English plums

FOR ten long months throughout the yearI'm blue as plums from Europe areBut now at last the season's hereWhen glorious English plums appear.

By The Newsroom

Published 2nd Sep 2008, 15:50 BST

Updated 8th Jun 2018, 03:16 BST

I just ignore the substitute

The horrid, hard, bruise-coloured fruit,

All that the foreign farms could yield

And waited for soft, juicy, sweet

And perfect English plums to greet

Me at the farm shop once again.

No other fruit tastes half as sweet,

As that caressed by English rain.

Tony Gardner

Shoreham-by-sea