Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
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You’re twisting my cucamelon, man
Gardening with MAT COWARD
ANGUS REID explains the significance of Cuba’s egalitarian in letter and spirit Family Code and the pertinent lessons it holds for democracies anywhere in the world
Special report by PEOPLE’S WORLD
NICK WRIGHT considers how the isolation of Israel and a new film on the controversial Italian communist leader are creating new reference points for Italy’s left
CARLOS MARTINEZ says Cuba’s achievements in the face of a criminal blockade are startling, but the island’s future if the United States succeeds in crushing it looks bleak
AMNON BROWNFIELD STEIN reports that far-right MPs who mobbed the event organised by Hadash may have helped raise awareness of the brutality of the Israeli right
LAST time I wrote about cucamelons they were still known as Mexican sour gherkins. Not the most enticing name, perhaps, but arguably less off-putting than its predecessor, which was mouse melon.
“Mouse” referred to their size — each cucumber is about as big as a grape — and “melon” to their appearance.
Their skins are mottled like watermelons, but don’t be fooled by the rebranding into thinking cucamelons taste of melon.
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