On 5/10/07 21:00, in article ,
"someone" wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
On 5/10/07 10:54, in article , "Uncle
Marvo" wrote:

In reply to Sacha ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

In Country Life I have just read that, in the 18th century,
pineapples were very highly prized as a high status fruit to offer
one's guests. This is one of the reasons they're the symbol of
welcome as shown in stone pineapples on so many gateposts. However,
back then one fruit could cost the equivalent of £5000 in today's
money!

I presume that included the delivery charge

:-)



From garden to table? I would think so. ;-) The article was about the
restoring of the Pinery at Tatton Park.
http://www.tattonpark.org.uk/Attract...lasshouses.htm
--

There is a "pineapple pit" at the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall, built
around 1720, and still going with the original pineapples! It is described
as the only working Georgian pineapple pit in Europe.

http://www.cornwall-calling.co.uk/ho...ns/heligan.htm

someone


I've seen that one but they're entirely different. The TP one appears to be
some huge glass house while the Heligan one is on a smaller scale. The two
houses filled different roles on the social ladder would be my guess.
Heligan's pineapple house is one storey, almost a lean-to affair, from what
I recall. I'm only guessing but until Tatton Park's Pinery was restored and
reopened this year, Heligan may well have been the only one still working
*at that time*.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'