Arts
The Marisco Tavern
One or two Puffins may well be of a vintage where the adage “you’ll never forget where you were when it was announced that JF Kennedy was shot” rings true. SWMBO and I are fortunate [more…]
Drinking
20th Century
Liquid Thoughts on Beer
I was gratified recently to find that my uncle, John Alldridge, occasionally took time off in the 1940s from reporting World War II and its aftermath to concentrate on more important matters, as can be [more…]
Democracy
A View From The Greenhouse: We’re All “Far Right” Now, Innit?
Two weeks ago, when I commenced to writing my last episode about the trials and tribulations of a lazy, often reluctant veg grower and half hearted forager, I had no idea there’d be a new [more…]
Drinking
The Geek’s Guide To Ageing Your Own Homemade Whisky
This is the final missive of my guide on home distillation using the Still Spirits equipment. The previous post is here: The Geek’s Guide To Distilling Commercial Grade Whisky For £8 A Litre Bottle In [more…]
19th Century
Sabrage, or how to show off at parties
You have all seen old Hollywood movies showing Napoleonic cavalry officers celebrating by cutting the tops off of champagne bottles. The name for this is sabrage. As with most things in movies there is some [more…]
Arts
Set in Stone
This tale begins, as so many tales do, on a dismal winter’s day. This particular day, a miserably chilly and grey February one, was a decidedly rubbish day. Not only had Mr S and I [more…]
Arts
Coffee – Five Manual Brewing Techniques
This article is about different coffee brewing techniques that don’t require plug-in machines. Many people swear by expensive espresso makers, pod machines, or electric percolators, but I prefer the simplicity of manual devices. These are [more…]
Cooking
Chicken Tagine
I tried this the other day following a recipe I found but tweaked it a bit. The chicken needs to marinate in the fridge for at least one hour, and there is some preparation, requiring [more…]
Collecting
A View From The Greenhouse; This Sporting Life
Life carries on much as normal, given the increasingly bizarre times we live in. The weather, thankfully, has picked up and jobs that have been on hold for a couple of weeks have risen to [more…]