Why North London is Nice - Cyprus Potato Marketing Board

I think it must be because I am out of my hallowed stamping grounds for the weekend that I have been overtaken by a sudden love for all that is random, great and situated within the N8, N22 and N6 postcode.

Should you ever find yourself wandering down Turnpike Lane towards Green Lanes (and why not? The baklava is second to none) you will come across this, possibly the most specific marketing board that exists. On one hand it is quite logical; given the general ethnicity of the area, if one wished to create a base to market Cyprus potatoes from this should be it. On the other, why should a species of potato need a marketing board? Where is the Maris Piper Marketing Board? Do they compete in 5-a-side football against each other?

Well whatever, they aren't doing a great job, as I have never even heard about Cyprus potatoes, and possessing a childhood that was reluctantly spent on an allotment labelling potato shoots, I KNOW my spuds.

So I have to admit I cynically assumed it was a front for drugs or prostitution or something of that ilk, but then I found this on http://www.thisishampshire.com

"Normally the importers, the Cyprus Potato Marketing Board, use other ports in the south-east for their discharge operations, but they were attracted to Southampton by a combination of costs, facilities and the service provided by SCH, which handles over 150,000 tonnes of fresh produce every year."

I'm not sure what 'discharge operations' are - maybe it is still prostitution - but it does appear that dem cyprus potatoes is a legitimate business of some standing. They certainly impress Hampshire docks!

Dear God this is boring. I should have invented a story about how I discovered a drugs raquet (racket? one of them anyway) or the Cyprus Mafria or a load of prostitutes dressed up as giant potatoes, but no, it is just about these boring old spuds.