The fortunes of the growers of labour-intensive forced Yorkshire rhubarb were given a boost when Martin Parr photographed the sheds and workers for an exhibition at the Hepworth Wakefield in 2016. (Interesting fact: Beryl Burton, the outstanding cyclist, worked on one of the rhubarb farms for many years.). It's now possible to see long, slim boxes of this rare rhubarb from growers such as Robert Tomlinson at markets and in specialist food shops, and bakers and chefs are creating delicious seasonal specials with it. 

Continuing the northern rhubarb theme, Brita Granstrom is a Swedish artist living in Berwick-upon-Tweed who has made a speciality of delightful domestic scenes. Rhubarb has featured in many; this is The Mixing Bowl (2022) which immediately suggests a traditional crumble - possibly served with custard. Brita Granström's work is available through Open Eye Gallery and Thompson's Galleries.

In The Vegetable Stall (1885, National Galleries Scotland) by William York Macgregor, one of the Glasgow Boys, the vivid rhubarb stands out against the dark, earthy vegetables, the wooden stand, and the baskets. It is now a classic image of local produce, a world away from washed, measured, calibrated, over-packaged supermarket fruit and vegetables.  

Rhubarb grown outdoors has a much longer season but isn't as pink and delicate as the early forced rhubarb from Yorkshire. It does have the advantage, however, of being extremely hardy, and quick and easy to grow in northern European countries, including Norway. This lovely spring painting is Rhubarb (1911-21) by Nikolai Astrup (1880-1928), who grew many varieties of rhubarb, and celebrated the landscape of Western Norway in his work. 

Now is the time to enjoy the short season of early, forced rhubarb from the Yorkshire Rhubarb Triangle, the area between Wakefield, Morley and Rothwell where rhubarb is grown using methods perfected in the nineteenth century. It is cultivated in dark, heated sheds and picked by candlelight to prevent photosynthesis and in order to harvest beautifully sweet, pink stems with lemony-yellow leaves. 

It is cheering to know that political and protest banners are still being sewn and painted by hand today. Ed Hall is a well-known maker who has been creating banners for thirty years; this one was made for Unite South East Women. It is also possible to make your own  banner, guided by Alice Gabb who has been, "inspired by the incredibly rich history of peace campaigning, secret societies and social justice movements within the U.K" and who runs workshops.

Or, indeed, leading the union, as so many women do today. Frances O'Grady was until recently the general secretary of the TUC, the nurses are led by Pat Cullen, Christina McAnea is the general secretary of UNISON, the UK's biggest union, and Sharon Graham is the first woman to hold the position of general secretary of Unite.