The season was rather after the Lord Mayors show following our success in 2006, this seems to have been common throughout the country. The main reason was not only too much rain in the summer when we should have had sun to mature the Mycelial threads followed by 7 weeks drought in September when we needed rain to promote fruiting. Blame the weather, mushrooms are patient though and maybe this year we shall see a return to a better Autumn and fuller baskets.

We had some success in October when we did our usual New Forest escape from Suffolk. Waitrose staff had a good day with some good finds, they only blot was a New Forest pony ate somebody mushroom lunch with gusto!

The other two days proved successful with some very good Ceps on the Sunday led by our Cep Hound Ian and his son in competition for the most!

Locally in Suffolk finds were good but lacking quantity but the season is still going on as I saw some Wood Blewits this morning Jan 23 on The Common.

We very much enjoyed The Aldeburgh Food festival in September and made new friends at the foray as well as at the Festival, my friend Mark Hix and I did a demonstration on the Sunday much enjoyed by a good crowd and the critic Matthew Fort. If you can make it this is a very good celebration of local Suffolk food held in September at Snape Maltings on 27/28 there will be many producers and events running up to the festival so worth a visit.

Let us look forward to a much more successful season this year and please keep me posted with any special finds.

Peter Jordan