Month: June 2019

Our local conservation group meets from time to time, and this time it was an annual walk. It was slightly unimaginative in that it was a walk up and then back along the rail tracks run by the Midsomer Norton railway society. However, the weather was so good that it was a pleasure just to be  outside, enjoy the gentle breeze and look at the clouds scudding across the sky. People were moving so...

Today Saturday was the hottest day of the year and Glastonbury Festival is in full swing. We can hear the bands, or at least the bass part of the bands, where we are in Midsomer Norton which as the crow flies is 11 miles from us. Lower notes, long waves, have the power to travel much further and as I lay in bed I heard the distant boom quite clearly. Today we went off to Compton Dundon which is...

If there's one thing I insist on these days is having breakfast in peace. I like to read the paper and merely nod when the waiter asks 'is everything all right?'.  Wetherspoon's is therefore the wrong place to go - but you can be lucky. This morning there was a young child having breakfast (or picking at food with a spoon) who without warning shrieked loudly, a bit like a siren going off. I...

I'm just going to sit down down to watch the film "Wild" with Reese Witherspoon who in the film took the Appalachian Trail. I meant to sit and watch it much earlier but I got sidetracked by Youtube.  "The six worst falls off balconies", "the 10 most dangerous beaches in the world", "Road crashes in Russia", "people being attacked by elephants" and so on. Youtube knows exactly what I like. Pity...

I think it was about three years ago when we started to make our own bread. Perhaps this is a compliment to myself or maybe not but I find that no two loaves are the same. I tend to use two types of flour; ordinary white flour and some rye flour as well.  I take care not to put too much rye in otherwise the whole gets a bit heavy and soggy.  We enjoy our bread, especially when guests arrive and...

I read in the paper today that many parts of India have run out of water. Europe is going to bask in the mid-30s by the weekend. Here in Midsomer Norton we have no wind and 22°C. There is no question, life is just that little bit more bearable when the sun is shining but 45 or 47 degrees is a bit too much like an oven.. We must blame Putin for all mishaps that happen however caused. Perhaps...