In deepest, darkest Essex. Along Cow Watering Lane. This is the alleged Training HQ of the GoY Wellie Olympics team.

just been for a walk round the village and it seems all quiet at the moment. ive set up a flower pot people cam in my garden just in case, you never know!!!

Lyd ~ wonderful to have your special technical televisual know-how.
On the Flower-Pot People cam, or even the Fancy Dress Gnomes cam, if you get any good photos, please upload them for official verification. :o)

Hmmm - didn't know you could grow bedding. Do you need rain for sheets and fog for blankets?

Very good Andrewr ~
With Olympics to be held in a British summer, we might need all the warm weather gear we can find. However we grow it. :o)

Watch out for Scotcat. She put up a blog saying she's scouring the country for clay pots. Is she going to amass an army of flowerpot people? Maybe I'm misjudging her and she's with the team and setting up an underground force to combat the alien flowerpots.

Chrispook ~
Great that fellow GoY Olympians are on the alert.
We'll keep an eye on Scotkat's photos to see if there's any claymation going on. :o)

Do we need a quilt for this bedding? Presumably that depends on which way the temperature goes - eider down or up?

Andrewr ~
Are you growing brain food in your Jellystone Yellow Book garden?
Presumably a good crop this year, with all your welcome witticisms.

A little pillow talk :
Cow Watering Lane is damp enough to grow Moss Campion ~
aka Cushion Pink.
These make very comfy colourful bedding.

Nice to see a new photo! Definitely looks suspicious.

How long does it take for the bedding to grow-I'd love a king size duvet cover and matching valanced sheet!

Gillian ~
I was en route to a dog show, so didn't get to look in the glass house.
My trusty chauffer took this photo.
I've been told the FlowerPot People and Fancy Dress Gnomes peer through the windows to watch our secret training.
A good thing there's all that bedding for when we need a rest. :o)

Arlene ~
Sounds like you want the complete package,
We'll ask Scotkat to crochet your bedsocks. :o)

I spotted a couple of FlowerPot Men.
The names of this twosome are Billy and Ben.
Posted by Joebell on Fifth of November.
At least that's an easyish date to remember.
Favourite photos is where they are staying.
Then I'll keep track of the games they are playing....

Might a new boy ask why the plants are in the glasshouse? What did they do wrong? Surely Billy and Ben should be in the glasshouse - and Little Weed.

New boy ~ welcome. :o)
Some of the plants are criminals:
The Dianthus were accused of being pink and disorderly.
The Carnations faced a charge of thriving without due care and attention.

Billy and Ben are still safe on my photo page... last time I looked!

Please keep an eye out for Little Weed, the FlowerPot People, and the Fancy Dress Gnomes.
All threats to the GoY Wellie Olympians. :o)

A new sighting of FlowerPot People !
Mickbmw has been keeping an eye on these two since 2nd Sept 08 when he uploaded his photo, entitled Bill and Ben Rose Arch Men.

Thanks, Mick, for your vigilance.
Please keep us posted of any developments.... :o)

Well..... what can I say?
My secret H.Q has been 'unearthed'....
(Sorry about the pun!)
I hope you like the sign.
It was designed and executed by 'SIGNS R US.'

Captain Grenville ~
Thank you for creating your secret HQ, hidden away in Cow Watering Lane.
How clever of you to throw everyone off the track with this total antithesis of your neatness in design.
Such great camouflage for the GoY Wellie Olympics Training Facilities.
We're well hidden from the FlowerPot People and Fancy Dress Gnomes. :o)

I like to see any signs and hard landscaping elements merging with the surrounding natural landscape. Hopefully you agree the 'Grenville' sign is very well conceived, is discreet and beautifully camouflaged.
I had to apply for planning permission to have it erected near the entrance to the G.O.Y Wellie Olympics training facility.

I guess planning permission for the sign comes under the heading of Listed Buildings?
It's not upright - certainly has a list
And shrubs, plants - that's another list.
Surely you're not still waiting for the sign to be approved ?
Your design talents were stretched to the limit on this project, so I don't see how permission could be refused. :o)

Mrs. Sarra. (aka Boss lady) in the 1960s, worked for the Ministry of Flower Power. She says that approval is granted. Anyone get any idea how to stop her growing peculiar tobacco and to change that bleeding sarong?

The GoY Wellie Olympians are on the alert for sabotage by rival teams -
Fancy Dress Gnomes and FlowerPot People.

Bill and Ben were spotted on photos by Joebell and Mickbmw . I promptly put these on my favourite photos so I can keep an eye on them, together with pictures of other FlowerPot People uploaded by Arlene and Peter.

However, in both of the Bill and Ben photos, Weed is mysteriously missing.
Does sarong-clad Mrs.Sarra know anything about the disappearing Weed?

TT. She says 'Yeah man (that could be 'shaman' , she isn't very comprehensible when the ladies from the Mother's union come round for tea) I found that weed and I burned it.'

She also says 'Anyone want to buy a slightly stained second user sarong?'

She also says 'Walla, walla walla, bong.' She is great when she speaks in tongues.

P.S. This is one very (ex) respectable retired professional that hopes that none of the security services spot this.

How come the only thing she wanted to grow when I suggested salvias was salvia divinorum?

Sarra ~
Today is National Poetry Day
( honestly )
Congratulations on rhyming bong with sarong. :o)

I think I have just been struck off by my professional body. The good news is I just won the Jack Kerouac award for literature and degeneracy.

Well done Sewingkilla.
Today she spotted a Flower Pot Person.
Goes by the name of Wilbur.
Now on my favourite photos underneath the Sausage Trees, near to Junior Paddington, where I can keep any eye on him. :o)

i have a billy and benny in my garden too they are joined by the Mc dougal boys think they planning to join forces and start baking in the garden next year if the sun comes out x just wanted to join in the fun after reading all your comments

we also have a dear who is always sat down sign of rain i think they are joined by mrs rabbit mr frog mr toad and mrs pigeon who makes a mess haha great grandchilden starting a zoo!!

Hello Boxer ~
Thanks for reporting on your Billy and Benny. We need to keep track of all these Flower Pot People, hidden amongst Mr.Toad & Co.!

The McDougal boys, could be planning secret meetings of our other rivals ~ the Fancy Dress Gnomes.
They call it the Teddy Bear's Picnic, but we're not fooled.

Please report back if you see any new gnomes or teddies. We're very glad you've joined us and thank you again for being so alert. :o)

Rumours are that CluelessKev has been undergoing special training for shadow boxing at Captain Grenville's secret GoY Wellie Olympics Training HQ.
Can this be true ?
Should we " FEEL FREE TO COME AND LOOK AROUND " ???

There's a Cow Watering Lane in Hereford - has that got anything to do with anything?!

Could this be the Secret Training HQ of the Flower Pot People and the Fancy Dress Gnomes ???
Sid ~ If you get the chance to upload a photo, please report back here.
The whole Wellie team is relying on you. :o)

OH no! Pressure! :-(

No pressure.
Any time before 2012 is absolutely fine. :o)

.... that's twelve minutes past eight.

Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhggggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TT. From the other thread, Boss Lady wants to thank you for including her in the 2012 team in the mud-slide category. She is sorry that strip-tease bungee jumping is full, especially after winning a gold at Chelsea. But when I promised to buy her a new sarong (she looks sa right in a sarong) she couldn't resist. To maintain (or even improve) the standard I will send her out to the bog garden every time it rains to practice pratfalls. Just to make sure she keeps up her level of fitness would you (as team manager) please send a blank cheque made out to 'Booze Busters Fine Alcohol Emporium Unlimited' to my fortress of solitude near the North Pole. (The North Pole Tavern that is. She thinks that is a home from home. It is.)

Sarra ~
Very entertaining response.
Sorry your arm couldn't scroll down 300 comments on the Wellie Olympics blog but I realise that Boss Lady is definitely the only athlete in your household and when you say you are a gardener, I can only guess it is exclusively of the couch potato variety.

Truth is, for Team Manager we are very honoured to have Captain Grenville.
He is currently hiding from the Paparazzi in Cow Watering Lane at the above premises, but Terry60 has offered her services as Official Team Translator from Italian to English ( or was it Italian to Gibberish ? ) so I predict Captain Grenville will soon be sending you lots of cheques, and in the true Olympian spirit they will all be of the bouncing type.

Please keep us updated with the training progress of Boss Lady. A pity you didn't get to read the Wellie Blog today, because we have the great news that Fiji Fast Bowler, Panther, has officially invited the whole team to hold every AGM in her garden, surrounded by Fijian sunshine and coconuts. :o)

I was delighted when yesterday Sid gave our above Team Training sign a 'like' bringing us to a grand total of 13 so far. Captain Grenville has admitted that this is by far one of his best designs, and Sid, being famed on GoY for her good taste was quick to spot the artistic techniques used. :o)

All I can say is 'Thank goodness Boss Lady is as daft as the rest of us.'

Is it spring yet? Can I get up?

John.

Ah, yes. I'm famous far and wide for my good taste - particularly my good taste for chocolate and other high-calorie goodies generally found at the confections counter at Woolies........

Hmm....did someone mention chocolate? I must try to resist, or I'll be as much use as a chocolate teapot. Hmmmm.................

We use a chocolate teapot in this house. Is it spring yet?

No, Sarra. Go back to sleep. We'll wake you up when spring's here.

Chocolate teapots ?
Cadburys sell Chocolate Fingers, but what happens to all the other chocolate body parts ?
And is there a connection between Grenville and Bourneville ?

WELL! SINCE YOU ASK...... I innocently wandered into what I thought was a toy shop the other day and at the back I found Certain chocolate Body Parts being sold! Well, I wont go into any detail, but it did result in something of the vapours and a shop assistant having to fetch the smelling salts............I'm still blushing at the thought...............!!!

The Flower Pot People are to blame.
They couldn't buy chocolate flower pots so they've stolen all the other chocolate body parts from Cadburys and hidden them at the back of "toy shops" :o)

Sid, please PM me the address of that toy shop. I need to buy some toys for my various nieces for when I take them out to lunch (or better still dinner) at my various 'gentlemen's clubs'. It will keep them entertained. (Or where I am concerned, in fits of laughter).

John. (This is just a pseudonym. My real name is Sarraceniac - and don't forget that if you get questioned.)

Sid, do you think I could use these as a reference to a certain Mr Wonka?

David and Sid ~
Too much indulgence in chocolate could be bad for your Wellie Olympics Training. You are needed on the Wellie Blog to clarify certain information regarding ale-houses, and the number of London buses needed for our team transport to Fiji. :o)

I'm pleased to report that ale-house research is going splendidly, thanks to our official GoY Wellie Olympics Team Historian, Andrewr and his trusty Harley Sportster.

We're paying all his expenses for the arduous task of checking venues for the GoY Wellie Olympics Christmas Pub Crawl.
Inns of ill-repute must be inspected for special consideration.

Here's a few more at which Andrewr is hoping to make merry, er make reports.

The Olympic pub in Swanley, Kent.
Olympic House Hotel, Paddington.
Boot and Slipper Pub, Wettenhall, Cheshire.
The Boot Inn. Tidworth.
The Wellington public house, Moreton-in-the-Marsh.
Croc's Pub, Roscoe, Illinois, USA.
Goat in Boots pub, Chelsea.
Ryan's Muddy Boot, an Irish pub in Munich, Germany.

Thanks to Andrewr for undertaking this Christmas challenge on our behalf. :o)

Has anybody seen Captain Grenville recently? As requested I sent him the 25p entry fee for the Wellie Olympics but have received no receipt or acknowledgment. All I got was a photocopy of a steam ship ticket to Venezuela. I want my 25p back and Paypal denies all knowledge.

Captain Grenville is still hiding from the paparazzi.
His wonderful Bristol garden has made him world famous, and we must protect him from too much publicity.
Panther has thankfully moved this photo on from unlucky thirteen likes, so the future looks really rosy.
PS. Please see my latest blog for a TV show to brighten up winter afternoons. :o)

And boy. Do winter afternoons want brightening up if this one. LOL. Is it spring yet? Can I get up?

It is a Gardeners' World Top Tips series.
Should be good. :o)
Don't doze off till this group of programmes has finished.
Then I'll wake you on 17th March 2009. :o)

##### WELLIE OLYMPICS LATEST#####

We are honoured that Majeekahead has nominated Brooke to be our ~
GoY WELLIE OLYMPICS CHEERLEADER MASCOT

Please see her wonderful recent photos and blog.
Brooke is currently being trained by GoY members Pollynpercy, who, with two athletic dogs, have themselves volunteered for the demanding sport of Boot Slinging.

Brooke will be leading out our GoY Wellie Olympic parade ~
ably assisted by Andrewr ~ Just how many roles is that super-fit guy taking on in these Olympics ???

Andrewr will be on his Harley Sportster with his guitar, singing to his own music ~
Faster, Longer, Higher, Stronger ~
All to Win the Gold.

Tasteyg is being consulted even as I write, about how to upload onto GoY the youtube version of this amazing performance. :o)

Watch this space ....
and hopefully listen to this space.... soon.....

Hi folks........ Captain G here!
Sorry, Iv'e not been in touch recently. I hate the cold weather and I find my wellie boots too cold to wear in the winter. I'm hoping for some nice warm furry ones from the man in red a few weeks on from now.

My goodness ----you have all been busy on here- the correspondence has grown.

I'm concerned that membership fees and payments have not been acknowledged.I can only assume that this is due to the fact that the credit cruncher has developed malware, and any cash is being crunched rather than being recycled or reaching its proper destination....

T.T would you kindly ask the I.T department to look into the problem?

I will arrange for a huge ceramic wellie money box to be made so that any subscriptions can be stored safely in the Wellie Olympic Bank Vaults in Switzerland.

When all the events are completed, the money can be emptied out and the wellie smashed on the top of mount Olympus as a mark of respect as part of the closing ceremony.

Finally all chocolate body parts must be kept in the fridge to save them from distorting in the heat or drooping.They may be used in any training, but must not be used in the final games.

All contestants must refrain from eating chocolate up to 36 hours before participating in any events. Random chocolate testing for excessive levels of blood sugars will also be undertaken.
I have been asked by British Customs to advise you all of the following regulations......
Chocolate body parts will also be banned from all items of personal luggage in the British Airways flights for the U.K team contingent. Heathrow, Gatwick and all regional U.K airports will have chocolate body - part scanners installed at the customs departments for all outgoing and incoming flights.

Hopefully this will deter any participants from using chocolate false body parts on themselves and then attempting to participate in any of the events.

In the past bionic chocolate limbs were secreted into the events arena, but they began to melt in the heat of the sun. The committtee have taken these attempts at cheating and fraud very seriously.

With kindest regards to you all.
Captain Grenville.

Captain Grenville ~
Really good to hear from you. I've been explaining your understandable absence was due to your hiding from the Paparazzi. Following the wonderful national newspaper article praising you and Alan with your Bristol Yellow Book garden, it was obvious that you would be inundated with reporters and photographers and would need to lie low for a while.

The Wellie blog thread now totals around 450 comments, due, in particular to some recent wonderful input from our cousins across the pond in the USA and Canada. On that thread, David is likely to be awarded green mint medals for his cart-wheeling-in-a-kilt speciality sport. So we've had to use the Royal Mint exclusively for making these chocolate mint medals and that's the reason I'm sure you were expecting me to give for our membership fees not being up to date.

Your decree of the ceremonial ceramic wellie money box is exactly the kind of fantastic idea we would hope for from our Captain, and was the main reason you were voted unanimously by the GoY Wellie Olympics team as our leader ~ the other factor was, of course, the gorgeous green hair-do. :o)

Training and financial matters will be back in order by new year, but we might be slightly distracted up till Christmas as we all have to help David to find his furry Toto and return him to the chocolate garden, safe from the Flower Pot People. Everyone is looking ~ Hywel, Gee19 ~ everyone.

Please keep a look-out on blogs, and photos for sightings of furry Toto.
Thank you.

Oh no! I may just have to withdraw my application. A ban on chocolate for 36hrs! You cannot be SERIOUS, man! Can I remind you, Captain, that Snickers were originally called Marathons here in the UK . What better tribute to the Great Olympics could there possibly be? I could canoe to the games (and win a medal at the same time) to avoid the detectors at the airports. Oh dear, this requires some very deep thought.....as if losing Toto wasn't bad enough!

David ~ good thought.
Maybe Marathons should be resurrected and issued as Standard Kit to all GoY Wellie Olympians? I'll leave you in your deep thoughts. With any luck we'll get some wise guidance from Captain Grenville. His availability will depend on the proportion of Paparazzi photographers arriving in Bristol.

Thank you to Grenville,

Signs R us, did him proud. I am now so much more proud of my own.

In this one sense alone, I enjoy brevity. The name. and a closed or open sign that can hang beneath. My own elevated sign is far more elegant and is in Skyline blue. I shall post it in the future.

The barbed wire stretching from tree to tree, also re-inforces the closed aspect of the sign. Mary Ann, made me take down the razor wire. She said that might give people the wrong idea about me.

The gopher on Skyline's avatar is so cute, I'm sure it reveals his true personality. :o)

Captain Grenville was featured on TV again this week.
The BBC likes his garden so much, that they included it on the Gardeners World Top Tips Show. That's the best bits, so well done, Captain Grenville:o)

Got it! WELL DONE, CAPTAIN GRENVILLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, our GoY Wellie Olympics Team Leader has excelled yet again.
Let's hope this further fantastic publicity for his wonderful garden in Bristol doesn't necessitate him hiding from the paparazzi, just when Christmas and New Year celebrations are near.

Our holiday parties and GoY Wellie Olympics Christmas Pub Crawl wouldn't be the same without Grenville and Alan.
Well done, Captain Grenville. :o)

.. and just where is Andrewr ? Is our Team Historian still checking out hostelries and inns ? I hope the Harley Sportster hasn't broken down.....

Ah, it's now becoming clear! I've not looked at this before as it was posted prior to me becoming a GOYer but I did wonder what that was flying around the sky above Cow Watering Lane on Sunday! I thought something was AFOOT! Well Well Well(ie)

Hi Paul ~
If you wish for it all to become clear as mud, please take a look at my blogs # 1 and # 12. Wellie Olympics. Lol. :o)

Must admit Tt, I did read them a few weeks ago and I was utterly confused. It all seemed a little above my little brain to comprehend.I'm only a humble gardener and I know my place!

Well done, Paul. :o)
You win gold medals merely for reading those two blogs. Lol.

Good luck at the Wellie Olympics GoY team. Such a shame I can't fly out from Aus. to watch lol.

Hi Pip...
I reckon we could fly you in by hot air balloon to a ring-side seat ... Lol.
Your enthusiasm is infectious, so it would be wonderful to have you there. ! :o)

Must take a look at those blogs myself!!!! LOL

Pip.. you have a talent for digging up the old blogs... Lol.

I'm only just realising how much I've missed!

Lol.. :o)))

... but you didn't find the next pic along ... ?
... Cow Watering Lane ....