Just before we left for holiday in August, I realised I had more than half of quite a large box of tomatoes that we couldn't possibly use up before we went away. I found a recipe online for an approximation* of Ballymaloe tomato chutney, and it was really nice - I'll definitely be doing it again when I get settled back in Scotland.
* I assume the exact recipe is a closely-guarded secret.
That looks lovely, Boogie - I'll be right over ...
We're having possibly my most un-favourite weather today: freezing rain, resulting in Patches of Treachery™ - the paths and pavements are like ice-rinks, but slippier.
That cake looks yummy. Having been vegetarian for years, we are now trying to be more vegan so good to know that cakes are still possible. Mind you we failed tonight as we had mozzarella with our bruschetta.
I had an aged aunt who made parsnip wine that came in at roughly 19%: when freezers came in she took to pouring it into shallow tins, placing in the freezer and scooping off the ice, so ending up with parsnip firewater
Dear Gods, was she the model for the Dibley Poisoner?
My very first youthful experience - and not unpleasant memory - of mild inebriation was due to my step-grandmother's rhubarb wine. A fine old girl she was, and of an effervescent disposition, just like her wine. I don't think she ever took down any policemen with it, however.
My sister’s first inebriation - fairly mild - was when our Guide Captain had the patrol leaders to a meeting at her house and served her husband’s home made ginger beer, which wasn’t supposed to have fermented! I only escaped because I didn’t like it. La Captain was mortified when she heard.
I had an aged aunt who made parsnip wine that came in at roughly 19%: when freezers came in she took to pouring it into shallow tins, placing in the freezer and scooping off the ice, so ending up with parsnip firewater
Dear Gods, was she the model for the Dibley Poisoner?
AG
No. But much loved in her village, especially by those normally TT Chapel folk who never could work out why her festive Fruit Cup was so much more delicious than any other
Was she akin to the lady patient I once met who secretly grew cannabis*, to include in her recipe for the Lovely Fruity Buns she baked for the Women's Institute?
Equally ...
*ETA - she suffered from MS, so some of the cannabis was for her own pain relief purposes...so she said...
There was a lady (now sadly deceased) in Orkney with MS who spent quite a chunk of the last few years of her life trying to persuade the Sheriff Court that they were wasting their time pursuing her for growing cannabis (still illegal in those days) in her greenhouse for the relief of herself and fellow-sufferers.
Orkney is a bit of a hot-spot for MS; if it relieved people's suffering I reckon she was doing a Good Thing.
There was a late lady in Orkney /
planting some weed for herself, see. /
The Sheriff Court was told /
there was nowt to behold. /
We hope in the end she was set free.
<votive> for all sufferers of MS and other nastitudes, in all locations.
In other news, I'm just having some Stilton for breakfast, and very nice it is too.
Try and ship back photographs if you can, Piglet. They may be a very comforting thing in the months ahead...
And there are various people who can make a Memory Bear from items of D'dclothing, which you might want to consider at some point.
I've packed up quite a lot of photographs (including, obviously, our wedding album), so there'll be plenty. I can't do anything about the memory bear, as I gave away D's clothes, but I have several bears who bring their own memories.
I'm about to go and wrap up my "posh" china, which came with me to my friend's house, but was rather hastily shoved in a couple of boxes, and really ought to be a bit better protected for its journey to the Hospice Shop - I don't want it arriving in more pieces than it's meant to!
I'm feeling a little bit guilty about giving it away: it was our wedding present from D's parents (it came from his father's auction rooms), but even when there were two of us, we only used it once in a blue moon, so I don't think I could have justified the cost of shipping it.
@Piglet, might it be worth keeping maybe just one or two place settings, or an individual piece or two, like a creamer or something? That would be a lot less to ship, and you’d still have a little bit of it to pull out when you might like to.
@Piglet I wish you a smooth packing-up with these last few pieces.
I’ve just got back from A Surprise Day With Trains. The plan was to go to a Distant City on a cholera vaccine hunt, using 2 trains and changing in the nearby Big City. Surprise #1: a Chinese dragon dancing on the forecourt of the middle station - including tossing lettuce about (salad, anyone?). Surprise #2: I don’t need the cholera vaccine after all. Surprise #3: my train back to the middle station was diverted due to a freight train derailment, and went a very, very long and scenic route including straight through “my” station (I waved) so I still had to change and come back to it. I didn’t mind - the unexpected scenery was lovely in the sunshine and I spotted a huge field of rhubarb (mmmmm crumble).
I have a plate decorated by I think painted by one of my great great grandfather (i.e. my grandmother's grandfather). He had a set of six and each went down a different line of the family.
I have a plate, cup and saucer that was part of my great-grandmother’s wedding set - each of her surviving children had a place setting, and I am proud to have mine. I doubt it’s worth anything other than sentimental value as she was very much a villager scraping a living (my grandmother told me that the book Lark Rise To Candleford painted a fairly accurate picture of her childhood).
My Old Mum had three hyacinth bowls - simple, dark-coloured, glazed items, one blue, one purple, one pink - and I regret to this day not having kept them, with other keepsakes, after her death in 2004.
My parents have a Clarice Cliff tea service that was a wedding present to my paternal grandparents. It is actually written in their will that it is not be split up as it's worth more as a whole.
...
Surprise #1: a Chinese dragon dancing on the forecourt of the middle station - including tossing lettuce about (salad, anyone?)
...
If it was eating lettuce, it would have been a Chinese Lion Dance (just two people under the costume.) The lettuce is something the lion has to strive for and represents prosperity. My eldest is involved in a local kung fu and lion dancing organisation and did three lion dances over the weekend for the Chinese New Year and will be doing a handful more over the next week or so.
@Piglet Have you had it valued? If it came from an auction house it wasn't because it was worthless ...
And if its UK china it may well attract premium over the pond.
The auction room was my late father-in-law's business - he was the senior partner when D. and I got married - and he'd already offered the set to my sister-in-law, who got married the year before, but she didn't want it.
It's Royal Doulton Larchmont - not, I suspect, a really "premium" design (and, I believe, discontinued about 20 years ago). I thought the design was nice enough, if a bit dated, but as I say, we only ever used it on high days and holy days, and I doubt that I'd use it very often on my own.
I did have a look on Google, and the individual pieces don't seem to be worth a huge lot; I suppose there may be a market for them as replacements. They seem to be quite plentiful on china-matching sites and EBay - I've seen sets with far more settings (and a bigger range of items) than mine.
As for keeping a couple of pieces, I see what you mean, Nick, but anything I take with me now will need to be taken in my luggage on the plane, and I'm really trying to keep that to a minimum.
Not all china becomes valuable with age – it depends very much on the pattern.
Lo these forty years ago my parents saved up what was then a small fortune to buy a hand-painted Spode dinner service. It’s still complete but these days it’s really not worth very much at all because the pattern – fruit and leaves – is no longer fashionable.
Much to my parents’ disappointment, neither I nor my brother really like it or are particularly interested in inheriting it.
Much to my parents’ disappointment, neither I nor my brother really like it or are particularly interested in inheriting it.
Which is the attitude both my sons have to all my belongings. It is rather disappointing to have my treasured possessions so roundly dismissed, and to know they will end up in a skip.
I saw this in action when they helped me clear out the loft before we moved house. An early 1950s Hardy Amies dress, inherited from my MiL got thrown into a skip when my back was turned, and goodness knows what else.
The former Mrs BF built up a small collection of SylvaC items, at a time when such fripperies were popular, and costing fair amounts.
Come divorce time, and the joys of the auction house, she found that there wasn't much interest in SylvaC at that period, and the whole lot went for a trifling sum.
Perhaps @Piglet, if you haven't much time before you cross the Pond, would it be worth handing the collection over to an auction house in Canada, and letting them get on with it?
As @TheOrganist says, there may well be a market for it, but we appreciate the fact that you have other priorities right now!
This talk of china dinner services reminds me of my godmother, a maiden aunt, who collected blue willow pattern throughout her life. We ate off it when we visited her - not very often - and I always washed up after lunch.
One day a plate slipped and made a bit of a clatter and splash as it fell back into the washing up bowl. I checked it over, couldn't see anything untoward, and didn't think a great deal of it until the next time we visited when she was handing out dinner plates at the table. She half-handed me one and then pointedly took it back saying, "Oh, no, don't have that one. It's chipped." There was An Accompanying Look and I knew straight away what she meant.
It's years ago now but I remember it so clearly - with the adult insight of wondering why she simply hadn't mentioned to my parents what had happened as they'd have happily replaced it. Or if I'd been a bit older I'd have said, "Oh, I'm sorry, did I do that last time I was here?" As it was, the moment passed.
After she died her executor contacted to say I'd been left "a specific legacy" in her will. It wasn't, fortunately, the willow-pattern service. That really would have been The Ultimate Revenge.
Looking at the prices in TheOrganist's link, I'm beginning to think you might be right!
I think I'm pretty well committed to giving it to charity though - my host probably wants it out of the way! There is an auctioneer's a little bit out of town having a sale tomorrow, but I'd say I'm probably too late for that.
eta: We went through a phase of collecting Willow pattern shortly after we married; we started with a bog-standard set from British Home Stores or similar, and added to it from antique shops, markets and my father-in-law's auction rooms. I gave it away not long after we moved to Canada.
I don't want much of The Dowager's stuff*, and I can't imagine my children will want mine! (although Master S and his wife fell on some of it* with loud cried of delight, so that was fine).
I have reconciled myself to getting rid of the former by saying very firmly that she had her money's worth out of it in the pleasure it gave her, and thus it is in no way incumbent on me to lumber myself with stuff that she liked and I do not.
It's like gifts - when you give someone something, you give it away absolutely and retain no rights in it, so no whinging when they get rid!
When she left home sister casually collected Clarice Cliff before it became collectible, simply because she liked it. Way back then, before the days of the Antiques Roadshow etc it was possible to pick up piece at market junk stalls for pennies, and we all donated found pieces to her. Sadly, one day the shelf unit they were on collapsed - I don’t think any of it survived. It would have been worth a small fortune now.
You should always use bone china: its much tougher than earthenware, can withstand higher temperatures than most oven-to-tableware and is less likely to chip than either, - and much lighter than ironstone. We use my (first) wedding china everyday and the family stuff for special occasions.
The family set is very old; originally a set for 18, I still have complete place settings for 12. There are 14 meat platters ranging from something partridge size to a massive one that will hold 3 large dressed salmon, plus a few vegetable dishes and sauce tureens, although the ladles have vanished. The only downside is that it has to be washed by hand, otherwise the gilding comes off; I use soda crystals and rinse in boiling water.
When we have lots of people at my mother in law's the stairs are very useful. You can get quite a few people on them and as they lead directly into the dining room, everyone can eat their buffet lunch together.
Husband and I went to the Dulwich Picture Gallery to see the exhibition about Rembrandt and light. It was staged by a cinematographer, so lots of different lighting in the rooms, and each painting had a notice in the style of screenplay directions. Husband had the audio guide, which apparently has some really useful observations on it, but as we'd got there late for our slot and the place was packed, I didn't bother going through the rigmarole that is getting headsets for people with hearing aids in case they didn't let us in. Afterwards we went for a quick lunch in one place and coffee and cake in another, so a very pleasant day. I was sitting opposite the wine display in the first place, which rather made me wish we weren't doing dry January, but at least it is nearly February!
Comments
* I assume the exact recipe is a closely-guarded secret.
We're having possibly my most un-favourite weather today: freezing rain, resulting in Patches of Treachery™ - the paths and pavements are like ice-rinks, but slippier.
Ugh.
Dear Gods, was she the model for the Dibley Poisoner?
AG
Given that the stuff was about three times as powerful as whisky, the falling-off-of-bicycles came naturally...
Alcoholic ginger beer sounds fun, though.
Was she akin to the lady patient I once met who secretly grew cannabis*, to include in her recipe for the Lovely Fruity Buns she baked for the Women's Institute?
Equally
*ETA - she suffered from MS, so some of the cannabis was for her own pain relief purposes...so she said...
Orkney is a bit of a hot-spot for MS; if it relieved people's suffering I reckon she was doing a Good Thing.
planting some weed for herself, see. /
The Sheriff Court was told /
there was nowt to behold. /
We hope in the end she was set free.
<votive> for all sufferers of MS and other nastitudes, in all locations.
In other news, I'm just having some Stilton for breakfast, and very nice it is too.
But @Wesley J I like your style...
And there are various people who can make a Memory Bear from items of D'dclothing, which you might want to consider at some point.
I'm about to go and wrap up my "posh" china, which came with me to my friend's house, but was rather hastily shoved in a couple of boxes, and really ought to be a bit better protected for its journey to the Hospice Shop - I don't want it arriving in more pieces than it's meant to!
I'm feeling a little bit guilty about giving it away: it was our wedding present from D's parents (it came from his father's auction rooms), but even when there were two of us, we only used it once in a blue moon, so I don't think I could have justified the cost of shipping it.
Just a thought.
And if its UK china it may well attract premium over the pond.
I’ve just got back from A Surprise Day With Trains. The plan was to go to a Distant City on a cholera vaccine hunt, using 2 trains and changing in the nearby Big City. Surprise #1: a Chinese dragon dancing on the forecourt of the middle station - including tossing lettuce about (salad, anyone?). Surprise #2: I don’t need the cholera vaccine after all. Surprise #3: my train back to the middle station was diverted due to a freight train derailment, and went a very, very long and scenic route including straight through “my” station (I waved) so I still had to change and come back to it. I didn’t mind - the unexpected scenery was lovely in the sunshine and I spotted a huge field of rhubarb (mmmmm crumble).
Well done, @daisydaisy - glad you had a good day!
My Old Mum had three hyacinth bowls - simple, dark-coloured, glazed items, one blue, one purple, one pink - and I regret to this day not having kept them, with other keepsakes, after her death in 2004.
If it was eating lettuce, it would have been a Chinese Lion Dance (just two people under the costume.) The lettuce is something the lion has to strive for and represents prosperity. My eldest is involved in a local kung fu and lion dancing organisation and did three lion dances over the weekend for the Chinese New Year and will be doing a handful more over the next week or so.
The auction room was my late father-in-law's business - he was the senior partner when D. and I got married - and he'd already offered the set to my sister-in-law, who got married the year before, but she didn't want it.
It's Royal Doulton Larchmont - not, I suspect, a really "premium" design (and, I believe, discontinued about 20 years ago). I thought the design was nice enough, if a bit dated, but as I say, we only ever used it on high days and holy days, and I doubt that I'd use it very often on my own.
I did have a look on Google, and the individual pieces don't seem to be worth a huge lot; I suppose there may be a market for them as replacements. They seem to be quite plentiful on china-matching sites and EBay - I've seen sets with far more settings (and a bigger range of items) than mine.
As for keeping a couple of pieces, I see what you mean, Nick, but anything I take with me now will need to be taken in my luggage on the plane, and I'm really trying to keep that to a minimum.
Lo these forty years ago my parents saved up what was then a small fortune to buy a hand-painted Spode dinner service. It’s still complete but these days it’s really not worth very much at all because the pattern – fruit and leaves – is no longer fashionable.
Much to my parents’ disappointment, neither I nor my brother really like it or are particularly interested in inheriting it.
I saw this in action when they helped me clear out the loft before we moved house. An early 1950s Hardy Amies dress, inherited from my MiL got thrown into a skip when my back was turned, and goodness knows what else.
Come divorce time, and the joys of the auction house, she found that there wasn't much interest in SylvaC at that period, and the whole lot went for a trifling sum.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SylvaC
I didn't have to move house, so I've kept one or two pieces (the ones I originally bought, I think).
For Canada the best people are Echos - here are their details.
Looking at the prices on the website of the first there are people out there who'd like your stuff.
As @TheOrganist says, there may well be a market for it, but we appreciate the fact that you have other priorities right now!
One day a plate slipped and made a bit of a clatter and splash as it fell back into the washing up bowl. I checked it over, couldn't see anything untoward, and didn't think a great deal of it until the next time we visited when she was handing out dinner plates at the table. She half-handed me one and then pointedly took it back saying, "Oh, no, don't have that one. It's chipped." There was An Accompanying Look and I knew straight away what she meant.
It's years ago now but I remember it so clearly - with the adult insight of wondering why she simply hadn't mentioned to my parents what had happened as they'd have happily replaced it. Or if I'd been a bit older I'd have said, "Oh, I'm sorry, did I do that last time I was here?" As it was, the moment passed.
After she died her executor contacted to say I'd been left "a specific legacy" in her will. It wasn't, fortunately, the willow-pattern service. That really would have been The Ultimate Revenge.
I think I'm pretty well committed to giving it to charity though - my host probably wants it out of the way! There is an auctioneer's a little bit out of town having a sale tomorrow, but I'd say I'm probably too late for that.
eta: We went through a phase of collecting Willow pattern shortly after we married; we started with a bog-standard set from British Home Stores or similar, and added to it from antique shops, markets and my father-in-law's auction rooms. I gave it away not long after we moved to Canada.
I have reconciled myself to getting rid of the former by saying very firmly that she had her money's worth out of it in the pleasure it gave her, and thus it is in no way incumbent on me to lumber myself with stuff that she liked and I do not.
It's like gifts - when you give someone something, you give it away absolutely and retain no rights in it, so no whinging when they get rid!
Mrs. S, aka Hardhearted Hannah
The family set is very old; originally a set for 18, I still have complete place settings for 12. There are 14 meat platters ranging from something partridge size to a massive one that will hold 3 large dressed salmon, plus a few vegetable dishes and sauce tureens, although the ladles have vanished. The only downside is that it has to be washed by hand, otherwise the gilding comes off; I use soda crystals and rinse in boiling water.
China now safely deposited, with no mishaps - I was more than a tad nervous of carrying the boxes over icy pavements ...
I hope someone will enjoy it - as I said, it's not that I didn't like it - I just couldn't see myself using it on my own.
Husband and I went to the Dulwich Picture Gallery to see the exhibition about Rembrandt and light. It was staged by a cinematographer, so lots of different lighting in the rooms, and each painting had a notice in the style of screenplay directions. Husband had the audio guide, which apparently has some really useful observations on it, but as we'd got there late for our slot and the place was packed, I didn't bother going through the rigmarole that is getting headsets for people with hearing aids in case they didn't let us in. Afterwards we went for a quick lunch in one place and coffee and cake in another, so a very pleasant day. I was sitting opposite the wine display in the first place, which rather made me wish we weren't doing dry January, but at least it is nearly February!