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Thursday, February 28, 2019

Husband Pieter visiting Mushrooms in the Cave - Bradford-on-Avon in England

For husband Pieter it sure was not the first time to visit a mushroom farm inside the caves, as he would be doing in South-West England.
Pieter did sleep and stay at the home of the manager. Originally in this area were flax growers.
Mushroom Growing 1963 click on link for short 2:41 min. video
Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire.
Once the stone that built Bath was found in this mine, now it is used for growing mushrooms.
Various shots of women wearing miner's helmets. The women walk in the entrance to the mine carrying buckets, lead by team leader Dolly Laywood. Inside, the women pick the mushrooms growing in stacks of trays and place them in baskets. C/U of mushrooms. M/S of cave roof. C/U of candle stick attached to the cave wall.
These Marl Caves consisted of soft stone, that was sawn out for building cities!
Bradford-on-Avon Museum shows MUSHROOM CULTIVATION just click it.
Photos with the beds on the ground must be from before WWII era as they were growing already inside wooden trays by the time husband Pieter visited them.
BBC NEWS 4 April 2011 Bradford on Avon mushroom farm cave tenants sought click link
A 'rare opportunity' to rent space for 'unusual uses'...
No more commercial mushroom growing!
 Saturday September 29th 2018
Police find £1 million cannabis cave in hidden tunnels below picturesque village at disused quarry just click on link

So that was quite a change from quarry to commercial mushroom growing and into cannabis...

WHO would have guessed this at the time that husband Pieter visited?!

Thanks for reading along about husband Pieter's history in mushroom cultivation.


Husband Pieter's Fond Relationship with Mushroom Growers in  the U.K. | previous post about Pieter's very first visit to a Mushroom Farm in England

23 comments:

  1. Hello Mariette, What an interesting history for the Bradford-on-Avon caves/quarry. It's no surprise that the later users were caught--often hiding something too well only serves to draw attention to it. Although its secondary career seems quite a change, isn't there a kind of mushroom used to make illegal drugs?

    The film was interesting, but I would have liked to see more about the cave itself and its history.
    --Jim

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    Replies
    1. Dearest Jim,
      Oh this history is indeed interesting and we both wish that there would be more available on its history as well!
      Pieter has been in many countries inside the caves in his early years, more to follow later.
      The name of that mushroom is Psilocybe and the active ingredient is Psilocybine. Using it is not without risk! The problem is that the amount in the youngest fruit bodies is higher than in older ones. But who knows from which break they got harvested? There are a few more but not as affective as this species.
      There has been a small booklet, popular on universities, with some spores from Psilocybe in a small plastic bag glued to its cover's inside for amateur growers e.g. in a glass jar.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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    2. Hello again, I find the real world amazing enough that I don't want anything to distort it or that might harm my senses of perception, so I would give the Psilocybe a miss! However, in college I did have a "pet" slime mold (separate but perhaps akin to real fungi) which I kept in a petrie dish, Physarum polycephalum. I know the name slime mold sounds funny in English, but they are fascinating, and I call it a pet because it was quite active, always doing something different and interesting! --Jim

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    3. Dear Jim,
      There are thousands of species of molds and mushrooms but Pieter states that his profession had mostly to do with the production of commercial growing edible fruit bodies of mushrooms.
      A number of molds are competitors in the mushroom growing business.
      Hugs,
      Pieter & Mariette

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  2. Um artigo muito interessante minha amiga e aproveito para desejar um bom fim-de-semana.

    Andarilhar
    Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
    O prazer dos livros

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Caro Francisco Manuel,
      Obrigado pelo seu comentário geral, usado para muitos...
      Abraços
      Mariette

      Delete
  3. Liebe Mariette,

    ich danke für deinen ausdrucksvollen und eindrucksvollen Post.

    Alles Liebe
    Elisabeth

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Liebe Elisabeth,
      Gerne, ich wundere mich ob du je meine Posts ganz durchlest...
      Liebe Grüße,
      Mariette

      Delete
  4. Interesting history with the cave. With the temperature, humidity, and light conditions, it must have been really perfect for mushroom growing. But as you mentioned, I don't think anyone would have guessed it would be used for cannabis!

    Happy March, Mariette. Have a great weekend! xo

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    Replies
    1. Dearest Tamago,
      Very interesting and rather long history. For growing mushrooms indeed ideal, the caves always yielded the best quality of firm and solid mushrooms as they grow slower. But for commercial growing not the most efficient.
      But the ending is a kind of sad fact!
      Enjoy March and may spring soon come. Just saw that for Tuesday and Wednesday night frost is coming our way...
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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  5. Replies
    1. Dearest Anne,
      Interesting yes, but a sad criminal ending...
      Happy weekend and hugs,
      Mariette

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  6. I had no idea that mushrooms were grown in such places. People are, however, ingenious, so that this ingenuity does not go too far. Thank you for seeing who I did not have. Greetings.

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    Replies
    1. Dearest Giga,
      Yes, after sawing out those blogs for building cities with, there has been mushroom growing inside caves in The Netherlands, in Belgium, in France, Switzerland and in England. At least those were the caves that my husband visited! Don't know about Poland...
      You are quite welcome and both of you are in my thoughts, never are our loves forgotten and I know how you feel about the loss of your husband.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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  7. Very interesting ... love it when you educate me!
    Helen

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    Replies
    1. Dearest Helen,
      Thank you! Even for both of us this was an eye opener for reading what had happened with that once mushroom producing cave by the end of September last year.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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  8. Well. Very interesting! The green houses we visit on the way to our home in Colorado....where we buy really pretty flower baskets for the summer has decided to grow cannabis instead. A lot more money in that 😡We are just sick about it.

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    Replies
    1. Dearest Janey,
      It is for so many ONLY about the money, not about the very tragic side effects, caused by this cannabis ��Marijuana, Mental Illness, and Violence

      Hugs and happy Sunday!
      Mariette

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  9. Dearest Mariette,
    I thought was quarry in the decided happened with indeed delicious by end of September last year.
    hugs
    Michiko

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    Replies
    1. Dearest Michiko,
      Indeed, was that a surprise to those criminals for getting caught!
      Once a quarry, then mushroom growing facility inside the caves but it all ended...
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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  10. It's interesting to see all the different ways and places around the world where people have found to grow mushrooms.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Tammy,
      In general, most started out growing in the caves but the process is going too slow for commercial profit and many other reasons.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

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Thanks for your visit and comment.

Mariette...