In September Dithema, Mary and I had a long weekend in Dieppe, on the northern French coast, just across from Hastings roughly. Dithema had a fine habit of getting up early, walking down to the local boulangier and getting the croissants for breakfast.  He was even picking up a bit of French from Madame.

On the second morning, a Saturday as it happens, the bakers were closed, so Dithema had to walk down the road to where the market starts, Saturday being market day. Almost straight away he spotted something buzzing back and forth over the mussels. An !   Over breakfast on the terrace we looked across to the ivy on the wall.  Asian hornets again!

After breakfast, we strolled to the market and bought red mullet for dinner.  There again, over the prawns.  Asian hornets!

The red mullet was great that night.  But I didn’t serve the tails.  They were put outside, on the tin roof by the wall.  Next morning it was just a stretch to get reasonable shots of foraging hornets.  Obviously it was time to enlarge the fat bodies, ready for winter.

Maybe I’ll be trying this one on my terrace in Herne Hill in summer 2024.

Bob Jackman.

Picture by Dithema Chiloane