Have You Heard Of Higglers?

Me neither, until our recent visit to Axminster. We discovered that higgler is an archaic English word** for an itinerant pedlar of inconsequential trifles. Except in that fine town, where the West Country Higgler is a lovely little tea shop, selling delicious beverages, fresh salads, and stunning cakes. 

The other part of the shop is Little Bits of Lovely which sells hand crafted, recycled, reclaimed, preloved [etc etc] items. It's part of a crowdfunded community project - and one way of returning the 'little shops' to our towns and villages. 

We enjoyed an excellent lunch there, before our NT excursion to Loughwood. And I loved looking at all the goods in sale in the shop [didn't buy anything though!] 

 

I quite fancy my own button dispenser [so much more useful than bubble gum]

**Henry Fielding uses the term in his book Tom Jones. However, in the West Indies, the word higgler has now come to mean a person who sells drugs. So just be careful where you use it in conversation!

On Yer Bike!

Carlton Reid is a historian and bike enthusiast [altho I think with a splendid name like that, he sounds like he should have been directing black and white 1950s films starring Valerie Hobson and Richard Todd] Last week he wrote a superb piece in the Guardian about English cycle paths. Not the 21st century blue ones, gradually appearing in London and other places - but historic ones, surfaced with red concrete, dating back to the 1930s.
Between 1934 and 1940, the Government planned 500 miles of dedicated cycle routes around the country  - and 280 miles of paths were actually constructed. And they were popular too.

But WW2, and the subsequent decline in cycling and rise of the motorcar, caused these paths to be forgotten about, overgrown, or incorporated into the adjacent roads to make dual carriageways.
There is a map online , where you can check these out - it is fascinating!
I have discovered that one of these routes was beside the Eastern Avenue/Gallow's Corner/Southend Arterial Road, which went through Ilford and Romford, to Southend.
Those fanatical cycling clubs of the 1930s just loved to have a day out, riding out from the eastern side of London down to the Essex coast, for a cup of cockles at Leigh on Sea, or Chips by Southend Pier!
For years I have travelled along the Eastern Avenue, en route to visit my relations in Romford- and always wondered why the pavement was so wide. As a child, the very name "Gallow's Corner" conjured up sinister events happening at this busy road junction. My parents cycled everywhere back in the 30s, but I don't recall them mentioning the Romford cycle paths.

Another of the routes was along the A47 between Dereham and Swaffham. Because of the Dereham bypass, part of the A47 has been diverted now, and the old part through Scarning is 'off the beaten track' now. But I found this old aerial photo of the New Inn/ Corner House pub - look how wide the grass verge is, and there is a wide pavement too.
In the late 1960s I remember cycling to Scarning to collect tadpoles with my brother. I recall we were able to ride along the very wide grassy verges, safely out of the way of lorries thundering past - but didn't imagine there had once been a red cycle path under our wheels.
The Ministry of Transport planners, 85 years ago, were working with the Rijkswaterstraat - the equivalent government department in the Netherlands. The Dutch have got it sorted - ask Liz and Jon, or anyone else who has been there for cycling holidays. 
It would be brilliant if we could revive these lost routes - many are 'hidden in plain sight. This road in Urmston, Manchester, very close to Steph's place, still clearly has the cycle path between the pavement and the road - but now it is used for car parking.
Carlton Reid discovered all this not whilst out on his bike, but whilst researching in dusty archives for his latest book about the history of cycling in Britain. Surely it must be worth rediscovering these old routes and getting them back into service? He's set up a Kickstarter Campaign with the aim of reviving these forgotten cycleways . All power to his elbow pedals, I say! Watch this brief video - with the cool 1930s music!

NB - Kickstarter Campaigns are short and sharp - this one finishes in a week's time, so act fast if you want to get involved

Kumihimo? I'm A Frayed Knot!

Have you come across Kumihimo? It's yet another Japanese craft. I mastered Kusudama [paper flowers]  few years ago, but this was a new one to me. My friend Kim was doing it at our Craft and Coffee morning last year. Kumihimo - the word means gathered threads - is a method of weaving braid using a circular loom. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a kit [this site has a lot of information and a link to purchasing materials]
In Norwich after Easter, I spotted a starter kit for a couple of quid in Tiger [that crazy little Danish store] So I decided to have a go.  The mathematical repetition of the method appealed to me. 
You cut 8 lengths of nylon yarn to twice your 'finish' length [the yarn came in the kit] and knot the ends together. This goes down through the centre hole, and then you weave the threads over, whilst turning the disc - it's rather like the way children braid ribbons as they dance round a maypole!

It is not hard, once you get into a rhythm, but it is very labour intensive. It took me more than 2 hours to weave a braid 35 cm long.  It is pretty, and the nylon yarn makes a strong, even weave. But now what do I do with it? Kim puts end caps on her braids, and threads beads onto the yarn,  to make bracelets, or necklaces. Also she makes keyrings. 

But I found the whole thing rather slow, so I doubt this is a craft I'll be continuing with. I shall keep the loom, in case I ever do find a project which requires braids like this. But it's not going to be high on my list of "Crafts I enjoy" Without buying fancy end caps, can I see no good way of finishing off the ends. Opportunity here for bad puns about "I'm a frayed knot" 

Which segues neatly into something else - this "Knot Prayer" has been doing the rounds of the internet recently. It is a bit contrived - but maybe the words will encourage you if you've got that 'Monday Morning' feeling...

Get Well Soon

My thoughts and prayers today are with all those affected by this weekend's cyber attack on healthcare systems - not just the NHS here in the UK - but in 99 other countries around the world. 
Thinking of 

• those whose tests, treatments and operations have been delayed
• the medical personnel struggling to do their job efficiently without access to the data, results, and records they need
• all who are anxious for the health and healing, for themselves and for their loved ones
• and for those who have perpetrated these cruel and senseless acts - may their hearts be turned from hurting to helping.
• and above all, praying that the problems can be rectified quickly, to enable healthcare workers to resume their work efficiently.

I am definitely not an advocate of praying to the saints, but thought I would just mention [because this chap is so often overlooked] that today is the feast day of St Ethelmund. Born in England, he went off as a missionary to Friesland, working in Haarlem in the diocese of Utrecht. He founded lots of churches there and died in 739AD - in Holland you can still find his image depicted  in stained glass windows. Ethelmund is apparently the patron saint of those who suffer from toothache!

Supermodel!

It  has been Dorset Residents' Week so we used our 2-fr-1 voucher to visit the Wimborne Model Town. It's gorgeous! Seventy years ago, Charles Coffen [who lived in Ferndown] had the idea for a model village based on the nearby historic town of Wimborne Minister. Built to one tenth scale, there are dozens of little house, a model of the Minster, the Methodist Chapel and shops and houses. First opened in 1951, people flocked to see the attraction...but as time went on, interest in the models declined, and the buildings deteriorated. A developer purchased the site. Then people woke up to the fact that this was something worth preserving - the buildings [made of concrete panels - sort of proto-IKEA flatpacks] were rescued, a local landowner donated a new site just behind the Minster and an army of volunteers set about restoring and salvaging the models. Roy Castle opened the refurbished village on the new site in 1991. WMT is now run as a charity. I took around a hundred pictures on our visit - I was entranced by the attention to detail, the tiny knitted garments in the various wool shops, the price list in the fishmongers, the wedding scene going on inside the Minster. I'm sorry I cannot reproduce here the sound of the bells in the Minster, the clock chiming, and the flushing sounds from the public loos!

Sadly many of these old little independent shops have now gone in the full-sized town outside. No Woolworths - but there is a Waitrose, and the properties that once housed ironmongers, stationers and bakeries are now Charity Shops. Jack-of-All-Trades, the toolshop, didn't appear in Wimborne till after the model town was built. We have loved visiting Marion and Tony's shop over the past two years, they are craftspeople who know really about tools- and we were so sorry to learn this week that they too are closing in the autumn. Holman's Electrical Shops still remain in Wimborne and Ferndown - but it's a shame when the little shops have to close. Usually they say the high business rates make it impossible for them to remain economically viable.

It was a beautiful morning when we walked round the little town. Things are clearly geared up for visitors - other buildings house a dolls' house exhibition, a model railway track, and there's a permanent video loop showing the history and wall displays. A play area for children, gift shop, loos, coffee shop - it's all there.
And in one corner of the gardens, seats - and a fabulous Storyteller's Throne.
Oh, how we'd love one of these!!

I shall be telling stories at our Ferndown Fete-on-the-Field next month, and again at Kids Club in August - but this chair wouldn't fit inside my little tent. Please Bob, can you build me a model one?

Five Go Home On A Bicycle...**

On Tuesday,among other activities, we did a cycle ride to the Library. Here are the five volumes I borrowed.
Val McDermid "The Skeleton Road" - I enjoy VM's thrillers, although sometimes they are a little bit too dark for me. I like her style of writing, we are the same age. When I have heard her on the radio, I have liked her as a person. This will be a good book to read on the train next week.
Country Living "Short Cuts to Country Style".  This is for inspiration for an ongoing project - the redecoration of the Futility Room at Cornerstones. When we moved in, this room was part of the new extension built by the previous owners. Tiled floor, magnolia walls, and down one side, a worktop over a few cupboards relocated from the kitchen. In the gaps, we have installed a dishwasher and washing machine. 
However, as we usually come in the side door, laden with bags and boxes, this is where things get unloaded, and often it looks like a Left Luggage Office. The Roller Towel which I made in the Easter holidays has proved the germ of an idea for this room - and I am working towards a 'country house laundry room' theme. At Liz's suggestion I have started a pinterest board - and purchased some paint tester pots. This will not be an overnight event, but one needing thought and care. My third book Chantal Sabatier's "Linen and Lace"  -  which features 'simple-to-sew homestyle projects using new and vintage fabrics' may be of use here.
Dorset Feather Stitchery by Olivia Pass was referenced in a few articles I read recently on the subject of smocks. Since obtaining my Norfolk Slop, I have become fascinated with 'workwear' and smocks in particular. This little book, produced 50 years ago, written by a Dorset woman, primarily for the benefit of the doughty needleworkers of the Women's Institute, is a real treasure trove of designs and ideas.
Finally I was delighted to find "Book Art by Clare Youngs" in the craft section. I lap up anything written by CY. Her Scandinavian Needlecraft is a joy to skim through, along with Folk Art Needlecraft, and Christmas Crafting in No Time. Clare is a gifted craftswoman, her talents are not confined to just needlework. I am looking forward to the creativity unleashed in this volume.

By the way, did you know this is "Real Bread Week"? This is part of the Real Bread Campaign's drive to encourage people to eschew the mass produced factory loaves, in favour of small scale bakeries, and local initiatives helping communities to eat better bread. Their project "Together We Rise"  is an amazing scheme, helping to offer therapeutic, social and employment opportunities to those involved- especially folk with mental health issues. 
I really admire the commitment of the people behind this project. Many small bakeries produce great loaves. I have blogged about Bakehouse24 in Ringwood, but I must also mention Pandora's Bakery which is in Ferndown. They make excellent gluten free bread for our church to use at Communion Services - so everyone can share in the one loaf. I know other churches locally use them as well - and they are so helpful [the supermarket GF loaves don't work as well for 'breaking the bread' ]

** Enid Blyton wrote 21 Famous Five titles - and none involving bicycles, or gluten free loaves!

Sicilian Snacks

 When we visited Sicily last year, one thing Bob was determined to do was eat arancini - the traditional local dish, made from leftover risotto which has been shaped into balls and deep fried. This snack is mentioned frequently in the Montelbano novels. We knew that in different parts of the island the arancini are different shapes- either balls, or cone/egg shaped.

Here he is on holiday about to cut into his rice-y treat.
I made a butternut squash risotto recently and there was some left over. So having cooled it quickly, and refrigerated it, I was ready to attempt making my own arancini. Arancini means 'little oranges' which is what this dish looks like. [Sort of]

I found an excellent article here, and that gave me the confidence to begin.
I chopped up the pieces of squash, and mixed them in, along with half a beaten egg, and some leftover fresh parsley and coriander.
The mix took on more of a golden hue.
In two of the balls, I pushed a cube of cheese into the centre [and marked them with large coriander leaves, so I'd know which they were!]
Then I coated the balls in batter and breadcrumbs and deep fried them.
When drained on paper, plenty of oil came out!
I served them with a simple fresh salad [we had 2½ each]

They weren't as good as the authentic Sicilian ones, but not bad for a first attempt. Using my cooking thermometer to ensure the oil was hot enough helped. But they are very fragile, a couple started to disintegrate in the pan. I took comfort from reading in the article that Yotam Ottolenghi has the same problem!
Definitely fattening fast food - but a delicious occasional treat.
I must remember to make some in December on Saint Lucia's Day 

Honouring My Heritage

Last week we visited another National Trust Property - Loughwood Meeting House, just outside Axminster. This is one of the oldest Baptist Chapels in the UK, and I wanted to see where my forebears worshiped - the building dates back to 1653, but people met there in the woods from 1650 onward. When Charles II became King, and the monarchy was restored, he sought to make the Church Of England supreme, and ended tolerance for dissenters - the nonconformists like Baptists and Presbyterians.
Loughwood was on the county border between Dorset and Devon - and when the people met for their services, watchmen stood outside - if troops were heard approaching from one county, then the preacher would flee into the other, for safety! 
Because people travelled quite a way, to be able to worship as they thought appropriate, the chapel had a stable outside for their horses, and two 'receiving rooms' at the back, where they could rest after their journey, and have food etc. The chapel is set in the side of the hill, and for many years was in the middle of dense woodland, so it was not visible to casual travellers.
Here is Bob walking up to the Chapel,and standing in the stables, below is the main door at the side, and the graveyard looking across the valley. What a glorious view!

Inside the chapel, there were box pews, and a raised pulpit. Upstairs, a gallery, where the musicians played for worship - wind and stringed instruments. They even cut a hole in the music stand to accommodate a bass violin!

Here's a view of one receiving room, a shot looking to the front of the church and the pulpit, and another taken from the pulpit, showing the gallery at the back

There was nobody else around, so Bob went into the pulpit and stood in his best Charles Spurgeon Preaching Stance.

I enjoyed looking at the various items showing the history of the church - a plaque on the front of the pulpit, a memorial on the wall to an early pastor. Isaac Haan is one of a tiny minority of Baptist Ministers who actually got buried inside his chapel [after his death, obviously!]
It was also good to look at the old hymnbooks on the pedal organ at the back [a Victorian arrival] I am just old enough to remember using the "1933 Baptist Church Hymnal Revised" at morning services in my childhood.

Many of the first worshippers came from nearby Kilmington - and I am thrilled that Kilmington Baptist Church @ The Beacon is still a lively and welcoming church. Twice a year, they meet in the Old Chapel to acknowledge their history. Many Huguenots found a spiritual home at Loughwood, escaping the persecution in their own country. Nicknamed 'The French' lots of them adopted "French" as their surname, and we found their graves outside. On our drive across Dorset, we had seem sheep and their baby lambs, so this little leaflet was rather apt.

It is too easy sometimes, to take our freedom for granted. Men and women risked imprisonment, execution, transportation just because they wanted to worship God in the way they felt was right and biblical.

Believers' Baptism - by total immersion - was not tolerated, preachers were forbidden to come within 5 miles of a town, the use of the Anglican Prayer Book was compulsory - and only people living within the same household were allowed to gather for an unauthorized meeting for worship. The Clarendon Code instituted in the time of Charles II endeavoured to stamp out all this Nonconformity.

We lifted a panel in the floor and slid another board back, so we could look down into the baptistery.

How brave these men and women were - and they kept the flame of faith burning bright, at tremendous cost to themselves. I must remind myself of that, the next time I feel that I can't be bothered to get ready for church.

Gratitude, Good Friends, Giveaways And A Granddaughter

Yesterday was a good day [mostly] First thing, Liz messaged me to say Rosie had a temperature and was going to stay home from Nursery [there's been sickness going round, as often happens when you get lots of small children all together] But she clearly brightened up later, and it was lovely to get a picture of her with her crayons. I am grateful for the technology which means I can see my grandchild's progress like this even though she is miles away. She does concentrate so intently on things - Liz and Steph were just the same at that age. 
I had a coffee date at 10am at our local Garden Centre [which is next to Hobbycraft] I went on my bike - grateful that my knee is so much better and pedalling is not the pain it was in January.

I was meeting up with Mary, who writes the blogs Trundling Through Life and Frugally Challenged. She had emailed me to say that she'd be passing this way en route to a holiday in Cornwall, and she suggested we meet for coffee. It was utterly brilliant!
We'd not met in person before, but discovered we had heaps in common - Mary had lived and worked in Leicester years ago so we talked about places we'd been. And we also found that we enjoy many of the same blogs. If you ever get the chance to meet up with a 'blogfriend', do take it. I have yet to be disappointed at such a get-together - and friendships have become much deeper. I am grateful for all the people who have become important to me since I started writing Tracing Rainbows. When I passed the 1 Million Hits a couple of months back, I said I ought to do a giveaway. And I completely forgot. Sorry! But over at Small Moments last week, ElizabethD gave away a lovely address book. It reminded me that I had a pretty one which I had no use for.

It has space for 300 addresses [with space for landline, mobile and fax numbers] and beautiful butterflies on the cover. It is ring-bound, so opens nice and flat [always useful when you are trying to copy out an address]
I am grateful for all my friends all round the country world, and believe it is good to keep in touch. If you'd like to have this book to list your friends, please leave a comment on this post before Friday evening, and I will put the names in a hat, and then send the book to the winner.
I have so much to be grateful for - thank you, dear readers, I number you among my blessings!

ScarfAce 2 - My Daughter's Duvet Day

What do you give someone for a birthday present knowing they collect bandannas? Answer - a bandanna duvet cover. And if you cannot find one in the shops, make one, and get your Mum to help. This second ScarfAce post couldn't be  published until after the gift was delivered over the weekend.
This was Steph's challenge over Easter. She arrived in Norfolk with a pack of scarves, and a black sheet [for the backing] and I arrived with a sewing machine, black and red thread, and some popper-tape from the fabulous Fabricland store. 
Sunday evening, whilst Rowan Atkinson was playing Maigret, she ironed and I measured and marked. Monday, up early to pin the pieces together. Then we set up the two machines - my old Frister Rossman, which lives at Cornerstones, and my Janome which had travelled up from Dorset. 

We both worked really hard [knowing we had to leave at midday, as Steph needed to catch a train from Norwich Station] Liz had given me some cute tape for Easter, so one piece was sewn into the hem.

And by 11.45, it was done and dusted, and tried out on my duvet. Steph did have some loose ends to trim later, but between us,I think we did a fine job in such a short time, and the recipient was extremely pleased.

What A Legacy

In the past few months, one of my friends has become a kidney donor. She does not know who received it, and she seems to be managing very well with the one she has left. I admire her generosity and her courage. Not sure I could do it [read about the process here] Six weeks ago, another friend received a kidney- he is making a really good recovery, and is so grateful. Chris knows that his donor came from someone who was on Life Support - that person's family made the brave decision, in their time of bereavement, to help others. I met Chris in town on Thursday, and then came home and read a story on the BBC website about organ donation which moved me deeply. It seemed worth sharing here...

23 years ago, the Green family were on holiday in Southern Italy - Roger, wife Maggie, and children Nicholas 7, and Eleanor 4. One evening, as they were driving along in the dark, a car drew alongside, and angry men inside shouted at them to stop. Fearing that these were robbers Roger accelerated. Bullets shattered the car windows - and then the robbers car drove away. Initially Roger thought all the family were OK -but Nicholas had been shot in the head. He was in a coma and died a few days later- but his parents decided there, in the Italian hospital to donate his organs. Seven people had their lives changed by that decision

Here is a photo taken two years later of the family with those who received Nicholas' organs. After Nicholas' death, Maggie went on to have twins, also in the picture.

Back Row, left to right, Reg & Maggie Green, Andrea Mongiardo [heart] Francesco Mondello [Cornea], Tino Motta [KKidney] Ana Maria Di Ceglie [Kidney] Eleanor Green. Seated; Laura Green, Maria Pia Pedala [Liver] Domenica Galleta [Cprnea] Silvia Ciampi [Pancreas]

This would have been a great story - seven lives changed - but it is so much more than that. Nobody was really sure why the shooting happened- police suspect some sort of mafia mix up. The Italians were ashamed, they love children. 

Organ donation at that time was quite unusual - 6 million in 1993, the year before - but afterwards, the figure shot up, and by 2006 was over 20 million donations per annum. Furthermore, the nation has adopted an 'opt out' system. Unless you state otherwise, it is presumed your organs will be donated on your death, if at all possible [the US and UK still have the opt-in system] The Italians call this change in attitude l'effeto Nicholas -  the Nicholas Effect. 

If you go to Italy now, you will find there are more than 120 places named in Nicholas's honour:

• 50 squares and streets
• 27 parks and gardens
• 27 schools
• 16 other monuments and installations, including a lemon tree, a bridge and an amphitheatre

Reg was amazed when the recipients came together to meet the family - Nothing could have prepared him for the moment he came face-to-face with those people whose lives were saved by receiving Nicholas's organs. "When the doors opened and they walked in, the effect was overwhelming," he says… "Some were smiling, some were tearful, others were bashful but they were all alive. Most of these people had been on the point of death. That's when it hit you for the first time, just how big a thing this was. There was also a sense of how the parents and grandparents would have been devastated. You got the feeling there were many more people involved whose lives would have been much poorer if we hadn't saved them."

Earlier this year, Andrea Mongiardo died - but he had Nicholas' heart three times longer than Reg's son. Reg returns to Italy twice a year to promote organ donation - and most recently met up again with Maria, who received his son's liver. 

She was in a coma on 1994 and had been expected to die, but after the transplant she recovered. She later married, and had two children - the first was a boy, and she called him Nicholas. Maria and Reg made a TV programme about transplants.

After Andrea's death recently, Reg said "My son died in 1994, but his heart only stopped beating this year" He went on to say "Nicholas was a kindly boy who always looked for the best in things ... I know that at seven years old he probably wouldn't have been able to comprehend but, I know, as he grew up this is just what he would have wanted us to do - there's no doubt about that. If the choice was between being angry at the people who did it and wanting to help somebody else as the first priority, he would have undoubtedly chosen helping somebody out."

Thousands of people in Italy are now alive who would otherwise have died, if not for l'effeto Nicholas.

What a legacy. 

What a generous father.

Have You Saved, Sister?

This week has seen me getting a bit 'ranty' about other people who are claiming to show me how to 'save' money. Admittedly I am an [extremely] old hand at this. When I was 8, I realised the ribbon from a chocolate box sewn to some thrifted elastic would make a new hairband [free] rather than buying one [using precious pocket money]

First up came "Save Money, Good Food" - which is ITV's take on the BBC's "Spend Less, Eat Well". Matt and Susanna sneak into people's homes and check their fridge, freezer and bin, and create meals with what they find there. We will ignore the fact that they always wink, and say "They don't know we are here". Let's face it, this is TV - of course they know. How else have the till receipts for the past month been saved so carefully? And why is the thrown away food still packaged and clean? No plate scrapings, or coffee grounds, besmirching that unopened pack of celery...
I am pleased about their encouragement to use all food, and not waste it. To be realistic about 'best before' dates. To try basics ranges from cheaper supermarkets rather than the DeLuxe products from upmarket stores.
BUT I wish they wouldn't fiddle the figures. "If you implemented all these changes, then in a year, you would have £2500 to spend on that holiday" they say, and put a wad of cash on the table ["Can we have that?" said smart child last week, and Susanna had to whip it away fast!] And they show you how these savings work - make your own tomato ketchup and it is a quarter of the price of the most popular brand. That saves you 20p for every squirt on your chips/sausages/etc. £100 a year for the average family of 4. But hold on a minute...we aren't comparing things fairly. I thought we were supposed to be buying budget brands - and according to the tests, they taste just as good. And they come readymade in a squeezy bottle [no need to make the kitchen a bloodbath of tomato juice as you prepare your own sauce] This programme is quite selective in how it demonstrates the savings you might make. The recipes are generally quite good, although I doubt I would shell out for the cookbook. And thus far we seem to have watched mostly middle-class families who are being wasteful, rather than any working class, and JAM homes, where parents are trying hard to be thrifty because they haven't got spare cash to waste on smoked salmon or asparagus which sits in the fridge then gets chucked away uneaten.

My second rant was at Waitrose. I like mooching round Waitrose, and I have a Waitrose card. They often sell random ingredients not easily found elsewhere. But I never do my 'normal' grocery shop there. If I go to Wimborne Market at 8am on a Friday[a good source of blooms, if my name is on the Church Flower Rota] then I will buy market veg, and pop into the nearby Waitrose for basics [eggs, milk, cheese, bread] from their price matched or "essentials" ranges. I will top up my basket with yellow stickered items - and thus spend my tenner, and get free parking and a free coffee. [Needed if it is a cold morning and my hands got cold, pulling my shopping trolley round the market] I also pick up the 'weekend' newspaper and the free magazine. The latter has excellent recipes in it. 
I do the same thing en route to Norfolk at the Waitrose Motorway Services. Usually late in the evening, there are fine offers to be picked up as the store is closing. This week I had an email explaining how much I had saved this year with MyWaitrose card. £34. But when I looked at the breakdown, more than half of that was free magazines [worth £1.20 an issue] and my coffees. Is it really a saving when I would not normally have purchased these things - I had simply availed myself of their free offers? I am not £34 richer.
Finally, I got a free Tesco mag on Thursday. "Save up to £111 by tonight" was the heading on p83. Here are their tips

• Save by making a packed lunch, don't go and buy one. Av daily saving £5. Done that all my life
• Share your commute. Av daily saving £4.80 [not possible, but I do try to cycle places when I can] 
• Shop around for a cheaper broadband provider. Av annual saving £69 [we've sorted that already]
• Split your streaming service costs with the family. Av monthly saving £3.50 [who needs Netflix?]
• Switch to a no frills gym contract. Av monthly saving £20 [or ride our bike more]
• Make coffee at home or at work, do not buy takeaways. Av daily saving £2.61 [we already have reusable cups, which get filed at breakfast time]
• Meeting friends for after work meal? Sign up for meal deals- Typical one-off saving £7. This is not something I do. I prepare Alpha suppers at home, someone else brings the pud.

Tesco added up all those figures and make it £111 - but ignore the fact that some are daily, others are monthly, one-off, or annual amounts. You can only save £69 on Netflix once a year!

But if I am already being careful about buying budget range/market food

And taking free magazines, not buying glossies

And shunning the Gym and Amazon Prime, choosing instead my bicycle and Freeview

...then I have no wriggle room to make these 'savings'. And I suspect that many of the people waiting at the Foodbank, or queuing in Lidl, or preparing their daily packed lunches are in the same position. 

Somehow it feels as if Matt, Susanna, etc are saying "If you don't buy Bob a new motorbike for his birthday, then you could have a holiday in Venice" That option isn't on the table!

I think I have finished ranting now. I'd do better to spend my energies supporting Christians Against Poverty, The Trussell Trust, and the 'Foodbank Blessing Bin' at Church!

A Toddler Friendly Tagine

I was thinking about what to cook for this week's Alpha Supper when I came across Anna Jones' recipe for a Toddler Friendly Tagine. Not that we have any toddlers in the Alpha group, but it seemed a manageable recipe. I like having big bowls of grub on the table so people can help themselves - and have seconds if they like it. That makes it easier when you do not really know the tastes of your guests, and is better than serving them with a full plate of food they may not enjoy.
Anna used wholewheat 'giant' couscous, I just used regular plain stuff. And I swapped out her spices for a good spoonful of ras-el-hanout.
The meal went down well, and two guests asked for the recipe*. I would say that her recipe is for "Two adults and two hungry kids" I doubled it to serve 8, and there was more than enough tagine, although the amounts of smash and couscous were just right.

I sprinkled mint on the couscous, for added contrast. 
The tagine I cooked in two casseroles but combined everything in my largest Le Creuset to serve.
Yes it was a remarkably good recipe to follow.
My only near disaster was retrieving the pomegranate seeds. I did that thing where you hold half a fruit over a bowl and wallop it enthusiastically with a spoon. Juice and seeds did travel rather, making the kitchen look like something out of a CSI Crime Scene.
I forgot to take a picture of my herb smash. Here is Anna's which looks just the same.
It was wonderfully fresh and green, and the preserved lemons added to the flavour.
[see the recipe for these here]

All in all the meal worked well.
Here is my take on Anna's recipe

For the tagine
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp ras el hanout
3 sweet potatoes, cut into bite-size chunks
2 carrots, cut into bite-size chunks
400g tinned chickpeas
400g tinned chopped tomatoes
100g apricots
Flaky sea salt

For the couscous
200g couscous
Extra virgin olive oil
1 pomegranate, seeds removed

For the herb smash 
A small bunch of fresh coriander
A small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves, peeled
A handful of green olives, pitted
1 preserved lemon
2 tbsp olive oil

1 Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan or casserole dish. Add the onion, and cook until it has turned translucent. Add the garlic and spices, and stir until you can really smell their aroma, then throw in the sweet potatoes and carrots.

2 Stir to coat the root vegetables in the spices, then tip in the chickpeas, chopped tomatoes, apricots and add up to 400ml of water – enough just to coat the vegetables. Season with salt to taste, if you like, and cook until the root vegetables are just tender, which takes around 25 minutes.

3 While the tagine is cooking, prepare the herb smash. Finely chop the herbs and garlic (you could use a food processor if you like). Roughly chop the olives and preserved lemon and add to the herb mix. Add the olive oil and taste: you may like to add a little salt, but go carefully as the olives and preserved lemon will be quite salty.

4 When you’re nearly ready to eat, cook the couscous. Boil a kettle and pour over the grains, covering them with 1cm liquid. Cover, and leave for 8 minutes. Fluff up with a fork . Drizzle with a little olive oil. Stir through the pomegranate seeds, scatter mint leaves on top. Serve the tagine on a pile of pomegranate couscous with a dollop of herb smash  

And huge thanks to Carole, who brought a stunning strawberry and mascarpone cheesecake for dessert. 

*Bob thought I was quite daring, serving a vegan dish!