Our Gull Friend....

 

The media is filled with such tales of greedy, grabby sea gulls, that it was a delightful surprise to find, on this day out, a gull as polite as any human trained in the art of table manners. He waited patiently while my friend and I dined on the cliff top at Birling Gap (Sussex), and then graciously and gracefully accepted the scraps that we cast at him, - truly, I believe that this Birling gull deserves to be lauded. Follow this link  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6M3iFIr0NM    now

The Lady Vanishes

I have just taken this selfie while standing full square in front of a pair of mirrored doors. Weird thing is, I don’t appear in it. The answer is simple, of course, both doors are slightly open at about a 20-degree angles, so that the deflection of light does not capture my image. And it makes me wonder about the plethora of internet images of time-travelers, ghosts, etc, appearing and vanishing suddenly while crossing roads or romping in playgrounds, wherever. While I do not disbelieve in such phenomena, I would encourage experts to take a closer look at how these “weird or what” images are constructed.

Cool as mint.......

The dog days are upon us once again; those sleepy, sticky afternoons in August where nothing is happening and the world seems to be in waiting. What better way to blow a breath of fresh air through your life – and your rooms – than with a lovely blend of scented oils? Just now, I am channeling Wilko’s fresh basil and garden mint combination, expertly diffused by this clear glass and silver outfit. The scent, fresh and tangy, cuts a cool note in hot interiors, and without the use of those annoying fans. The spray bottle (100 ml) retails at £2.50, while the diffuser kit (100 ml) costs £5.

Shere delight in the Surrey hills.......

If you do not fancy a summer excursion to an olde English village so idyllic and so rarefied, that their ducks are granted special status, and numerous heritage-standard cottages and gardens that, added together, boast more flowers and plants than reside in all of Kew, then do not go near the delightful little village of Shere. Nestling sleepily in a hollow of the Surrey hills, Shere is the atmospheric spot in which to enjoy afternoon tea, followed by working off those calories on one of the many walks around the town. You can simply wander about, visit the twelfth-century church or go on a country walk to the Silent Pool, site of a legend connected with King John. Of course, it helps to have a car, though buses do travel that way from Guildford. And just up the road, enjoy the stunning view from the elevated Newlands Corner. All in all, a great day out….but if you don’t like that sort of thing…?

Wonderful Winkworth Arboretum

If you live in Surrey and are seeking a pleasant country interlude, this summer, you may find Winkworth Arboretum to your taste. Located on Hascombe Road, not far from the town of Godalming, the arboretum is actually a hillside nature reserve that encompasses a large pond, various meadows and a number of woods, including Magnolia Wood, Bluebell Wood and Holly Wood – ah! - what’s not to love? Like all reserves, the arboretum is laid out in a number of walks, for instance, “Taste of Winkworth”, 1.6 km approx, and “Challenging” walk, 3.6 km approx. Because of the present extraordinary circumstances, access to facilities are limited, but there is a tea room and bathroom, and normally, a natural play area and boat house. Dogs on lead are welcome, but hard ball games, bicycles, scooters and “garden toys” are not permitted. Entrance is by timed ticket, so you will have to phone or email in advance (01483 208477) winkwortharboretum@nationaltrust.org.uk But the wait is well worth it, believe me.

The Blaze-ing truth....!

ET, move over; your day is done – pack away that eternally pointing finger and beating heart. Now is the time for aliens to get real. Those of you into little green men or grey men or whatever the skin tone, this is your week. Just tune into Blaze Channel Freeview at 9 pm, and you will turn bug-eyed with delight at this fest of lights in the sky, political intrigue, men in black and civilian accounts of alien abduction: egad, post-Roswell hubris doesn’t get better than this! And it’s on ALL this week (29 June to 3 July). Truly, it’s enough to make one want to rocket off to Mars and say “hi” to the universe. Remember, the truth is out there…...

The Very Tasty Cheese and Onion Pasty

The reason that I have never printed a recipe here before is because, like Grace Dent, I believe that food has one purpose: to be eaten – and my repertoire is very narrow. From that footing, I expound the virtues of my very tasty cheese and onion pasty. The following recipe is guaranteed to feed one, hungry human - a symphony of crumbly pastry, semi-sweet onion and tangy cheese. Take five fistfuls of Sainsbury’s bread flour (green bag) and three fistfuls of self-raising flour (blue bag) and mix in a bowl with enough fat (marg, butter or lard) rubbed in to create a breadcrumb-like texture. When done, mix with water until you have a firm mixture that pulls clean from the side of the bowl. The resulting pastry should roll out to an 8-inch diameter round (about the size of a side plate), on a floured surface. Meanwhile, fry a quarter of a diced onion lightly in oil. While the onion is frying, grate a hunk of cheese (Cheddar? Lancashire? ) into a bowl. Individual taste comes into play here. I like a good dollop of cheese, and two fistfuls supply sufficient filling - but you can grate more or less. Spread a layer of the cooked onion onto the pastry, but not to the edges. Place the grated cheese on top and close the margin of uncovered pastry over the mound of filling, to create an attractive pasty. Place the results on a floured baking tin and put into the oven. This size of pasty requires about 20 minutes at 200c to brown and crisp the pastry. At this stage, I find a volcanic lava of cheese bubbling and sizzling from the molten interior, onto the surface – and it renders the pasty all the tastier for that! Serve with a green salad or roast a mix of tomatoes and peppers alongside of it. Since my picture editing skills match my culinary experiese, it will take a little longer to “cook” the image of my very tasty cheese and onion pasty into an eyeful fit for human consumption. In the meantime, take on board the ingredients.