Foraging

Foraging for wild food can be fun and this year has been one of the best harvests. There has also been a high demand for wild mushrooms, some species commanding up to £50 a kilo. The fungus is produced above ground in soil and is a low calorie food that can be eaten raw or cooked. Most of the mushrooms sold in supermarkets are commercially grown on mushroom farms. Although some wild mushrooms can be toxic, they can also be used for dyeing wool and natural fibres, but should never be eaten unless you know they are safe.

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Photographer: Clive Bozzard-Hill

Mushrooms sponge up all the rot and debris that other plants leave around, so without them nothing grows as it should. Sadly, many woodlands have been plundered by mushroom gangs, who are cashing in on the growing demand for wild mushrooms. Most of the gang members don't know what they are taking and therefore take everything, as someone sifts through them later and throws away what they don't want. This has left Britain's fragile woodlands without a vital part of it's ecosystem. There are virtually no mushrooms left in Epping, Essex and Ashdown forests as the law is still unclear about what can be taken from public land in the UK. Some forestry workers have nearly been killed whilst trying to protect the woodlands. Private landowners have their own set of rules on the amount of produce that can be taken from their land. 

For all amateur foragers, just remember to keep a lookout for large groups of stranger's.   

Celebrating 75 Years

What do Chilli Chips n' Cheese, Bangers and Mash, Knickerbocker Glory and Petrolheads all have in common? Ace Cafe London. 

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Photographer: Jeremy Hoare

The former transport cafe for truck and lorry drivers, in Stonebridge, North London opened in 1938 to accommodate traffic on the new North Circular Road. It was open 24 hours a day and quickly became a place where motorbike riders gathered. Based on the traditions of motorcycles, cars and rock n' roll, the cafe was designed by petrolheads as a way of expressing themselves. They opened a filling station on adjoining land in 1939, with a showroom and repair shop. The building was damaged during the Second World War and had to be completely rebuilt in 1949.

It wasn't a greasy spoon, it was a restaurant where home-made food was cooked. With an increase in traffic, it became the place to meet. It closed in 1969 though, due to the growth of the car market, and re-opened in 2001 on the original site after a complete re-build. So the legend of the Ace lives on......"See you at the Ace"