From Chartists and Suffragettes to Irish republicans and today’s Palestine activists, the treatment of hunger strikers exposes a consistent pattern in how the British state represses those it deems political prisoners, says KEITH FLETT
WITH capitalism no longer capable even of putting eggs on supermarket shelves, gardening seed catalogues begin to move from the hobby category to that of survival equipment.
Real Seeds ( www.realseeds.co.uk) have got the idea. Their Low-Waged/Unwaged Seed Pack contains 10 packets of seed, costing £10 including postage. It’s designed for people who are struggling, or involved in growing food for those who are, and is subsidised by sales of the same pack at its full price of £21.
A vegetable which sustained many of our cottage-gardening ancestors, Cottager’s Kale, is unsurprisingly back in fashion, with Dobies ( www.dobies.co.uk; tel 0844 7364209), among others, adding it to their lists this year.
MAT COWARD takes a look at some of the options for keen gardeners as we enter 2026
MAT COWARD sings the praises of the Giant Winter’s full-depth, earthy and ferrous flavour perfect for rich meals in the dark months
MAT COWARD presents a peculiar cabbage that will only do its bodybuilding once the summer dies down
MAT COWARD rises over such semantics to offer step by step, fool-proof cultivating tips



