Hobby Horses at midnight

6 O’Clock yesterday morning saw me making mince pies and chocolate logs.  And the reason behind this maniacal behaviour?  It was “Secret Santa” at work and I’d volunteered to make the eats.  Although I was on schedule to bake the night before, I'd actually spent the evening making a brown velvet hobby horse as part of a Father Christmas rescue mission for “the small child of a friend of my mother in law” (phew).  Consequently, I was occupied all evening with Dobbin.  Despite the late finish and early start, I’m pleased to say that all products were produced successfully!

Camels for Christmas in Carlisle

We had camels in Carlisle last week.  They’re not something one usually expects to see in a Northern English town but they were part of an atmospheric Christmas torch light procession from the castle to the town square which ended with a carol service.  The lanterns were suspended on poles and were made from withies and tissue paper with tea lights inside.  The overall effect was very attractive and has made me think about having a go at making one.  Some farms around here are now growing willow so perhaps we’ll see more traditional crafts in future……… along with the ungulates

Dashing through the snow......

Although it’s a challenge in the snowy weather we’ve had recently, I have been pedalling to work as usual.  Because we’ve not had any partial thaws, the snow along the river path has remained “squeaky” and relatively easy to cycle on.  But, closer to town, the salt gritted areas on the shared pavement don’t feel as safe as ice forms once the temperature drops and the melt water re-freezes.  Pavement conditions were so bad under-wheel today that I decided to brave the road and negotiate the 3 lane roundabout.  Happily, I was only tooted at once by an impatient motorist!

Christmas Cake

I adore Christmas Cake and am still feeding this year’s crop with brandy before icing. Coming from a long line of Christmas cake makers, perhaps my fondness was somewhat inevitable, although Nerea doesn’t seem to be following the tradition, preferring uncooked mixture!  When I was 11, I took over making our family cake graduating to making several cakes each year for different family and friends following a Delia recipe. The original is written on dog-eared, stained paper and despite having an electronic copy which I have shared with friends, I still can’t bring myself to consign it to the bin

Liverpool

Yesterday I visited Liverpool.  I was pleasantly surprised by how vibrant the city felt as it’s a place I’ve rarely visited, despite my paternal Grandfather originating from the city.  I went to meet Enid, a Liverpudlian friend I’d met through following Kristina Rihanoff. We explored the “historical area” made famous by The Beatles before finding a restaurant on the Albert Dock. As Enid and I sat and chatted, I reflected that trawlerman Charles Hickford wouldn’t recognise the place 100 years on, as the whole of the Docks area has been re-developed into an attractive waterfront with Bijou shops and apartments. 

Having A Blast on Blencathra

We’d an amazing walk up Blencathra (or Saddleback) in the snow yesterday.  Easily distinguished from miles around by its distictive “Saddleback” topography,  it evokes a feeling of genuine contentment or homecoming in many people when they first glimpse the hill on their way to the Lake District as visitors or as locals returning home.  We preferred the safer route along Scales Fell to the summit, watching roped up walkers delicately negotiating the narrow ridge of Sharp Edge, with crampons and ice axes.  The views along the way were breathtaking with clear visibility across the fells and the Solway to Scotland

Christmas Shopping

I’ve begun my Christmas shopping and it’s only 3 December.  Those of you with your parcels neatly wrapped ready for Christmas Day will be shocked at this dilatory approach but for me, this is early. My absolute loathing of shopping is legendary among my family and friends but I needed to get my “Secret Santa” present for a lucky colleague. On venturing into the snowy Dickensian scene that is the Christmas market in the town centre, I was pleasantly pleased to see that among the “tat”, several stalls had some rather lovely things on them. Purse out and job done!!

Secularism at Christmas

As everyone around me talks smugly of Christmas shopping done, presents wrapped and freezers filled, I’ve been analysing my personal response to Christmas festivities.  My traditional Roman Catholic background ensures the religious significance is a given, but in a secular context, my assurance about the extent of celebration is less clear.  It’s my belief that Christmas has been corrupted. Too many of us worship at the “alter of excess”, pressurised to make this Christmas “the best ever”.  The reckless consumption of food and drink and the seemingly obligatory purchasing of expensive gifts, affordable or not, doesn’t sit comfortably with me

Strictly DVD

I can’t believe it. I’ve won Kristina’s signed copy of the Strictly DVD!!!!
As I’ve rarely won anything in my life before, I’m totally excited.  I’d toyed with ordering the DVD for Christmas but true to form, I’d done nothing about it. What is it that they say about good intentions and the road to Hell?  That is just soooo me at Christmas-time! As Strictly has really lost its magic for me this year, this lovely prize will help recapture all that was good about last year’s dancing.  And that Kristina has signed it makes it all the more special

Snow

We have snow!  Despite an extended cold spell at the beginning of the year, it's still not a regular winter experience to have snow that lasts for days and so consequently, there is (dare I say it), an element of hysteria whenever the cold white stuff lies. Schools close as the first flakes fall, health and safety issues uppermost in the minds of "the authorities", the media urges travellers to stop at home, avoiding difficult road conditions and public transport all but grinds to a halt.  Our inability to cope amazes me; other cold countries manage without all this fuss!

You have iphone?

We have Iphone!  Or rather Andy has as I doubt I’ll see much of it!  It came about because Nerea had a disastrous encounter with nail varnish remover and her Blackberry.  “It’s my life” she sobbed as Andy pronounced the damage was terminal.  So Andy, being the holder of her phone contract, went onto the Orange website to consider options. An hour later, he had secretly signed up for an iphone for “us” while  Nerea remained Blackberryless.  Nerea’s stunnned reaction when  her “technologically challenged parents” smugly revealed the iphone was perfect!!  And happily, she’ll only be Blackberryless until the weekend

FLAPJACKS

Flapjacks are one of my very favourite munchies, probably because they’re made from delicious ingredients; oats, golden syrup, sugar and butter.  As the weather has turned incredibly cold, I made some so we could indulge ourselves at coffee break.  They’re absurdly simple to make and depending on the type of oats, amount of syrup and length of cooking time, can be as chewy or crunchy as you like.  A handful of dried fruit or nuts or a covering of chocolate can turn them into a luxury snack. And because of the oats, I can pretend they are a healthy option


Flapjack 


80g or 3oz soft brown sugar
110g or 4oz butter
110g or 4oz golden syrup( an extra spoonful of syrup will make them slightly chewier)
300g or 10oz jumbo oats (you can use rolled oats or a mixture of the two)

Set oven to 180C or gas 4
Grease a 20cm or 8” square baking tin

Melt butter, sugar and syrup.
Stir in oats.
Press evenly  into tin
Bake for 20 mins until golden (Longer than this will make them crispier)
Leave in tin to cool for about 10 minutes before cutting into squares

Add 80g or 3oz dried fruit or nuts  e.g sultanas, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, chopped apricots etc for extra flavour.
Cover completely with melted chocolate or chocolate drizzles for a little extra luxury.

The Tornado

On Friday the Tornado steam train roared into town.  I’m something of a closet railway child, having been brought up with trains at the bottom of the garden.  I clearly remember the fiery monsters steaming past as, hanging onto the top rung of our home made ladder, I fought my two brothers for the best viewing position.  Intoxicated with the unmistakeable smell of the Tornado’s smoke, I watched ecstatically as she came tearing into Carlisle station, whistle shrieking, steam hissing and brakes squealing.  For a few all too brief moments, I was transported to the glorious, bygone age of steam.

Dog Friendly Holidays!

I spent some time on the internet looking for dog friendly cottages in the Scottish Western Isles yesterday.  Although we don’t mind putting Molly in kennels, when we are on an outdoor holiday, we prefer to have her with us. And because Richard and Mavis have never been off the Scottish mainland (unlike their former dog, Domino who camped extensively with us when Richard and Mavis went on holiday to Australia some years ago) they are keen to join us with Misty for a fortnight in the summer. I’ve found several idyllic locations that welcome dogs so watch this space

Helly Hanson Fibre Pile - I love it

I’ve had a 20 year love affair with my “vintage” Helly Hansen fibre pile jacket.  In fact, I love it so much, I’m seriously thinking of setting up a tribute Facebook account for it.  That it’s been worn regularly over the past 2 decades, accompanying me on numerous adventures, not least up several mountains and bizarrely, to a dance show with Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna at Blackpool Tower, has much to do with my affection. Despite its age, I’m deeply attached to it so I won’t be consigning it to the textile bin for a good few years yet

Geography Field Trips - ahhh, the memories

Portland Screw Fossils in Portland Stone

Nerea has delivered news of a geography field-trip next June to the Jurassic Coast in Dorset.  On hearing this, I was immediately transported back many years to my own field-trip days. We never went to Dorset but we did go to the geologically stunning Yorkshire cliffs at Runswick Bay. All that measuring, chipping and paddling about was wonderful. Nerea’s trip includes a visit to Portland, where geologically rich stone has been excavated since Roman times.  The distinctive white building stone, housing millions of fossils, can be seen gracing public buildings and monuments all over the world. She’ll be totally amazed

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”

I recently made a visit to London for work.  Despite being a country girl at heart, I empathise with Samuel Johnson’s observation that “when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”.  How could anyone be anything other than enchanted by a city where Pelicans roam freely in one of the Royal Parks or where costumed Civil War re-enactors march and ride through the streets to commemorate the executions of both Charles I and the Puritan regicides some 350 years later? Shopping opportunities leave me cold, but historically and culturally, there is no where else like it

Book worms

I received a fun quiz on FB from a friend yesterday.  It was an eclectic list of 100 books that the BBC had pulled together, along with a comment that they suspected very few people would have read more than six of them.  Being an avid bookworm, I’d read a fair few of them and have been prompted to read some more.  Interestingly, many of my friends had also read considerably more than six on the list so either my friends and I are unrepresentative of the populous or there are a lot more non-readers out there than I imagined

Have you read more than 6 of these books? The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here.*

Instructions:  Bold those books you've read in their entirety. Italicize the ones you started but didn't finish or read only an excerpt.



1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien

3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling

5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

6 The Bible

7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell

9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott

12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy

13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

14 Complete Works of Shakespeare

 15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier

16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien

17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk

 18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger

 19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

20 Middlemarch - George Eliot

21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell

22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald

24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame

31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis

34 Emma -Jane Austen

35 Persuasion - Jane Austen

36 The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - CS Lewis

37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres

39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

40 Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne

41 Animal Farm - George Orwell

42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving

45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery

47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy

48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood

49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding

50 Atonement - Ian McEwan

51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel

52 Dune - Frank Herbert

53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons

54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth

56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon

60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt

64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas 

66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac

67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy

68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding

69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie

70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville

71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens

72 Dracula - Bram Stoker

73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson

75 Ulysses - James Joyce

76 The Inferno - Dante

77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome

78 Germinal - Emile Zola

79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray

80 Possession - AS Byatt

81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker

84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro

85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry

87 Charlotte’s Web - E.B. White

88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom

89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton

91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery

93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks

94 Watership Down - Richard Adams

95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole

96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute

97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare

99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

*And like others, I believe some in the BBC are a bunch of "self promoting grandstanders" who are unable to appreciate the talents and intelligence of their audience or their staff.  

Shock Strictly Exit

Will the shock exit of Jimi + Flavia from Strictly this weekend have any impact on voting in future weeks?  I suspect not. I actually thought their partnership was quite forgettable compared to other couples but admit to being surprised at the outcome. Flavia’s loyal following was obviously not large enough. Or perhaps the credit crunch is now biting resulting in fewer multiple votes. I also think that a significant number of Strictly regulars are actively voting for Ann and Anton in protest at the bizarre and unnecessary changes introduced this series, including the departure of the talented Brian Fortuna

Handwriting

Today I bought a new Parker fountain pen. (Well it uses an ink cartridge but it’s the same principle).  And the reason for this purchase?  My handwriting has deteriorated to such an extent over the last 20 years that now, even I can’t read it! I almost feel that I need to go right back to basics and begin again, re-learning to create letter shapes and then joining them together to form words!  (Yes, it’s really that bad). I blame computing.  I barely pick up a pen now to write and frankly, I am out of practice.  Enough is enough!

Kitchen

I bought Nigella Lawson’s cookery book “Kitchen” in Llandudno.  Mavis and I snuck into Waterstones for a bit of a browse followed by tea and cake and it leapt into my hand. I enjoy Nigella’s recipes although if I made some of her butter and cream laden dishes too often, not only would I be the size of a bus but I’d be in danger of serious cholesterol overload.  I didn’t actually make any dishes when we were away as we’d planned and shopped for food in advance, but I think some may find their way to the Christmas table!

Wet and Windy in Wales

We had a wet and windy week in Wales – again.  It’s to be expected at this time of year but being eternal optimists, we always hope that the weather will be kind to us and over the last 18 years, sometimes, we’ve been lucky. But irrespective of the weather, we still had a lovely time.  Somehow, the simple fact that we’re with friends, able to relax, catch up on old times and enjoy the simple pleasures of life means more than sunny days.  And that we did manage a mountain epic on our one, dryish day, was a golden bonus

Islands in the Stream

I seem to have had the same song running round in my head for several days.  It’s “Islands in the Stream”, composed by the versatile Brothers Gibb during the early 1980s and sung by the delightful Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. It had a recent reprise following an episode of Gavin and Stacey when it was comically duet-ed by characters Bryn and Nessa as the accompaniment to a line dance.  It’s all the fault of the BBC as they created a link to this and other comedy dance sketches from the Strictly site! I  (really have) got somethin’ goin’ o-n

Paperless caching?

I really  neeeeed an i-phone with a geocaching app!   In an effort to reduce paper waste, last night saw me cutting and pasting myriads of geocache co-ordinates and descriptions into a single Word document.  We like to have a fair few caches to choose from when we head off to the hills but with the weather dictating where we go and a dearth of any portable internet devices, we’re reliant on paper information for a variety of all weather cache locations.  But £35 a month for a fancy phone that aids geo-cachers?  I don’t think so! Back to the keyboard!

Wales again

We’re off to Wales on Saturday for our 18th annual pre –winter spot of R and R with Richard and Mavis,  although in our world, R and R involves scrambling up mountains or bog trotting in the rain rather than lying by a pool with a glass of something chilled and alcoholic. Our alcoholic haze occurs later in the day relaxing by the log burner!  I also spent some of my youth in Snowdonia on geography field trips and expeditions for my Duke of Edinburgh’s award so over time, we’ve accumulated a collection of very fond memories of the area

Apple cake

I  made a delicious baked apple cake for a dessert this weekend using some apples I’d been given by a friend. I’d not made this particular recipe before but was tempted as it used ground almonds which always make for a moist cake.  It was actually quite deep so the finished product was large enough to have as pudding on Saturday, tea on Sunday and give Grandma the rest for her and her friend to enjoy on Monday. The only revision I’d make to the recipe for the future would be to add cinnamon as we love it with apples

Baked Apple Cake

4 Bramley apples – peeled, cored, and sliced
juice of half a lemon
9oz (275g) soft light brown sugar
3.5oz (100g) butter, melted
3.5oz (100g) ground almonds
7.5oz (215g) plain flour
1tsp baking powder
5 eggs
1tsp cinnamon
1tsp vanilla extract

Pre-heat oven to Gas 4, 180C
Grease and line a 9” spring clip tin with baking parchment.
Prepare the apples, put the slices in a bowl and stir in 2oz brown sugar and the juice of half a lemon.  Leave on one side.
Melt the butter and stir in the eggs, 5oz sugar, sifted flour, cinnamon, vanilla extract and baking powder.  Add the ground almonds.
Sprinkle a further 2oz of sugar over the base of the tin and arrange the apple slices in overlapping layers, covering the base fully.
Add any remaining apple slices and juice to the cake mixture and mix well.  Pour the cake batter over the apples, spread flat with a palette knife and bake for 50 mins.  You may  need to cover with a sheet of foil or parchment about 30 mins in to stop it becoming too brown on top.
Release tin and cake onto a plate so the apple base is uppermost

Brother Nigel

Brother Nigel

Portrait of Brother Nigel

Last Monday we celebrated the life of Brother Nigel.  A joyful occasion tinged with sadness, Nigel was held in huge affection by all who knew him. His last months, facing the inevitable outcome of his illness with his wife and family, were a shining example of courage and faith from a man who was truly an Augustinian.  The sung Mass, concelebrated by Catholic and Anglican priests, and the Augustinian Bishop of Lancaster, Michael Campbell, was a wonderful tribute to a great man.  Nerea felt touched, humbled and privileged to serve on the alter during the Mass in the school chapel


Photos courtesy of Austin Friars School

House Shout

Photo courtesy of Austin Friars School

Stafford won the House Shout (again) on Friday with excellent renditions of “Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines” and “I just can’t wait to be King”.  The House Shout, the annual climax to Friars’ music festival is a hotly contested competition with each of the 3 school houses singing a common song plus one of their own choice.  Despite dodgy choreography by Stafford during the “Ups and Downs”, their performance definitely had greater variation  and musicality than either Clare or Lincoln.  With Nerea being a Staffordonian, naturally we were part of the cheering masses celebrating in the school chapel

Me! Cake decorating!!! It's true

Yesterday, I went to an excellent Christmas cake decoration class during my lunch hour.  A colleague had volunteered to demonstrate  simple cake decorations in advance of Christmas.  Now although I love baking I’m absolutely not into the finer arts of icing and modelling so I had very few expectations of what I might achieve but I was amazed at just what the other attendees and I created.  A simple snowman, pile of snowballs and a parcel now adorn the shop bought cake (provided!) and I’ve plans to make other more technically challenging models like Santa for my own homemade cakes!

Great End

Grains Gill and Great End from Hind Gill

There’s something truly dramatic about Great End.  As Wainwright says, "This is the true Lakeland of the fellwalker, the sort of terrain that calls him back time after time, the sort of memory that haunts his long winter exile.”  From the South it’s merely the end of the Scafell chain but from the North it’s a huge, wall of rock forming an immense, forbidding  backdrop to Sprinkling and Styhead Tarns and Grains Gill.  Although the face of the rock is pitted and scarred, there are scrambles and walking routes to the top giving wonderful views across the whole of Lakeland.

Autumn mists and mellow fruitfulness

Autumn is well and truly established now.  The trees are losing their leaves at a rapid rate and there is a real chill in the air when we open the back door first thing in the morning.   This morning, there was a mist over the river creating a mysterious atmosphere as I rode along the river path.  But, I wasn’t fully able to appreciate it as my fingers were chilly.  For the first time in many months, it now feels cold enough to need gloves when I cycle into work and before long, I’ll need my lights.  Winter is approaching

Exercise!!!!

I’ve reached the conclusion that exercise is bad for the human form.  I’m currently suffering from a variety of bruises, cuts and aches that can be directly attributed to various physical activities.  My lower back and knees are aching from my daily dog running (other dog owners walk; I run!) and recent steep mountain descents.  My calves and shins are covered in bruises and serrated cuts from unintended interaction with my bike pedals.  But worst of all, this physical suffering is contributing to insomnia.  I’m now awake at 4am with a gnawing pain in my hips. So much for well-being!

Chilean Mine rescue

Watching the “made for TV” real-life drama of the Chilean Miners play out before our eyes caused me to reflect on the strength of the human spirit.  So often during times of crisis or danger, we hear of amazing tales of endurance and courage, of true fortitude.  What deep instinct is it that causes men to crawl down mountains with broken legs, or retain their dignity while enduring terrible conditions of captivity and poverty? The shining example of the trapped miners themselves has demonstrated that human resilience should be celebrated.  The inner drive to survive is truly an amazing thing

Civic Tea

Yesterday, we had tea at the Civic Centre with the Mayor of Carlisle, Cllr. Mary Stythe.  Although it sounds impressive, we’ve actually known Mary for many years so it was a lovely gesture of her to invite us and some friends to share in the celebrations during her final year of council office.  We had a tour of all the civic offices and the council chamber before Nerea and her friends tried on the official robes.  The Civic Centre building might be a hideous 60s nightmare but I’m still very much in favour of the ancient traditions of local government

My love affair is over

My love affair with Strictly is over.  I was prepared to give the new format a trial despite unpalatable changes, including the vacuum left by Brian Fortuna but when the beautiful, talented dancer and choreographer Kristina Rihanoff was pared with Goldie, I didn’t hold out much hope for my long, meaningful relationship.  When poor Kristina was voted out first this weekend, the sparkle died and with it, my romance.  The changes have been a step too far and there’s no hope of a reconciliation. It feels like time to move on and reclaim my Saturday evenings with a good book

AUTUMN CACHING

Yesterday, we had a glorious day out geocaching in the Lakes.  The colours of the trees and the bracken were just turning and in the slightly hazy light, the views were mystical.  We’d originally planned a different route than the one we actually undertook but our caching partners wanted to purchase a retirement gift for a colleague so we re-considered and headed for Thornthwaite Gallery.  One beautiful painting purchase later, we were off up to Lords Seat and Broom Fell before returning through Winlatter Forest. Sometimes I can’t believe our luck to live so close to such a wonderful area

Letter from the UK?

Alastair Cooke’s “Letter from America” was something of an institution all my life. My family not only enjoyed the insightful social and political commentary but also the mundane observations of American life; New York pavements, holiday celebrations, hurricane warnings. That the perceptive insights into the culture of the USA were made by an outsider, an Englishman who never left, largely contributed to the programme’s success and longevity.   American Brian Fortuna, TV presenter and linguist would be the ideal presenter to reprise and modernise the original “London Letters” idea (from which “Letter from America” developed), but with a 21st Century twist

Reluctant Readers

Since watching Gareth Malone’s recent series featuring reluctant readers, I’ve been thinking about children’s literature and writing for boys in particular.  My understanding of small boys and poor reading habits is limited as Nerea is a voracious reader and after the age of 7, male children didn’t really feature as part of her social circle, but I know enough to appreciate that many boys do not read.  Gareth’s programme touched on various factors behind this but access to quality, interesting reading material was certainly an issue.  As an enthusiastic story telIer myself, I feel the need to do more research

When you know you can't dance

I had an idea yesterday that there’s a gap in the TV reality market for a programme “So you know you can’t dance”. The delectable Brian Fortuna would be the show’s mainstay, with a plethora of FFs (everyone welcome, including those with limited mobility) dressed in “firm foundation” and sequins, boogying on down to Beyonce. It’d be far more entertaining and sincere than watching some celebrities on Strictly pretending that they really, really love the other contestants and that they and their partner are there merely for the “journey” and not because they actually want their hands on that glitterball.

Cake Bake

I need to get the mixing bowls out again this evening as we have a home hockey match tomorrow and I usually make cake to sustain the teams after the game.  My usual recipe is chocolate cake with chocolate chips  but perhaps I should make carrot cake instead; at least I can pretend that it’ll count towards “five a day”!  I find baking a very therapeutic and satisfying experience after a busy week at work so usually have something homemade in the cupboard for Andy and Nerea to munch on.  If only eating the results wasn’t so detrimental for me.

Happy Childhood

Reading the quotation "It's never too late to have a happy childhood" on my calendar set me thinking, which is always a dangerous occupation. My own childhood was overshadowed by caring responsibilities for my sick mother.  It wasn't unhappy; it just lacked a spontaneity that made me determined to ensure my daughter's upbringing was carefree and contented. Thankfully, Andy and I were able to provide such an environment for Nerea and in doing so, I shared in many joyful, childlike experiences I'd missed during my own childhood.  So I definitely believe it's worth embracing your inner child at any age

Strictly Come Criticising

Strictly Come Dancing?. Well, accepting that there's a huge Brian Fortuna sized hole (that man had such an impact during his all too short tenure), I didn't completely dislike it.  I'm hoping it's like wearing new slippers; they're not as comfy ad the old ones but over time, you settle into them.
I liked the new set and some of the celebs seemed worth following (Ann Widecombe was a hoot).  But the props must go and soon, thankyou. And the costumes? Kristina's stripey number - Err....A dominatrix and Rupert Bear?? Oh purlease.  Wardrobe; please note.  Must do better

Taylorgill Force

Glis and Molly

Caroline

Taylorgill, Seathwaite

Thursday had been forecast to be the best day of the week, weather-wise, so my geocaching friend and I decided to have a day walking in the hills. We decided to trek upto Styhead Tarn where several geocaches were waiting to be found, through Taylorgill, which involves a bit of a scramble.  Caroline is new to fell walking so was understandably nervous at the start of the Gill but once at the top , was totally exhilarated at her achievement. It was then easy going to the tarn for celebratory chocolate and the successful hunting of the illusive butty boxes

Please don't sue me

I had something of a shock when on dipping into Brian and Ali's thread on Digital Spy after a lengthy absence, I saw my name mentioned in connection with these Drabbles. I hastily scrolled back and eventually found a post which indicated that the poster had received a Google Alert, presumably because I'd made past references to Strictly et al.  I'd no idea that my Google Blogger musings could be discovered via Google (yes, I am that dumb) but thankfully, a hasty mental replay through my posts reassured me that I hadn't libelled anyone (yet). Discretion when scribbling certainly pays

Beyond the back of beyond

We went walking beyond the back of beyond on Sunday.  It was only 20 miles as far as the crow flies from home, but in the desolate wilderness of Keilder forest, we could have been miles from civilisation.  One of the primary reasons that area is visited so rarely is the lack of vehicular access so as we yomped across the somewhat boggy terrain, it really made us think about roads and their destructive impact on remote, isolated locations.  There are so few truly wild places left in the UK that it was something of a privilege to be there

Carrot Cake

We’re having a cake bake fundraiser in the office on Wednesday for “Hospice at Home” who were wonderful when a colleague was dying of cancer.  It also happens to be my birthday so I’ll be killing two birds with one stone when I get out the mixing bowls tonight.  I’m going to make carrot cakes as they are pretty fool proof and most people seem to enjoy them, especially when they have cream cheese topping.  I have a variety of recipes but the one I bake the most is below.  It uses oil so is actually very light and moist.


CARROT CAKE

Cake

7oz light muscovado sugar

4 fl oz sunflower oil

3 eggs

3 medium grated carrots

4oz raisins

zest of 1 orange

7oz self-raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

0.5 tsp grated nutmeg (freshly grated will give you the best flavour)

Frosting

7oz icing sugar

4oz cream cheese

2oz butter

1 tbsp orange juice

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/fan 160C. Oil and line the base and sides of an 18cm square cake tin with baking parchment. The easiest way to do this is to cut two long strips the width of the tin and put each strip crossways, covering the base and sides of the tin, with a double layer in the base

Tip the sugar into a large mixing bowl, pour in the oil and add the eggs. Lightly mix with a wooden spoon. Stir in the grated carrots, raisins and orange rind.

Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices, then sift into the bowl. Lightly mix all the ingredients - when everything is evenly amalgamated stop mixing. The mixture will be fairly soft and almost runny.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40- 45 minutes, until it feels firm and springy when you press it in the centre. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn it out, peel off the paper and cool on a wire rack. (You can freeze the cake at this point.)

Beat together the frosting ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Set the cake on a serving plate and cover with the topping.

Green Tomato Chutney

I made green tomato chutney this weekend.  Earlier this year, Nerea  planted 3 tomato plants in tubs in the back yard and they grew like Topsy, producing several pounds of fruit.  The only trouble is that since the summer ended at the beginning of August, we’ve had no sun to ripen them and with the nights getting colder, we decided to harvest them before they became frost damaged.  The kitchen has smelt delicious, if a little vinegary, as the chutney has been slowly simmering on the stove top.  It should have matured sufficiently to be eaten with cold-cuts by Christmas

Worcester

Andy has gone to Worcester today for a meeting.  It isn't a city we're overly familiar with apart from its historic associations with the English Civil War and manufacture of porcelain so it'll be great if he finds time to have a look around. I always think it's a great pity to visit somewhere and never discover the true essence of the place. It's something that often happens with residential work events when you are lucky to escape the inside of an anodyne hotel. Hopefully Andy will feel inspired enough to see something other than the inside of a pub!

People watching

I collected Grandma from the airport on Sunday evening on her return from visiting friends "Down South!" I always enjoy collecting her as even the small, provincial airport that is Newcastle provides interesting opportunities for people watching.  And "Arrivals Halls" are often happy places, witness to scores of individual stories; the joyful re-unions between much loved relatives and friends, the relief on the faces of weary business travellers knowing that finally, they can sleep in their own beds or the eager tourists, anticipating excitedly the delights of their holiday visit.  I saw them all re-enacted on Sunday while people watching

Little Mell Fell

We're all suffering from the inevitable "back to school"colds brought home by Nerea. Andy felt the first signs on Friday, just as Nerea was recovering so it was Lemsips all round and a re-think of our weekend plans.We decided to stick with a hill walk with Robin and Cathryn but stay lowish so Andy wasn't over tired. We headed for Little Mell Fell, a classic rounded knoll above Ullswater. The inclement weather confirmed the wisdom of our decision as we got absolutely soaked, saw very little from the summit but still enjoyed ourselves. Fresh air - we love it

CARLISLE'S GHOSTLY PAST

I’m planning to find out more about Carlisle’s ghostly past so I can set up a geocaching trail. I’ve wanted to do an historic trail around the city for ages but with a slightly different theme so I’ve been thinking.  Always dangerous!  Surprisingly, Carlisle doesn’t seem to be overly blessed with too many ghosts according to Google so I need to dig a little deeper into the Carlisle history books.  I’d be very surprised if there weren’t some unsettled spirits drifting around the city as it has such an ancient and violent past. I just need them to start appearing!

SARDINES NOT SANDWICHES

Today I had fresh sardines for lunch and very tasty they were too.  My family love fish of any sort and we are very lucky to have an excellent fish counter at our local supermarket, so fish is a regular on our table. We don’t even mind the bones.  I often buy sardines and coat them in oil and Cajun spice before baking them in the oven but today I fancied them plain with lemon juice. The only down side is that the house smelt of fish at 8am this morning so it’ll linger all day, driving the cats wild

STRICTLY COME DANCING IS BACK

Strictly Come Dancing has finally returned to our screens, but regrettably, without our “American Boy”, Brian Fortuna.  The departure of three well loved favourites and the sidelining of two others to a “dance troupe” in preference of relatively unknown newcomers has been the biggest change, resulting in an inevitable outpouring of vitriol. But although I’m of the “if it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it” school, I was prepared to be open-minded.  So….I liked the new set design, two of the new dancers seemed excellent and I was pleased Brucie and Tess returned.  But the new dance troupe? Oh dear!

Spring bulbs and it's only just autumn

Yesterday, we received a leaflet through the post inviting us to the local garden centre (actually a large “shopping experience” with a plant section) to collect a free pot of spring bulbs.  I went along, fully expecting some form of catch but no; I was directed to the bulb area, given a pot to fill and after transferring them to a bag, handed  the voucher over at the checkout before leaving the store.  I was amazed that for once, I actually did get something for nothing.  I’m looking forward to planting them and other bulbs this weekend, ready for spring

VIth Form Girl

Watching Nerea set off for VIth form in her stylish Mango suit and court shoes made me reflect on how school wear was never so glamorous in my day.  I remember being forced to wear some hideous grey kilt that suited everyone but me as my butt sticks out.  Having large feet didn’t help either, because unlike today, prettier shoes were only available in smaller sizes and I’d to resort to wearing flat, black, boys’ shoes. Is it any wonder why I have such issues of confidence over my clothes?  But back to Nerea.  She looked lovely; professional and confident.

Burn The Floor - 4th September 2010

This is longer than my usual drabble but I don't want to forget the wonderful occasion

Picture the scene; a warm, sunny afternoon, a Thames-side path at low tide, a chic wedding reception being hosted in a converted wharf side bar, and a smartly dressed 7 year old boy. Over the muted conversational hum, a sweetly clear voice asks   “Daddy? Why is that lady standing on a seaweedy pipe and hanging onto a bit of rusty old chain?“
And apart from a slight question mark over the inclusion of an appropriate adjective, (I would perhaps have used insane), I found myself asking the same question but mentally adding  “when she could be meeting Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna at the stage door of the Shaftesbury Theatre instead”  For yes, that insane woman was me.  Now I know you are all asking yourselves what on earth this has to do with the final UK performance of Burn the Floor but bear with me.  I will get there.  Eventually
I’m sure that many women, faced with a day to themselves in London would think; “shopping” and head off to the consumerist temples of Oxford or Regent Street armed with fantastic plastic and an empty Harvey Nicks carrier bag purchased on ebay for £10.00.  (What is all that about?)  But not me. I have an addiction which can be summarised as a form of treasure hunting using a hand held satnav.  Usually our hunting grounds are the hills and dales of northern England so the chance to factor in a spot of urban geocaching before the BTF show was a chance not to be missed.  Consequently I’d planned my visit  to include maximum opportunities for furtling around grubby drain pipes in places of historic interest to find magnetic key safes.  (Well, it takes all sorts and let’s not forget that diversity is the TAFFs watchword).
Thus, it was a highly excited Glistener who ejected from the overnight bus at Victoria Coach station at 6am clutching her rucksack, GPSr and BTF banner!  Now luckily for me (and unlike Brian), I’m a morning person so arriving in London at the crack of dawn on a Saturday offered lots of exciting possibilities.  Geocaching takes you to all sorts of interesting and unusual places (remind me to tell you one day about my unscheduled tour of the Metropolitan Mounted Police Stables in Old Scotland Yard – amazing) so I was able to find a number of elusive geocaches hidden in public places.  These are normally too difficult to seek during the working day without causing a full scale security alert.  It also meant that the park and pavement cafes were less crowded so I’d time to sit and people watch while enjoying a coffee without feeling pressured to be somewhere else.  London is such an interesting, historic and culturally rich city, that despite being something of a country bumpkin, I have to agree with Samuel Johnson that “when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”
But enough philosophising.  Let’s return to the Thames and my precarious position 5ft up on an old pipe reaching out for a magnetised film canister stuck to a mooring ring some distance above the high water line of the river.  Let me be clear; I hadn’t intended to find this cache during this visit  but the inaudible siren call of the cache -  “find me, find meeee” was so compelling, I was drawn to it inexorably like a moth to a flame. And that was my downfall (although thankfully not literally).  By the time I’d finished explaining my abnormal antics to the increasingly enthusiastic little boy and his father, rather too much time had elapsed for me to change my clothes, travel to the theatre and still be at the stage door for post matinee meets and greets. So, I have only myself to blame for missing the opportunity to meet Brian and Ali.  But maybe that was just as well.  I’m sure neither of them would have appreciated an impromptu Thames mud pack in advance of their final performance.  With a little less urgency, I headed for a suitable coffee shop, changed out of my slime covered trousers into clean clothes and wandered along to the theatre.
Now remembering the “curious incident of the aquarium in the night-time” from the March show at Blackpool Tower, I made sure I was in situ and highly visible in the theatre foyer well before show time. This gave me plenty of time to approach directly, several innocent non -TAFFs who were suitably bewildered at my advances.
“Am I a TAFF?  No, sorry. I’m from Dorset but my Uncle lived in Wales”
“Did you say Fortunas Fantastic?  Yes, I’m sure the show will be fantastic. Fortunately, I’m not sitting near you!”
So, it was with a little relief that I eventually spied several familiar faces across the lobby as the TAFFS began to arrive.  There was the usual chaos as people met and greeted each other but gradually, we were herded into the designated bar for pre-show drinks.  I didn’t mingle too much as it was evident that lots of people knew each other and wanted to catch up but in any event, I’m quite content people watching.   It was apparent from the excitement levels in the room that the evening was going to a roller coaster of emotions and I couldn’t wait for the show to begin.
We made our way into the delightfully elaborate Victorian auditorium to take our seats with a few minutes to wait before curtain rise so I was able to savour the expectant atmosphere that all theatres seem to radiate.  The show opened with an amusing little interaction between a couple of the cast and the audience, reminding us that  mobile phones and cameras were not permitted and then we danced into the routines.  Now I’m not given generally to fanciful musings but I can honestly say that when Ali and Brian came onto the stage, I felt a palpable wall of noise, emotion and something that I can only describe as  “positivity” sweep across the theatre from the TAs and FFs to the stage.  I’d like to think that all the dancers, musicians and singers on the stage felt the power and were energised by it for all their performances were simply electrifying.  The show was non stop with changes in tempo, music, costumes and dance styles.  I think it fair to say that the stage was smokin’ for the whole night.  Brian shone among the professional dancers and novice Ali more than held her own in the routines she performed in.  The finale was sensational and to see and hear the whole theatre standing up on their feet around me, cheering and applauding as the curtain rose and fell was something I’ll not forget for a long time.  I can only imagine the high that Brian, Ali and the rest of the company must have experienced as I felt as if I could have floated out of the theatre, despite my rucksack!
After the show was over, all too soon, I might add, I went round to the side door as the TAFFs had some gifts to give Brian’s mum, including a BTF banner I’d made.  Mrs Fortuna seemed to be very pleased with them and came across as a gracious, lovely lady. Sadly, I wasn’t able to stop to meet Brian and Ali as that seductive temptress, the overnight coach back home, was luring me back to Victoria so I slipped away unnoticed into the night.
There will be those of you thinking that this report actually has very little to do with BTF, Brian or Ali and you are entirely correct.  There is other, so much better reportage out there that provides all the essential detail on the stage performance (amazing), the costumes (stunning)), the music (I wish I could sing or play half as well) and our stars of the show (attractive, talented, affectionate and emotional) that I feel I can add little value to that.  But I wanted to share with you my wonderful, personal experience in my own way so you will have to excuse my eccentricities.  It was a day and night to remember and for the opportunity to be part of it, I’m so very, very grateful.