As usual preparations for my next trip to London and everyday activities are conflicting although the intention to undertake some more preparation work on the outside wall had to be postponed because of rain. It remains as warm as it has been since last Autumn which augurs well for the trip.
I have completed an eight set volume incorporating my work on chocolate and its production in the UK. This reminded that my writing was incomplete as it did not cover chocolate refinement and specialities or chocolate biscuits. I also failed to mention Thornton the chocolate dedicated shop on most High Streets. Within the past five years I did try out a home delivery company providing a selection of fine chocolates on subscription, but only for a few months as I decided the escalating personal weight had to be tackled. I have enjoyed a small box of Belgian made chocolates two or three occasions since then but no more.
When it comes to biscuits, my favourites are those with a thick slab of chocolate to one side, then the chocolate rich tea rather than the digestive. The Malted Milk from Foxes is another. The Blue Ribbon wafer bar is another favourite along with the smaller varieties, especially the Neapolitan wafer. There is the Cadbury Chocolate Finger. It is some years since I picked up a Penguin. I have no problem devouring into a packet of Jaffa cakes but there are two which similar with Mars’ Celebrations are head and shoulders above the competition. The first is Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer with its five layers of wafer and four of caramel with milk or dark chocolate. The Tea cake of shortbread biscuit with the whipped egg concoction similar to marshmallow covered in milk or dark chocolate is too sweet for my taste although I have consumed my share in the past. The top of my chocolate biscuit pops is the chocolate Florentine made with nuts and candid fruit such as cherries into a caramel disc on a thick chocolate base. I was first introduced to an giant sized version at the Newcastle Playhouse cafe at the annual appearance of the Royal Shakespeare Company and more recently ordered a supply at Christmas from the Lakeland company. They are rich, textured and satisfying.
I also followed up writing about chocolate with one treat, not the Celebrations this time when a £4 carton was available at Azda but their own brand of chocolate assortment with three hazels nuts in chocolate, and soft hazelnut praline, toffee caramel and soft caramel, vanilla fudge and toffee crisp, and solid chocolate circle, the orange and the strawberry cream with a disappointing Nougat double where the nougat was difficult to detect. I have eaten about half before packing for the trip
I also could not resist sorting out the latest batch of leaflets giving information on home deliveries and takeaways. Not that I have ever ordered any as the cost is expensive compared to the supermarket availability of fridge and freezer options, tins and jars. I decided to update the list identifying 58 local offers and one from Newcastle and then put them in a lever arch file in Alphabetical order with one pocket for each item, finding that I had up four copies of a few and two for about a third and that is since the last sort through of the pile within the past year. The offers are mainly for food from the Indian sub continent and for the Pizza, but also includes Chinese and Thai, and Southern Fried Chicken, and with most also providing basic English foods such as fish and chips, omelettes and the American Burger. Here is the list with the numbers indicating the order in which the leaflets first arrived.
02 Abralebbarra, 01 AK’s Tripple Diner, 46 Arman Spice 03 Aloy Aloy, 37 Bombay Tandori, 04 The Beacon, 50 Casablanca Express, 05 China Cook, 40 Chinchilla, 36 Crown of India, 28 Delli, 06 Donatellos, 33 Eastern Eye, 07 Express of India, 08 The Godfather, 09 Herbs n Spice, 58 Home Delivery, 49 Indian Brasserie, 27 Indian Essence, 41 Indigo, 59 Jaiho, 45 Leonardos,10 Log Fire Pizza, 42 Luigi’s 52, Lychee 31, M & M’s, 38 Mama Mia’s, 11 Maneks Caterers, 12 Marine, 47 Marconies Pizza’s, 51 Massala, 54 Master Chef, 13 Mini House, 35 Moonlight Indian, 32 Mush’s, 39 Nazi’s Spice, 14 New Delhi, 34 Number, 15 Orange Grass, 16 Papa John, 17 Pizza Corner, 26 Pizza Porter, 44 Pizzeria Rafael,18 Planet Pizza, 30 Quarry Lane Tandori, 19 Rahamania 28 Red Mezze, 20 Razes Spice, 57 Shah, 55 Shah Jan Spice Kitchen, 56 Southern Fried Chicken, 48 Spice Box, 53 Spice Central, 21 Spice Garden, 22 Sylhet Space, 29 Tandori Eastenders, 23 Taste of India, 24 Tastybites, 43 The Shah Jar Spice Kitchen and 25 Yankees. A
Although the rain stopped once I had sat at the desk and then went to the floor to sort out the work ready to make into sets and then work on the registration of those completed. I have been making better progress this year than the last two, average over 100 new sets a month since the turn of the year but tending too undertake the set making and registration once a week, Today the total was 29 with half involving some confidential work which has occupied my attention over the past week. They are not all ready for photographing as I need to make up artman glitter cards.
I also organised everything for the trip including some shirt ironing. I took the accumulated rubbish for the week to the waste disposal centre yesterday as I am will miss the collection on Monday and the next collection follows the Easter holiday weekend. I need to be up 6.30 to 7.00 to morrow giving myself an hour and a half before setting off. Remember I have not checked the weather conditions in the morning and find that it will be dry, I also have not checked the Metro Train system and again there are no works scheduled on the line to Newcastle Station although the Haymarket station is to be closed all day. At the moment I am confident that I will not forget anything although I will need to buy some shaving cream while away. I will wear the suit now that it has been repaired.
I enjoyed my food today, commencing with a cereal bowl. I visited Lydl on Friday for a further supply before visiting Asda, but forgot to call in at B and Q for the anti fungus wash for the wall and some outdoor plaster, buying a packet which has to be made up rather than the ready made as I discovered I had not secured the lid on the container bought several years ago now and it had turned into solid rock.
I decided to eat traditional food of the Indian sub continent to day, dividing the frozen meal for two package between lunch and evening dinner. First there was Chicken Madras with Palau Rice, although the pieces of chicken were scarce and then a Beef Rogan Josh Bombay Potatoes and Onion Bhajis. For lunch I added some Chinese extras as a starters which I divided into two portions a price reduction from 2.48 to 1.24 and then to 40p which was my bargain of the month for 4 vegetable Spring rolls, 4 Chicken Wantons, for Prawn Toasts and a sweet chill dip. I had used the dip for the first portion but fortunately had some chill sauce in a bottle in the fridge. I also divided a small melon between the two meals and for supper enjoyed a toffee and pecan swirl, I drank a Diet Pepsi at Lunch and a Peroni beer from the bottle this evening.
This afternoon I was so busy that I forgot the Sunday Home game was underway, and missed the two opening goals, switching on as Birmingham scored and appeared the better side for the greater part of the second half until Sunderland made the points safe with a third. Sunderland were said to have dominated the first half but the 3.1 appeared flattering from what I heard happening over the second. Darren Bent scored the first after five minutes and the second on 11 minutes. Manager Bruce was philosophical unable to explain why the team had gone from the sublime to the ridiculous. They are now in 12th place and against my forecast, quickly getting out of trouble being ten points clear of Barnsley and Hull in the relegation zone. A couple more home wins should see them safe.
I half watched the opening half of the Newcastle visit to Bristol City on Sky as they were playing badly and went 2.0 down to an amazing goal from Nicky Maynard which would have the best goal keeper in the world beaten. It was only during the last third of the game that Newcastle changed gear and looked as if they would take all three points when first Gutierez siezed on a poor goal keeper’s throw out and then Andy Carroll, who impresses more with every match I see him play, levelled the game at 2.2. The goal keeper made up for his earlier error with a finger tip over the cross bar after a bullet header looked as if it was going to yield all three points. Newcastle remain two points clear at the top but have a game in hand over West Brom. They remain ten points clear of third and also have a game in hand and 16 points clear of the fourth placed
I also watched part of England in France Rugby Union International with they would win the six nations cup after Scotland beat Ireland in Ireland. This was said to be England’s best performance of the season but they narrowly lost with the main talking point being the quality of the refereeing decisions.
The reason why I missed most of the Rugby second half is that I wanted to watch a Michael Portillo programme about improving democratic involvement in the UK. He commenced with talking to two Mayors both independent characters who took on and won against the local part political establishments. In Hartlepool the successful Mayor had been a fun character who made his name by dressing up as the football team Mascot, a Monkey and promised school children free bananas if he won the election. As soon as he won he started to be serious and since been re-elected twice. Michael was clearly impressed that a random stop in the street revealed that everyone knew who the Mayor was and that said he was doing a good job. It is evident that he has adopted a high visibility constantly on the streets talking to the workforce and the public.
There was a similar positive pubic response in Doncaster, a town renowned for political corruption and incompetence but where the Mayor also illustrated the risks of the public electing an extremist as a reaction to the political party machine as he supports capital punish and a quick exit from Europe. He also cancelled the donation to Gay Pride and the services of a translator for new arrivals unable to speak English. However it was also evident he represented majority opinion in his locality and was popular. In both instances people knew their names. Michael then went of the USA to meet the dreadful police chief running a fascist local prison system. However his democratic argument could not be answered. He has put his policies upfront to the public five times and won each election convincingly. A British police chief drew attention that spending half the time campaigning for office and doing things which made one popular was not necessarily good crime prevention and detection. More encouraging was the village shop which was taken over and run by 30 volunteers and which had become so successful that the team were able to employ a full time Manageress. In Battersea where there are four or five good local primary schools but no secondary schools, the middle class parents have got together and are trying to establish an independent school in a closed hospital building, recognising that the task is an exceptionally difficult one. Tower Hamlets Council set up a meeting at which the public could vote on how £250000 was to be spent on competing initiatives in their area with a number of options for the elderly one example. It will be interesting to see what happens if the first General Election after the expenses scandal. I believe the country needs a strong government ay the present time although a hung Parliament and lost of independents and small parties could help the democratic cause in the long run.
I also half watched the film The Proud and the Damned about a band of Confederate soldiers who had fled to Mexico. I have seen the film previously but a second viewing reminded that there had been some good moments. One local warlord insists they spy on what is happening in the nearest village township they are planning to raid, but they quickly find themselves liking the place and its people. The leader of the band takes up with a gypsy woman whose former man disfigures her for disloyalty and who is then killed by the leader who his himself wounded from a knife attack.
It the agreed that the two will leave while the rest of the gang stay and help defend the village and they do an excellent job destroying the ammunition dump of their attackers. However they then find out that their leader has been captured by the warlord who first contracted them and has been hung to death. They cut him down and bury and then go off to seek revenge by attacking his killer and all but the youngest die.
There is a sub story where the youngest is attracted by a young woman, still attending the convent school and promised to local commander of the village forces. He has considerable sympathy with position the visitors and goes with them to deal with the warlord. He also fails to return thus providing the opportunity for the young man who was knocked out by an older comrade to prevent his death being able to have a relationship with the girl and settle in the village community. This is film which is about the reality of conflict although for once it is the combatants who suffer more than the civilian bystanders.
I have completed an eight set volume incorporating my work on chocolate and its production in the UK. This reminded that my writing was incomplete as it did not cover chocolate refinement and specialities or chocolate biscuits. I also failed to mention Thornton the chocolate dedicated shop on most High Streets. Within the past five years I did try out a home delivery company providing a selection of fine chocolates on subscription, but only for a few months as I decided the escalating personal weight had to be tackled. I have enjoyed a small box of Belgian made chocolates two or three occasions since then but no more.
When it comes to biscuits, my favourites are those with a thick slab of chocolate to one side, then the chocolate rich tea rather than the digestive. The Malted Milk from Foxes is another. The Blue Ribbon wafer bar is another favourite along with the smaller varieties, especially the Neapolitan wafer. There is the Cadbury Chocolate Finger. It is some years since I picked up a Penguin. I have no problem devouring into a packet of Jaffa cakes but there are two which similar with Mars’ Celebrations are head and shoulders above the competition. The first is Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer with its five layers of wafer and four of caramel with milk or dark chocolate. The Tea cake of shortbread biscuit with the whipped egg concoction similar to marshmallow covered in milk or dark chocolate is too sweet for my taste although I have consumed my share in the past. The top of my chocolate biscuit pops is the chocolate Florentine made with nuts and candid fruit such as cherries into a caramel disc on a thick chocolate base. I was first introduced to an giant sized version at the Newcastle Playhouse cafe at the annual appearance of the Royal Shakespeare Company and more recently ordered a supply at Christmas from the Lakeland company. They are rich, textured and satisfying.
I also followed up writing about chocolate with one treat, not the Celebrations this time when a £4 carton was available at Azda but their own brand of chocolate assortment with three hazels nuts in chocolate, and soft hazelnut praline, toffee caramel and soft caramel, vanilla fudge and toffee crisp, and solid chocolate circle, the orange and the strawberry cream with a disappointing Nougat double where the nougat was difficult to detect. I have eaten about half before packing for the trip
I also could not resist sorting out the latest batch of leaflets giving information on home deliveries and takeaways. Not that I have ever ordered any as the cost is expensive compared to the supermarket availability of fridge and freezer options, tins and jars. I decided to update the list identifying 58 local offers and one from Newcastle and then put them in a lever arch file in Alphabetical order with one pocket for each item, finding that I had up four copies of a few and two for about a third and that is since the last sort through of the pile within the past year. The offers are mainly for food from the Indian sub continent and for the Pizza, but also includes Chinese and Thai, and Southern Fried Chicken, and with most also providing basic English foods such as fish and chips, omelettes and the American Burger. Here is the list with the numbers indicating the order in which the leaflets first arrived.
02 Abralebbarra, 01 AK’s Tripple Diner, 46 Arman Spice 03 Aloy Aloy, 37 Bombay Tandori, 04 The Beacon, 50 Casablanca Express, 05 China Cook, 40 Chinchilla, 36 Crown of India, 28 Delli, 06 Donatellos, 33 Eastern Eye, 07 Express of India, 08 The Godfather, 09 Herbs n Spice, 58 Home Delivery, 49 Indian Brasserie, 27 Indian Essence, 41 Indigo, 59 Jaiho, 45 Leonardos,10 Log Fire Pizza, 42 Luigi’s 52, Lychee 31, M & M’s, 38 Mama Mia’s, 11 Maneks Caterers, 12 Marine, 47 Marconies Pizza’s, 51 Massala, 54 Master Chef, 13 Mini House, 35 Moonlight Indian, 32 Mush’s, 39 Nazi’s Spice, 14 New Delhi, 34 Number, 15 Orange Grass, 16 Papa John, 17 Pizza Corner, 26 Pizza Porter, 44 Pizzeria Rafael,18 Planet Pizza, 30 Quarry Lane Tandori, 19 Rahamania 28 Red Mezze, 20 Razes Spice, 57 Shah, 55 Shah Jan Spice Kitchen, 56 Southern Fried Chicken, 48 Spice Box, 53 Spice Central, 21 Spice Garden, 22 Sylhet Space, 29 Tandori Eastenders, 23 Taste of India, 24 Tastybites, 43 The Shah Jar Spice Kitchen and 25 Yankees. A
Although the rain stopped once I had sat at the desk and then went to the floor to sort out the work ready to make into sets and then work on the registration of those completed. I have been making better progress this year than the last two, average over 100 new sets a month since the turn of the year but tending too undertake the set making and registration once a week, Today the total was 29 with half involving some confidential work which has occupied my attention over the past week. They are not all ready for photographing as I need to make up artman glitter cards.
I also organised everything for the trip including some shirt ironing. I took the accumulated rubbish for the week to the waste disposal centre yesterday as I am will miss the collection on Monday and the next collection follows the Easter holiday weekend. I need to be up 6.30 to 7.00 to morrow giving myself an hour and a half before setting off. Remember I have not checked the weather conditions in the morning and find that it will be dry, I also have not checked the Metro Train system and again there are no works scheduled on the line to Newcastle Station although the Haymarket station is to be closed all day. At the moment I am confident that I will not forget anything although I will need to buy some shaving cream while away. I will wear the suit now that it has been repaired.
I enjoyed my food today, commencing with a cereal bowl. I visited Lydl on Friday for a further supply before visiting Asda, but forgot to call in at B and Q for the anti fungus wash for the wall and some outdoor plaster, buying a packet which has to be made up rather than the ready made as I discovered I had not secured the lid on the container bought several years ago now and it had turned into solid rock.
I decided to eat traditional food of the Indian sub continent to day, dividing the frozen meal for two package between lunch and evening dinner. First there was Chicken Madras with Palau Rice, although the pieces of chicken were scarce and then a Beef Rogan Josh Bombay Potatoes and Onion Bhajis. For lunch I added some Chinese extras as a starters which I divided into two portions a price reduction from 2.48 to 1.24 and then to 40p which was my bargain of the month for 4 vegetable Spring rolls, 4 Chicken Wantons, for Prawn Toasts and a sweet chill dip. I had used the dip for the first portion but fortunately had some chill sauce in a bottle in the fridge. I also divided a small melon between the two meals and for supper enjoyed a toffee and pecan swirl, I drank a Diet Pepsi at Lunch and a Peroni beer from the bottle this evening.
This afternoon I was so busy that I forgot the Sunday Home game was underway, and missed the two opening goals, switching on as Birmingham scored and appeared the better side for the greater part of the second half until Sunderland made the points safe with a third. Sunderland were said to have dominated the first half but the 3.1 appeared flattering from what I heard happening over the second. Darren Bent scored the first after five minutes and the second on 11 minutes. Manager Bruce was philosophical unable to explain why the team had gone from the sublime to the ridiculous. They are now in 12th place and against my forecast, quickly getting out of trouble being ten points clear of Barnsley and Hull in the relegation zone. A couple more home wins should see them safe.
I half watched the opening half of the Newcastle visit to Bristol City on Sky as they were playing badly and went 2.0 down to an amazing goal from Nicky Maynard which would have the best goal keeper in the world beaten. It was only during the last third of the game that Newcastle changed gear and looked as if they would take all three points when first Gutierez siezed on a poor goal keeper’s throw out and then Andy Carroll, who impresses more with every match I see him play, levelled the game at 2.2. The goal keeper made up for his earlier error with a finger tip over the cross bar after a bullet header looked as if it was going to yield all three points. Newcastle remain two points clear at the top but have a game in hand over West Brom. They remain ten points clear of third and also have a game in hand and 16 points clear of the fourth placed
I also watched part of England in France Rugby Union International with they would win the six nations cup after Scotland beat Ireland in Ireland. This was said to be England’s best performance of the season but they narrowly lost with the main talking point being the quality of the refereeing decisions.
The reason why I missed most of the Rugby second half is that I wanted to watch a Michael Portillo programme about improving democratic involvement in the UK. He commenced with talking to two Mayors both independent characters who took on and won against the local part political establishments. In Hartlepool the successful Mayor had been a fun character who made his name by dressing up as the football team Mascot, a Monkey and promised school children free bananas if he won the election. As soon as he won he started to be serious and since been re-elected twice. Michael was clearly impressed that a random stop in the street revealed that everyone knew who the Mayor was and that said he was doing a good job. It is evident that he has adopted a high visibility constantly on the streets talking to the workforce and the public.
There was a similar positive pubic response in Doncaster, a town renowned for political corruption and incompetence but where the Mayor also illustrated the risks of the public electing an extremist as a reaction to the political party machine as he supports capital punish and a quick exit from Europe. He also cancelled the donation to Gay Pride and the services of a translator for new arrivals unable to speak English. However it was also evident he represented majority opinion in his locality and was popular. In both instances people knew their names. Michael then went of the USA to meet the dreadful police chief running a fascist local prison system. However his democratic argument could not be answered. He has put his policies upfront to the public five times and won each election convincingly. A British police chief drew attention that spending half the time campaigning for office and doing things which made one popular was not necessarily good crime prevention and detection. More encouraging was the village shop which was taken over and run by 30 volunteers and which had become so successful that the team were able to employ a full time Manageress. In Battersea where there are four or five good local primary schools but no secondary schools, the middle class parents have got together and are trying to establish an independent school in a closed hospital building, recognising that the task is an exceptionally difficult one. Tower Hamlets Council set up a meeting at which the public could vote on how £250000 was to be spent on competing initiatives in their area with a number of options for the elderly one example. It will be interesting to see what happens if the first General Election after the expenses scandal. I believe the country needs a strong government ay the present time although a hung Parliament and lost of independents and small parties could help the democratic cause in the long run.
I also half watched the film The Proud and the Damned about a band of Confederate soldiers who had fled to Mexico. I have seen the film previously but a second viewing reminded that there had been some good moments. One local warlord insists they spy on what is happening in the nearest village township they are planning to raid, but they quickly find themselves liking the place and its people. The leader of the band takes up with a gypsy woman whose former man disfigures her for disloyalty and who is then killed by the leader who his himself wounded from a knife attack.
It the agreed that the two will leave while the rest of the gang stay and help defend the village and they do an excellent job destroying the ammunition dump of their attackers. However they then find out that their leader has been captured by the warlord who first contracted them and has been hung to death. They cut him down and bury and then go off to seek revenge by attacking his killer and all but the youngest die.
There is a sub story where the youngest is attracted by a young woman, still attending the convent school and promised to local commander of the village forces. He has considerable sympathy with position the visitors and goes with them to deal with the warlord. He also fails to return thus providing the opportunity for the young man who was knocked out by an older comrade to prevent his death being able to have a relationship with the girl and settle in the village community. This is film which is about the reality of conflict although for once it is the combatants who suffer more than the civilian bystanders.
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