where art collides

still the leaves fall

Gentle start to the day. Anne has taken John to school and is then off downtown so I am going solo this morning. Her parting shot was “there are some sausages that need using up”. What a wonderful wife:)

There is also bacon and tomato but no bread and no mushrooms but a quick sortie to Tesco soon rectified that sitch. Going ot make some bread today but the breakfast couldn’t wait for that. I considered investing in only a small loaf at 70p but the large sandwich loaf was only 30p more so that’s where I ended up. We can always use the bread for breadcrumbs if nec. It won’t go to waste.

Ole Nathaniel Rateliffe was good at the De Montford Hall in Leicester although we didn’t know any of his songs. Competent entertainment anyway. Great Italian meal at Oggi beforehand. Was stuffed afterwards so glad we had seated tickets and weren’t down in the moshpit.

In other news ripped a bit of my jeans at the crotch. There was a small hole and it is now a bigger hole. Levi 501s button up fly. Bit of a nuisance as they cost $40 in Orlando but will be £70 or more here. Will consider the position.

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Breakfasted and now in the office/conservatoire with the heater on. It is cold outside and there have been reports of snow in Sheffield. Not much here. A few little jobs to do today. Also need to chivvy people up to sign up for the LONAP workshop and Xmas bash.

The back lawn is now mostly leaves. Still they come. Not sure when they will be cleared up either. Anne does it and tomorrow she is off to Peterborough with Rachel to meet Alison McD. Check out the video – Still Live. There is some action at the 14 second mark.

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4.40 pm and it is pretty much dark out there. There is still some light in the sky but it will not stay long. I’m sat in the conservatory with only the light from my laptop to see by. Feeling ok. Done some work and had a video call with Tom and Jose. Now considering popping out t’pub for a swift one. We are off out tonight to the Eastgate school quiz night. Yes you heard right. I’m rubbish at quizzes but hey… Before we go we will be having a pizza. Simple fare, with lots of hot dried red chillies. I like a bit of zing to my pizza.

Radio Cymru

Nice int with Beti George (@bethdimoyn) yesterday at BBC Radio Cymru although my my Welsh vocab wasn’t really good enough to explain my position on politics and religion. Never mind. It’s going out a fortnight this Sunday. I’ll let you have a link nearer the time.

Afterwards met Steve Jones in the Halfway at the end of Cathedral Road in Cardiff. I had a couple of hours to kill before Nest got back from work. Time killed, Nest and I went out for Tapas at Bar 44. Just had 10 days of Tapas in Madrid but hey no probs 🙂 Afterwards Nest fixed me a hot lemon and honey with Lagavulin as a cure for my cough. She is a doc so it must be right.

Chucking it down this morning so I abandoned my plan to go in search of a croissant and headed straight for the motorway. Home in time to take Anne to her saxophone lesson at 2pm. Laptop straight out to catch up with some jobs that included sorting out two lots of menus for various bashes and publish an interview with Matthew Hare of Gigaclear. Blow me down if I didn’t discover that I’d left my laptop charger in Cardiff.

Shortly off down the West End Tap for a 4pm meet prior to going to see Nathaniel Ratcliffe (saw him at Latitude) in Leicester. Here we go again…

The Online Arts Festival

Up at 5.30 am this morning. A comment made by Colin Dudman last night made me think. Colin was debating whether to have one final glass of wine before going. It was getting late. He had to be up at 7am. I queried why this was so. Colin is in his 70s and is mostly retired (musicians never really retire). His answer was that he was at the piano by 7.30am, practising and composing. Life is short. You gotta cram things in. He is right.

Colin was round our house for the first Philosopherontap Online Arts Festival. This started at 7.30 pm and officially finished at 9.30 although people were still posting after that. It was a great success. I don’t really know how many people came along. The live jazz stream with Colin and subsequently son John has had 288 views at the time of writing. Some will be viewers watching more than once but it gives us an idea of attendance numbers. Got some very complimentary feedback on the live broadcast. Also had one by Neil McRae demonstrating a pinball game.

There were over 50 posts of quite a variety of material and I think it was generally considered to be a success. Going to have to do another.

Before it started I took a call from Betti George whose programme I am appearing on BBC Radio Cymru (rad dee oh come ree) in the near future. I’m off to Cardiff later today to do the recording. Staying with Nest. Was staying with Sue but she informed me she had to jet off to Toronto on Monday so that was out the door. It’s a 4 – 5 hour drive including a stop en route so I’ll need to set off early for a 3pm slot in the studio.

So now I’m downstairs. The house is dark apart from two dim lights in the conservatory. I took the empty wine glasses from last night into the kitchen and it was near pitch black. This is good. Means not much light pollution. The street lights will be on out the front.

Anne had her first meeting as chair of the Friends of William Farr. She had a good turnout I think and has enough volunteers to do the drinks at the Christmas Concert which we unfortunately will miss as we are in London for the LONAP Xmas bash. Also yesterday booked a table at Fortnum and Masons Ice Cream Parlour for a bit of a treat on my birthday on the following day, 9th December.

Good night’s kip. Awake at 6.15 and downstairs to book a hotel for Tom in Sheffield using my HHonors account and Amex. It’s  all about avios and Anne and my first class jaunt somewhere far away in 2 years time.

Now back in bed with a cup of tea and a cuddle. Not at the same time obvs. Oh and clearly there is a laptop involved somewhere. Anne has already got up to begin the process of taking John to school.

This is one of the benefits of a home office. It only takes two minutes to get ready for work. Plus breakfast. Today I have options: bagels, toast (home made bread), bacon, sausages, weetabix, banana pancakes. Will let you know but doubt there will be meat involved.

Today is the big Philosopherontap Online Arts Festival. I put a few quid into Facebook yesterday to advertise the event. Already had a few contributors turn up. I need to nip out today to buy some cheese and wine for the evening. I have three posts in mind.

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You won’t have noticed but I am now up. Also my timetable has altered slightly as Anne has just reminded me that I am doing the school run today. Oops. Don’t worry. I’m onto it. Banana pancake and toasted bagel in the machinations.  Means a shower will have to wait until later though. Pooee. Outside it is quite a bright morning albeit still cloudy.

En route home from school I will be stopping off at Waitrose. There is a small shopping list. Anne is off to Newark for a Retired Teachers trip to the Civil War museum. Followed by fish and chips. She won’t be wanting much to eat tonight. Probably nibble at my cheese. She also has a Friends of William Farr School meeting. This year she is Chairman. Chairperson?

The first pancake was binned. An abortive attempt. The pancake cookers amongst you will know that the first one is the hardest to get right. I’m assuming it’s all about pan temperature. Finished my bagel. Now just waiting:)

While I wait I notice that there are still roses on the bush around the archway in the back garden. They last well.

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Bought 6 tickets for Trent Bridge next July. 3rd day v South Africa. Friday and Saturday were pretty much sold out but I don’t have a problem with Sunday. Potentially a good day’s cricket. Only £60 each. An Ashes match would have been more like £85.

Picked up 2 bots red and one white from Waitrose with three cheeses and a French stick. Now all set for this evening.

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Booked table for 9 at Fortnum & Masons Ice Cream Parlour for my birthday. The schedule is  V&A Museum, Fortnums, Waldorf for cocktails and then Cafe Pacifico for a Mex. Mortgage applied for. Featured image is not the aforementioned rose but one in the front garden.

early to rise?

Up at 6.15 to make the tea. Nice cuddle in warm bed. Now up and at it. Weetabix with blueberries. A day of getting bits and bobs done ahead of me. VAT return. Apple picking – still a load on the tree at the bottom of the garden. Rearrange tomorrow’s train journey as meeting has been pushed back a week. Out for a walk after lunch. Did consider going to the pool this morning but not sure it makes sense with this cough. A second cup of tea is in prospect.

Today’s big news is the “supermoon”. Supposed to be 7% bigger than normal. Oh. The weather forecast is cloudy with some rain. I doubt that we will see anything earth shattering. Miserable git eh? It’s newspaper hype. 7%? Nobody will be able to tell. You would at the very least have to have the two moons side by side for comparison. Aint gonna happen is it?

New Zealand has had two major earthquakes within a day of each other. Another historical reference point. 100 year old woman pulled out of the rubble alive. Good news. Her time is not yet up.

Really here we live a dreamy existence. What are our daily concerns? Whether I have the right yeast for today’s bread? Was given a wodge of fresh yeast by a baker in Tesco yesterday. The result is a definite improvement. Not quite there yet. Need to figure out how to get the best rise after knockback. Done it before. Need to be able to do it every time. It’s about warmth. Lurve:)

I can see a career in baking ahead of me. Amateur of course. Just for personal consumption. Just need to crack the basic techniques right at the start. Once you are up and running to doesn’t take much effort to make nice bread or cook nice food. Most people just don’t put in the time to crack the techniques up front. Bread takes 15 minutes to get going. 5 mins of grabbing ingredients and 10 mins kneading. Maybe I’ll add another 5 to the kneading to see if it will make a difference. John is up. Yesterday’s load has been given the thumbs up.

Good bread is a real luxury. Good food generally. Much of the stuff in supermarkets has lost the quality that made it great pre globalisation and the era of the supermarket. Bacon is generally poor quality, unless you pay top dollar and even then I’m unsure it matches the product of old. I’m sure there are other foods that sit in this category. Out of season fruit and vegetables. Tomatoes grown in industrial quantities without ever seeing soil.

Anne and John are gearing up for the school run. I am sat in the TV room in my pyjamas. Tapping away. It’s a good job we have the word processor these days. My handwriting is very bad. I’d never have been able to churn stuff out at an useful rate had I had to rely on pen and paper. Maybe it would be less voluminous but higher quality. Dylan Thomas wrote over 200 versions of Do Not Go Gentle Unto This Good Night before he was satisfied. I rarely look at something twice.  Not in the same league obvs. I am however still alive and he is dead, albeit it he was of an earlier generation. He was 39 when he died. At the peak of his creative ability.

They have gone now, Anne and John. Engine roaring. The first time the Peugeot has  been used on the school run. Gosh. I have to clear up the breakfast things and get stuff lined up for my day.

This morning I have put out the call for a decision on the Christmas Dinner meat. It’s going to be beef but I thought I’d give them the opportunity to choose. Anne is still very much a turkey lover so I feel a little guilty that she doesn’t have the chance to have it on Christmas Day. Maybe I’ll do a chicken or a turkey breast as well. We always have the relevant trimmings anyway. Pigs in blankets etc. Maybe even stuffing.

This year because we aren’t going off anywhere on boxing day I might invest in a bigger beef joint as we will be around to eat it afterwards. Nothing quite like cold roast beef, medium rare. You only get it when you cook a large joint.

Enough of this. More in due course…

morning

The news is the dough hasn’t risen in the tin. I’ll spare you the photo. This is the second time in a row this has happened. I suspect the yeast. Having just looked at the container it says refrigerate after opening. This is did not do. Wouldn’t have thought it would have that much effect but it seems to have. The dough rises initially but not when in the tin, or at least not as much. This morning I head to Tesco in search of fresh yeast.

The kettle is on in the kitchen. I am in the TV room waiting. Only because that’s where the laptop was and it is warmer in here on the feet. I also have the oven preheating. I’m going to bake the loaf anyway. This is all a good learning experience provided I do crack it eventually.

Anne cooked a lovely risotto last night. Afterwards I ogled Alice Roberts for an hour and then we watched the remembrance concert from the Royal Albert Hall. Bed early at 9.45.

Today it’s me and John only for lunch. Pork chops. Anne is off out for an “afternoon tea with Sherlock Holmes” event. I think. She did tell me:).

Joe and Charlotte are having a good time in Peel. She has changed her profile pic to one of her jumping at Fenella Beach. The tide is out. She wouldn’t have been able to do that if it was in, especially at this time of year. The sea can get impressively ferocious there.

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Bread turned out not really edible. Too yeasty and not risen enough. Disappointing. Ah well. We have a little of the older white loaf left although that too did not rise properly. I am now cooking sausages slowly in the frying pan. There is no rush. Test Match Special is on the wireless. Actually TMS is on the wifi on the phone but it’s the same thing. A virtual wireless set.

Outside the sun lies low over the allotment. Because of it there is no need for light in the kitchen. Our kitchen is a big one and can get dark during the day. We have in the past easily sat 16 for a meal. The limiting factor has been table not floor. The only problem with a low sun is that it reveals the fact that the windows need cleaning.

Cricket going well. It’s the last day and India need 310 to win off a minimum of 49 overs. They are 71 for 4 with 25 overs left. Exciting.

Silent night holy night

Anne was practising the sax and this tune entered my head. She is getting ready for her first major performance at our Christmas party. The light is fading outside. I am sat in the kitchen listening to England v South Africa whilst waiting for the dough to rise in the bowl. Today I’m making a 65% wholemeal/35% seeded white with some pumpkin seeds added to the mix. Yesterday I either gave the initial rise too long or the one in the tin not enough. That ain’t going to happen today. The wholemeal flour did say best before end 2014 sometime but I think it will be fine. The heating could do with kicking in.

Feeling very cosy sat here in the kitchen. Very domesticated. Anne is pottering about doing different things. She thinks that because I sit at a laptop typing I’m not doing anything. Making bread gains approval. We are both off out to the Morning Star for a few sherbs early doors. It isn’t time yet. I want to get some dough risen and put into the tin before we go out.

It is still some time before Christmas but I am gradually getting my brain into gear. Thinking ahead. All the major decisions that require long term planning were taken ages ago. Tadcu flights and hotel etc. I’m not making a cake so nothing else really needs doing until much nearer the time. I do like baking Christmas cakes but hardly anyone eats it so it is a bit of a waste of time effort and money.

The kettle is on. The boiling noise sends a shiver of relaxation through my shoulders.

Featured image is my Black Yak hat. V warm and cosy.

urday

Breakfast time and Anne is tucking into a healthy porridge with grapes or some such fruity ingredient. I’m just biding my time before a bacon sandwich. Bit of poetry there. I’m not going to elaborate on the bacon sandwich other than to say it will also have mushrooms.

A little stiff this morning after our perambulatory efforts yesterday. Today I have an appointment at the bank and I also need to pop down to Coops’ with the Citroen docs. The insurance is cancelled. Just need to cancel the tax now. Anne is picking up her car at 9am this morning.

Other than that we have nothing planned for today. Meeting Adie and Zara in the Star for early doors. John is playing hockey at the Lindum. It’s a wet day so it will be an indoors day. You will likely see lots of ritin from me. Maybs.

We also want to chat with the Isle of Man today. Jose and Charlotte have gone over to see Tadcu. Last night they were eating at the Creek and this lunchtime it will be the Boatyard. Cramming in the culinaries. Joe was also talking about cooking tonight. The issue I imagine is whether they will be able to fit anything else in. Anne has also given them a cream tea bogof voucher for the Harbour Lights Cafe. That might have to wait until tomorrow. Their flight home is at around 4pm I think.

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Back from the bank. Looking at a four year fixed rate mortgage. I think it makes sense considering the uncertainties this world is facing. Also dropped off docs though Coops not there.

This is real “funeral in Berlin “ weather. Totes miserable. Not quite sure why there were so many people downtown. They can’t all have had a bank appointment. They were getting ready for the civic remembrance ceremony in front of the cenotaph on the High Street. Didn’t know they did a separate one – MP, mayor, judges etc. Seems to me they could have all gone to the main on in the cathedral tomorrow. Whatever… Weather was suitable for this activity too. Remembering those who sacrificed their lives for us doesn’t need good weather.

It is interesting to consider that their sacrifices all happened because we had rogue leaders pushing their countries towards war. Kaiser Bill. Adolf. Nothing to do with the common man. This is still a relevant observation today. We as a species are particularly aggressive. Why can’t we all just live and let live.

Got the perfect free parking spot this morning btw.  At the end of the row outside the telephone exchange. Result. Maybe there weren’t that many people in town really.

In other news there seems to be a bit of a leak in the conservatory roof. At least there is some water on the table. It’s not much and I can’t quite see where it’s coming from other than it’s dripping off one of the struts.

it must be a walk in the Wolds

Fry up this morning before kitting up ready for the walk. Adie tells me it is only a stroll really but that is fine. Still need the right gear. John has Radio 1 on in the kitchen so I am out of the way in the TV room whilst he has breakfast.

Still got the cough but there is a scenario that the walk will kill it. Of course the opposite may happen and I could end up in bed this afternoon:) Bought new inners for my boots. See how they go. Going to slap some Voltarol gel on before I head out which combined with the new inners will hopefully sort out the sore feet problem.

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All set now. Right gear retrieved although I can’t find the pouch for the Leatherman. Am unlikely to actually need the Leatherman but it’s one of those boys things. You never know when you are going to need to saw up a tree that has fallen across the path etc. Flask of tea made, 2 cliff bars packed. They went out of date at the end of September but I’m sure they will be fine:) Don’t have owt like crisps in but I understand we could end up at a pub for lunch so that is not a problem.

Will post this before I go and take pot luck that I’ll get some decent pics en route for a featured image.

Brilliant concert by Erv last night btw. Fundraiser for ADHD before he goes on tour to China. I left at half time because of my cough but the bit I heard was great. Erv puts an enormous amount of emotion and physical effort into a concert. Told me once he rehearses for up to 10 hours a day for six weeks before a big gig. China will be exhausting for him.

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Back at 5pm from a longish walk in the wolds. As distances go it was roughly the same a the shortest days on the Coast to Coast but it was hard enough seeing as I hadn’t walked for some months. The Voltarol gel worked for the first few hours but as the effects wore off my feet grew sore. I wasn’t going to remove the boots to slap on more gel though.

We did have a comedy moment. Stopped for a very pleasant lunch at the White Hart in Tetford. It was Alfred Lord Tennyson’s local and near Adie’s dad’s church – he was the last vicar of the area. After lunch we walked on and Adie soon realised it had been a mistake not to use the pub’s toilet facilities. We aren’t talking weewee here. Eventually we arrived at another pub – the Massingberd Arms in South Ormsby. Unfortunately that was closed. Adie manfully soldiered on until we came across a vacant house that was having some building work done. Out the back was a portaloo for the builders. After knocking at the door to ascertain that noone was in Adie made use of the portaloo.

After that the pace picked up and we made it wearily back to the car for 4.15 and home by 5.

All the pics here.



White Hart Tetford – Tennyson’s local

inexorable tide

Down to a very pleasantly autumnal conservatory. It is cold out but the Dyson heater is on and the room should soon be comfortable. Breakfast was a particularly magnificent two slices of white toast using my home made bread from last night. See this previous post on toast🙂

The leaves are piling up outside. Anne will have the bit between her teeth later. Today I have a couple of specific jobs. One is to sort out the insurance for Anne’s new car. The other is the VAT. VAT is quick and easy. The new car insurance will be a bind – it is never quick and easy to do car insurance. Also want to nip to GoOutdoors to look at new insoles for my walking boots and I need some more toothpaste – Sensodyne. It’s an age thing. Dad has also asked me to sort out the insurance on his Micra.

The news this morning is that the death toll from the Croydon tram accident has risen to 7. The tram driver has been arrested and they are trying to establish why the tram was travelling too quickly.

Today we have John’s parents evening. His first in the sixth form. Will find out how he is doing. The we are off to see Erv in a concert at the minster school before he heads off on a tour of China. Exciting for him.

My tea will have brewed…

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Bumped into Adie Smith at GoOutdoors. He was buying stuff for one of his kids and I was buying new insoles for my boots. We are off walking tomorrow morning. Somewhere in the Wolds. Looking forward to it. Weather is going to be ok if somewhat colder than the Coast to Coast but I have the gear I think. It isn’t going to be a slog so should be fine.

Spent half the day sorting out insurance for Anne’s new car. Peugeot 107. It’s a nightmare trying to do this kind of thing. There are so many variables. For one I need an insurer that will accept 17 year old learners. The other thing is that learner wants to go on in February when he turns 17 but we need the insurance for tomorrow. So you have to find an insurer that will accept 17 year olds but allow me to add him to the policy in 4 months time.

Ended up with Lloyds Bank. It will do. The car is cheap to insure and has no road tax. Bit of a difference from my old 3 litre jeep Commander where the combination of insurance and tax was north of £1k.

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Good parents evening at school. I won’t elaborate but John knows how it went. Picked the lad up from sax lesson en route home and had beans on toast for tea. Have had to make another loaf this evening. Dough is rising near the radiator. It’s an endorsement. My green jumper is now somewhat clogged with flour though. Sleeve got it full on. Adds a bit of character innit. Now having a five mins sit down before we head out for Erv’s gig.