Disabled people still don’t have step-free access to Hackney Downs station six years after it was promised by the previous government. 

Access which allows disabled engers to travel independently, without worrying about escalators or stairs, was promised for the north-east London Overground station in 2019 by former Conservative prime minister Theresa May. 

Disability access charity Euan’s Guide ambassador Tina Hodgkinson explained it exacerbates a feeling of being like Russian roulette when it comes to public transport, having experienced being left on a train in Edinburgh at the end of the line and being trapped in the bus doors because the driver hadn’t looked.

Social worker Hodgkinson said: “It was just awful because basically you’re sitting there on the train and you’re wondering if anyone’s ever going to come. 

“And you just think, ‘do I try and get out myself?’.

“You feel emotionally exhausted, you feel physically exhausted.”

Roughly one in five of the UK population is disabled, yet statistics from Transport for London (TfL) show only 53% of London Overground stations and 34% of London Underground stations are fully accessible.

TfL’s ageing infrastructure means huge costs would be incurred in making the remaining old stations accessible, although the Department for Transport’s Access for All programme is funding lifts at Hackney Downs, with the project managed by Network Rail. 

Hodgkinson, who became disabled eight years ago, believes transport access won’t be recognised for the disability community until something horrible happens to someone.

Due to lack of disability transport access, she will plan a journey and sometimes won’t be able to complete it either.

Last year, she travelled from King’s Cross to Euston, and claimed TfL staff at Euston said they wouldn’t pick her up as they weren’t going to help her get up on the lift.

Hodgkinson said: “Knowing that they did that to me, and I felt that was a blatant act of discrimination, I ended up crying.

“I’ve asked for enger assistance, I’ve been pulled into the station where I’m due to get off, and there’s been no member of staff to meet me – and sometimes it’s the last destination.

“But I just sit in the train waiting, hoping someone will come, and eventually the cleaners come and I ask them to get me help.”

Hodgkinson expects to have the same conversation in five years time.

TfL road safety consultant Sarah Hope MBE insisted the age of the infrastructure should not be a barrier either.

Hope said: “Their excuse is that the stations are too old to put the lifts in, but where they don’t have lifts, they should provide something for people who can’t use the Underground.”

Politics student and amputee Pollyanna Hope added: “The fact it’s the oldest tube network in the world is not an excuse.

“We can do better.”

Alternative services are available for the disabled community accessing TfL services such Dial A Ride, which provides a taxi for commuters if there is no access to a ramp for a wheelchair at a station. 

However, s report that staff shortages mean people are often unable to access this service. 

Sarah Hope said: “The amount of stations that you can’t see anybody working at them.

“People with disabilities or people who might need help, there is often nobody to ask”.

Hope also highlighted the issues for wheelchair s using buses. 

She said: “If there’s no room on the bus, and you’re in a wheelchair, you will just get left behind.”

Wheelchair Ben Spencer added: “If you’re going to say you’re going to do something and get the planning done, get ahead and do it.”

TfL’s director of public service planning Geoff Hobbs insisted the needs of disabled s at Hackney Downs had not been forgotten.

Hobbs said: “We remain committed to providing step-free access at Hackney Downs London Overground station and are doing everything we can to overcome a number of challenges we’ve faced with the project.

“These include issues surrounding land ownership and the rising costs of the project due to inflationary pressures.

“This project is being funded by the DfT’s Access for All Fund which is managed by Network Rail and we continue to work with both parties to reach an agreement on funding so works can commence as soon as possible.”

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “We recognise the importance of accessibility for all engers and are fully committed to delivering step-free access at Hackney Downs station.

“We are carefully assessing a range of potential options and their associated costs. This work is being undertaken in close partnership with TfL and Arriva Rail London.

“These include issues surrounding land ownership and the rising costs of the project due to inflationary pressures.”

A Transport for All spokesperson said: “Everyone needs to travel, but for thousands of disabled Londoners the lack of step-free access at Hackney Downs stops us being able to enjoy our city fully.

“Progress at the station has been unacceptably slow, and the Access for All funding programme has alarming underspends. 

“Network Rail is now installing an oversight body to make improvements. 

“We’re cautiously optimistic that this is a step in the right direction towards making Network Rail more able, but the proof is in the pudding.

“We’ll believe it’s working when everyone can use stations like Hackney Downs.”

Hackney Council were approached for comment.

Credit: Irid Escent, Flickr. Wikimedia Commons license

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Around 600 people gathered to honour the father of clowning at London’s annual celebration of his life.

The service takes place every year on the first Sunday of February and this year it was held at the All Saints Church in Haggerston. 

The event, which was first held in 1946, brings together clowns of all ages and nationalities to honour Joseph Grimaldi, a famous pantomime clown from the 1800’s.

Event producer and clown Mattie Faint said: “Its really to praise the gift of laughter.

“I think February is very appropriate, because we forget about the sunshine and laughing.”

Faint was a hospital clown for Theodora Children’s Charity, spending 19 years working at Great Ormand Street. 

The Theodora Children’s Charity works to bring laughter to children’s hospitals and specialist care centres, even providing virtual visits from their Giggle Doctors. 

Faint led the congregation of clowns with a processional banner, a feature of his clown archive,.

It featured a collection of iconic items from clowning history such as clown eggs, costumes, shoes and statuettes of Grimaldi himself as well.

The tradition started the year after the end of the Second World War, taking place almost as a thanksgiving service and a way of gaining publicity it. 

There were hymns, stories, photo opportunities, a show for the children, along with a clown cake. 

Faint said: “Maybe they aren’t worker clowns, but people come and its allows them to take on a new persona for the service.” 

Grimaldi was born into the theatre industry, making his stage debut at Drury Lane in 1780 and going on to work at Covent Garden theatre. 

He eventually developed the role of a clown which would become a staple in British pantomimes, giving him the title of the father of clowning. 

It is after him that clowns are nicknamed Joey, with his trademark whiteface makeup design still being used by clowns today. 

Clowning would eventually be his downfall, as the extreme physical exertion caused illness and he became increasingly depressed, retiring in 1823. 

Grimaldi would, however, outlive both his wife and son before dying in 1837.

His death is still marked by clowns today, with people even invited to dance on his grave in Islington. 

Faint explained the reality of working as a clown, both for Grimaldi and his experience in a children’s hospital.

He said: “Thats the classic with a lot of performers, the sort of yin and yang of performing.”

Picture credit: All pictures courtesy of Gaz de Vere

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A fashion photographer is hosting a 300 hour photography print sale for a Motor Neurone Disease charity in memory of his mother who ed away from the disease. 

Mark Sanders hopes to put Motor Neurone Disease (MND) at the centre of MDN300, an online sale of prints which will run from 7pm on Wednesday, October 16. 

The sale will include 100 of the biggest names in photography, including Rankin and Steve McCurry.

Sanders’ mother, Lin, who died from MND earlier this year, pledged to raise money on behalf of the MND Association which s individuals living with the disease in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

Sanders said: “MND really is a brutal disease, as anyone who has witnessed it will know.

“Mum was diagnosed a couple of years ago with only a few symptoms. 

“I had the idea for MND300 during that time and shared it with her. 

“She said I should do it, so she is very much at the heart of everything I am doing.”

MND is a fatal, rapidly progressing disease which affects the brain and spinal cord and nervous system. 

It can leave people locked in a failing body, unable to move, talk and, eventually, breathe.

A person’s lifetime risk of developing MND is around 1 in 300, and there is still no effective treatment or cure for it. 

Sarah Armstrong, the MND Association’s regional fundraiser for the South East, explained how the money raised in the sale will be key in helping tackle the disease. 

She said: “The money raised from MND300 will go directly into research where it will help to fund vital research into potential new treatments for MND.”

With a generous input from the photography industry, Sanders has curated a sale featuring a broad range of styles. 

The sale will feature images ranging from landscape, still life and celebrity portraiture.

Sanders added: “There’s something for everybody in there and the exhibition promises to be a fantastic event, where people can really get up close to the images. 

“I am so grateful to everyone for their incredible .”

To complement the sale, an exhibition of prints featuring work by Jack Davison, Jem Southam, and John Spinks will take place at JJ Locations in Shoreditch on the same day.

For more information about MND300 or to purchase prints from 7pm on October 16 visit www.300mnd.com.

To book tickets for the event, email [email protected].

For more information about MND and the work of the MND Association visit www.mndassociation.org.

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The misogynoir targeting Diane Abbott highlights the discrimination that Black women in the UK continue to face across all areas of society. 

On 14 March, wealthy businessman Frank Hester made a £150,000 donation to the Conservative Party. 

Three days earlier, the Guardian revealed that he said Diane Abbott, Britain’s longest-serving Black MP, made him “want to hate all Black women” and that she “should be shot”.

At a rally held in solidarity with Abbott on 15 March, former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn told SWLondoner: “Diane’s work in Parliament ever since becoming the first Black woman MP in 1987 has been about education, empowerment and liberation. 

“The racist and sexist abuse and death threats she has received during her career are completely unacceptable. 

“This is communities coming together and saying we are not having this, we are not putting up with this.

“If they attack her, they’re attacking all of us.”

But the Conservative Party’s response to Hester’s comments was tepid.

Senior Tory politicians first denied the remarks were racist, before changing their line to plead for “Christian forgiveness” on his behalf. 

It was only after more than 24 hours of dithering that then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak finally caved to pressure and issued a statement calling the comments “racist and wrong” – but decided against relinquishing the sizeable cash injection the donor had made to the party’s coffers.

Unfortunately, Hester’s remarks – and the attempt to minimise their severity and accept his donations – reveal a problem that is all too common: misogynoir. 

This term, coined by African-American feminist scholar Dr. Moya Bailey, refers to the distinct experience of racism and misogyny that Black women face as they occupy a unique position vulnerable to both race-based and gender-based oppression.

Throughout her 36-year career, Abbott has been subjected to relentless racist and sexist attacks, with an Amnesty International study revealing she received 10 times more abuse than any other MP in the leadup to the 2017 General Election.

In 2022, the Forde Report – an independent investigation into allegations of racism, sexism and bullying in the Labour Party – found criticisms of her used expressions of visceral disgust, drawing on racist tropes which bore little resemblance to the criticisms of white male MPs.

Corbyn’s words at the rally echoed the sentiments of Vanessa Lecointe, 61, who said: “I’m a mixed race woman and I’ve endured the same mixture of racism and misogyny Diane is facing from the 1960s till now – it never stopped. 

“I’ve been going to these marches since I was 17, I can’t believe we’re still here marching.

“Enough is enough now.”

Yet Abbott’s treatment is not an isolated incident. Rather, it extends far beyond the political landscape. 

From education to employment, housing to healthcare, racism and misogyny permeate the lived experiences of Black women in the UK. 

Kulvinder Nagre, Research and Policy Coordinator at Race on The Agenda explained: “The intersections of racism with misogyny and other gendered issues have resulted in especially pervasive forms of discrimination against black women across British society.” 

This reality emerges from recent data highlighting the alarming racial disparities in maternal care. 

An annual study by maternal health network MBRRACE-UK found that black women in the UK are almost four times more likely to die during or in the first year after pregnancy than white women.

Investigating these disparities, pregnancy rights group, Birthrights, found that racist attitudes and behaviours by caregivers such as racial stereotyping and microaggressions had a serious detrimental effect on maternity experiences.

In the workplace, the Trade Union Congress reported that more than one in three Black and minority ethnic women have experienced racist jokes and so-called banter and 30% have experienced verbal abuse. 

“Being a Black woman in the workplace is mentally exhausting,” said Sarah*, 27, an analyst at an investment bank in London.

“I feel like I’m expected to represent my entire race in every interaction, while my white colleagues are seen as individuals.

“We have to mask so much and accept microaggressions as ‘jokes’ because we do not have the luxury of experiencing any emotion that isn’t positive or you will be seen as aggressive.

“For example, I have anxiety and I’ve been told on numerous occasions that my nervousness comes across as being stand-offish or having an attitude problem.

“I wonder if this is how a genuine mental health condition would be perceived if I were white.

“It’s also difficult having to constantly second-guess myself, wondering if negative is due to my performance or my identity as a Black woman.

“And I hear so many stories that mirror my own so this is just how it is, it’s so traumatising.”

These entrenched issues do not just impact women but also fail young Black girls. 

In 2020, Child Q, a Black 15-year-old schoolgirl, was stripped-searched by police after teachers wrongly accused her of possessing cannabis. 

She was made to expose intimate body parts whilst menstruating with no appropriate adult present. 

No drugs were subsequently found.  

Nagre added: “In schools, Black and minoritised girls face a disproportionate level of exclusions, which goes hand-in-hand with the well-documented racial discipline gap. 

“The racial disparity in instances of police conducting strip-searches forms a particularly horrific part of a wider pattern of adultification and criminalisation, whereby Black children in particular are not treated as young, vulnerable people requiring our , but as adult lawbreakers.”

So while such scandals may be shocking, they are not surprising.

Confronting this intersection of racism and misogyny requires a multidimensional approach with policy reforms, cultural shifts, and community empowerment all serving as essential components. 

Only then can the UK begin to address the dual burden of racism and misogyny that Black women have endured for far too long.

For Nagre, any solution begins with the unequivocal recognition that racism exists: “It starts with all of society acknowledging the structural nature of this issue and institutions committing to being anti-racist, actively working to eliminate racism from their systems and processes. 

“Additionally, any action must centre the perspectives and lived experiences of those who have suffered from racism and misogyny, and must therefore serve to amplify the voices of minoritised individuals, whilst empowering them to dismantle these barriers.”

* Name has been changed to preserve anonymity

Featured image: Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

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An independent book shop is on a mission to educate people about queer and marginalised communities through a vast offering of literature and events.

The Common Press is an intersectional queer bookshop café in Shoreditch and events space that hosts weekly classes, talks, activities and performances, among a large collection of books – and great coffee.

In celebration of International Women’s Day 2024, the LGBTQI+ friendly bookshop hosted a unique discussion, ‘A Different Kind of Beauty: A Butch ’, organised by in-house curator Gabriela Salas Vidal.

lists OG Courts, Yaz Senghor, and Tabs Benjamin discussed navigating the complexities of womanhood, deconstructing gender roles, and challenging stereotypes of butch identity.

Watch the video below for more on the event. 

Featured image credit: Cressi Sowerbutts

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Cat rescues by the London Fire Brigade are more common in outer London boroughs compared to those within the inner-city.

According to data from the Greater London Authority, rates of cat rescues from January 2009 to April 2024 were highest in Haringey.

Haringey, Enfield, Southwark, and Merton also saw sharp increases in the numbers of rescues since 2020 and 2022.

In Enfield for example, there has been a 200% increase in cat rescues between 2020-2023.

These figures appear to imply a general increase in cat ownership during the city’s Covid-19 lockdowns.

NB: Data has been analysed up to 2023 in the line graphs for proportional representation (Flourish).

Regarding the sharp increases in rescues since 2020, an outer borough south west London veterinary surgeon said: “We have seen lots of kittens since the lockdowns.

“Owners offload them to local charities such as Animal Rescue and Care as they don’t want to keep them, it’s very sad.

“We couldn’t keep up with the number of cats people were buying, we were on a restricted service so we had less availability.”

The surgeon explained cats, which are rescued by the London Fire Brigade or otherwise, are taken by ambulance to the RSPCA in north London and are often feral.

The breed and behaviour of bought or adopted cats can be a contributing factor to the numbers of cat rescues.

The surgeon said: “Breeders want to make money.

“Bengal cats for example prefer to be outside, they are not concerned for the cats’ safety.”

Maria, a veterinary nurse from Medivet Kingston, had a feral rescue cat that went behind the plumbing under her sink.

Maria said: “Rescued feral cats often plan to escape anywhere, we heard ours crying from under the pipes, and the London Fire Brigade arrived in ten minutes.

“We only had our cat for a few days before he got stuck, he was four months old.”

Isobel Rogers, a business affairs executive, said: “Be careful what breed of cat you get, I think fancy breeds lack common sense.

“Mine is fully free range, but he’s not street-smart.”

Rogers had her kitten Percy, a British Longhair, rescued ultimately by a tree surgeon in Southwark in 2019, after an unsuccessful attempt by the London Fire Brigade whose ladder was not long enough for the tree.

Rogers said: “I watched Grenfell burn as they had no ladders above a few floors, it was traumatising, but I was heartened that they tried with Percy, it was the best money I ever spent.”

Regarding Southwark’s high statistics of cat rescues, Rogers said: “Southwark is a big area and quite green, cats need to eat grass, self-regulate, and come and go as they please, and Percy loves being outside.”

Crews worked quickly to rescue a cat after it got its paw trapped in a kitchen sink at a house in #Woodgreen This was a puurfect opportunity for firefighters to take the sink apart and release its paw. Luckily the cat was unharmed. Cat-astrophe averted! https://t.co/FuXG3Oh9Lk pic.twitter.com/77fPsIVp25

— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) April 19, 2020

Outer boroughs Bromley and Richmond Upon Thames, which have the most and the largest green spaces in London respectively, have slightly below the average number of cat rescues across London (162).

However, both have a significantly higher population than for example Kingston Upon Thames, with a population of almost 168,000, according to the 2021 census reported by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

According to ONS, in 2021 Richmond upon Thames had a population of almost 200,000.

Bromley had almost 330,000, and boroughs among those with the highest cat rescue statistics, Enfield and Haringey, have around 330,000 and around 264,000 respectively.

These statistics imply that London’s green spaces and population density are balancing factors regarding the numbers of cat rescues in London’s outer boroughs, and that higher borough populations are likely to have a higher number of cat owners, of which London has 14% in the UK.

Regarding the low statistics of City of London, Rogers said: “Inner-city is really dangerous due to a lack of water sources, if you see a dirty cat it’s because they’re dehydrated, Percy went missing in a heat wave.

“Inner-city also does not pet ownership, most people rent and you mostly can’t have a pet.”

Dylan Taylor, media officer at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, said: “It’s important that new owners consider their current lifestyle and living environment to ensure that their routine is best suited to welcoming a pet into their lives.”

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Firefighters love animals too and we are ready, willing and able to assist distressed or injured animals.”

Featured image by Tugce Gungormezler on Unsplash

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The number of households in fuel poverty are steeply declining in London and across England despite rising fuel prices, government data has revealed.

The percentage of London houses classed as fuel poor declined from 25.7% in 2010 to 10.2% in 2023, with a particularly steep decline seen between 2017 and 2020, figures from the House of Commons report revealed.

The three key factors affecting fuel poverty are a household’s income, fuel costs, and its energy consumption, which is affected by a house’s energy efficiency.

In England the Government uses a Low Income Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE) measure to determine fuel poor households.

Under this measure, only households in the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) bracket D and below can qualify as fuel poor if they are left with a residual income below the official poverty line after paying energy bills, and households in the A to C bracket are disregarded.

Head of policy at fuel poverty charity National Energy Action (NEA) Matt Copeland said: “In the low-income low energy efficiency measure you’re obviously not capturing some low-income households who are in very efficient housing but are really struggling and we would like to see more reporting of multiple measures and multiple metrics.

“Lone parents are twice as likely as any other group to be in fuel poverty and face some of the deepest fuel poverty.”

Rebecca Restall, a single parent, said: “I would rather sit with a blanket on than heat the house, I go out most evenings to do bell ringing which gets me out of the cold house.

“I also have to be incredibly careful, especially when my daughter and son come back from their father’s and there are then three of us having showers.

“The government should put more of a cap on how much the energy companies are charging us.

“There’s people I ring church bells with who had to downsize this year because they can’t afford to stay in the house, they’re in.

“It’s going to be difficult for the future generations to buy a property of their own.”

Restall explained her concerns about rising fuel costs and a static salary had led her to work three jobs, including bookkeeping, at a school boarding house and invigilating exams.

As it stands, 25.7% of England households in bracket D are fuel poor, 26.9% in bracket E and 33% in brackets F and G, while those in A, B and C cannot be.

By using the LILEE definition, the government is able to show a decline in the number of households considered fuel poor, as it continues to move as many fuel-poor homes as is reasonably practicable to a minimum EPC rating of band D or C by 2030.

In 2024, the government projects fuel poverty will fall in the country to 12.7% (3.1 million households) which would be the lowest level the LILEE measurement has seen.

Copeland said there was a need to get the government to design schemes around people’s needs, not just based around a target.

The NEA claims that despite the lower energy price cap, millions of UK households remain in fuel poverty and its figures project fuel poverty has risen by a staggering 1.5 million households in the UK since 2021.

The NEA uses the 10% definition and classes a household as fuel poor if they have to spend 10% or more of their income to maintain a satisfactory heating regime.

Copeland explained the government annually report on the LILEE figure as their headline to emphasise the government progress towards their statutory fuel poverty target – to get households to the fuel-efficient EPC rating.

However Copeland said the 10% measure was not as forefront as the LILEE figure in government reports.

Copeland said: “They put the 10% measure out every year but it’s not as easy to find as the LILEE headline, so my one ask would be for them to make it more prominent.”

In just over a decade fuel poverty in England has risen by 3.3% under the 10% measurement, but the LILEE figure shows fuel-poor households have decreased by 1.09% in the same time frame.

One issue in particular that both Restall and Copeland highlighted was standing charges, which is the daily amount companies charge even if people use no electricity at all.

Restall said: “Even if I don’t heat the house very much its still costing me money because of the standing charge which has gone up a lot, and since I’ve got a smart meter I can see it.

“Three years ago, when I used to get up in the morning, the standing charge was something like 30 or 40 pence.

“Now before you even start to heat the house your standing charge is around £1.50 to £1.70.

“It has gone up so much and we’re still expected to be able to cover it.”

Copeland added: “We think it’s really unfair standing charges disproportionately impact low-income households, so we’re trying to work with Ofgem and others to get them reduced as much as possible.”

According to a NatWest bank survey, 57% of young people report the rising cost of living as the biggest worry for their future, and 46% say economic uncertainty makes them feel hopeless about the future.

Director of policy, Helen Barnard at the Trussell Trust food bank said: “The UK government should urgently introduce an Essentials Guarantee to ensure everyone needing access to Universal credit can afford essentials like food and energy bills.

“An Essentials Guarantee would tackle the root cause of poverty which is people not having enough money for essentials.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with the cost of living crisis you can the British Red Cross Turn2Us helpline on: 0808 802 2000

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A debt expert from Hackney managed to grow bananas in his back garden for the first time this summer.

Ripon Ray, 42, bought a small banana plant at Columbia Road Flower Market in Bethnal Green more than ten years ago.

But in June, he saw that the tree had started growing about three dozen bananas.

Ray said: “I couldn’t quite believe it – they didn’t look right. 

“It looks like an alien had landed, like in Star Wars or something.”

Ray, who lives in Hackney with his partner, Nick De Marco, said he had never paid much attention to the plant in the back corner of his garden. 

He said: “I thought I’d just get rid of it. I gave no attention whatsoever to it because it just looked ugly.

“Every winter I just looked at it and thought, ‘Oh my God, it is just not going to survive it, it will rot to death.’”

But in the past couple of years, the plant grew bigger, more stable and started thriving.

Ray, who has worked in the debt advice sector for more than 12 years, said: “To my surprise I looked at it two months ago and suddenly realised something was quite different.

“Things were growing so I put a picture up on Facebook.”

Someone from Malaysia saw the photo, which had got lots of likes, and commented that the things growing were banana hearts, used in Malaysia for curry.

Soon after, the more easily recognisable bananas grew alongside the hearts.

Ray said: “It’s fantastic to have bananas and it is a weird thing to happen.

“Bananas growing in London? It’s meant to be one of those things that grows in Malaysia, Thailand, India, Jamaica, Botswana – all those hot places.

“Why would they grow in the east end of London?”

One of his neighbours has started growing avocados, another fruit known for thriving in very warm conditions.

According to Ray, the cause for these exotic fruits growing in London is climate change. 

He said: “The world is getting hotter – we have to prepare for what used to be Mediterranean heat to be in London.”

Guy Barter, chief horticulturist at the RHS, said: “Bananas are reluctant to fruit in the UK as we just do not have enough heat and light for them. 

“However, in sheltered and warm areas such as London which is much warmer all year than the surrounding countryside, bananas sometimes will flower and fruit. 

“The very hot weather last year and this June will have helped considerably. 

“All the same it is quite an accomplishment to get them to flower and fruit.”

He added: “Under climate change we expect to see warmer conditions which will favour bananas but there will still be cold episodes in winter and not every summer will be hot. 

“Bananas also need ample watering and water supplies are expected to diminish under climate change with more frequent restrictions on water use. 

“Therefore, although gardeners can expect better success on average with bananas, they are unlikely to be any easy garden plant for the foreseeable future.”

Ray also has other plants in his garden, including vines, an apple tree and a cherry tree.

Cherries grow every year and Ray bakes tarts with them.

The bananas aren’t quite ripe enough to eat yet and Ray is still thinking about what he will use them for.

He said: “I have no idea – I’m new to this.

“But now I obviously have to learn much more about bananas.”

Featured image copyright: Courtesy of Ripon Ray

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