The travels of Mary Loosemore

Herefordshire Week 093: Tuesday 12 – Monday 18 October 2021

The last of the preserves production. Good garden jobs. Utility Room revamp & Loft prep.

We were woken before sunrise on Tuesday morning by loud screeches coming from two birds. No idea what – one was possibly a Jay, or perhaps it was Buzzard vs Owl?

Task No. 1 for the morning was to film my piece to camera for the ELR KM Database relaunch video. The things I do to get projects over the line. Thank heavens for Philip Gyford and both his acting experience and filming kit. The first time I’ve worn mascara since I don’t know when.

Me - the work version — Me – the work version

Job done, we strolled down to the Abbey and back over the field, chatting with Chris about Gigaclear / Fastershire fiasco en route.

Just enough time to tackle Task No. 2: Turning the last pick of the wild plums Allotment Garden Damson Jam. Both this recipe, using 1.2kg damsons, and the One Pot of Jam from Your Microwave recipe, using 550g fruit, produced 3½ pots. How does that work?

Early afternoon, as I was getting stuck into work, dad arrived and he and Phil took the two boxes of surplus flooring back to Simply Stunning for a refund. Smashing service from start to finish from Simply Stunning.

Work done for the week, I had a busy day in the garden on Friday – the lovely weather continues. Tidied up the tomato plants behind the greenhouse, picked up the worthwhile windfall apples from the fallen apple tree (what do you do with 4 bucketloads of small apples?) and lopped off the smaller branches, wheelbarrowing them to the bonfire and getting that going in the afternoon.

Apples from the fallen tree — Damson Jam: rolling boil

Further lopping down on the lower path, tidying up wild plum bushes and blackberry runners. We also relocated the apple racks and washing machine in the Utility Room ahead of Handyman Sam coming tomorrow.

It was a cool afternoon and evening so we lit the wood stove and luxuriated in our lounge admiring the new flooring – the downstairs space is transformed – as Thea and Joe were coming up in the evening for a Mexican feast. Lots of chat and a late night. Smashing.

I had signed up for Saturday’s GVWC Challenge Walk (17 miles around Peterchurch) but after all of Friday’s excitements I was shattered and sent my regrets late on Friday. Sod’s law meant Saturday was a glorious day, and after a leisurely start my energy levels were back to normal.

Still, a good day to be in as Handyman Sam was with us for part 1 of the Utility Room Revamp. Aka removing the remains of the boiler cupboard and all the boxing around the pipe work. He returns next Saturday to finish off, and he’s also going to extend the washing machine plumbing so that we can relocate it into the alcove. Score!

Utility Room cupboard removal - at the half way point — Utility Room cupboard removal – at the half way point

I spent the day doing computer things and jobs in the garden. More tomato tidying, cleared the herb bed and dug over the earth, planted out the Hergest Croft Herefordshire Russet apple tree.

Herefordshire Russet - Apple tree label — Herefordshire Russet – Apple tree label

More pruning on the lower path and lots of raking up of leaves from the swing slope. The bonfire was still smouldering, so, with the help of some of the dry leaves I revived that to burn more of the damp hedge trimmings that lingered around the edge.

Despite all Saturday’s activity, I didn’t sleep well, which is my excuse for sleeping in until 10am. Unheard of. And it was another lovely day of blue skies and sunshine. So rather than the Hereford Screwfix shop we’d planned (rat trap high on the list) we opted to walk the Bacton Square, chatting with Thea on the return stretch and picking a large bag of blackberries.

Dad and Jean had been due to come for Sunday lunch today, but nasty colds have postponed that plan. But an organic chicken won’t last forever, so we set to work on making Sunday lunch for two. A dry run for Christmas Dinner, but without the sprouts or bread sauce (sniff – two of my favourite items), and with the mutual grumps. A plateful each was followed by seconds, demolished in the sun warmed conservatory.

Washing up done, I opted to spend the rest of the afternoon lounging on the sofa watching telly. Sometimes you just have to, even on an unseasonably warm mid-October day. Eventually I found room for the apple and blackberry crumble…

Busy day, Monday! We emptied the loft (unearthing lots of lost treasures as well as dead flies and mouse traps), went to the tip (waving goodbye to the loft’s carpet and cardboard collection) and made another batch of Apple Chutney (Penny’s Recipes Apple Chutney with Dates, Sultanas, Mustard & Coriander Seeds. Double quantity, reduced sugar. 14 jars, various sizes – from large to small). The cupboards are FULL.

Penny's Recipes Apple Chutney — Penny’s Recipes Apple Chutney

Also strained the 4 jars of Apple Cider (Scraps) Vinegar. One jar is clear but the other three are cloudy, and they are the ones where there was a layer of mould on the chopped apples… Let’s see what happens over the next stage. (Yes, it does look a bit like wee.)

Apple Cider Vinegar - Stage 2: Strained — Apple Cider Vinegar – Stage 2: Strained

In less good news, I found the dead mouse in the garage that was the cause of the nasty niffs we’d noticed on Saturday. And Phil found second corpse in the mouse trap that had mysteriously moved overnight…

Started season 2 of The Get Down while polishing off Sunday Lunch Leftovers, and then packed for MN. My first trip back to the (an) office since Feb 2020.

TV: Grand Designs, The North Water, The Celts, Who Do You Think You Are, The Get Down.

Podcasts: History Extra, The History of England Podcast – Guest episodes, The History of English Podcast, Bookclub.

Photos: Herefordshire week 94 on Flickr.

Phil: w/e 2021-10-17.

Herefordshire Week 093: Tuesday 05 – Monday 11 October 2021

Weekend visitors. Hot sunny days. Gin and Jam.

After Monday’s excitement, Tuesday morning brought a headache, most likely a mixture of stress (week away + car + flooring) plus paint and glue fumes.

Confounding the forecast, it was a lovely sunny day so weeknotes done, and having got a second batch of Blackberry Gin underway, I headed out on the Cockyard loop, which included a chat with Carl on Stone Street and a pick up from dad and Phil just above Quarrells Green. Dad had come over for coffee and to talk through his LPA.

Started off Wednesday with Damson Gin, stage 2 – aka add the gin (I’m using The Allotment Garden’s Damson Gin recipe). Stage 3 – strain and drink – is due on Christmas Eve. Perfect timing. And another headache, so no VWW for me.

Thursday we had our visit from the Welsh Water Engineer / Plumber checking for leaks (based on the temperature of the water at our connection to the mains). None found, he agreed it was most likely the pipe to our house. We still got the water usage reducing shower head and garden hose spray kit.

Admin Friday morning, primarily sorting out things to do with the Walton flat plus trying to open a new ISA Share Dealing Account. T-e-r-r-i-b-l-e form, but a really really helpful guy on their helpline who actually filled out the form in parallel with me and worked out the precise format required for the mobile phone number field: XXXXX XXXXXX in case you come up against the same “mandatory field with no guidance” barrier.

Nipped into Hereford late morning to do the weekend food shop and for Phil to buy some new wellies. I also reluctantly returned Great Circle to the library, unfinished. It’s been reserved so I only get 2 x 2 day renewal and it’ll take me longer than that to complete. I’m really enjoying it, so I’ve reserved it again. That is one of the downsides of being a library (as opposed to buying) reader, given it’s 13 miles to the library….

Cat arrived mid-afternoon for the start of a lovely weekend, and later that night we drove into Hereford to pick Hazel up at the station.

Cue a weekend with lots of catching up, eating and drinking, walking and reminiscing about our “how we met” trip on the Wayward Bus from Adelaide to Alice Springs and meeting up again in Thailand. Happy times.

After a leisurely start on Saturday we walked to Ewyas Harold to buy papers. Our route took us down to Abbey Dore, up onto the Common via the Deer Field (and no cows in the other fields) and down into Ewyas Harold via the access road. We returned along the lanes to Dulas, the footpath through The Park to The Old Trout, up Mill Lane and footpaths across the fields to Cwm Hill Road. Lovely.

Late lunch then a relaxing afternoon in the conservatory, Mexican feast prep aided by a bottle of fizz and nachos (classy!) and an evening with the photo album.

Sunday brought beautiful blue skies, sunshine and real warmth, so after a little ‘something to put us on’ we strolled down to the Abbey and back for brunch. Phil delivered a fry up feast, which we ate sitting out on the patio. It felt more like August than October.

Waved Cat off, then pottered with Hazel until it was time to drop her back off at Hereford Station. Getting more used to driving the Panda. Vroom!!

I spent the rest of the afternoon outside, clearing cuttings and mowing the orchard – it’s not had a trim since before the apple tree fell down, and that fallen tree means mowing needs the Honda Mower. The grass was decidedly lush, but the Honda coped and the compost heap got a healthy top up of grass cuttings. I prepped all the edges and tricky bits too, in anticipation of a full mow tomorrow.

Monday was another glorious sunny day.

Frustratingly I had to spend the morning sorting out various insurances but I got outside for the rest of the day, picking the tomatoes from the growbag behind the greenhouse, collecting the last of the wild plums, blackerrying along the lane and in Thistly Field with Phil and planting the ‘compost bin’ daffodil bulbs in the verges at our junction (still with Phil) and finally mowing, the repaired grass collector working like A Dream.

The colander full of plums came in at 1.8kg, and I turned 600g of them into 3 ½ pots of Damson Jam, following the recipe in my photocopied pages of One Pot of Jam from Your Microwave – which include the much loved recipes for Anglo-Indian Apple Chutney and Apple Mincemeat (Vegan, Brandy). And – at last – I’ve managed to track down the book they come from: One Pot of Jam from Your Microwave by Sonia Allison.

Damson Jam - made in the microwave: 3½ pots — Damson Jam – made in the microwave: 3½ pots

Even if October temperatures haven’t arrived, the Autumn colours have – red berries garlanding the hedgerows, hollies and hawthorns; green leaves turning red, orange and gold. Beautiful against blue skies.

And it looks like I may have a second batch of strawberries… incredible.

TV: Grand Designs, Maid.

Podcasts / audiobooks: History Extra.

Photos: Herefordshire week 93 on Flickr.

Phil: w/e 2021-10-10.

Herefordshire Week 092: Tuesday 29 September – Monday 04 October 2021

An On Off On Off week in Pembs with rainy days and dry sunny days alternating. Breezy throughout.

Back home…. a couple of significant new things:

New car!

Wooden Floors!

Heavy rain overnight so Tuesday was deemed as day to spend in the van, reading and chatting until cheese on toast lunch. The afternoon held dry spells and we managed the walk around the Southwood Estate picking blackberries and sloes. We stewed the former in anticipation of a crumble on Thursday and froze the latter ready to make sloe gin. Tasty Cashew Nut Curry Risotto for dinner with cheese and biscuits after.

Wednesday was the sunny day of the week so we drove over to Marloes and walked on up to Martin’s Haven and around the headland to Marloes Sands, returning via roads and field footpaths.

Lots of seals and pups in the bays along the way. Lots of photos.

Tea and welsh cakes back at base and bit of relaxing before Maurice arrived and drove us to Nolton Haven for dinner at The Haven Brasserie. My first evening meal out for a long long time.

Back to rain on Thursday – light windswept showers and heavier spells. Leisurely start then into Narberth. A damp and drizzly potter around time with our buzzer from Ultracomida in order to get a place at their tapas table.

Worth the wait for a tasty tapas lunch then tea with Maurice, Outlet & Lidl shopping in H’west and back to base for the evening.

Rain resumed. We tucked into cheese and biscuits followed by blackberry and apple crumble.

A wet start Friday cleared to leave a breezy sunshine-filled day and so it was off to St Davids to walk the Coast Path from Caerfai to White Sands.

A smashing day, blackberry picking, seal watching and with coffee and cake at Porthclais Kiosk.

Steffi took the footpath route back into St Davids which cut down the long road section at the end and brings you into St Davids via the Cathedral and Bishops Palace. Lovely.

By the end we were all glowing from a day of sunshine and fresh air.

Back to the van for tea and a welsh cake then wine and nibbles, Lidl Deluxe pizzas, crumble and creme fraiche.

October started well.

Rain returned in the evening and continued in and off overnight and into Saturday, heavy. Lazy morning featuring bed coffee and a late breakfast, sloe gin production, reading and listening to podcasts. And a fab sunset.

Early rain cleared on Sunday morning and another bright and breezy day lured us down onto the beach for a low tide stroll.

Then it was packing up and off to Mayhem for one of Maurice’s slap up Sunday lunches. Well up to the usual high standard, even if the gathering was significantly smaller than usual. we’d not managed our Everest Trek Get Together as D&G had decided not to come in light of the petrol shortages and weather forecast.

Sunday lunch - veggie version — Sunday lunch – veggie version

Easy drive home dropping Hazel off at Carmarthen train station en route, returning to find the downstairs walls and skirting painted by Phil and the grass collector bit of the mower fixed by dad and Phil.

Phil managed half of the box of Sunday lunch leftovers I was sent home with…..

Quite a momentous day, Monday:

1. We collected our new car. It’s a Fiat Panda 4×4, to cater for the icy roads and occasional floods as well as potholes, narrow country lanes and Hereford parking. We did a part-Ex on the Nissan, which made me realise how attached I’d become to it. Sniff.
  Goodbye old car…. Hello new car
2. The wooden flooring was laid in the hall, dining room and lounge.
  New flooring in the lounge, dining area and entrance hall – before, during & after

TV: Grand Designs, Maid.

Podcasts / audiobooks: History Extra, Great Lives, Books and Authors.

Photos: Herefordshire week 92 on Flickr.

Phil: w/e 2021-10-03.

Herefordshire Week 091: Tuesday 21 – Monday 28 September 2021

New car! (But you’ll have to wait to find out what…)

More Chutney. Some Apple Cider Vinegar plus Damson / Wild Plum and Blackberry Gins.

Pembrokeshire with Hazel and Steffi.

Garden-wise we have a bumper crop of wild plums, and stacks of apples – mainly from trees that were quiet last year.

I need to remember to keep more time free at this time of year to make the most of the autumn harvest. Turning the apples etc into useful things takes an age, let along picking and washing them. There is no room left in the freezer now. On top of that, the veg patch is untended and the third bed awaiting my attention.

I’m going to try a few new things this year – Janette sent me the apple cider vinegar recipe she uses. I’ve thought about making it before as a lot of my apple chutney recipes use it, and I tend to just chuck in malt instead because it’s cheaper. I’m eying up a couple of chutney and gin options, working on the basis that our very tart wild plums are equivalent to damsons, and I’m hoping to find time to squeeze in Blackberry Gin making too.

Anyway, Friday was set aside for all that.

Into Hereford on Tuesday morning for shopping and library, Wilko for pop top bottles and Poundland for cheap reading glasses. And General Dogsbody for more peanuts for those greedy garden birds. (We love them really.) Then coffee with dad and Jean at the bungalow, sat out on the patio, and taking receipt of a black chilli plant gifted from Annette and Michael.

After the afternoon at work, we drove to Brecon to look at a new second hand car, and settled a part-ex purchase with collection set for Monday 04 October. I can’t reveal what it is yet because Phil is ~~taking bets~~ soliciting guesses as to what it is.

Up early on Wednesday. Morning dew on the spider webs adorning the front gate.

And enough time to collect windfalls and make apple cider vinegar following Janette’s recipe before work. VWW after.

The Welsh Water engineers didn’t materialise on Thursday to look for the leaks they think we have, and after Family Zoom I headed out to collect blackberries as the light faded and managed to get a jar of blackberry gin underway. Phil is on sugar dissolving shaking duties once I’m in Pembs.

A busy day Friday.

The day’s preserving began with getting three mayo jars of Allotment Garden Damson Gin underway – handy tip to freeze the fruit so that it splits so you avoid the need to prick.

Apple Chutney, Damson Chutney & Damson Gin: Allotment Garden Damson Gin - step 1 — Apple Chutney, Damson Chutney & Damson Gin: Allotment Garden Damson Gin – step 1

Next up, chutneys, apple and plum / damson:

Batch 1

Holly Jones’ Spiced Apple Chutney (with star anise and mustard seeds, from pickled cucumber vinegar)
Anglo-Indian Apple Chutney (microwave version)

Batch 2

Frugal Feeding Apple Chutney (with jalapeño vinegar)
Delia’s Spiced Damson Chutney (her favourite!)

Apple Chutney, Damson Chutney & Damson Gin: Controlled chaos in the kitchen

Apple Chutney, Damson Chutney & Damson Gin: Delia's Spiced Damson Chutney - damsons (front), everything else (back) — Apple Chutney, Damson Chutney & Damson Gin: Delia’s Spiced Damson Chutney – damsons (front), everything else (back)

The second batch was left to cool temporarily mid-afternoon as we nipped into Hereford to test drive the Mazda again. Hot and sunny afternoon made for a lovely top down drive (even with the Friday traffic) and I remained tempted, but we reached stalemate on price. Stopped off at Asda on the way home to fill up the car and mower petrol cans – the fuel delivery crisis was starting to stick around in the headlines and lingered for a week or so. There were “Out of….” signs / covers around at Lock’s Garage and The Forge and various petrol stations in Pembs, but we were fine.

Back to base to finish simmering and bottling the chutneys. The overall tally for the day was 29 jars. That should last us a while:

Holly Jones’ Spiced Apple Chutney – 6 medium jars
Anglo-Indian Apple Chutney – 5 medium jars
Frugal Feeding Apple Chutney – 7 medium jars
Delia’s Spiced Damson Chutney – 11 small / medium jars

Friday Chutney Lidded and Labelled: Total tally 29 jars

Last job of the day was to clear the lounge and dining hall – all bar the sideboard and table – in anticipation of the new flooring being laid Monday week and for Phil to repaint the walls and skirting boards before then.

Downstairs cleared and ready for new wooden floors

After all that, a well-earned evening of pizza and Grand Designs.

Out walking Saturday with the GVWC, on a 12 mile circular route around Kilpeck, Garway and Kentchurch. We arrived at the trig point on the top of Garway Hill in heavy cloud but occasional breaks gave glimpses of the views. A fast pace meant we were enjoying medical rehydration in the beer garden at The Kilpeck Inn by 3.30pm.

GVWC: Kilpeck - Garway - Kentchurch Circular — GVWC: Kilpeck – Garway – Kentchurch Circular

GVWC: Kilpeck - Garway - Kentchurch Circular: Route map — GVWC: Kilpeck – Garway – Kentchurch Circular: Route map

Deleted my Tuffmail account under Phil’s supervision then flickered photos and packed for Pembs. In the evening, collected Hazel from Hereford train station and fish and chips from The Old Stables in Ewyas Harold.

Leisurely start Sunday, breakfast in the conservatory and then off to Pembs for a week of walking (and drinking). Not quite Trekking in Nepal, but we should see seals and seal pups (you don’t get those in the mountains), and culminating in an Everest Get Together with D&G at the weekend.

A good drive – no sheep this time – and a late lunch at the van after a miscommunication on rendezvous location meant H and I surprised M and M at Mayhem, while Steffi waited for us at the van. Speedy trip back into H’west to do the food shopping and still time for a windy stroll on the beach before G&Ts and puff pastry tart for dinner.

Monday morning was cloudy but dry, so we drove to Stackpole Quay and, after waiting out a heavy shower, walked along the coast path to Barafundle Bay, Broadhaven South and Bosherton Lily Ponds, with a late lunch at Mrs Weston’s – still not serving cheese on toast.

A couple of showers early on – with a rainbow curving over the coast and into the sea – then a lovely breezy and sunny walk.

TV: Grand Designs, The North Water, Sex Education (series 3).

Podcasts / audiobooks: History Extra, Boudica: Dreaming the Eagle.

Photos: Herefordshire week 91 on Flickr.

Phil:w/e 2021-09-26

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line – Deepa Anappara

Life in the slums of an unnamed city in present day India, told by 9 year old Jai – who, with his two friends Pari and Faiz, turns detective when other children living in their basti go missing.

Author page: Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line – Deepa Anappara