Thanks also for your comments on Elder and such like. I hope we haven't put Peter off his Elderflower Champagne! As for my garden, the early potatoes are going well apart from a little yellowing in places, which may be a sign of water-logging. If we were now to get some warm and humid weather they will probably get the blight! Had a good crop last year, though, as they lasted me for over three months. As for the young Purple Sprouting - I have now abandoned them to the slugs and will have to buy some more. I refuse to use the blue pellets and they have overwhelmed my beer traps. Perhaps I should try Elderflower Champagne in them instead........... With a philosophy of "there is no such thing as a weed, only a misunderstood wild flower" I'll always be a hopeless gardener though!
PS : I have identified the culprit! It is the Common Garden Slug Arion distinctus. Or it could be its close relative Arion hortensis. They need an operation in order to distinguish them and although I'm tempted I'm not really into that. Perhaps I ought to have a Plan B; hollowed out orange halves scattered among the Purple Sprouting plants, any slugs attracted then being deposited in a neighbour's garden!