of our motor retailing activities. Thebenefits are clear, with a 19% growth in underlying profits, asubstantial improvement in the quality of our earnings and excitinggrowth prospects."
"Changing our name to RAC plc is the natural next step as we buildon the inherent strength of the RAC brand. Lex will remain animportant trading brand in the corporate vehicle market."
Lex Service will seek shareholder approval for the renaming at itsAnnual General Meeting on 25 April 2002 and, subject to approval,will become RAC plc in September 2002.
For more information contact:
Paul Hewitt, Finance Director, Lex Service PLC 01628 843703
Niall Addison, Finance & Investor Relations Manager, LexService PLC 07764 624701
Kate Holgate / Michael Webster, Brunswick Group 020 7404 5959
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: www.racplc.co.uk
Lex Service PLC preliminary statement
A clear vision for growth
Through the acquisitions of RAC Motoring Services in 1999 and AutoWindscreens in 2001, and the exit from car retailing in 2000, Lexhas been transformed into a strong support services company withunique motoring and vehicle expertise and a clear vision for growthin the consumer and business markets. The progress achieved in 2001confirms the success of this strategy.
There are considerable opportunities for further growth. In theconsumer market RAC is continuing to grow its roadside business,with revenue up by 6% and customer numbers passing the two millionmilestone. In addition, revenue from non-roadside services grew ona like for like basis by 15% as the business continues to developits comprehensive range of motoring solutions. In the businessmarket Lex and RAC, benefiting from the growing trend towardsoutsourcing, won an unprecedented number of new contracts,increasing the revenue due from long term business by 9% to £2.7billion. Together, these developments have improved the visibilityand predictability of future revenue.
We are developing a strong platform from which to address thesegrowth opportunities:
- We intend to leverage the strength of the RAC brand byrenaming the company RAC plc, while continuing to build the Lexbrand in its corporate vehicle markets. The renaming will enhanceour ability to attract and retain talent by developing RAC'sstrengths as an employment brand.
- In 2001 we launched a programme called Growing StrongerTogether to realise profitably the links between RAC and Lex bypursuing joint growth opportunities and combining areas withsimilar skills and processes. This is reinforced by the neworganisational structure announced in January 2002.
- We will continue to develop our track record for serviceexcellence, demonstrated by customer retention and satisfactionrates and the record 22 service accolades we received in2001.
Operating performance
Profit before goodwill amortisation, exceptional items and tax grewby 19% to £65.1 million (2000 - £54.6 million before disposallosses of £12.9 million). Earnings per share on this basisincreased by 18% to 41.9p (2000 - 35.6p). The Board proposes afinal dividend of 13.2p (2000 - 12.6p), which together with theinterim dividend of 8.8p per share (2000 - 8.4p), increases thetotal dividend for 2001 by 4.8% to 22.0p per share (2000 - 21.0p).The dividend will be paid on 3 May 2002; the ex dividend date is 27February 2002 and the record date is 1 March 2002.
RAC Auto Windscreens' results were on track with a profitcontribution of £9.8 million following its acquisition on 30 March2001; net of interest the contribution was £5.3 million. This waspartially offset by an increased pension cost of £3 million in2001, which resulted from the erosion of our pension surplus due tothe poor performance of equity markets over the past three years.The pension scheme is fully funded, although with no surplusremaining, and there will be a further increase in pension costs of£6 million in 2002.
The financial and operating results for 2001 reflect the businessgroupings which were in place throughout the year:
- RAC Motoring Services - Consumer Services and BusinessServices.
- Lex Business Services - Lex Vehicle Leasing, Lex Transfleet,Lex's mechanical handling activities and Lex Multipart
- Lex Vehicle Marketing - Hyundai, Isuzu Truck and LexCommercials
Continued growth in RAC
RAC Motoring Services contributed £39 million to profit in 2001(2000 - £26 million), including £9.8 million from RAC AutoWindscreens following its acquisition on 30 March.
RAC achieved continued growth in its individual customer base,finishing the year with
2.03 million members (2000 - 1.95 million). Retention ratesremained strong at 83% (2000 - 83%). Roadside revenues increased by6% to £249 million (2000 - £234 million) and revenue fromnon-roadside services grew by 15% on a like for like basis to £125million.
RAC is making good progress towards its goal of being the firstchoice provider of a comprehensive range of individual motoringsolutions, through growth in non-roadside services. BSM grewrevenue by 12% and profit by 49%; Legal Services grew revenue by44% and profit by 50%; and Financial Services reached the milestoneof £1 million profit and wrote loans to the value of £34 million.RAC continued to grow the number of new members acquired via theinternet: over 40,000 new members signed up online with RAC in2001, up from 13,000 in 2000, with a substantial saving inacquisition costs. In response to changing customer needs RAClaunched a number of innovative new products during the year,including RAC Routeminder, which provides travel information viaPCs or mobile telephones; and RAC Platinum, a premier motoringpackage incorporating added benefits such as European assistanceand travel insurance.
RAC Auto Windscreens made strong progress in 2001 with revenues andunderlying profits increasing, on a full year basis, by 7% and 22%respectively. The rebranding of the business as RAC AutoWindscreens is well underway.
RAC Business Services performed well in 2001 and won significantnew contracts, including Motability vehicle inspections; Consigniaaccident management; and fleet breakdown contracts withDaimlerChrysler Services and Lloyds TSB Autolease. BusinessServices' insurance claims handling division expanded into a newcall centre in Manchester to support the services it provides toCGNU's three million motor insurance customers and to accommodatefuture growth. By the end of 2002 RAC will handle over 550,000claims and over three million telephone calls on an outsourcedbasis for CGNU and other customers, a growth of 30% over2001.
RAC's quality of service was recognised by a series of prestigiousindustry awards in 2001, including being named top in all aspectsof the independent JD Power roadside recovery service survey, theFleet Excellence award for Top Recovery Services Provider and theFleet World Honours award for Service Excellence. This progresscontinued when RAC was voted Top Recovery Services Provider for thesecond year running and Top Accident Management operation in the2002 Fleet Excellence awards.
We have now delivered much of the £30 million profit improvementforecast at the time of the RAC acquisition, with a stronger thananticipated performance, particularly on revenues, from the coreRAC business activities. The performance of Lex Autocentres withinRAC has, however, been disappointing. Whilst the link with RAC hasdelivered extra revenue, this has been more than offset by anerosion in Autocentres' base business.
Our confidence in RAC's continued long term growth is reflected ina £10 million increase in our investment in infrastructure andsystems, bringing the total investment programme to £30 million.The related costs will moderate our growth in 2002 but theinvestment will deliver substantial efficiency gains and enhancedrevenue growth from 2003 onwards.
Lex Business Services
Lex Business Services, which delivers a broad range of co-ordinatedoutsourcing services to major public and corporate organisations,contributed £33.7 million in 2001 (2000 - £32.7 million) andreceived industry recognition for its service excellence through arecord number of service awards.
We are increasingly attracting customers who value our ability toprovide a broad range of co-ordinated services, such as theMinistry of Defence and CGNU, and won a record number ofoutsourcing contracts in 2001. The successful implementation of the£500 million Ministry of Defence 'White Fleet' contract, supportedby Lex Vehicle Leasing and Lex Transfleet, has further strengthenedour partnership with the armed forces. In May 2001 Lex won acontract with BAE Systems to provide fleet management, partssupport, mobile maintenance and workshop services, led by LexTransfleet with support from Lex Harvey. We continue to focus oncross-selling among our Lex-branded businesses, achieving £20million of additional revenue in 2001 (2000 - £12 million) withscope for further growth in 2002. The scale of the opportunity isdemonstrated by the fact that Lex provides services to 50% of theFTSE 350 companies and less than 10% of our business customers buymore than one service from us.
Lex Vehicle Leasing, our joint venture with Halifax plc, grewpre-disposal profit by 15% with our half share worth £17.1 millionin 2001 (2000 - £14.9 million). Following disposal losses of £12.9million in 2000 as a result of falling used car prices, Lex made a£45 million provision to reflect its half share of expected futurelosses. The used car market stabilised faster than expected in 2001and disposal losses for the year were absorbed within theprovision. The Board is confident that the remaining provision willbe adequate to cover expected future losses. Lex Vehicle Leasingcontinues to focus on high quality new business and grew thecontract hire fleet by 3% to 93,700 in 2001 as a result of a numberof new contracts, including the Ministry of Defence White Fleet,Taylor Woodrow and TDG. The business developed its range ofservices with the launch of a fleet evaluation software calledViewPoint, which enables businesses to understand the impact ontheir fleets of the April 2002 company car tax reforms. Lex VehicleLeasing won a series of service awards, including the FleetExcellence Awards for Best Contract Hire Company and Best OverallService Provider.
Lex Transfleet, our commercial vehicle contract hire and fleetmanagement business which is a joint venture with Lombard, madestrong progress with profit growth of 71% and an increase in itsmanaged fleet to 26,000 vehicles (2000 - 17,000). The business isfocusing future growth around its fleet management capabilities.Lex Transfleet won the Institute of Transport Management award forVan Rental Company of the Year in both 2001 and 2002.
Lex Fleet Software, which trades under the Tranman name, continuedto grow new business, turnover and profit in 2001, and was highlycommended for the Fleet Excellence Fleet Software award. Thebusiness expanded its product range with the acquisition ofServitor, a generic asset management product.
Lex Multipart, our inventory management business, contributed £13.6million in 2001 (2000 - £13.6 million). The business is structuredin three parts, each providing dedicated service to its key marketsector. Lex Auto Logistics, which provides automotive partssupport, made good progress, reducing its cost base and growing newbusiness, including a new five year aftermarket parts supportcontract with Fleetguard, part of Cummins Engines. Negotiations arecontinuing with Paccar to renew the DAF contract which expires inJune 2003. Lex Multipart Defence, which provides parts support forthe Challenger 2 tank in partnership with Vickers Defence Systems,has delivered significant efficiency gains to the Ministry ofDefence and now operates a warehouse within the military base atBicester, further strengthening its relationship with the MoD. Setagainst this progress was a disappointing performance fromMultipart Universal which distributes all-makes parts forcommercial vehicles; action has been taken to reduce the cost baseto improve future performance. Lex Multipart won the East MidlandsBusiness News Award for Services to the Automotive andManufacturing Industry in 2001 and was a regional winner in theTrade Partners UK Languages for Export Award 2001.
Lex's mechanical handling businesses were restructured during 2001,exiting the unprofitable distribution activities amid continueddifficult market conditions. UK contract hire and maintenancemargins fell as older contracts were renewed at today's lowerprices; together with restructuring costs this reduced thebusiness's contribution to £1.3 million (2000 - £2.9 million). Wehave reduced the cost base by £1 million, together with an emphasison the quality of new business to ensure the profitability offuture contracts. For the longer term we will develop our strongnational mobile maintenance capability for a broad range ofindustrial equipment, which we view as an important part of ourbusiness solutions portfolio.
Vehicle Marketing
Vehicle Marketing contributed £6.2 million in 2001 (2000 - £6.0million).
Hyundai maintained its overall registrations at 27,800 (2000 -27,200) and market share at 1.10% (2000 - 1.18%), with increaseddealer registrations offset by the withdrawal from daily rentalcontracts. Four new models were launched successfully during 2001 -the Elantra and Sonata saloons, Santa Fe sports utility vehicle andMatrix mini-multi-purpose vehicle - establishing Hyundai as acompetitor in all major market sectors. This was followed inJanuary 2002 by the launch of the new Hyundai Coupe to criticalacclaim from the motoring press. The strength of Hyundai's customerservice was recognised when its Customer Support team was awardedthe 2001 National Customer Service Award for Best ComplaintsHandling Team by the Institute of Customer Service.
Lex Commercials, our network of commercial vehicle dealerships,continued to grow profit and reduce capital employed as it has doneconsistently for the past three years. The business grew sales ofnew trucks and increased its local retail market share. Quality ofservice was reflected by the fact that Lex Commercials held sevenof the top 10 DAFaid service league positions, including firstplace throughout 2001.
Our Isuzu Truck importership made a loss during the year because ofthe movement of the yen against sterling. The competitive positionhas been restored for 2002. Isuzu Truck was named a best practiceorganisation for both leadership and customer service by theDepartment of Trade and Industry in 2001.
Financial results for 2001
Profit before goodwill amortisation, exceptional items and tax grewby 19% to £65.1 million (2000 - £54.6 million before residual valuelosses of £12.9 million). Earnings per share on this basisincreased by 18% to 41.9p (2000 - 35.6p).
Operating exceptional profits of £1.8 million are after one-offintegration costs of £5 million in respect of RAC and RAC AutoWindscreens. A gain of £6.8 million was made on the release of theprovision set up against the litigation involving RAC when it wasacquired by Lex. Exceptional profits of £9.3 million reflect the£25.3 million gain made on the disposal of our remaining holding inSynnex, a Taiwanese electronic components distributor, offset bynet losses incurred on the disposal of businesses, primarily withinMechanical Handling, of which £6.8 million related to goodwillpreviously written off.
Goodwill amortisation of £13.9 million includes, in addition to anormal charge of £6.3 million, £7.6 million which has been writtenoff in respect of Lex Manutention and Kellett.
After goodwill amortisation and exceptional items, profit beforetax was £62.3 million (2000 - loss before tax of £17.5 million),with earnings per share on this basis of 39.5p (2000 - loss pershare of 9.5p).
The group tax rate on underlying profit was 26% (2000 - 26%) whichis expected to rise to 31% over the next three years.
Net debt excluding asset finance increased during the year by £94million to £197 million, primarily as a result of the acquisitionof RAC Auto Windscreens and our investment in RAC's systems andinfrastructure. This was partly offset by the sale of our remainingstake in Synnex for £46 million.
Our interest cover remains healthy at 7.4 times.
Board appointments
In December 2001 Deputy Chairman Victor Benjamin retired from theBoard as a non-executive director. During his 30 years on the Boardhe made a very significant contribution to the company'sdeliberations and provided a strong and independent view to theBoard. We thank him for his service and wish him well in thefuture. We also thank Graeme Potts, Managing Director of RACMotoring Services, who has stepped down from the Board.
We welcome Peter Long, Chief Executive of First Choice Holidaysplc, who was appointed to the Board as a non-executive director inFebruary 2001; and Dianne Thompson, Chief Executive of CamelotGroup plc, who joined the Board as a non-executive director inFebruary 2002.
An outlook of continued growth
The company has now been repositioned as a strong and uniquesupport services business based on motoring and vehicle solutions,with a clear vision for growth in consumer and business services.The strong performance in 2001, together with the increasedinvestment in RAC and the development of our brand strategy, augurswell for long term growth. Our momentum has continued into theearly weeks of 2002 and the business is performing in line withexpectations.
Notes to editors - Lex Service provides motoring andvehicle solutions to individual and business customers through fiveinter-related divisions:
- RAC Consumer Services sells a comprehensiverange of motoring solutions to individual customers, includingfinancial, legal and travel services, RAC Auto Windscreens andBSM.
- RAC Business Solutions sells motoring andrelated business solutions to business customers and managescomplex outsourcing bids for large public and private sectororganisations.
- Lex Vehicle Leasing is the UK's leading carand van contract hire company, providing solutions for fleets ofall sizes together with personal leasing and employee carownership schemes.
- Lex Industrial Solutions includes mechanicalhandling, fleet management and commercial vehicle contract hire,where there is significant commonality of customers andoperations.
- Lex Manufacturer Support Services provideoutsourced marketing and inventory management services, primarilyto vehicle manufacturers.


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MnDOT closes several SW highways
WILLMAR – Several stretches of highway have recently been closed in southwestern Minnesota.
Minnesota Department of Transportation officials earlier today had predicted closures would not be forthcoming, but plows were pulled since early this evening and conditions have continued to deteriorate. The MnDOT website for road and travel conditions – www.511mn.org – now lists several closures in the region to due to blowing snow and reduced visibility.
U.S. Highway 212 is closed from after Renville County Road 6 at Renville to Minnesota Highway 4 at Hector. Minnesota Highway 19 is listed closed from after Redwood County Road 30 at Vesta to Minnesota Highway 4 past Fairfax.
A long stretch of U.S. Highway 71 is listed closed from Minnesota Highway 7 – an intersection south of Willmar and near Blomkest often referred to as Harry's Corner – all the way south to Minnesota Highway 60 at Windom.


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Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Transfer News: Agent on Chelsea & Man Utd interest, Liverpool signing shock, Arsenal blow
EXPRESS SPORT brings you the latest transfer news.
Carlos Bacca's agent has played down reports linking him with a move to Chelsea or Manchester United.
Bacca has been in fine form for AC Milan this term, netting 15 goals and this has reportedly attracted the Premier League clubs.
However, Bacca has since spoken out and said he is happy with life at the San Siro and his agent Sergio Barila ha backed his claims.
Carlos Bacca wants to stay at AC Milan where he is happy, his agent confirmed
"I had no doubt that Bacca would explode in Serie A," Barila told Radio Crc.
"He had trouble adapting at first, now he's going through his best period which has coincided with that of the team.
"It's a great club, and not just because of the past. Carlos wants to win and get into Europe with Milan."
Marko Grujic has admitted he's become a major hit with the ladies since signing for Liverpool.
Grujic joined the Reds in the January transfer window from Serbian club Red Star Belgrade for £5.1million.
The 19-year-old was immediately loaned back to his former club, who currently sit top of the Serbian SuperLiga.
And the midfielder has admitted since his return he's become a bit of a ladies man, attracting a lot more attention from women.
"I receive more offers from girls than before," he said at a store opening event in the Serbian capital Belgrade.
"There are no serious offers though... I'm still single."
Riechedly Bazoer has claimed he's focussed on Ajax, despite reported interest from Arsenal.
The Gunners are said to be back in for the 19-year-old after Arsene Wenger missed out on the youngster three years ago.
But Bazoer has insisted he's happy at Ajax and is fully focussed on improving his game with the Eredivisie club before thinking about high-profile moves.
"I am very happy at Ajax," the Netherlands international told De Telegraaf.
"I am developing well here, the coach believes in me and I have a contract with the club until 2020. I am not thinking about other clubs yet.
"I am working really hard in training in order to reach the level from the first half of the season again. I am not saying I have been in bad form, but I always demand more from myself."


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For thousands of years, rings have been more than just adornment. They have been symbols of authority, symbols of promises, and even legally binding signatures. Today rings still speak volumes about you. Our Rose Gold Three Stone Rock Crystal Classic Rings are as eloquent as they are beautiful and always one of a kind. Choose Lemon Quartz and Palladium or Blue Topaz and White Gold: it's your choice. Mix and match gems and precious metals for a look that's exactly you. Our amazing array of designs by talented jewelry designers means you can find Rose Gold Three Stone Rock Crystal Classic Rings that you can't find anywhere else. When three-stone jewelry styles are personalized with the birthstones of those you love, they become future heirlooms for your family.Because all Gemvara Rose Gold Three Stone Rock Crystal Classic Rings are made from scratch to your specifications, we can hand-select the finest quality gems and recycled precious metals to perfectly suit your design. Our ancestors thought that rock crystal quartz stared as ice that froze so deeply it couldn't ever thaw. Rock crystal is as colorless and clear as the world's purest ice. Gemvara's rock crystal is cut beautifully to sparkle too.The most popular rose gold alloy, 14-karat rose gold is a minimum of 58.3% pure gold with copper added for color. Its rosy glow flatters skin tones.When washing your hands, don't leave any rings on the rim of a sink where they can slip down the drain! Clean Rose Gold Three Stone Rock Crystal Classic Rings in a bowl of water with mild dish soap: use a soft brush where dust collects. Gemvara's exceptional heirloom-quality Rose Gold Three Stone Rock Crystal Classic Rings are designed to be passed down for generations, crafted by hand in the United States.
We can help right away. Chat with a jewelry expert now!


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UNICEF calls for aid to tsunami-hit countries
Xinhua News Agency, 28 December 2004
The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is rushing relief supplies to the countries severely hit by massive ocean flooding triggered by Sunday's earthquake.
The world body is also working to meet the urgent needs of hundreds of thousands of people who survived the tsunamis but now need shelters, water, medical supplies and other urgent assistance,according to a UNICEF press release issued here Tuesday.
With millions of people affected in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka,Thailand, the Maldives and other countries, UNICEF and other UN agencies have been working with governments to assess pressing priorities and provide immediate assistance, the press release said, adding that Sri Lanka and Indonesia are likely to have the greatest need for humanitarian support.
"Hundreds of thousands of people fought to survive the tsunamison Sunday. Now we need to help them survive the aftermath," the press release quoted UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy as saying.
"We're concerned about providing safe water, which is urgent inall these countries and about preventing the spread of diseases. For children, the next few days will be the most critical", he said.
In Sri Lanka, UNICEF has already responded to government request for shelter supplies, providing more than 30,000 blankets and sleeping mats as well as t-shirts and other articles of clothing from local emergency stocks, the release said.
In Indonesia, UNICEF staff are part of a larger UN assessment team that has headed into Aceh province to identify urgent needs.
In India, UNICEF is supporting relief efforts led by the state and local authorities as well as the national government.
Other Indian states affected by the tsunamis report no need for additional assistance at this time.
In the Maldives, which was hit by the tsunamis, UNICEF and UN sister agencies are working with the government to coordinate an international relief effort that will include the immediate provision of water purification supplies, food, clothing for children, shelter supplies, and other basics.
In Thailand, Bangladesh, and Myanmar UNICEF is supporting Government-led efforts to meet localized needs. The impact of the disaster was not as widespread in these countries, although a more complete picture is still emerging.


text: Carrot Top Las Vegas Promo Code 20% Off Show Tickets Plus a Free DVD. Take advantage of this Carrot Top Las Vegas promotion code and when you purchase your tickets at least 7 days in advance get a 20% discount. PLUS receive a Carrot Top DVD when purchasing with this offer.


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Charles Moore
Photo: © Jochen Braun
About the Author
CHARLES MOORE was born in 1956 and educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he read history. He joined the staff of The Daily Telegraph in 1979, and as a political columnist in the 1980s covered several years of Mrs. Thatcher's first and second governments. He was editor of The Spectator from 1984 to 1990; editor of The Sunday Telegraph from 1992 to1995; and editor of The Daily Telegraph from 1995 to 2003, for which he is still a regular columnist. The first volume of his biography of Margaret Thatcher, published in 2013, has won multiple awards for distinguished achievement in biography and history.


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Honor your customers. Rock icon Tom Petty challenged his record label, and won, when it wanted to raise album prices. "Look, I don't need the extra dollar," he told executives. "But it makes a big deal to the people buying the music."
— Adapted from "Go After What You Love," Ben Fong-Torres, Parade.
Keep your voice down. Despite the best efforts of keyboard manufacturers, the exclamation point refuses to die. Even when muffled with brackets (!), it still shouts. Use it to express surprise, salute someone ("O captain!") or avoid sounding sarcastic: "Great!"
— Adapted from Eats, Shoots & Leaves, Lynne Truss, Profile Books.
Focus everyone's attention. Fred DeLuca, who built Subway into a 23,000-shop chain, always kept goals in plain sight. He originally planned for 32 eateries in a decade. In 1982, with about 200 shops, it became 4,800 stores in 12 years. To keep everybody focused, DeLuca printed "5,000 stores by 1994" on company letterhead, business cards and ads.
— Adapted from "Drive Your Firm Forward," Michael Mink, Investor's Business Daily.


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Every year in a season of snows, in the country where the sun rises, the Sakura is in blossom. Now Japan became closer and the Sakura blossoms in Astrakhan. We invite you to visit the unique Japanese style hotel of the city. Like in Japan the hospitable staff will meet you and you will forget for a few days that you are in the hotel. You will feel you stay in a cosy house of your oldest Japanese friend. The hotel has a convenient location in the centre of Astrakhan, near monuments and cultural centers, the Volga river quay, in a few minutes drive from railway and bus stations. Opposite to mini-hotel there is the park of the Astrakhan State University where it is very pleasant to walk in the evenings. In a fountain of student's park you can throw a coin in order to return to the city and the hotel Oriental cherry. Each room has individual style and its own name. You can choose the room at your desire-peony-lily-orchid etc. All rooms are equipped with comfortable stylish furniture; TV-fridge-phone-split-system. You can spend a time in sauna or taste traditional dishes of the Japanese cuisine. The atmosphere of the mysterious East, high quality service, hospitable staff, individually designed, very comfortable rooms will make your stay in hotel pleasant and unforgettable.
4buld 1 Savushkina streetCP:414056,Astrakhan,Rusia
Teléfono:No especificadoFax:7 8512 610302


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Artist's painting graces Canadian equine mural
desert locavore
Taking the Eat Local
Tucson Challenge
When it comes to healthy living, I get tired of hearing "No."
No to refined sugar, no to saturated fats, and a resounding no to anything in the doughnut section of the grocery store when it's almost time for dinner.
I like to think of the farmers market as the Land of Yes. Yes, you can buy whatever you want. (That's my rule.) Yes, it will be good for you. Yes, you can even think of it, if you'd like, as a charitable contribution.
I've been a farmers market shopper for about a year, but I never totally threw myself into the process until I took the Eat Local Tucson Challenge.
This challenge (see www.foodconspiracy.org) doesn't actually start until Monday, so if you want to participate, you have time. It runs two weeks, and participants make their own rules. The only requirement is that you eat more locally produced food than you normally would. I decided to go 100-percent local excepting tea and salt.
My pre-challenge trip to the Tucson Farmers Market exuded yeses. Yes to that 16-ounce bag of pistachios, yes to local citrus honey, yes to an $18 bottle of extra-virgin olive oil, and a resounding yes to Sonoita wine. (And yes to all the local eggs, milk, beef and produce I needed, too.)
When I got to the actual eating part of the challenge, I found even greater delight. Not only did I love the taste of my baby greens salad topped with fresh peaches and seasoned cheese, I loved tucking it into my lunch pail each morning before I went to work. A lunchtime restaurant-goer by habit, I felt deeply nurtured by this act.
But it didn't take long for nos to invade my adventure. One time, they took the form of a full Mexican buffet in the Explorer's kitchen. Another time, they appeared as popcorn on a co-worker's desk. On one occasion, they came as an unprovoked craving for chocolate cake.
Each time, I had to stare temptation in the face and keep going.
When I reached the end of Week One, I wanted a taste of the forbidden. I loved my new routine of preparing three delectable meals a day, but I didn't love telling myself "no."
Obviously, I hadn't found the Land of Yes, after all.
For Week Two, I resolved to have it all. I'd keep preparing my local meals, but this time, I'd say "yes" to the extras I coveted along the way.
If somebody deposited a tasty treat in the Explorer kitchen, it was fair game. If friends invited me to eat with them at a restaurant, I didn't have to think twice.
As for other indulgences, they had to pass my treat test. If I could honestly say, "Oh goodie, this will be such fun," then the treat was mine.
Immediately after I set my rules for Week Two, I got a chance to test them. While standing in the checkout line at Target, I spotted a twin pack of cupcakes on the shelf and felt sorry for myself for being bound by the eat-local challenge.
"You can have that," I told myself, generously. "Would you like that as one of your treats?"
The idea cheered me up. Then I thought about it for a moment. The truth was I didn't even really like cellophane-wrapped cakes. If it was a treat I wanted, surely I could come up with something better.
"No thank you," I mouthed silently, my lust fading.
Now a week has passed since the end of my private Eat Local Tucson Challenge, and I'm still loving my modified plan. While it may not be the one big resounding yes I'd hoped for, due to temptations from my surrounding culture, it does offer something equally good. It protects the specialness of treats.
Monday through Tuesday,
Sept. 15-30
• The Food Conspiracy Co-op will play host to the Eat Local America Challenge. Participants have access to activities. including a local farm tour and a desert gardening workshop, for inspiration. For more information, visit www.foodconspiracy.org.
Saturday and Sunday,
Sept. 20-21
• The Oro Valley and Tucson farmers markets will hold a chili festival from 8 a.m. to noon at Oro Valley Town Hall, 11000 N. La Cañada Drive, and St. Philip's Plaza at the southeast corner of Campbell Boulevard and River Road, respectively. For more information, call 918-9811.
A typical menu during my Eat Local Tucson Challenge looked like this:
BREAKFAST: Fried egg, roasted potatoes, grapefruit and tea with milk and honey.
LUNCH: Baby green salad with salted heirloom tomatoes drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil, a dollop of soft artisanal onion-and-dill cheese from Yuma cows, and beef strip seasoned with garlic.
DINNER: Assorted vegetables sautéed in olive oil and salt, carmelized onions and local wine.
SNACK: pistachios


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Pillars of Eternity - GDC Next Presentation
Josh Sawyer gave a presentation for Pillars of Eternity in November at the GDC Next conference. The good news is you can now watch it on the GDC Vault.
Session Name: Gathering Your Party with Project Eternity (GDC Next 10)
Speaker: Josh Sawyer
Company Name: Obsidian Entertainment
Track / Format: Future of Gaming
Overview: This talk will feature the retro-evolution of classic 2D RPG elements in Obsidian Entertainment's Project Eternity. From the challenges of creating massive, dynamically-lit isometric environments to trusting in players' vivid imaginations and problem-solving capabilities, Project Eternity poses some interesting challenges to its veteran team. To find the right balance between using contemporary development practices and meeting classic RPG expectations, the developers have solicited community feedback, returned to past titles and, of course, played a bunch of D&D. Join us on an adventure fraught with wonders and perils more dazzling than the Warlock's
Information aboutPillars of Eternity
SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Fantasy
Genre: RPG
Platform: PC
Release: Released


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This product is no longer available.
You can try these similar gifts instead.
March Birthstone Sterling Silver Claddagh Cross Pendant
Her faith and her heritage are both represented by this sterling pendant. Her march birthstone color is held in the hands of the Claddagh for a personal touch just for her. Hangs on a 20" rope chain.


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If you decide to remove the Oracle Database Gateway, perform the following steps:
Stop the following process: Oracle Net Listener using the following command:
ORACLE_HOME/bin/lsnrctl stop
Log in as the oracle user:
$ su - oracle
Set the ORACLE_HOME environment variable to specify the path of the Oracle home that you want to remove:
Bourne, Bash, or Korn shell:
$ ORACLE_HOME=/u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0/db_1; export ORACLE_HOME
C shell:
$ setenv ORACLE_HOME /u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0/db_1
Start the Installer as follows:
$ $ORACLE_HOME/oui/bin/runInstaller
Step through the Oracle Universal Installer. Use the prompts listed in Table 17-1, "Steps to Deinstall the Oracle Database Gateway Using Oracle Universal Installer" as a guide for removing, following the instructions in the Response column.
Table 17-1 Steps to Deinstall the Oracle Database Gateway Using Oracle Universal Installer
1. Oracle Universal Installer: Welcome
Click Deinstall Products.
2. Inventory
You may either choose to remove all products that you may have installed at the time of your original gateway installation, or you may choose to remove only an instance of Oracle Database Gateway.
3. Confirmation
Click Yes.
4. Inventory
Click Close.
5. Oracle Universal Installer: Welcome
Click Cancel.
6. Exit
Click Yes.
The Oracle Database Gateway is now removed.
When the Oracle Universal Installer confirms that the deinstallation has ended, verify that the removal procedure was successful. To do this, read the contents of the deinstallation log file, which is located in the
C:\Program Files\Oracle\Inventory\logs directory.
The default file name is InstallActionsYYYY-MM-DD_HH-mm-SS-AM/PM.log, where:
These variables in the log file name represent the date and time the product was removed.
The only files that are removed are those that were copied to the
ORACLE_HOME directory during the gateway installation. You must remove any other related files manually, including deleting
listener.ora and
tnsnames.ora entries relating to the gateway, dropping database links.


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Happy Spring! As we enter this season of renewal and rebirth, our Tribe is redoubling our efforts to achieve our goals in 2011.
At the March General Body Meeting, Tribal Council announced the expansion of our external team, including the addition of former US Congressman Bill Delahunt.
We are extremely excited to have Bill on board. As you know, Bill represented the South Shore, Cape and Islands in Congress for fourteen years. During that time, he was a consistent champion of our cause, pressuring the federal government to move on our recognition and to treat our Tribe with the respect to which we are entitled as a sovereign tribal nation. Bill's new role will be a continuation of his advocacy on our behalf, joining the rest of our external team, along with Tribal officers, in fighting for our rights on the state and federal level. Working together, we will make great progress on our efforts to provide housing, healthcare, education, and economic assistance to our people.
I often have the opportunity to update you on the Tribal officers' and lobbying team's efforts to make sure our voices are heard, and tell you about our frequent meetings in Washington and Boston. But recently, I have heard from a number of Tribal members who want to use their voices as well. I think that this is a fantastic idea, and I pledge to facilitate and encourage every individual's right to make his or her voice heard.
At the March General Body Meeting, we presented some guidelines and ideas for how Tribal members can go about being effective advocates for our Tribe. First and foremost, every eligible Tribal member needs to be registered to vote. We have registration forms at Tribal Council headquarters, or you may go to your town or city clerk. Please encourage all of your family members and friends to make sure they are registered, then exercise their right to vote!
Second, you should feel free to contact the people who represent you on the state and federal levels. Every communication is an opportunity to educate people about our history, our rights, and our goals. If you live in Massachusetts, you can find out who represents you by going to wheredoivotema.com or calling your town clerk. We have postcards that you can use to write to your legislators available at Tribal Council headquarters, or you can always write your own letters or emails. As you tell your story, please remember to be positive, courteous, focused and accurate. You have a proud, strong voice, and you should use it!
Let's take the great enthusiasm that so many have shown recently and transfer it to these efforts. I am so impressed by the level of involvement in tribal activities. The 15th Annual Wampanoag Ball was amazing, with hundreds of Tribal members, family, friends and neighbors gathering and sharing good medicine. Dozens of our youth have taken advantage of the opportunity to train at Falmouth Academy, and wowed the crowd at our arch General meeting with their demonstration of the skills they are learning. And our young basketball players and cheerleaders, along with their families and supporters, represented us proudly once again at the Spirit Lake Basketball Tournament. I thank everyone who has taken the time to participate, and I look forward to seeing you all again soon and keeping our positive momentum going.
Qaqeemasq (Running Bear)


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With high-profile Republicans including Marco Rubio, Condoleezza Rice and Jeb Bush denying an interesting in being Mitt Romney's running mate, Jon Stewart wondered Monday: Could he end up with Herman Cain?
On Monday's "Daily Show," Stewart played a series of interviews in which potential nominees shied away from the idea of running with Romney — and recommended someone else. It came to resemble a grown-up version of "Who Stole the Cookie From the Cookie Jar." (Who me? Yes you. Couldn't be. Then who?)
But one former presidential candidtate — Herman Cain — won't reject the idea outright, Stewart notes. He happened to sit down with "Daily Show" correspondent John Oliver recently for a retrospective of his run.
Watch the veepstakes video, followed by the Cain-Oliver talk.


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Last week Mark instagram'd the above picture of Drake fixing the coals on his hookah. What stands out the most in this picture is the white sweatshirt Drake is sporting.
As soon as the picture was tweeted on Instagram, I received several emails and tweets asking what brand it was. Drake is wearing the Givenchy "Virgin Mary" sweatshirt. It retails for $885 and is part of the brands S/S 13 collection. You can buy it now at Barneys or at any retailers that carry the line.


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After struggling financially the last few years, the gay and lesbian publisher Alyson Books will be switching to an eBook-only model.
Publishers Weekly reports that parent company Here Media will handle the switch and publisher Don Weise will depart. As the company restructures, Here Media's consumer marketing VP John Knoebel will serve as interim publisher. Earlier this year, author Michael Musto exposed the company's problems in an essay about the publisher's delays on publishing his new book.
UPDATE: Weise has issued his own statement about the negotiations with Here Media (complete release embedded below): "I worked for months to get a deal done—not just for myself, but especially for the many authors whose work has defined Alyson for the past 30 years. After shopping the press around to several publishers, it became clear that the only way to preserve Alyson was for me to assemble financing to purchase the company myself. But even after offering a price that I believe to be twice the fair market value, we were unable to come to an agreement."
Here's more from Publishers Weekly: "Over the next few days Alyson will be reaching out to the authors it has under contract and whose books they have not published to give them the option of getting their rights back or moving ahead with Alyson's digital program … Alyson has about 24 authors under contract whose books have not yet been released."


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Aerolíneas Argentinas joined SkyTeam in August 2012, becoming the first South American member of the alliance.
SkyTeam is a global airline alliance, founded in 2000. Currently consists of 20 airlines: Aeroflot, Aerolíneas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Europa, Air France, Alitalia, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Czech Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Delta Air Lines, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean Air, Middle East, Saudia, TAROM, Vietnam Airlines and Xiamen Airlines.
Aerolíneas Argentinas, along with 19 SkyTeam members, provides customers access to an extensive global network with more than 17,343 daily flights to 1,062 destinations in 177 countries.
Facts & Figures:
Destinations: 1,062
Countries: 177
Daily Departures: More than 17,343
Annual Passengers: 665,4 million
Number of Lounges: 672
Year of Formation: 2000
For more information about SkyTeam, please visit: www.skyteam.com
Know about the benefits SkyPriority


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A.N. This was inspired by two things. First, a fic called Growing Pains by Screaming Argonaut. All the awkwardness and humor was infectious. For anyone who enjoys reading about Ed and puberty, I highly recommend! The second inspiration was on Deviantart, a fanart called Subordinate by Schreiend where Roy and Ed are walking through what looks like headquarters in military uniforms, sharing sneaky, secretive grins which I chose to interpret as platonic rather than the blatant RoyEd it appears to be.
The bathroom of his military dorm was in shambles. Humidity filled the tiny room from wall to wall and the whole place reeked of shampoo and wet teenager, both made worse by the fact that the windows were shut tight. Warm water formed great big puddles on the tiles as if someone had stepped right out of the shower and paced around without a care, and the towels had been left in a haphazard pile, smears of bright crimson staining the cloth. The shower door sported a partial handprint, but the worst of it was pooled in and around the sink with flecks of red splattered on the foggy mirror.
Ed looked up from where he was leaning over the counter, clad only in loose-fitting slacks and armed with a razor in his left hand. Innumerable nicks along his jaw bled heavily as he arched both eyebrows quizzically at his commander's astonished look. "What?"
"W-What do you mean what?" Roy exclaimed, still reeling from the initial shock while he willed his pulse to slow to a more reasonable rhythm. He had nearly gone into cardiac arrest at the sight of all that blood, but now that he had located the source, he was having a hard time finding the words to express his fury. "What did—how did this—what the hell did you—?"
"Chill out, I'm almost done," Ed griped and turned back to the mirror. "You'll have plenty of time to perm your hair or whatever the hell it is you do in here…"
Roy strode forward and swiped the razor out of Ed's hand, ignoring an irate protest. "Almost done with what? Carving your face off?"
"Give that back!" Ed snapped, making a grab for the blade that Roy held just out of reach. "I need it!"
"What you need is to be locked away in a mental hospital, you brat!" Roy retorted. "Do you see what you've done to yourself? And to the bathroom! It looks like a murder scene in here! I only let you stay here because you promised to stay out of the way and not make a mess of things—"
"And what could you possibly need to shave for anyway? I know I said the higher-ups frown on untidiness during these inspections, but I'd take a little baby fuzz over—"
"Look!" Ed shouted, suddenly distraught. He grabbed the front of Roy's sleeping shirt and yanked him down, presenting his mutilated face for inspection. "Just look!"
Roy sucked in a deep breath to keep shouting and ended up letting it all go again, blinking in surprise when he realized what he was seeing. That certainly wasn't baby fuzz. That was full-blown facial hair sprouting from Ed's face, slightly longer strands jutting from his upper lip like whiskers and fading to a less noticeable stubble on his neck and cheeks. Its light golden color had prevented Roy from seeing it at first. He took Ed's chin in his fingers and turned his head this way and that to get a look at it from every angle, amazed by how such a tiny change made Ed appear so much older. Like a man of seventeen or eighteen rather than the fifteen years he actually was.
"I'll be damned," Roy murmured to himself.
"That's what I said," Ed growled and slapped his hand away. He shot his reflection a loathsome look and then switched his glare to Roy. "What're you smirking at? This isn't funny!"
"Of course not," Roy said, smiling broadly. "In fact...it's splendid!"
"Excuse me?"
"Fullmetal, facial hair is a sign of masculinity!" Roy exclaimed with aplomb while Ed spluttered in disbelief. "You should be proud of yourself. Now we know for sure you're a man!"
"Hey, who're you calling a girl, you freak!" Ed said hotly. "And I'm not proud! This is the worst day of my life!"
Roy couldn't hold back a chuckle and clapped him on the shoulder. "I hate to say it, but it's only going to get worse from here. This is only the first step in a harrowing journey fraught with—"
"It's not that, you ass!" Ed howled in anguish. He braced his palms on either side of the sink, staring into his own face in despair. "I look like him!"
"Like who?"
The silence rang in Roy's ears as he felt his own humor ebbing, along with his grin. It was one thing to hear from Al about his brother's abhorrence of their father, one thing to see Ed become terse and snappish each time the man was mentioned in his presence...but now Roy watched his young subordinate slump over the sink with his head in his hands, fingers raking his hair as a tight, wretched sound escaped his throat. Until now he hadn't fully understood just how deep those feelings went—a festering wound that refused to close.
And now this. Roy had only seen a faded photograph of the man in the Rockbell home years ago, and back then he had seen a vague likeness in the gaunt, empty-faced child in the wheelchair. But now as he examined Ed's profile, the relation was clearly evident. Hair and eyes the color of burnished gold, a strong and angular jaw and prominent nose. And with a start, Roy realized it wasn't only Ed's face that had changed these past years, but his body as well. The thin, wiry build was beginning to fill out, becoming more muscular and much broader in the shoulders. The top of his head was level with Roy's collarbone, and he couldn't for the life of him remember when that happened.
"It's...not that bad," Roy lied quickly, disturbed by the dawning realization that Ed was...growing up. It had to happen sometime, but he couldn't help a strange twist in his heart as he wondered what happened to the twelve-year-old spitfire he found in Resembool all those years ago.
"I can't believe I didn't notice until now," Ed groaned into his palms. "I mean, I noticed. It must have started weeks ago, but you could hardly even see it so I just left it alone. And then...and then I woke up and it was just there. Like it all popped up overnight!"
Roy sighed and swept his fingers through hair still disheveled by sleep. "Well, that's what happens when you're a teenager. All the hormones start kicking in and..."
Ed's head snapped up, eyes blazing. "Don't you dare tell me this is normal! There's nothing normal about looking in the mirror and seeing that bastard's face!"
"Are you really going to do this, Fullmetal?" Roy said impatiently, not in the mood for adolescent drama this early in the morning. "Come on, even you're smart enough to understand that you can't choose your parents, nor how their traits are passed on to you."
"Easy for you to say," Ed grumbled, his words spiteful and bitter. "You're probably one of those guys who got spoiled rotten by his parents. And once you started growing up and looking like them, they were fawning all over you, telling you how proud they were..."
Roy noticed his reflection become grim and fought to control it before Ed noticed. Both his parents had died when he was a toddler. He would wager Ed remembered far more of his father than Roy did either of his parents. But he saw no reason to share that information. It wouldn't do any good to dredge up that old hurt just to make Ed feel guilty on top of being steeped in his own misery.
He stepped back and peered at the clock in the other room. The inspection wouldn't officially start for another hour and a half, but since it would take so much time to get everyone lined up in formation, they were expected down on the parade grounds in about thirty minutes. Minus the time it would take them to get through the line in the mess for breakfast, there was actually only about ten or fifteen minutes before they absolutely had to get going.
And to think, Roy had thought making Ed spend the night at headquarters would make this inspection less of a hassle. At least this way he wouldn't have to call Al repeatedly at the hotel to get his brother's ass out of bed and hope Fullmetal would make it to headquarters on time with a wrinkled uniform tucked under his arm. Ed had viciously opposed the idea at first until Roy informed him that his rank allowed him a dorm with two separate bedrooms connected by a common area. Then Fullmetal had waxed eloquent and long about abuse of power and all the while making himself right at home by flinging his suitcase in a corner and leaving his shoes in a haphazard pile by the door on the way to bed. Roy had dutifully hung up their uniforms in the closet, neatly pressed and ready to go, and set the alarm early to be sure they wouldn't be late before retiring himself, confident he had done all he could to ensure the inspection would go off without a hitch.
He should have known something would come up, he just should have known...
"I've got to get rid of it!" Ed cried in desperation, interrupting Roy's musings when he yanked the razor out of his hand.
Right away, Roy caught his wrist again and steered the metal away from his skin. "Look, there's no time now. You'll just have to deal with it later."
"I'm not going outside like this!" Ed said fiercely, not releasing his grip on the blade. "I'm not! They can do the damn inspection without me!"
"Need I remind you of the consequences of skipping inspection?" Roy said in exasperation. "Are you really so eager to take latrine duty for the next few months?"
Ed merely made another attempt at wrestling the razor away from him, nearly slicing the bridge of Roy's nose with his flailing. At last Roy kneed him in the ribs and managed to pry the blade away. He kept a precautionary hand on Ed's chest to hold him back.
"Come on, Mustang—!"
"Just wait a minute," Roy barked, and mercifully Ed lapsed into sullen silence. He considered his options and heaved a defeated sigh. "At the rate this is going, you'll end up slitting your own throat. If I show you how to do this correctly, will you calm down and act like less of a child for a change?"
Ed's eyes flicked to the razor suspiciously. "You're not going to try and...?"
"I said I'd show you," Roy said in exasperation. "You're fifteen years old, you can damn well shave yourself."
Ed crossed his arms and shifted from foot to foot, teeth grinding as he seemed to wrestle with the knee-jerk instinct to deny that he needed help of any kind. But one more sideways glance at his scruffy reflection seemed to decide him. "What do I have to do?" he muttered grudgingly.
Roy pushed past him to get at the cabinet. "It's more a matter of what you should have done. First of all, you skipped the shaving cream."
"Does that matter?"
"If you'd used it, all this might not have happened," Roy informed him, waving at the blood as well as the visible irritation marks on Ed's skin. He grabbed the small bottle of shaving cream and some fresh hand towels, but paused when he spotted a razor in the cabinet. He peered at the one in his hand in confusion. "Did you transmute this?"
"Not like I was gonna use yours," Ed scoffed in revulsion.
"Aren't you a little old to be worried about cooties?" Roy teased, snickering when Ed colored. He took his razor from the cabinet and set it on the counter before him. "Just use it."
"Why can't I use that one?" Ed whined.
Roy tested the edge of the blade with his thumb and winced when it drew blood. "Because this one is clearly more dangerous. Did you have to make it so sharp? You're stubble isn't going to put up that much of a fight."
Ed grumbled under his breath as he snatched up Roy's razor, turning it over in his hand. "I swear, if I catch some kind of disease from you..."
"I haven't used it in months, and I washed it thoroughly," Roy assured him, passing him one of the hand towels before joining him before the mirror. He eyed the gruesome mess in the sink and turned on the faucet to rinse it out, letting the water run. "Now wash your face up first with warm water. I usually shave right after I shower, but thanks to you, there's no time for that now."
"Not like I asked for this," Ed muttered as he wet the washcloth and started scouring his face brutally. He winced when one of the cuts reopened and thereafter scrubbed with more care. Roy threw the hand towel over his shoulder and followed suit, one eye always on the clock. He squirted a liberal amount of foam into his palm and handed the bottle to Ed who, ever the scientist, turned it over to read the label.
"Use as much as you want," Roy said in resignation. "Believe me, I went through plenty when I was first learning."
Ed pulled his damp hair back in a quick, messy ponytail and began lathering an impossible amount of cream over his neck and face. By the time he was done, he resembled a large golden cupcake. But Roy wasn't about to say it to his face. Ed glanced over in hesitant curiosity as Roy slapped some cream over his own nearly imperceptible stubble. "Did...did someone show you how to do this?"
"Not quite, no," Roy explained while he washed the blood from his razor. "I got into the military academy when I was fourteen. When you live with forty other teenagers who are also going through puberty, you kind of figure these things out."
"Hm," Ed mused. He fiddled with Roy's razor, eyeing it with deep mistrust until he finally raised it only to be stopped yet again. "What now?"
"Excuse me for making sure you don't scrape your face off," Roy retorted. "Now watch. You don't jab it. Tilt it at an angle so the blade slides against your skin."
Under Ed's grumpy but watchful gaze, he demonstrated with a few deft strokes across his cheek then nodded at him to try. Ed's lips twisted in uncertainty as he placed the razor against his face and, slowly, dragged it down, clearing a somewhat straight trail through the lather. He poked the exposed skin doubtfully and grinned when he found it smooth. "That easy?"
"That easy," Roy agreed, relieved he had caught on quickly. "Just go slowly, and watch out for those cuts. And make sure you shave in the same direction the hair grows."
"That's important?"
"Prevents razor burn, Ed. If it gets out of hand, you'll feel like you washed you face with poison ivy."
Ed took a few more experimental swipes on his other cheek and seemed to garner a little more confidence. "So you do this all the time?"
Roy tipped his head back to start on the underside of his jaw, moving with the ease of long practice and pausing every so often to rinse the blade. "Every other day, about. I can afford to let it go once in awhile, but with the way yours is growing, you may need to make this a daily routine."
Ed scowled, clearly not taking to the idea. He leaned closer to the mirror and a few nimble flicks erased the whiskers just under his nose. He watched in satisfaction as the long hairs made circles in the sink before slipping through the drain and out of sight. "Take that, you little bastards," he said vindictively.
"Am I going to have to listen to this commentary the whole time?"
The only response he received was a faint grunt before Ed turned his full focus on his reflection, making the most comical faces as he waged war on those little scraps of fuzz. Roy allowed himself a tiny smile and very carefully continued his own ministrations with the overly sharp blade. A comfortable silence fell as they settled into a rhythm, trading off the faucet to rinse their razors. He noticed with some amusement that Ed kept peeking at him out of the corner of his eye and attempting to copy his technique. He would stop the second Roy looked his way, but that just made it all the more entertaining when Roy pointedly let his attention wander only to snap his eyes back to try and catch the kid in the act. Ed would give him an utterly blameless What did I do? sort of look before flashing a bright grin and returning to the task at hand. It was just shaving, but like with everything else, Ed seemed determined to get it right the first time.
And Roy could almost admit it was more fun this way. It didn't even feel like they were commander and subordinate anymore. More like comrades, except more intimate than that—similar to and yet entirely unlike shaving alongside, say, Hughes. Perhaps it was Ed's youth or the fact that this was his first experience with something most adults dismissed as mundane or the fact that Roy had been the one to teach him...
It's the sort of things fathers do with their sons...
His reflection's eyebrows flew up as that thought drifted through his mind, the razor pausing in its movements. And a memory followed right on its heels, back when Hughes had first found out he was going to be a father to a girl. He had been ecstatic, sure, but that hadn't stopped some wistful lamenting on all the things he wouldn't be able to teach a daughter. About chivalry with women, about the rough-and-tumble sports only boys could play, about shaving...
Roy's stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch, a gut reaction at the very thought of fatherhood. Most of him was of the firm opinion that he was far too young to even consider children, especially with the rest of his career still before him. And meanwhile another part whispered that twenty-nine was pushing it and he would be a fool to let the opportunity pass him up and what would happen if he ended up regretting it once it got to be too late...?
"What's up with you?"
"Nothing," Roy said hastily and tried not to look too carefully at the oddly domestic image they made, standing together with twin razors and foam on their faces and Ed looking at him with his usual punk attitude tempered by the tiniest bit of concern. He set the razor aside and leaned over to rinse off the remaining lather. Roy dried his face off and motioned for Ed to do the same while he took some aftershave from the cabinet. "I expect you know what this is. I usually don't use it, but the alcohol will help with your cuts. Careful, it..."
Ed splashed some aftershave in his palm and slapped it on his bare face. At once he let out a high-pitched yowl and snatched up the nearest towel to scrub off the offending liquid.
"Gah, you couldn't have said that a little sooner?" Ed said crossly, rubbing his reddened cheeks with a wounded look. He ran a careful hand over the rest of his face. "I missed some spots..."
"It's hardly noticeable," Roy said with a quick look at the clock. "We've only got a few minutes. Go get dressed while I finish up in here."
"Fine," Ed muttered, throwing Roy another bemused look as he was ushered out. They had made quite a mess, but there was no time to give the place a thorough cleaning. Roy settled for a cursory wiping of the counter and mirror and every other surface Ed had managed to get his blood on. The towels, he dumped in the laundry basket. They would probably just be thrown away, but Roy didn't want to be the one caught explaining bloody towels in his trash. He used a wet comb to get his hair under control and then went to collect his uniform, noting that Ed had retreated to his own room to change.
He was just buckling on the last of the medals when the door cracked back open and Ed poked his head out. "Don't laugh," he warned with gritted teeth and let the door fall open the rest of the way. Despite Ed's time in the military, Roy hadn't yet seen him in full uniform. He tended to be out on assignment all the time and therefore absent from any event requiring one. So Roy allowed himself a moment to take in the once-in-a-lifetime sight of Fullmetal swathed in military blue rather than his usual, bold red and black. The austere color seemed to tone down his usual fire and make him far more approachable, and his neatly braided hair perfectly matched the decorative cord on the jacket. It was a precise and exquisite image that would make the higher-ups preen at having taken such a young State Alchemist into the fold.
Odd how the very thought could make Roy feel so irritated, not to mention just the slightest bit protective. After all, only he knew the truth of it. Ed's loyalty resided with his brother, and he would only play the military's game for as long as it took to achieve his goal. In that way, he wasn't all that different from Roy.
"I don't like this," Ed mumbled, fiddling with the many pins and buckles. "I feel...weird. Like a kid playing dress up."
"You look fine," Roy assured him. He knocked Ed's hand away so he could correct an upside-down ranking pin. "Just quit slouching and you could almost pass for a real soldier."
"I am a real soldier," Ed reminded him flippantly.
Roy raised his head, lips curving into a smile. "No, you're not."
Ed considered him in thought before he also smiled a little ruefully. "I guess not, huh? Not like I act like it half the time."
"Try all the time. Do you even know how to do a proper salute?"
"Uh uh, not gonna work," Ed said with a devious grin. "Did Al tell you that questioning my skills was the best way to get a salute out of me?"
"Worth a shot," Roy said with a careless shrug. Ed took a deep breath and stepped back into the bathroom to see how he looked in the mirror. The cuts had finally stopped bleeding and most were hardly even visible. Ed rubbed a small razor burn on his neck in discomfort but stopped when Roy came up to the mirror as well, scrutinizing his reflection one last time.
Finally, he sighed in relief. "I don't look like him anymore."
Roy was inclined to disagree. Looking at him now, he could hardly recognize the boy from three years ago in the young man before him. God, in the same number of years he would be eighteen and a full-fledged adult. So much could happen in such a short amount of time, and Roy found himself wishing fervently that the next few years would bring about Ed's greatest wish to see his brother restored. Perhaps he was asking for the impossible, but if someone could go from a broken, crippled child to this in that time period, Roy was inclined to believe that nothing was impossible.
But instead of saying all that, he merely smiled playfully and nudged Ed's shoulder. "Nope. Now you look like me."
"I do not!" Ed protested, howling his indignation as Roy left the bathroom and made for the door. He held it open, expecting Ed to be right behind him, but the kid was still standing in the bathroom with an odd expression. Tentative fingers touched his clean-shaven face and then the front of his jacket as he swept another searching gaze over the young major in the mirror. Whatever he saw brought a crooked smile to his face.
"Yeah," Ed said abruptly, sweeping out of the bathroom and bypassing Roy with that smile still in place. "I guess it's not so bad after all."
Roy couldn't bring himself to ask if they were still talking about the uniform or not.


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Toyota Avensis Wagon 2016 for sale
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Tasman 2.0 Wagon
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- Vehicle
- 2016 Toyota Avensis
- Body
- Tasman Wagon
- Engine
- 1987cc Petrol Engine
- Odometer
- 895 kms
- Stock Number
- 207197
- Fuel Economy
- Yearly Cost: $ 1790 (source: Fuelsaver)
Seller Details
- Dealership:
- Dealer
- Address
- Taranaki
With the new shape Avensis, Toyota introduced a more streamlined profile to its family station wagon than previous models, but was careful to retain the same safety and comfort features that made the original so popular. When you purchase your next vehicle from Tasman Toyota, rest assured we can take care of all its future servicing and repair needs. Please contact Tasman Toyota using the details on our website.
This Vehicle is first Registered by our company much like a Demo. It is new with only Delivery Kilometres. Its Comes with the remainder of its 3 Year 100,000 Km Warranty from when it was registered. Does not come with any other promos that a brand new car would receive.
We Stock over 100 Used Vehicles at any one time over our Four conveniently located yards in New Plymouth, Westown and Hawera and now Stratford. We offer premium used vehicles and have a premium back up. All our used vehicles undergo a 250 Point inspection. Any recalls are done before they are ready for sale
We take trade in's
- Finance & Insurance -
We have a Finance & Insurance specialist on site to assist you with a range of competitive Toyota Financial Services including Toyota Vehicle Insurance (subject to lending criteria). We can also assist with Toyota Warranty's.
The dealership is New Zealand's longest operating Toyota franchise, and has been trading on its current site since 1963 and has won multiple awards such as top salesmen and technicians plus dealer of the year
. We now employ over 65 people and offer a full range of automotive services as a proud Toyota dealer.
We can provide vehicles to buyers from outside of our region, and have freight options available.
New Plymouth to Christchurch from $700
New Plymouth to Dunedin from $900
New Plymouth to Wellington from $250
New Plymouth to Auckland from $250
- Vehicle Sales Opening Hours -
Mon Fri 8.00am 5.00pm
Sat 9.00am 3.00pm (Fitzroy)
Sat 9.00am 12.00pm (Westown)
Sat By Appointment (Hawera)
Sat By Appointment (St
2WD, 5 Seats, 5DR, 9 Airbags, ABS, AC, Auto, AW, Brake Assi, BT, CC, CCO, Daylight, EBD, EW, FL, Leather SW, NZN, Petrol, PS, RC, RCL, RRAILS, TC, VSC


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Why the best Pinot Grigio is not Italian
Now that the weather seems to be warming up, it is time to confront the ugly, intractable question of Pinot Grigio. Sales of these wines have grown steadily, 8 per cent year on year according to the most recent trade figures I've seen. They sell as much as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and account for around 40 per cent of the Italian wine sold in the UK.
The ugly question is this: why do these wines sell so well when so many of them are awful? My eminent colleague Hamish Anderson, wine writer and buyer for the Tate restaurants, refers to the cheap specimens as "one of the world's worst-value wines with all the flavour of alcoholic water". Couldn't have put it better myself.
Needless to say, I am not claiming that all Italian Pinot is terrible. Some producers, especially in Friuli, make wonderful wines of great complexity. Two favourites of mine, which I tend to drink in restaurants on the whole, are the wines of Livio Felluga and Jermann.
But these are not cheap wines: the examples from these two producers cost around £20. The wines that have led the growth are cheapos, £5-£6. Reader, they do not taste good.
Italy may be the home of Pinot Grigio, but some of the best lower-priced specimens come from elsewhere. Such as New Zealand: Villa Maria Private Bin Pinot Grigio 2011 is a food-friendly wine with lots of pear and citrus notes. Sold by Majestic and the Co-op for £9.99.
And such as Australia: The Gum Pinot Grigio 2012, from the cool-climate Adelaide Hills (£9.99, M&S) is a fleshier style with some peachy notes added to the pear and citrus.
For a Pinot Grigio alternative, here's a zinger: Tagus Creek Chardonnay & Fernão Pires 2012. It's made in the Tejo region of Portugal, and its pale colour belies a rich combination of fresh, juicy fruit and good acidity. Sold by Asda and Tesco for £5.99.
A great way to welcome the summer.
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