Comments on: Hop Picking With Colin O’Brien https://spitalfieldslife.com/2017/08/19/hop-picking-with-colin-obrien/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Wed, 17 Aug 2022 10:51:09 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 By: Desiree Michael https://spitalfieldslife.com/2017/08/19/hop-picking-with-colin-obrien/#comment-1477200 Wed, 17 Aug 2022 10:51:09 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=159428#comment-1477200 Such sweet old ladies! So funny. Lovely bunch of people!

]]> By: Diane Keane https://spitalfieldslife.com/2017/08/19/hop-picking-with-colin-obrien/#comment-1180137 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 16:35:59 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=159428#comment-1180137 As a newish reader, I have started methodically perusing your archives, what riches! I first heard of oast houses reading about Sissinghurst and was captivated by their unusual shape. I don’t think we have such structures here in the U.S. Reading Harold Nicolson’s diaries, I found out that the oast houses “throb and roar as they dry the hops” and that the tops rotate. They have movement and sound, almost living creatures! I haven’t been to England since the 90’s, but someday I want to see the hop fields and oast houses live. In the meantime, I can visit via your wonderful blog (along with Ben Pentreath’s, which has been my Anglophile life-line for some years now.) Thank you for sharing your experiences.

Best,

Diane

]]> By: Tanya Nash https://spitalfieldslife.com/2017/08/19/hop-picking-with-colin-obrien/#comment-1164279 Sun, 20 Aug 2017 20:01:57 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=159428#comment-1164279 A beautiful tribute to Colin, GA. Some lovely photographs and memories.

]]> By: Jim McDermott https://spitalfieldslife.com/2017/08/19/hop-picking-with-colin-obrien/#comment-1164046 Sat, 19 Aug 2017 10:29:11 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=159428#comment-1164046 ,” but the men would come down at the weekend and drink away the money the women had earned in the week.”

Ah, the good old days! Power without responsibility!

]]> By: John Barrett https://spitalfieldslife.com/2017/08/19/hop-picking-with-colin-obrien/#comment-1164014 Sat, 19 Aug 2017 06:49:10 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=159428#comment-1164014 This is the best blog so far on hop picking. These are my favorite people such comradery this one today goes down memory lane. Shown is the end of the bagging up cycle no machines in sight. These lovely hop blogs will go on for ever the material available is endless. !Dare I say it all the mat collected over the years would make a superb book – I would invest. Rtd hop pickers be happy, have fun, smile with love in your hearts – these can bring back life to you with some ….zing. Poet John

]]> By: Georgina Briody https://spitalfieldslife.com/2017/08/19/hop-picking-with-colin-obrien/#comment-1164006 Sat, 19 Aug 2017 05:44:41 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=159428#comment-1164006 As a child living in Southwark back in the 1950s, I remember class mates disappearing off to the hop fields. It gladdens my heart to see the pictures and to hear about Evin running his micro-brewery in Bermondsey and buying his hops from Kent……thus following traditions. Long may it last.

]]>