Author: jl.boreham

I think I might have told you before that I love cake! I like eating cakes, I like baking cakes and more than anything else I like to force everyone else to eat cake! There is always a homebake in my kitchen and everyone who steps foot into my house gets offered cake, and you are not allowed to leave until you have had some. If it’s your birthday you get a cake! I’m also very popular with the two houses of students as whenever I visit I take a car boot full of cakes. I know what everyone’s favourite is and they all eagerly await my arrival with the cake tins.

Now why do I like baking and to whom do I owe my baking talents? Well it’s this lovely lady, my beautiful late Grandma Kathleen:

Here she was reading her newspaper in her deckchair on the beach. Always immaculately turned out in her lovely dress and handbag even though she’s on the beach. Every Saturday without fail from being tiny until being in my teens I spent the entire day with my Grandma Kathleen. My Dad used to drive me over to Grandma and Grandad’s straight after breakfast and then pick me up after dinner in the evening. Looking back now I can see that it was so Mum and Dad could have a day a week on their own. Now I’ve had my own children I can see the appeal of shipping them off to the Grandparents every Saturday. However, looking back I am so glad they did as these were precious times that hold such happy memories. When I’m a Grandma if I can be just half the Grandma that she was to me I’ll be happy. She had an infinite amount of love to give and patience to bestow. She taught me how to knit, to sew, to cook, to bake, to press flowers and all sorts of other things. We had our own little routine every Saturday that we liked to do together and it went like this: A game of tennis in the park if the weather allowed, she was an excellent tennis player; a walk to visit Frosty the farm horse in his paddock to feed him the left over vegetable peels she had collected for him so that I could feed him on a Saturday; a stop off at the newsagents where she would collect me my Bunty comic and give me twenty pence to spend on pick and mix sweets (you could get a lot for twenty pence in those days); and finally an afternoon of baking! I adored baking with Grandma. We always made pastry as Grandad liked a meat and potato pie for dinner but then we always made some buns, cakes and biscuits. When I look back it must have taken her all day on Sunday to clean the kitchen as there was flour everywhere! She never complained, or took over from me, she just used to let me make as much mess as I wanted while she supervised and encouraged me. It was always such good fun and whenever I bake I think of her, especially this week as 26th November was her birthday and had she still been with us I would have baked her the biggest birthday cake just to say thank you for the unconditional love and encouragement and for teaching me all the things she did.

Over the last few weeks I’ve had lots of baking to do so it really has been the ‘Great British Bake Off’! We’ve had fundraising for Children in Need, a visit to the students with a car full of cake, visits from friends and all sorts of events that required cake so I thought I’d share with you some of my favourite bakes that I made over the last two weeks and my favourite baking book.

Now this one is not for the students or Children in Need…………this one is for ME!!!!! It’s my favourite! Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. I’ve also managed to convince myself that as it contains carrots it’s healthy!

Next up, the Lunettes. That’s what they call them in the book anyway……..to me they are Jammy Dodgers! These are the favourites of my big student. Made with icing sugar instead of sugar so that when you bite a piece off they just melt in your mouth. The jam can be any flavour but I like home made strawberry or raspberry best of all.

Another student favourite and so quick to make, Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies. These are my emergency bake if I get a visit announcement at short notice. I always have the ingredients for these in the cupboard. All the ingredients whizzed together in the Magimix, dough in the fridge for 30 minutes and then 12 minutes to bake…….perfect! The essential accompaniment to a cup of ‘Yorkshire Tea’.

Now who does not like a chocolate brownie. If you like dark chocolate you’ll love these. I love dark chocolate but the boys prefer milk so these aren’t their favourite……so that just means more for me. These were just perfect…….the top was firm and crusty and the centre was so soft and gooey. I do find brownies a bit hit and miss though. The timing has to be just perfect. There’s nothing worse that a really soggy brownie, or a really dry brownie and just a couple of minutes the wrong way in the oven and they are ruined.

Coconut Macaroons………..another favourite of the big student, and also my Dad who loves coconut. Not my favourite and quite a bit of effort for not very many buns but I’m told they are worth it. Like a soft, chewy meringue texture with a dollop of jam in the middle. Another melt in your mouth one to go with a cup of tea.

Another one of my favourites ( I have lots of favourites when it come to cake)………Flapjack. Again, if you ignore the butter, sugar and golden syrup and just focus on the porridge oats they are quite healthy! These are good fuel for a run or long walk, that quick fix of carbs and sugar, so one often gets popped in the backpack for that midway snack.

Now you are never too old for a Butterfly Bun! Just a simple vanilla cupcake with the top cut off and split to make two wings. Filled with a dollop of jam, topped with buttercream, the wings carefully placed back on top and sprinkled with icing sugar…..delicious!

One of my favourite desserts, Pecan Pie. Nice crisp, sweet pastry filled with a gooey centre and lots of pecan nuts. In my opinion best served warm with vanilla ice cream.

Last but not least, the favourite of the little student and the staple offering if you come to visit me is the Chocolate Tearoom Victoria Sponge with a chocolate ganache top. The short term answer to any problem…….half an hour at my kitchen table with a slice or this, a cup of tea and my ear to listen. This one gets baked often and a slice of this makes any day better.

So my favourite baking book – Annie Bell’s Baking Bible – my go to book for all my baking. I so love this book, all of the above recipes are in it and although I have so many baking and cookery books, for my sweet treats this is my number one book. It’s never let me down yet and everything turns out just as it looks on the lovely pictures.

So that’s about it on the baking front over the last two weeks. Looking back I don’t know how I’ve had time to go to work and fit everything else in! But baking is not a chore to me, it’s a passion and when I’m in my kitchen baking I’m in one of my happy places thanks to the greatest grandma ever! Happy Birthday Grandma!

This is a very belated post on Malaga, which I visited in October after Granada. I was dreaming of sunshine this week and thought I must write post on Malaga and sort my photos as it was such a lovely place that is very under-rated. When I’m away on holiday I don’t like to come back a day before the end of the school holiday. I just had two days to squeeze another city in. This strategy did backfire on me in May this year when I went to Palma, Mallorca. I booked an 11pm flight back home and I was due at work the next morning. The flight was delayed, I arrived back in Manchester at 5am and was at my office desk at 7am……not the greatest plan and the last time I will get such a late flight back…….probably my most unproductive work day ever!

This October half term I was flying back from Malaga, so it seemed the perfect choice to finish off the half term break.

I’ll be honest with you I wasn’t expecting much. I don’t like package holiday destinations and I don’t like being surrounded by lots of tourists and British stuff when I’m away as that’s what I’ve gone to get away from, people and home. Malaga’s proximity to the Costa del Sol hotspots, which would contain both of these, made me a little apprehensive. Its port also hosts lots of cruise ships and there’s nothing worse than trying to look around a city when the cruise ship has just disembarked its passengers.

However, Malaga was such a surprise. I absolutely loved it. I only had to time to explore the Centro/Old Town area and the port but I really did like what I saw. I stayed in a lovely apartment in a quiet red and white paved street in the old town. All the apartments were set around a pretty tiled courtyard with a little water feature in the middle. It was really pretty.

I travelled there by bus from Granada and arrived just before dinner time so the first stop was a wander around the old town, drinks and dinner. I went for Italian tonight for a change and had quite possibly the best Campari soda I’ve had outside of Italy. It was delicious. The cathedral and the streets were really pretty at night and I was really surprised by how busy and lively it was. It’s much livelier than Granada at night.

A big lie in bed was needed the next morning as all the walking around Granada and the travelling had worn me out. After breakfast my first visit was to the cathedral. This one was beautiful and was almost as nice as those I have seen in northern Spain. There was lots of carved marble sculptures, vaulted ceilings, lots of gold leaf and the most beautifully ornate organ. Definitely a must see if you are in Malaga.

Then it was on to the Picasso Museum. This I really wanted to see as I do like Picasso and Malaga is his birthplace, so it’s one not to miss. I’ve been to the Picasso museum in Barcelona which is arguably one of the best in the world but the Malaga museum, although a lot smaller, had some real highlights in it and I really enjoyed it. It was organised in chronological order and was really easy to follow. I particularly liked his portrait of his sister Lola which he did when he was only 13 years old. His talent at such a young age is clearly evident. His portrait of his Russian wife Olga which he painted in 1923 was so simple yet so lifelike. When you examine it closely it is just a faint wash of beige, rose and brown on the background and then in a sepia colour with simple lines he has just picked out her main features. There are very few brushstrokes on the paper and very little colour but it is beautiful. Then the exhibition went on to explore his work with cubism and some of his more colourful paintings. Completely different to his portraits of Lola and Olga but show his journey as an artist. I really enjoyed my visit.

Next port of call was quite literally the port, very nice and containing some beautiful boats. Then I just had time for a quick visit to the Roman amphitheatre.

A quick shower and change and then out for what was probably the best dinner of my stay in both Granada and Malaga. Tapas at the very delightful El Meson de Cervantes. It was outstanding. Baby squid and spinach with sea salt, swordfish and stir fry vegetables in hoisin sauce, mushroom and pumpkin risotto, mushroom with leeks and asparagus, lamb stew and mint with couscous …………… and I even had room for home made fig flan afterwards! I would go back here again and again.

After dinner I was lucky enough to catch one of those huge religious processions they have where they parade the Virgin Mary through the streets with all the music, band and fanfare. Every generation of every family seems to line the street. No-one does these quite like they do in Spain and Italy and we have nothing that remotely resembles this in the UK.

The following final half day was spent visiting the Alcazaba of Malaga, the Muslim fortress on a hilltop which looks over the old town and the port. It is nowhere near as vast, grand or beautiful as the Alhambra in Granada but definitely worth an hour or two of your time if you are in Malaga. Lovely gardens, plants and views over the port.

Just one last stop before it was time to go for the flight home. If I am ever misplaced or lost on holiday, or if I ever just disappear, don’t worry about me, there’s only one place I will be and it’s here, I’m easily found. The Heladaria…………..or ice cream shop! I’ll have an ice cream in my hand as big as my head and I’ll be wearing a big smile. Two flavours on this one………..Turron and then Caramelised Walnuts and Honey! They went lovely together.

Sadly then it was time for the flight back to the cold and wet UK to start planning my escapes for next year. Lots more adventures to be had at home though before then! So thumbs up for Malaga, a very enjoyable two days which surpassed my expectations. If you get the chance, go!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas……………………and I love Christmas! However, I do not like shopping. I don’t like shopping for Christmas, shopping for clothes, shopping for anything really……… I’m not your stereotypical girl. I’d rather be adventuring and playing out in the countryside and consider shopping a bit of a waste of time. I’m always thinking what else I could have been doing while I’m trudging around the shops.

However, sometimes you have to go shopping and last Sunday was one of those days. I so desperately needed a lie in as I had been out on Saturday with my lovely friend Julia, to the theatre, to see ‘The Commitments’ musical. It was fantastic but after all the singing and dancing in my seat and a late evening I was tired. Anyway, I managed to get up early, plied myself with caffeine, and decided to go to Leeds. Leeds is the nearest big shopping city to me, only 30 minutes down the motorway, and it is actually a lovely city to have a wander around so I thought if I went there it wouldn’t be all about shopping, I could have a look at other things too.

It was a lovely sunny Sunday, blue sky and sunshine, but crisp and cold. I love the old Victorian buildings in Leeds and I parked up on the North side of the City so I could have a good walk into the City and wander down past the Civic Hall and City Hall. The City Hall was completed in 1858, designed by architect Cuthbert Brodrick and built of local Rawden Hill millstone grit. It’s such a wonderful building from the outside. Around 10 years ago I sang Verdi’s Requiem in there and although I did not get the chance to go inside today, if you ever get the chance to listen to a concert in there I recommend it, it’s beautiful and the acoustics are fantastic, it has lots of happy singing memories for me. The Civic Hall is equally as beautiful. Although newer, being built in the 20th century, you can’t fail to notice its gold owls and clock and its imposing white façade.

Anyway, less of the architecture, this post is an example of why I shouldn’t be allowed out shopping on my own, I’m dangerous, and is the perfect example of those times when I just can’t focus on what I’m doing and go shooting of in a completely different direction.

The Christmas market was just setting up. The Victorian Merry Go Round Carousel was in place and everything was starting to look really Christmassy.

What had I gone for. Really quite boring stuff really……………. a new table cloth, some towels, a battery for a watch, some Christmas crackers and other mundane domesticated things.

All the beautiful decorations were up in the Victoria Arcade and the Victoria Centre and the Christmas window was looking all sparkly and inviting in Harvey Nichols.

By this time I’m starting to feel really Christmassy and have lost sight of what I actually came for. Did I have a lovely day? Yes I did, and I felt all warm, fuzzy and Christmassy at the end of it. Did I get what I wanted? No!!!!! Not a table cloth or towel in sight but one pair of boots, two jumpers and a coat later I returned home duly pleased with my purchases.

This is not the first time this has happened, I just can’t help myself, I’m a nightmare when it comes to shopping, that’s why I don’t go often. I’m sure I’m not the only one this happens to. I even go with a written list to try and keep me focused on what I’ve gone for but still manage to end up in Zara, John Lewis and anywhere else that catches my eye and come back with items I’ve not gone for. I can’t describe what exactly happens but I just can’t focus on shopping, I hate it. I get distracted, I see something I like better than tables cloths and towels and go off on a tangent. Anyway, I’ve got my excuse all prepared, I’ve read somewhere that when you get over 50 hormonal changes mean it’s common to experience lapses in memory and concentration. I don’t think for one moment that the absence of towels and table cloths has anything to do with an hormonal imbalance but I’m using that as my excuse!

I’m a little behind with my posts with Christmas in a primary school beginning to kick into full swing……….so much happening and so busy in the run up to the arrival of Father Christmas…….so exciting! Thought I’d do a little update on my adventures at half term a few weeks ago though, two Spanish cities – Granada and Malaga.

I like an October half term break. We only get one week off at October half term so it’s not really long enough to pack a huge suitcase and jet off for a relaxing holiday because no sooner have you got there and you are coming back. I do like a bit of sunshine though as it’s just starting to get cold at home. I was also really missing Spain after my summer there so figured if I could go far south enough I could have a bit of sunshine and a little bit more of Spain. In past Octobers, before the pandemic, I’d been to Rome, Barcelona, Seville, Krakow and Sicily. I’ll basically go anywhere where there’s something to learn and look at, a bit of sunshine, a reasonably priced flight and some nice food and drink. So flight to Malaga it was! First stop Granada.

I’ve wanted to go to Granada for a long time. I was close to it around four years ago when I went to Seville and Cordoba. I loved it there so I was excited to see what Granada had to offer.

It was an early flight from Newcastle to Malaga, then the bus from the airport to Granada, so by the time I arrived it was late afternoon. I’d just booked a studio apartment on the internet as I like to come and go as I please and don’t normally spend much time in the accommodation. It had a sitting room, bedroom and kitchenette, all in one open plan room with a small separate bathroom off the sitting room. It was perfect!

I’d chosen to stay outside the main city in the Albayzin area which is the old Muslim quarter. I’d chosen to stay here for two reasons. Firstly, when I visit somewhere I like to blend in and immerse myself in the culture of a place. I’d rather be somewhere a little bit more authentic than surrounded by tourists. Sadly, as soon as I open my mouth and the Yorkshire comes out and they spot my almost translucent skin colour, it gives me away completely as being British! Secondly, the apartment promised a wonderful view of the Alhambra Palace, my main reason for wanting to visit. The choice of accommodation could not have been better. It had absolutely everything I needed, a lovely rooftop terrace to sit out in a morning and evening and the most fantastic view of the Alhambra Palace.

It was almost dark by the time I’d unpacked my bags so just time for a quick wander around the Albayzin and up to the Mirador San Nicolas viewpoint for an even better view of the Alhambra. It was buzzing up at the view point, there were people drinking, singing, dancing flamenco and playing guitar. It was such a lovely atmosphere. Quick trip to the supermarket for supplies, a drink in a bar and then off to bed as I was exhausted.

Day two was all about the Alhambra Palace. The palace is a fortress on top of the hill, on the opposite side of the river from the city. It is Islamic in architectural style and is one of the world’s best preserved monuments of moorish architecture. I’ve visited the Mesquita in Cordoba, another fantastic example of moorish architecture, but the Alhambra is just on a completely different scale. You cannot appreciate how vast it is until you are actually there walking around it. It is beautiful but there are so many parts to it, I was in there for six hours and it took up my entire day, I just could not get enough of it.

First stop the Nasrid Palaces section of the complex, the centrepiece ………… stunning! There were tiled mosaics, courtyards with reflective pools, the most fantastic views of the city, vaulted ceilings, arches and the most ornately detailed carved stucco everywhere you looked. It was spectacular. I spent hours just in there alone, so long that I needed reviving slightly, I had to have a Gin Fizz inside the Parador, which sits inside the complex (any excuse for a lunchtime cocktail somewhere nice)!

Then it was on to the Generalife gardens which were magical. Various ponds and flower beds full of the most gorgeous perennial planting. Bearing in mind this was October, I would have loved to see them in full bloom a couple of months earlier. Such beautiful plants and planting combinations, just an explosion of colour. After all this I needed ice cream. There is a theme running through any trip I take……see something ……. drink something…..see something…….eat something……etc. it’s a continuous cycle!

By the end of the Alhambra visit I was so hungry. A quick change of clothes and off for tapas at La Riviera in the Albayzin area. This was lovely, I love tapas and I do have a bit of a squid and chorizo addiction so tapas is just perfect for me washed down with some wine.

Day three was an equally busy day. I had spent so long in the Alhambra I was a little bit behind on my list of must sees. First stop the Plaza Nueva because you have to see the main square in every city you visit.

Next stop the Cathedral and the Capilla Real (Royal Chapel). The Capilla Real is the resting place of Spain’s catholic monarchs Isabel I of Castilla and Fernando II of Aragon. It was beautiful in here, no expense spared. There were some gorgeous pieces of art, a beautiful chapel, tombs, a crypt and it was a lovely place to look around. The cathedral next to it I would not visit again. It’s quite bland. Lots of white marble and feels quite vast, cold and austere. It’s nowhere near as nice as the cathedrals in the cities of Northern Spain like Burgos or Leon.

Then it was a stroll through the city and past the statue of the ‘Aquador and Donkey’. Now that was a learning for me, I’d never heard of an Aquador. Apparently they were folk from the countryside who came into the city to sell their fresh clean water to the city dwellers who could not get clean water.

Time for a coffee now and I’m a bit choosy when it comes to coffee ……… but 10 out of 10 goes to La Finca coffee house. Perfectly poured fair trade speciality beans direct from the growers and the most delicious carrot cake.

Suitably revived I pressed on and walked to the Sacromonte area which is Granada’s historical Roma area well known for its flamenco and cave houses. It’s a bit bohemian here, lots of musicians, dancers, arty types and a mix of cultures. A really interesting place to walk around, see a bit of flamenco and just get a general feel for this simple yet vibrant way of life, it really comes alive at night.

By this time my little legs were tired and I needed a little pamper. I’d seen all I wanted to see and thought it was time for some relaxation so guess what……..Granada is home to a really fantastic hammam (Turkish bath), the Hammam al Andalus! Now when it comes to spas I’m not really a girly girl, I don’t go often as I can get a bit bored just doing nothing. However I do like a hammam and a massage. A hammam is basically a public steam bath associated with the Islamic world. The closest one to home is in Harrogate, Yorkshire and it’s lovely, I have been known to go AWOL here for the afternoon if the urge to escape becomes too much. It’s all about the skin, exfoliation and getting rid of toxins. You come out feeling so good, relaxed and clean. They normally have a number of rooms and pools which you travel round in a particular order: first you get warm in the tepidarium (warm pool/room), then into the caldarium (hot steam room) then straight into the a frigidarium (cold pool/room). This cycle is then repeated. The hammam in Granada was lovely, one cold pool, two medium, one quite hot and then a steam room. Lovely selection of oils and salt to rub on your skin and a little relaxing area with an assortment of Turkish tea. I managed to squeeze a massage in too which was really good. I’m not really into beauty treatments either but I love a massage. Sitting at a computer all day I get knots in my shoulders and back muscles so I do like a massage and I mean a proper one, I like it to hurt and I like to feel all those knots being undone. This one was perfect. Not many people know this but one of my other evening classes and certificates is in Swedish body massage! But you can’t really massage your own back, neck and shoulders. I need to do separate post on my lifelong learning at some point as some of the courses even make me smile looking back on them, not remotely related to each other, I’ll have a go at anything!

By the time I came out of the hammam I was so relaxed I just wanted to sleep, so dinner was a picnic on the roof terrace to watch the day turn to night. I was so sleepy and when you have a view like this who needs to go anywhere? I managed to keep my eyes open until dark, which was a lovely sight with the Alhambra all lit up, and then it was off to bed, ready for city number two the day after……Malaga.

I’d definitely recommend a trip to Granada, it met all of my expectations and more.

When you work in Primary School you have to be in touch with your inner child…..and I don’t think anyone would argue when I say I am! I especially like to dress up……….I can’t wait to be a Grandma because I’ve got the biggest dressing up box in the loft roof space that I’m waiting to get back out again. It’s skewed a bit towards superheroes…..we’ve got Superman, Spiderman, Mr Incredible, Batman, Darth Vader, Bob the Builder and many more. I do believe there’s even a full size crocodile suit up there.

Well today was another opportunity to get dressed up for work……yaaaaay. Today is BBC Children in Need Day, that one day a year when the nation comes together to raise money for exactly that, children in need. The Children in Need mascot is a huge yellow bear called Pudsey and to raise money we all make a donation at school, adults and children, and go to work in our pyjamas. It’s not always the most productive day as there’s something psychological about going to work in your pyjamas and dressing gown, I yawn a lot and feel really tired like my mind thinks I should be in bed.

Well today it was a win win situation. You might have read in an earlier post that I don’t like this time if year and I’d prefer to be a bear and hibernate. Well………I managed to find an all in one set of bright yellow Pudsey Bear pyjamas. So not only was I able to get dressed up….I was a bear for the day too, fantastic!

The only slight issue was the need for petrol on the way to work. The Pudsey driving the Mini did get a few smiles down at the local garage when I bounced across the forecourt to pay, but hey ho, it’s all for a good cause and wasn’t anywhere near as embarrassing as my trip to Asda supermarket dressed as Red Ranger from Power Rangers last year. If you can put a smile on someone’s face it’s got to be worth embarrassing yourself!

Today is one of those gloomy Sundays. It’s cold, it’s wet, it’s misty and it’s not really gotten daylight all day. So it’s one of those days that I really don’t like. I read something on Facebook that a friend sent me the other day and it went like this:

‘You know you are a runner ………..when your immediate response to any conflict or problem life throws at you is: “I need to go for a run!”‘

Well that’s me all over and it is exactly why I was sent it. Needless to say, when you are having a midlife crisis you run a lot! I’m probably the fittest I’ve ever been. So this Sunday morning started with a very early run through the gloom and mist because basically if I feel miserable, which I did, I go for a run and I feel so much better after.

Today is also a bit of a sad day in the UK because it’s Remembrance Sunday. I’m not a particularly religious person but I always do make an effort to gather at the village war memorial with everyone else at 11:00am on Remembrance Sunday to do just that, to remember. So this morning’s run was not too long as I had to be back for that.

It’s important to remember. Not just to pay respects to those young men who gave up their lives so we might have the lives and freedom that we have today, but to remind ourselves what happened and to ensure that it never ever happens again, amongst ourselves in Europe at least. I understand absolutely the need to defend ourselves but it still makes me so so sad that still after all these years somewhere in this world people continue to fight, because in a war there are no winners. It’s so important that we make sure our children understand this, from as early an age as possible too, as we are reliant on them to make sure it doesn’t re-occur.

I’m quite interested in history as I do believe that you can look to history to give you the answers as to what not to do in the future. I’ve been to Auschwitz, not just because I have some some strange morbid fascination but just because I wanted to see it for myself and just to try and understand why. It is truly as horrific as you expect it to be and it is impossible to describe the impact it will have on you, you really do have to see it first hand . When my two were 13 and 15 I took them on a trip to Belgium which coincided with them both learning about the two European World Wars. We did the visit to Ypres and the Menin gate, we visited some preserved battlefields and went in some of the bunkers and trenches. I also took them to Tyne Cot Cemetery. For anyone not familiar with Tyne Cot it is the largest cemetery for Commonwealth forces in the world, for any war. There are 11,961 white headstones for the 11,961 soldiers buried there. What makes it even sadder is that 8,373 have no name, they were unidentifiable. It’s one of those places that once visited you never ever forget, a very beautiful, calm and peaceful place but at the time very eerie and utterly heart-breaking. Just the vastness of it, the little white headstones stretching out as far as the eye can see. Both boys were silent, I think everything that they had been learning about came together and they understood why it should never happen again.

In my reading, and visiting places to try and understand better, a couple of years ago I came across the speech delivered by Winston Churchill at the University of Zurich on 19th September 1946 after World War II in which he said: “We must build a kind of United States of Europe. In this way only will hundreds of millions of toilers be able to regain the simple joys and hopes which make life worth living. The process is simple. All that is needed is the resolve of hundreds of millions of men and women to do right instead of wrong and to gain as their reward blessing instead of cursing.“

Quite a poignant quote for today really. I wonder what he would think to the battles we continue to fight today. I discovered the above speech just before Brexit ironically and I wondered at the time what he would have thought to that as the UK led that disassembly of a United States of Europe that so many thousands fought and lost their lives for.

Anyway, enough of my rambling on ……… onto today. The weather sort of fitted the mood. The church, which sits opposite the memorial was shrouded in mist and you could see your breath in front of you. There was a huge turn out of people as usual. We processed through the village slowly, led by the wonderful Old Silkstone Brass Band. The brownies and scouts were all out in force to lead the lowering and raising of the flags and did a wonderful job as always. It always makes me emotional to see them as it takes me back to when my two were little and used to participate, marching along in their scout uniforms, complete with starched necker for the parade, shoes polished to within an inch of their life.

I think there will be very few people in the UK who don’t have a family member that served in the war. Today, in addition to remembering everyone, I say a special little thank you to my relatives who served in World War II, Great Uncle Vincent Sharpe, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and Robert F Poston Junior, T Sergeant in the United States Army who was stationed over here in the war and met and married by beautiful Great Auntie Betty shortly after the war and gave me my lovely American family.

So today and every day, those famous words from one verse of Laurence Binyon’s poem ‘For the Fallen’, which is worth a read in its entirety if you’ve not read it before:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: 

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

Tomorrow will be a better day.

A few weekends ago, after Saturday in Bristol, Sunday was spent in beautiful Bath, in lots of ways the opposite of Bristol but equally as beautiful. It is a stunning city. Designated a World Heritage site it is famous for its imposing architecture and its Roman remains, which are built around its natural hot spring which still rises today at 46 °C. It also has one of the UK’s top ranked universities – The University of Bath. In days gone by people travelled from far and wide to experience the natural spa at Bath.

The Georgian architecture there is so beautiful, you feel like you have stepped back in time into a Jane Austin novel. The Royal Crescent, built by John Wood the Younger is a designated World Heritage Building and The Circus, built by his father is equally as stunning. Then there is the imposing Bath Abbey, situated next to the river and the Pulteney Bridge, modelled on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence. It also has an unrivalled selection of shops and the UK’s best Christmas market so always gets a weekend visit from me in December for me to do my Christmas shopping.

The real reason for the whole Bristol / Bath weekend this time was a belated 22nd birthday celebration for my eldest. I still can’t get used to them not being at home on their birthday, I really don’t like it. So I always organise to see them for the weekend around their birthdays.

The plan for the day was a good wander around the streets, sites and parks of Bath followed by a birthday meal and drinks.

It’s quite rare these days that all I get both of my boys together as they live in different cities and both have busy lives so I love it when I get to spend time with them both together. What makes it even better is the fact that they actually more than just tolerate each other now, they actually seem to get on.

When they were younger they absolutely hated each other….. and I mean hate! There are only two and a half years between them. When they were small I read every book on sibling rivalry that I could find, convinced I was doing something wrong. It all started on the day the eldest came to collect the new baby and myself from the hospital, the day after his birth.  He was two years old and I had read somewhere that it was a good idea for the new baby to come with a gift for the older sibling to help with the bonding process, call it a bribe if you like. So there I was, waiting for collection, baby in car seat, and a perfectly wrapped Scoop the Digger (from Bob the Builder) addressed to the ‘Best Big Brother in the World’. It all seemed to be going well and Scoop was very well received. Big brother had a quick nonchalant look in the car seat and carried on playing with Scoop. It all went downhill when the time came to leave the hospital …….he was absolutely adamant that Scoop was coming with us but we were leaving the baby at the hospital, he did not want it!

This continued until the baby was around 15 years old. He took every toy off the baby, wound the small toddler up at every available opportunity, fought through pre-adolescence and getting the teenage little brother into trouble with Mum was his number one pastime. Home was like a boxing ring, there were different zones and my priority was to keep them entertained and separate, it was just easier! We went out lots, the park, playgrounds, feeding the ducks etc. They were just easier to manage out of the house but they drove me absolutely insane.

Everyone told me it would pass. I never believed them but it has. There was a sudden realisation from both parties when the eldest left for University three years ago that they actually missed each other.

However, that aside, getting a picture of us together is a completely different matter. It was years since I had one of the three of us together, skiing in Austria around five years ago I think. They know I always want one so they wind me up by making sure I don’t get my shot. I had attempted to get a selfie the previous evening but it just ended with me falling out with them as they each took it in turns to pull a face and ruin the photo. I was determined that day in Bath was going to be my day!

So off we set, first stop Victoria Park and the Royal Crescent. Victoria Park is beautiful, especially on a sunny autumnal morning like it was that Sunday. It was opened by 11 year old Princess Victoria in 1830, seven years before she ascended to the throne and has an obelisk dedicated to her. The nice thing about visiting the park in the autumn is that it used to be an arboretum. It has so many trees of all different varieties and from all around the world and the autumn colours just take your breath away. The park is 57 acres in total so it was lovely to have a good walk around it and a catch up with them both together.

Next stop the Royal Crescent, probably Bath’s most iconic landmark. This is a Grade I listed crescent building of 30 Georgian terraced houses and in my opinion is one of the greatest examples of Georgian architecture to be found in the UK. Most of the crescent is still inhabited as housing today, with just a couple of units in use as a museum. The outlook over Victoria Park makes this one of the most desirable locations in Bath. It also marked the perfect spot for the Mum and sons photograph. I have now discovered that the key is to ask someone else to take the photograph rather than take a selfie. They suddenly become all sensible and do as they are told……..result!

Then onto The Circus. Similar to the Royal Crescent, but a little older, this is another Grade I example of Georgian architecture. It forms a complete circle of terraced houses, with three entrances to the circle. Time for some more photographs.

By this time we were ready for the real reason for the visit………Birthday celebrations! I can’t quite believe he is now 22 years old…….it has gone so fast. We all absolutely love food. Ever since they have been small I have always fed them all sorts of different food. I have travelled a lot with them too so they have been exposed to various different cultures and cuisines so their palette is quite varied. They have both loved things like olives and spicy food since being really small. So when we go out for something to eat we like to try something new and different and in Bath you are spoilt for choice.

We decided to go somewhere we’d not been before and opted for ‘The Coconut Tree’, a laid back casual place in the centre of Bath focusing on Sri Lankan street food. It was a little bit like tapas or mezze where you order a number of dishes and share. It also had the advantage of having an extensive cocktail menu, never a bad thing when you are there to celebrate, but not good for the wallet when you are there with two students and you are paying! The food was absolutely delicious. Favourites were the goat and coconut curry and the cuttlefish. As per usual they ordered enough to sink a battleship but managed to clear it all, washed down with a few ‘Hit Me Up Mezcals’ and ‘Raspbangin Martinis’. All in all an excellent Birthday celebration and I’d definitely recommend the cuisine of Sri Lanka.

Final stop, coffee overlooking the beautiful Bath Abbey and Pulteney Bridge as it started to rain and the light started to fade. There’s something magical about the Abbey though as the light starts to fade and the street lights illuminate the buildings of Bath. It’s quite Dickensian and I can see now why the town has been the choice of many directors filming classics such as Oliver Twist, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion. It’s like a ready made film set with hardly any adaptation required. The end to a lovely weekend.

I love Bonfire Night…….and we like to do it properly up here in Yorkshire.

Purely a UK festival celebrated on 5th November every year! So what is it? And what are we remembering? A lot of people might not even know……it’s a little bit like Christmas and Easter when people sometimes overlook the real reason for the festivities.

In the UK on the 5th November we are remembering the anniversary of a failed attempt on that date in 1605, by a gentleman called Guy Fawkes, to blow up the Houses of Parliament and everyone inside. This included the Protestant King James I. The intention of the plot was to replace him with a Catholic head of state. The plot failed and Guy Fawkes was quite literally hung, drawn and quartered.

So on the run up to 5th November it’s customary to make a ‘Guy’…….. (a scarecrow of Guy Fawkes). He is then burnt atop a huge bonfire which lasts for hours and culminates in fireworks to symbolise the explosives used in the plot. We get our old clothes on, because whatever you wear on bonfire night usually ends up smelling of smoke for ever and gets covered in ash burns.

We light sparklers and it’s also a good excuse to indulge in those bonfire night specialities……..toffee apples, pie and peas with mint sauce, molasses bonfire toffee, parkin (ginger cake) and just generally have a good old party!

In Yorkshire we like a party and we like to do it properly. This year did not disappoint. We might be a tiny village in the middle of nowhere but everyone turned out from miles around. We had a huge fire. I had my favourite steak pie and mushy peas with gravy and mint sauce in a plastic tray…….it would not be bonfire night without this! There was Bradfield brewery Belgian Blue in a plastic cup, banging tunes and we might be small in population……but certainly not in firework displays!

Until next year!

This week has been a strange week, the one I least look forward to all year, the week the clocks go back. I’m an outdoors sort of person, I love to be outside immersed in nature or in my garden. Turning the clocks back one hour makes this just that bit more difficult with my working hours. I’m up for work at 6:30 am, it’s dark. I leave work at 4pm, sunset time this week at home is 4:26pm. Assuming I leave work on time I get exactly 26 minutes of dusk per day, Monday to Friday. Needless to say my headtorch has had some use this week as I still need to get outside, it’s what keeps me sane. Tuesday evening was a very wet and rainy run in the dark with my fluorescent jacket on. Then Friday night was a headtorch lit 5 mile walk across the countryside and fields for a drink at the little microbrewery in the next village from home.

I don’t like dark and I don’t like being cold, so other than those lovely sunny crisp weekend mornings or those that are covered in snow, I’m not that keen on this time of year.

I’m also one of those people who daydreams a lot, about the most random things, and my mind wanders. I often stop myself and think, “What on earth am I thinking about that for?” In one of my moments this week I was thinking about what I would be if I came back in another life, I’ve no idea what got me onto thinking about that! This week I decided it would be a bear. Lots of fur to keep me warm and I could fall to sleep when all the autumn leaves have fallen and wake up at the end of February when the days start to extend again, perfect. Except that I love Christmas, so someone would need to wake me up for that!

So this weekend I was desperate to get outside having only seen the light through my office window all week. It was a nice weekend at home too, so I decided to spend all day on Saturday outside in my garden. I don’t seem to have been at home much recently. I was away all summer and then the weekends since summer I have been here, there and everywhere, catching up with all the friends and family who I did not see over summer. I think this has been my first full weekend at home.

I absolutely love my garden, and flowers. It got a little neglected over summer with me being away so it was ready for a good old tidy up and preparation for winter. Over the years I’ve done various evening classes after work as I love learning new things. The classes I’ve done have been varied. One of my favourites though, I did when I worked in Leeds city centre around 20 years ago. I wasn’t too far away from the Royal Horticultural Society gardens at Harlow Carr, Harrogate so I embarked on a Certificate in Garden Design after work. I absolutely loved it. I think it has to be one of my most enjoyable qualifications. We were each given the dimensions and topography of a piece of land and it all culminated in the submission of a portfolio and a final garden design. The inspiration for my design was Gaudi’s Parc Guell in Barcelona. All the lines were flowing, not angular. There were lots of mosaic features in Mediterranean colours, flowing water and the planting was bright and fitted the Mediterranean theme. I loved it.

I owe my love of gardening and plants to my parents. They are both avid gardeners, even now in their eighties. I was lucky enough to be brought up in a house, where they still live, which has a huge garden. It is still one of my favourite places to be. Mum has a keen eye for planting combinations and it is full of colour all year. Dad’s lawn is his pride and joy. It’s always very green, has perfectly mown stripes in it. At the bottom of the garden sits a dovecote, which when I was small was filled with his collection of pure white fantail pigeons. The pigeons are long gone but the dovecote still has pride of place in the garden. I spent most of my time playing in the garden when I was small and I’m sure this is why I love my garden so much.

So this Saturday was a day of clearing all the summer perennials which have died back and planting up some winter colour as I absolutely have to have flowers and colour all year round. My garden was my absolute life saver during the pandemic, I don’t know what I would have done without it. I felt so lucky and can’t imagine what it must have been like to spend a lockdown without a garden as I was in mine all the time: reading, knitting, working on my laptop, on what is affectionately known as ‘Mum’s bench’, called this because everyone else has to move if I want to sit down on it. It is perfectly positioned just outside my back door, overlooking my bird feeders, under my pride and joy, which is my Japanese wisteria which is absolutely huge now and spans the full width of the side of the house and is full of purple flowers in May/June.

My bird feeders deserve a post of their own but basically, I have a number of them. Birds are as important to me as flowers in the garden. Each bird type has its own feeder. So there’s one full of niger seed for the goldfinches, greenfinches and bullfinches, suet for the robins, mealworms for the blackbird, no mess mixed seed for the chaffinches, sparrows and blue tits and peanuts for the nuthatches and woodpeckers. I can sit and watch them for hours and they all have their own little personalities. Despite his small size the male nuthatch is definitely the boss! If anyone else goes near his feeder when he’s there he’s so aggressive he can clear everyone within seconds, even the woodpecker who is four times his size.

So, I thought I’d share some pictures of my garden that I’ve taken through this year and some pictures of today’s planting. These are my favourite plants and an explanation of just why I like them.

Let’s start with spring and summer.

My hornbeam hedge. Now why do I like this? There are no flowers, I know, but this is the hedge which tells me it’s spring and I can stop being a bear. I love green, it’s my favourite colour because to me it just says spring is here and this is the first sign of spring in my garden, new shoots on my hornbeam hedge. The hedge is around 20 years old and I planted it when I first moved into the house. It is around 50 meters long and marks the boundary between the house and the fields behind. When I first moved in it was a new build house with one of those roughly put together builder’s fences marking the boundary. Although twice a year it’s a mammoth task clipping it I love it. It’s full of wildlife from spring to autumn and has been the nursery for so many baby birds and small mammals.

Once the hedge has got underway then the perennials start to appear. Foxglove, just so elegant and pretty in pink, planted under my wisteria.

Then comes the peony – bright pink, blousy, show off of a plant.

Then the lupin – erect and tall and adds height to the back of the border.

Then there’s the nepeta (catmint) – sweet purple thing that the bees absolutely love. This is positioned next to my self built bug-hotel which is usually the site of a bees nest each summer.

Then comes the ‘orange thing’ – called this because I’ve had it years, forgotten its name but I love it all the same.

Then a big pop of colour with the Rudbeckia goldsturm – absolutely love this one because it’s so bright yellow, with a lovely chocolate centre and flowers right through to October.

Then I have my little wall pots which I fill with lovely trailing red pelargoniums.

Last but not least is my number one summer favourite, the Echinacea purpurea – I just love the shape and colour of this one. An orange/brown cone in the centre with bright pink petals that go right back on themselves so it’s a bit like a badminton shuttlecock. The butterflies love this one!

Then onto autumn. The Echinacea and the Rudbeckias are still in flower but in autumn the Japanese maples or Acers come into their own. My favourite two from my own garden are Bloodgood – bright red leaves, and Katsura – starts off bright yellow/green and then turns orange as autumn progresses.

I also love hydrangeas in the autumn. I did not mention them in summer as although they are nice in summer they are one of those plants where I think the dead flower heads actually have more about them that the flowers in full bloom – closely knit petals and flowers forming a big dried fist of pink, purple and green. I always leave these and cut them off at the very end of autumn.

Winter is a bit more difficult but I just have to have colour and flowers and this is what I have being doing this weekend as I have to improvise and do a bit of planting of seasonal bedding. I do have some shrubs and perennials that give a bit of colour in winter. I have lots of cyclamen in the shady woody areas and these just form a lovely pink carpet at this time of year.

I also have my pyracantha bush which is full of the brightest orange berries just now. The blackbird loves these so the berries are normally quite short lived as he overindulges on his seasonal treat.

This weekend has been about planters. The pelargoniums in the wall planters get replaced with pansies – this year I’ve gone for purple and cream. I like pansies as they are so colourful. They last right through to spring, are really hardy and survive a Yorkshire winter and they are the flower with a smiley face. I think they look quite cheerful when they bob their heads around in the wind. The square planter under my front window also gets planted with them and they are the first thing I see when I step out of my car when I come home from work. At my front door I have two lead planters. In the summer these are filled with geraniums, petunias, bacopa, nemesia and a riot of summer colour. This weekend these have been replaced with violas, ivy, cyclamen and silver leaf to cheer me up when I walk in the door.

So that’s it. The garden put to bed until spring and my winter planting done which will hopefully keep me going until I’ve worked out how to become a bear and hibernate. There’s always a winter sun holiday that can be arranged if all else fails and I can’t make it to February, but given that we have Christmas in between I might just make it.

Just back from a little half term trip to Spain I was so excited to have a surprise visit from one of my boys for Halloween. He needed not much encouragement to participate in my annual pumpkin carving competition. I take it very seriously…..the concentration on my face says it all!!

Only two of us taking part this year at home…..I’m waiting for the photo entry to arrive from the other from Bath.

I might be blowing my own trumpet here and a bit premature whilst we are still awaiting the final entry but I think there is no doubt about the winning entry this year! Yes, it’s me……again!! These boys really need to up their game.

Happy Halloween!!!