TeaTime Treats

It is over 20 years since I last went to Port Sunlight. This wonderful village was built in 1888, by William Hesketh, Lord Lever - the Soap Millionaire. He built  Port Sunlight to house the workers at his soap factory, Lever Brothers, which eventually became the global giant, Unilever. The village represents one man’s vision to provide industrial workers with decent, sanitary housing in a considered architectural and picturesque form.

However, rather than a philanthropic venture, Lever claimed it was all part of a business model he termed ‘prosperity-sharing’. Rather than sharing his profits directly with his employees, Lever provided them with decent and affordable houses, amenities and welfare provisions that made their lives secure and comfortable and enabled them to flourish as people. It was also intended to inspire loyalty and commitment. Now maintained by the Port Sunlight Village Trust, this fascinating community is a great place to explore [lots more information here] The Lady Lever Art Gallery, with its fabulous collection of Pre-Raphaelite Art, is somewhere I would especially like to revisit sometime. Maybe if I am in Manchester for a holiday with Steph I can zip down the M56 for a day...

Back in 1929, 'The Port Sunlight News' was a regular magazine produced for the workers who lived there - and they had a competition for a sweet treat to rival other local products [like the Eccles Cake]  It was won byMiss Lee, [who worked in the Soap Factory] with her "Port Sunlight Bun". It cannot have been that much if a success, because it seems to have been forgotten - until last autumn, when a PSVT staff member found a copy of the magazine, and persuaded The Nettle Café -[a local community run café] to make it for customers

The original Port Sunlight Bun recipe

Ingredients

• 1 lb. plain flour
• ¼ lb. margarine and lard mixed
• ¼ lb. sugar
• A good pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda
• 1 teaspoonful of cream of tartar
• ¼ lb. currants
• ¼ lb. sultanas
• 2 oz. candied peel
• 1 tablespoonful of ground almonds
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoonfuls of milk
• Grated rind of orange or lemon

Instructions
Mix all dry ingredients together, rub in lard and margarine. Now add fruit and bind into a stiff dough with well-beaten egg and milk. Now take a fork full of the mixture and put in lumps on a greased tin, the rougher the better. Cook in hot oven for 15 minutes; turn gas lower after first five minutes.

My Notes, May 2026
Preheat oven to 200°C then turn down to 175°C

I halved the recipe, and made 6 buns. I omitted candied peel and rind [Bob dislikes them]  I had no ground almonds – but it still tasted good

I served mine with butter, jam and fresh strawberries. Bob said they reminded him of his mother's Rock Cakes. I did use lard&marg, not butter as per the recipe. I think Miss Lee made bigger buns!

Unlike scones, these tasted just as good on the second day. I do enjoy recreating these old recipes! Bob has discovered Max Miller's YouTube Channel Tasting History which is very clever, and most entertaining. He covers a wide range of recipes from ancient times, to WW2. Fortunately Bob has not yet felt the need to make the Cooked Jellyfish of Ancient Rome, or Hildegarde of Bingen's Cookies of Joy [allegedly not at all joyful!]

Big shout out to Carolyn at the 1940's Experiment, who continues to research amazing recipes from eight decades ago

Have you got a favourite "Heritage Recipe"?
Something local to you, or perhaps one handed down through the generations in your own family?

Shedloads Of Stuff

We held a yard sale on Saturday, to raise funds for the Men's Shed. Bob in the coachhouse with lots of tools and stuff, me round the corner, under the Shed's Big Red Gazebo, with stuff that wasn't tools or shed related. We'd told our neighbours we were doing it, and half a dozen others joined in with their own sale tables. The weather was kind, we had publicised it widely on Social Media, and put a big sign out on the main road.

There was a lot of fetching and carrying, and a lot left.  
We had a few visitors, not a lot - and made about £30. I am beginning to think that sewing BBQ aprons was an easier way of fund raising! A couple of guys expressed an interest at coming along to Shed Sessions, and I had good chats with some of the locals and their dogs*. 

Over the course of the weekend, Bob has developed a nasty cold, and I think I am catching it now...

Today will be a Slow Day - I don't think I should go to Craft Group in case I have a sneezing fit. 

A quick mention of  Heather, who has been following Tracing Rainbows since March 2015. I did not know this till we actually met in person last autumn, and I discovered she lives less than 3 miles away. So we meet for coffee and chat sometimes. She has become a really good friend - I hope she has a lovely day today, as it is her birthday. 

* speaking of dogs, my latest sewing challenge from a neighbour "Ang, can you mend this do you think? It is my favourite bra, I left it on the bed, and the dog has chewed right through the strap!" [if I manage the repair, will she become a bosom friend?]

You Are The Peace In My Troubled Sea

On Sundays at church, we are studying the Gospel of Mark. This week, Mark chapter 4, when Jesus calms the storm. 
Here is a favourite song from Rend Collective 

In my wrestling and in my doubts
In my failures You won't walk out
Your great love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea,

In the silence, You won't let go
In the questions, Your truth will hold
Your great love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea,

My Lighthouse, my lighthouse
Shining in the darkness, I will follow You
My Lighthouse, my lighthouse  
I will trust the promise,
You will carry me safe to shore

I won't fear what tomorrow brings
With each morning I'll rise and sing
My God's love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea,   
Fire before us, You're the brightest
You will lead us through the storms
My Lighthouse, my lighthouse
Shining in the darkness, I will follow You

I will trust the promise,
You will carry me safe to shore
You are the Peace in my troubled Sea

Snöskyffel and Aglet

I think these should be a pair of Scandinavian cartoon dogs - the Nordic equivalent of the Antipodean Bluey and Bingo. In fact Snöskyffel is the name of the cute red metal shoe horn from IKEA and Aglet is the correct English word for the sheath at the end of as shoelace, which stops it unravelling and makes it easier to thread through the holes.

I have been thinking about both recently, because summer approaches and I am wearing both my white plimsolls and my new trainers on warm dry days. I get frustrated if my laces come undone when I am out - finding somewhere to balance whilst I retie them is not always easy. I do not want to kneel on the path, there is never a convenient ledge or step when you want one, and I do not want to roll inelegantly into a heap on the pavement like a distressed hedgehog. I decided to try the 'no bow' system, turning the shoes into slip ons.[Ignore the fact that this video is for gents!]

But when I push my foot in, the back of the shoe rolls over. The shoehorn is brilliant at assisting my heel into place. The aglets are inside, invisible, and my feet are comfy. And my shoes have been converted into slipons. I am sure many of you knew the word aglet already - I have posted this video of the aglet song before...

Skirting The Issue

Two cotton skirts, one navy and white fishes,  the other  a pretty leafy print on a golden background. Except this is the same skirt, it is reversible!

I bought this in a CS recently. I thought it was a yellow skirt and the blue was the lining, and didn't realise it was reversible. If you look at the zip, you can see the 'pull' can flip over to the other side. And between the two layers, you can find a "White Stuff" label. The CS price tag said "large" and it was within my "Cup of Coffee" budget [£3.50 or less] I am afraid I was in a hurry and did not try it on. I figured the fabric was lovely and I could remake it if it didn't fit.
I was pleased when I got home to find it was two-for-one, and being White Stuff, very well made. However it is definitely not Large - the tag has been cut out, but I think it is a 10. Certainly too tight for my waistline. At the moment it is just hanging in the wardrobe waiting for some sort of alteration.

Along with this one - a very pretty vintage Orvis brand ankle length skirt. This too is beautifully made, but rather too long for me. The waistband is elasticated, and again a bit tight. I shall probably undo the seam in the elastic and simply turn it to the inside. A quick and easy fix.
When you were at school, did you ever turn over the waistband of your school skirt to turn from prim uniform knee length, to a miniskirt?  I notice the teenagers round here still seem to do that!

Little, And Good

Are you aware of the Japanese company Muji? The name is a contraction of a phrase meaning "No brand, quality goods". They have half a dozen shops in London. You can read about the company and its philosophy here. Everyday items, well designed, sustainable, minimum packaging - stationery, homewares, basic garments.

They have recently opened a store in Hong Kong, and to celebrate, they invited artist Tatsuya Tanaka to produce some artworks featuring their products. I've posted about TT before, here in 2017. He uses regular items as the basis for minuscule works of art. Look at the ones he has come up with for Muji

He made a tiny Muji store using various items, stationery bits and small shopfitting components. Then he did lots of pieces which have witty names referencing the products used.
I like the jeans waves on the socks beach, and the ice-cream store...  His attention to detail is fantastic

Finally, to the delight of the residents of Hong Kong, he recreated Victoria Harbour and its iconic skyline - using Muji products for the buildings, a brush for the circular exhibition centre, a toothbrush for the pier - and staplers to represent the ferries which carry passengers back and forth,

What a clever guy, what a lovely shop!

Je Ne Sais Pas!

 

I really don't know what to make of this. I was so looking forward to Clive Owen's appearance as Sam Spade in a "What happened after he left being a PI in the US and settled in a beautiful French Village"story. But for me, it didn't quite deliver. No Spoilers Here

Pros

1. the scenery is lovely - beautiful countryside, great French mansions, and all set in the amazing, ancient village of Bouzoul which is built round a massive canyon. 
2. the vehicles used are lovely 1950's & 60's French cars 
3. the background music is great, with Brigitte Bardot, Francise Hardy and others
4. the costumes are gorgeous and correct for the time [1960s]
5. Clive Owen interprets the Spade role brilliantly imho

Cons

1. it is quite violent. Ok, I know it is 'film noir', but it was a bit too graphic in parts [eyes down, concentrate on my knitting through these bits...]
2. you really do need to concentrate on the English subtitles, as much of the dialogue is in French, although the spelling of some subtitling is execrable.
3. some of the characters seemed too caricatured to be believable.
4. there were just too many characters. I found it hard to follow the plot
5. the story seemed to move slowly and there were lots of flashbacks. But I think if it had been faster, I'd never have kept up and the flashbacks were essential to understand the many characters.
6. A better knowledge of the Algerian War of Independence would have helped. I couldn't follow all the references to SDECE, OAS, FLN, CIA, MI5 etc
7. at the end, all the loose ends were tied up [just about] by a character who flew in just for the last 5 minutes. I found it a rather unsatisfying denouement.

Short Video of Bouzouls - I mean - wow, look at this place!

Forget everything you remembered about Humphrey Bogart in the Maltese Falcon, which was set in 1930s America, and enjoy this for what it is - a thriller set in 1960s France, with the backdrop of the Algerian War of Independence. [De Gaulle, Kennedy and Queen Elizabeth all get a mention]  After Spade, I found the teenage girl the most interesting, and the little boy was very sweet [but his character was a bit colourless]
See what you think - I know quite a few of you who follow the blog have a much better knowledge of the French language, and experience of the country than I do. 

I'd rate it trois étoiles et demie ! 
Monsieur Spade is currently on U&Drama,free to watch in the UK