David Starkey

Well, haven't we been blessed weather-wise this week? Everything always seems much more cheerful with a bit of sun and this week has been better than most of the summer. Long may it last, although listening to the forecast it's supposed to rain tomorrow!

On Tuesday, historian David Starkey came to our local theatre to promote his new book and give a talk about the Magna Carta. As E is a budding historian and has read quite a few of his other books, we went along. It was a bit of a rush, following hot on the heels of a parents' evening, but well worth it. After listening to him on Radio 4's Moral Maze, where he seemed to have been employed as a sort of professional 'Dr. Rude', I was a little apprehensive. In the flesh, however, he was polite, intelligent and funny and the  90 minutes flew by. As it was the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta this year, he was pondering on the wisdom of sending the Queen along to the commemoration ceremony. As he pointed out, it was the second biggest humiliation for the monarchy in British history and he wondered whether we would be sending her along to any commemoration of the execution of Charles I! Anyway, we thoroughly enjoyed it and E came away proudly clutching a signed copy of his book.

 Given the absence of Seville oranges in the shops at this time of year, and with R hankering for more marmalade, this week I thought I'd give this a go:

 It turned out to be quick, easy and rather nice. I think I'll still make the real thing in February but this will certainly do for the rest of the year - I didn't miss all that peeling and shredding one little bit!

Another make this week was Deliciously Ella's Sweet Potato Brownies. These had a bit of a mixed reception. I didn't mind them but the rest of the family weren't so keen. To be fair, I think part of the problem was the name - calling something a brownie raises expectations, and the 'sweet potato' in the name wasn't selling it to my lot either. Had they been called 'sticky date traybake' or something along those lines, I think they would have had a better reception.

  Other happies this week:

Still enjoying some colour in the garden:

 A dog walk with a friend:

 Our local Apple Day -  in terms of being an 'appley jamboree', it still didn't live up to our memories of Cambridge Apple Day in the Botanical Gardens but it was an improvement on last year:

Lighting the stove for the first time this autumn:

 Lastly, yesterday we rescued a few more hens from the British Hen Welfare Trust:

 I still can't understand how people are allowed to get away with treating them like this - I would have thought the RSPCA (or should that be the RSPB?) would be all over them. Poor little chucks.

 I'll leave you with the autumnal view from the bedroom window:

I have enjoyed our little Indian Summer - here's to more morning mists and sunny days. I'm just off to the Farmers' Market, so have fun this week whatever you have planned.
Toodle Pip for now. x

Pottering

Hello there. Well, this week there hasn't been a great deal going on around here - not much getting out and about, just a lot of quiet pottering at home. We went from chilly autumn days needing this:

 ...... to some gloriously sunny weather more reminiscent of summer, which saw the girls working in the garden and me keeping them company doing a bit of knitting. L wants a new hat for the colder months and has bravely asked me to provide it - E was slightly incredulous as I've never knitted a hat before but how hard can it be?!!! I'm using a slightly adapted pattern from 'The Gentle Art of Knitting' and I'll let you know how I get on. The wool is slightly splitty (there wasn't a huge selection as our lovely, local yarn shop has closed down) and I have to concentrate REALLY hard - I'm hopeless at tinking, so don't want to make any mistakes. If it's really bad, we can always keep it for snowmen and I'll buy her one instead!

Harriet and Phyllis came to join us and practised their perching:

I had a quiet morning baking a carrot cake:

 A quick trip to the library for some new books. I'm really enjoying the Nigel Slater, as much for his glorious prose as his recipes:

We popped into Waterstones for a coffee and a browse - the smell of coffee and books is a heady combination:

 

Bought a Cholla loaf at the market just to show the family what mine was supposed to have looked like!

 .... and admired the autumn colours: 

 My Poundland blooms are still going strong - definitely money well spent:

 L made macarons for the first time - I've never tried them before and they were a tad sweet for me. They also didn't quite look like Mary Berry's version!

 Lastly, my new candle, although the jury's still out on this one - I can't decide if I like it or not, which probably means that I don't!

That's all for this week - I told you that not a lot has happened! Enjoy the gorgeous weather while it lasts.
Toodle Pip for now. x

Royal County of Berkshire Show

Well, where does the time go? I certainly doesn't seem like a year since the last County Show but this weekend saw us beetling off to the showground again. We don't tend to go every year - for one it's rather expensive to get in and for another R always complains that it's the same stalls in the same positions selling the same overpriced stuff. I enjoy it though - weather permitting it's a good day out with lots to see and (despite the fact that you can't get a veggie burger at any of the MANY, MANY burger stalls) there's plenty to eat, even if the prices are laughable - would you pay £6 for a pasty?! Anyway, this year E's orchestra were playing and being recorded for the local radio, so we thought we'd go along. The weather was glorious and I was really grateful for my sun hat and rather regretted the wellies that I had to clump round in all day. Here are a few pictures:

 

There were lots of tractors:

 ...... and animals:

 

Things to taste and buy:

 Traction engines - we saw the owner open up the front of this one and pop in some foil wrapped baking potatoes for his supper: 

 There was even a dancing sheep show and you haven't lived until you've seen a row of sheep doing 'The Hustle'! Belinda was quite the hoofer!

 We even watched lots of hot air balloons being launched: 

 This one was a solo one with the man strapped in a chair rather than in a basket - not for the faint hearted:

 All in all, it was a fun family day out but I think we may leave it a few years before going again.

Other things that have made me smile this week:

A Sunday visit to the local farmers' market with L. We bought lots of yummy veg including a kohlrabi which I've never tried before. If anyone has any recipes to suggest for them I'd love to hear them.

 Here are the heritage carrots about to be roasted to go with Sunday lunch:

R swept the chimney in preparation for lighting the stove. Yes, he is a man with his own brush and rods!

 Some of our home grown figs:

 My attempt at Cholla - unfortunately, just as it was proved and about to go into the oven, E rang to ask if I could drop her forgotten violin off at school. By the time I had struggled back through the traffic jam, it had swollen so much you could hardly see the plaits! It tasted nice though - a bit like brioche. 

Making Deliciously Ella's ultimate energy bites. Recipe to be found here.

The energy bites were very yummy and virtuous but what's a girl to do when these are back in the shops again?

That's all for this week, I'm just off to pilates to try and work off some of that chocolate! 

Toodle pip for now. x