Loopy about allotments!
QUESTION
Do any celebrities have allotments?
Chas hodges of Chas & dave fame not only had an allotment for more than 40 years, but also wrote a well-received book on the subject.
he was born shortly before the end of World War II in a tough, working- class area in North London. as a boy he spent a lot of time with his much-loved grandfather on his allotment.
even when he shot to stardom with Rockney hits such as snooker Loopy and Rabbit, hobnobbing with the biggest names in pop, Chas liked nothing better than to retreat to his allotment.
In 2010, he published Chas and his Rock ’n’ Roll allotment. Written in a colourful style with lots of cheeky swearing, it mixes social history and showbiz anecdotes with useful gardening advice.
Indeed, it was somewhat bizarre when I was interviewing Chas about his wild, hard- drinking encounters with hellraisers Jet harris, Jerry Lee Lewis and gene Vincent to be discussing the merits of double digging and how to combat carrot root fly.
he maintained his allotment right up to the end of his life in 2018, aged 74.
Rob Bradford, Thatcham, Berks. aCToR Noah huntley grew up as one of eight on a sussex farm. he made his name playing emmerdale heart-throb Luke Mcallister in the Nineties and surgeon Will Curtis in holby City, both of whom met a sticky end, before starring in the hollywood films snow White and The huntsman and dracula Untold. his real passion, however, is his allotment in West London, which he calls his sanctuary.
a surprising fan of the allotment life was the late anita Pallenberg. The germanItalian actress and model was Rolling stones guitarist Keith Richards’s girlfriend for 13 years, with whom she had three children. her rock ’n’ roll lifestyle took an inevitable toll and in her later years, anita found peace and quiet on her allotment in Chiswick, West London, where she grew leeks, strawberries, artichokes and broad beans, and made botanical drawings.
Mary Tucker, Sherbourne, Warks.
QUESTION Why do we open our mouths automatically when we are surprised, whether it is good or bad news?
ThIs is thought to be related to the body’s flight or fight response and the close physiological relationship between its response to surprise and fear. Fight or flight evolved as a survival mechanism, enabling mammals to react quickly to life-threatening situations.
It is a carefully orchestrated yet near instantaneous sequence of hormonal changes, typically in the form of a release of the stress hormones adrenaline and norepinephrine, which activate the sympathetic nervous system.
surprise or fear triggers a whole range of involuntary effects: increased heart rate, blood flow and breathing, and a surge in fuel supply to the muscles.
These bodily functions require oxygen, so a deep inhalation through opening your mouth involuntarily is an important part of the process.
Dr Ian Smith, Cambridge. IS THERE a question to which you have always wanted to know the answer? Or do you know the answer to a question raised here? Send your questions and answers to: Charles Legge, Answers To Correspondents, Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, London, W8 5TT. You can also email them to charles. legge@dailymail.co.uk. A selection will be published, but we are not able to enter into individual correspondence.