Prize draw for Real Readers

There are four special days in the year which feel like extra birthdays for me. The mail arrives containing a fat package bearing the image of a rather knowing fox

and I am assured of weeks of pleasurable reading to come. The package contains my quarterly edition of Slightly Foxed.

Slightly Foxed is more than a review magazine, it is an entry into the magical world of libraries that I discovered as a child. I find forgotten treasures, new delights and fascinating insights into much loved works of fact and fiction. Of one thing I can be certain, each book reviewed will have true literary merit and even though I know I will never get to read all of the books, the reviews themselves increase my knowledge and understanding of our literary heritage.

If you would like the chance to win a subscription to Slightly Foxed for yourself, or perhaps as a gift for someone else if you already subscribe, then go to The Dabbler  now and enter the competition.

Good luck!

La Stupenda

Dame Joan Sutherland 1927 - 2010.  The gretaest voice of the twentieth century.

Lost words

One of the most thumbed books on our shelves is this:

As a family of avid readers and crossword puzzlers, we have frequent recourse to dictionaries and this one has provided the solution to many a disagreement. When son and daughter were young, we had a weekly exercise where each of us chose a word from the Dictionary of Difficult Words to learn and use as often as possible during the week. I have to admit that we seldom recalled the words beyond a day or two; the only one that entered our family vocabulary was olid, meaning evil-smelling. You can imagine how frequently that was used in a household of teenagers and their friends!

I was reminded of this pastime by blogging friend erp*, who sent me a link to Save the Words. It is a wonderful website with an enormous collection of archaic and obscure words; you can even "adopt" a word, pledging to use it as frequently as possible in conversation and correspondence. Take a look, it is great fun. I thought I might adopt senticous, meaning prickly or thorny; it sounds far more interesting than grumpy, doesn't it? From now on I shall be signing any letters of complaint from "a senticous old woman."

*erp has asked me to credit the the Volokh Conspiracy with providing her with this link

War on the Margins update 2

Those of you who followed the progress of Libby Cone's excellent book War on the Margins will be pleased to know that it has been nominated for the Autumn 2010 UK People's Book Prize.

 My enthusiasm for this book has not diminished since I wrote about it here, here and here. The latest news from Libby is that it will soon be out in paperback*. She is also working on a new novel, set in Colonial Delaware. I will be reading that as soon as it is published!

You can vote for War on the Margins on the People's Book Prize website. It only takes a minute to register your vote.

*War on the Margins is now available in paperback from Amazon.

Traveller's tales #2

Stage 2 of our holiday was a very short break in the Peak District.   We haven't visited the area before and we only decided to go when our plans to see Lincoln fell through but we saw enough to make us want to go back for a much longer holiday.

The Peak District is mainly in Derbyshire but also extends into Cheshire, Staffordshire and Yorkshire. Driving out to explore the countryside, we found ourselves crossing several county boundaries but our base was at Monsal Head in Derbyshire.

This was the view from our bedroom window, the viaduct over the River Wye.

This is great walking country but with only 3 days at our disposal we decided to drive around to see as much as possible and plan a future walking holiday. The landscape is truly magnificent, words like splendour and majestic peppered our conversation as we drove over peaks and down dales. It was a great contrast to our gentle rolling hills and lush patchwork landscape here in North Devon. Here we see very little of the farmland from the narrow lanes because of the high banks and hedges but the Derbyshire farmers use dry stone walls to edge their fields and it is easy to stand on the roadside and look across at what looks like a child's drawing of fields with heavy black-crayoned dividing lines.

I thought of the effort and determination of the men who carted all that stone into these remote parts and painstakingly built the walls. We had to drive many miles before we found a quarry:

Huge trucks carry the stone nowadays but I imagined horses struggling up the hills with their heavy loads in former times.

We stayed at Castle Cliffe hotel at Monsal Head. It has stunning views and is the perfect base for walking or visiting local towns and villages. We have stayed in very many hotels and guest houses in UK but none compare with the comfort and friendliness of this one. Jackie, the owner, helped us with our bags and then invited us into the lounge for tea and home made cake. The breakfast menu was superb; I  had to try a Derbyshire oatcake with bacon and maple syrup and it was scrummy. We had excellent dinners in the Monsal Head Hotel and at the Packhorse Inn in nearby Little Longstone. To get to the latter, we had to walk along a "special off-road pedestrian walkway" which here in Devon we call a pavement!

We didn't have very much time for exploring but we made short stops in Buxton and Bakewell. I went to one of the three bakeries that claim to be "the original Bakewell pudding shop."

I was relieved to find that the pudding was quite unlike the sweet Bakewell tart that one usually finds in the supermarket.

 This was light and not too sweet with an almond base.

As a regular reader of  Rattling On, where I have seen many photos of the wonderful scenery, architecture and other features of the Peak District,  I was delighted to come across one of the dressed wells that she has posted about.

Dressed Well at Longnore

Ours was a very brief visit, on our way to Yorkshire. We hope to go back to see much more of this National Park.

Traveller's tales #1

I didn't manage to get online at all while I was away but I did have my camera with me most of the time. I am gradually reading all the posts I have missed in my favourite places and I hope to catch up with everyone soon.

Where have I been? First to Oxfordshire to spend 5 days with my daughter and her family; then to the Peak District for a few days; on to York then a week in a cottage in the Yorkshire wolds. We saw parts of England we haven't visited before and our belief that England is the best place in the world has been reinforced!

 The family visit was, of course, about spending time with the grandchildren. Here is Benjamin, now 6 months old, wearing the sweater I made. And here is Millie wearing the tiger face that Grumpy made!

 

Abingdon is the nearby town and on the day we went in there was an Italian market in the market square:

We sampled (and bought!) lots of olive oils, vinegars, truffle pate and wonderful breads. The Town Crier put in an appearance and everyone joined in with his "God bless the Queen and God bless Abingdon!"

We assembled a picnic from the Italian goodies on display and headed for the river.

Millie wanted to swim with the cygnet but Grumpy rescued her

and she eventually joined us for the picnic. What fun it is being two and a half but how exhausting for grandmas and grumpies!

I couldn't resist the autumn/winter collection in the Abingdon stores and here is one of the winter coats I bought, although I will have to lose many inches before I can wear it

Tomorrow I'll be off to the Peak District.

The Dabbler

The Dabbler - www.thedabbler.co.uk is a new multi-contributor 'superblog' - bringing you all sorts of cultural curiosities. Make sure you add it to your daily reads! 

 

Brit - who is co-editor of The Dabbler - has asked me if any bloggers or readers in the Random Distractions neighbourhood would like to contribute to a regular feature - The 1p Book Review.

 

There are all sorts of forgotten, out-of-print and neglected books that can be bought online (eg. at Amazon) for a penny plus postage. The Dabbler will be recommending some of these overlooked gems.

 

If you would like to recommend such a book (fiction or non-fiction), email your nomination and review (100-400 words is fine) to Brit via editorial@thedabbler.co.uk.

 

The focus is on less well-known books (so no Great Gatsby etc), but otherwise the only stipulation is that the book can be bought at the time of writing for 1p (or 1 cent) plus postage. Successfully published 1p Book Reviews will receive the ultimate accolade, a Dabbler badge to put on your blog or website!

 

I will be submitting a review or two, you will know if I am successful if that Dabbler badge appears here. I hope to see some of your reviews there.

End of summer

Whatever happened to the summer months? After a very promising late spring/early summer period of brilliant sunshine, July came in wet followed by an even wetter August. We had lunch in the garden yesterday, the first time since 11 July. I have been filled with sympathy for the holidaymakers (those Grockles who usually annoy me! ) as they spent hours in traffic queues trying to get to the few indoor activities the region provides. North Devon has beautiful sandy beaches and stunning countryside but only the hardiest like to spend their holidays in the rain.

So what have I been doing on these rainy days? The cupboards are full of jams and chutneys, the freezer packed with vegetables from the bounty of neighbours' gardens. Friends and family have benefited from the time I have spent in the kitchen:

Courgette (zucchini) teabread

tomato and cheese pinwheels

Italian cheese crackers I saw on TV on a wet afternoon

choc chip cookies, for the fun of it

I have finished a little sweater for grandson Benjamin - the first thing I have knitted for him, I'm ashamed to admit. I have lots of patterns for girls' sweaters but I will have to look out for more for boys.

I will be very glad when August comes to an end tonight. I want to put the miserable weather and gloomy news that August brought behind us: two very dear friends were diagnosed with breast cancer but the prognosis is promising and September will be sunny and warm and filled with optimism. All will be well and all manner of things will be well!

So, tomorrow we set off on holiday. Our plans have changed many times because of family circumstances but we have finally settled on a few days in Oxfordshire to see Adelephant and family, then a few days in the Peak District before we go to Yorkshire. We are staying in a variety of guest houses, one smart hotel and then a week in a  farm cottage. I'm taking the camera and laptop with me so I'll try to keep you posted. It will be interesting to become someone else's grockles!


Just because I love it, here is the Eva Cassidy version of 'Who knows where the time goes?' Enjoy the end of summer.

Exaggerated reports of my immobility

This morning's mail included an invitation to test drive a mobility scooter. It was a personal invitation, not just a mailshot, so now I'm wondering who among my family and friends would think this funny? I may have the bus pass but I could still walk to the bus stop should I ever decide to use it!

A few years ago, on a Sunday evening, I answered the phone to hear a screech of surprise followed by sobbing and inarticulate mumblings. Eventually, I was able to establish that it was my friend Elspeth calling from Portsmouth to offer her condolences to my husband and children: my death had just been announced in the cathedral. It was a terrible shock for her when I picked up the phone and, I must say, I found it a bit unnerving too.

At the time of that incident I was undergoing chemotherapy and the death announcement, which I later saw in a copy of the cathedral bulletin, spurred me on to recovery. The offer of a mobility scooter will spur me on to increased activity. I wonder if I can make it to next year's London marathon?

Oh my hat!

I have just returned after a week of fun with the grandchildren. First off we had Charlotte's first birthday celebrations. Here she is showing cousin Millie how to play the piano, one of her birthday gifts.

 (There are lots of pictures of the birthday party on Charlotte's own blog. If you would like to see them please send me an email and I will get my son to give you access.)

I spent the last few days in Oxfordshire with Millie and Benjamin. We had a lovely time but there was very little sunshine. Just as well really as someone appropriated my hat!

It looks better on me, Grandma.

Dropping by

I'm back on-line thanks to the newest acquisition, a laptop to replace my dearly departed PC. Now I need a crash course in Windows 7 and I'll be off. Unfortunately this is a short visit as I'll be heading off again tomorrow for granddaughter Charlotte's first birthday celebrations and then to Oxfordshire for a few days with Millie and co.


Those of you who read my son's blog will be familiar with his series on the Chief Trading Post in Bristol - a garden centre with a difference. Well, at long last I got to see it for myself last weekend when he took me there for lunch. Here are just a few of the things I might have bought to add interest to my garden. Fortunately I had travelled by train and couldn't carry anything extra!

a boat to go with the MM's anchor

a Spirit House for the quiet corner

a child-eating crab (we saw only the remains of the chair!)

a garden bench that might possibly squeeze you to death

an elephant to hide in the bushes

or perhaps a tiger?

We had lunch among some unusual characters:

Charlotte was not put off by the Blues Brother

each dining area had its own interest

inside and out!

They do sell a wide range of plants as well. I particularly liked this section

with its appropriate statuary

It is the most interesting garden centre I have ever visited and just in case you are wondering if these items really are for sale, here are someof their price tags;

£704.17 for a giant crab (minus child and chair)

And who wouldn't want this handsome fellow

for a mere

£2,028.93

All of the price tags are as quirky as the goods. It is a great place to go for lunch with a difference.

A brief interlude

The combination of a faulty computer and babysitting duties has meant that Monix is unable to post for a short while, but the blog's readers' loss is the family's gain, as children and grandchildren will have the benefit of her fine company over the next two weeks. She promises to pop in when she can, so expect more family stories (unless there is something more interesting to say!).

In the meantime, for those of you who have taken an interest in the growing family: a picture of Millie in a dress created by Grandma, especially for potty training and playing in the garden on sunny days. We do love having such a skilled grandma!

Top and tail

Yesterday, as I sat topping and tailing the gooseberries ready for the next jam making session, I was transported back to Saturdays in the 1950s when my sister and I would sit on the sofa preparing gooseberries and blackberries for my mother to make into pies. She was a wonderful pastry cook and made enough savoury and fruit pies on Saturday to keep us happy for the coming week.

My grandmother always came for tea on Sunday and there would be an apple pie for her to take home to my grandfather, who never visited anyone but enjoyed his share of the tea. Then there was the endless stream of cousins who called in for a cup of tea and a piece of Auntie Winnie's pie. My sisters and brother and I would eye them resentfully as they tucked in to our delights. But somehow there was always enough to last the week.

When any of those cousins came to stay, or we visited them, we used to be packed into beds like sardines - top and tail! That was fine if you shared a bed with a little sister or cousin whose feet didn't reach your pillow. Actually, I recall that pillows were usually confiscated by an irate adult when our noisy pillow fights got too much for them and we were ordered to settle down for the night.

I am fascinated by the way that  a scent, a phrase, a fragment of music or such a simple task as snipping the tops and tails of gooseberries can bring all kinds of buried memories into life.

Summer in a jar

Having heard Ghillie James on Woman's Hour recently, I couldn't wait to buy her book, Jam, Jelly and Relish. It is full of simple to follow instructions and fuss-free recipes.

I went to the pannier market in Barnstaple early yesterday morning to stock up on strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, cherries and apricots and spent a great day in the kitchen. I just had to try Muddled Berry Jam with a colourful mixture of strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants

Then I prepared the apricots which looked so wonderfully golden and luscious that I had to force myself to tip them into the preserving pan

Then I used the rest of the strawberries and raspberries with the cherries to make  Cherry Berry Jam, which Ghillie James describes as the tastiest of all the jams in her book. By teatime I had a box full of glistening jars to store until winter, when some will be given pretty tops and labels to give as presents and the rest will bring a bit of summer to our tea table.

Alongside the recipes for the preserves there are lots of ideas for making use of them. The book is full of lovely photographs of irresistible dishes, so one jar of Muddled Berry Jam has been set aside to make ice cream for granddaughter Charlotte's first birthday party next month.

from Page 64

The preserving mood was upon me and I spent the afternoon bunching lavender and drying bay leaves, all of which will eventually be made into more gifts.

It was a very satisfying way to spend a wet and windy summer's day.

Silver linings

My husband and I have become like the two little figures in the weather clock since my mother-in-law came to live with us eighteen months ago: we cannot both be out at the same time. We make the most of the rare days when we can get away; last month we went to Westward Ho! and on Friday last we had planned a visit to the neighbouring county of Somerset.

We set off on our perfectly planned day: a 45 minute drive to the motorway and then a further 20 minutes to our destination, a couple of hours to do some shopping, have a leisurely lunch and walk and then back home by 6pm. We had forgotten all about the holidaymakers who now go home on Friday instead of the traditional Saturday changeover day. After two hours of inching along behind camper vans and caravans we still hadn't reached the motorway. Not wanting to spend our precious day off in the car, we abandoned the shopping trip and headed for the Fisherman's Cot:

This is where I came in October 2007 to meet my now very dear friend D of 60goingon16 (can it really be so long ago?), so I had some very happy memories as I sipped my chilled orange juice.


As I had expected nothing more interesting than shops on this outing, I left my camera at home but I did have my new all-singing-and-dancing mobile phone. I have been waiting for my son to visit to teach me how to use it but finding myself in this lovely spot, I just had to have a go at sending a picture message to my daughter. I sent her the photo of the bridge and by return she sent me this picture of Millie in the garden - isn't modern technology wonderful?

Last week we had to make the difficult decision to cancel our planned trip to see my brother on his lovely Greek island.  The Fisherman's Cot offered a small compensation in the form of an excellent Greek salad:

After lunch and a very restful time by the river we returned home, not at all disappointed by our frustrated journey. We had a delicious lunch, a peaceful couple of hours by the river Dart, I learned to use my mobile phone and we had an instant picture of Millie at play. What more could we want?