Huddersfield is hardly the tropics.
But that hasn’t prevented Fartown man Edward Simpson from growing a stupendous pineapple plant – all from a single slice of the fruit left on a window sill at his York Avenue home.
Retired engineer Mr Simpson, 84, set about growing the plant eight years ago by putting the leafy top slice of a pineapple in a saucer of water. Later, it was put into a plant pot and fed compost and tomato feed – and left on the window sill on the south-facing side of the house.
Now Edward and his wife Maureen, who came to Huddersfield from Jamaica in 1960 and have been married 57 years, are set to enjoy the fruits of their labours – with the first pineapple to come from the plant.
Edward, who used to work at Hopkinsons Valves in Birkby until retirement, has the knack when it comes to growing things.
He said: “I used to have an allotment and I would grow cabbages, tomatoes, potatoes and onions, but it got a bit too much for me. I also planted an apple seed and now we have an apple tree in the garden that has produced a good crop his year.”
But even he was surprised at his success in growing the pineapple plant.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever grown one,” he said. “You have to have patience and look after it. There are two shoots on it now so we could get some more fruit from it.”
Meanwhile, once it’s ripened, their first crop is destined for the table – served sliced on a piece of gammon.
