Two days at Olympia

As I have been telling you all, the Who do you think you are show? was at Olympia this weekend, I trotted along as an Exhibitor. Sounds very grand, benefits being the Exhibitors' entrance is nearer to the station than the main entrance and there is a roped off area for eating lunch. On Friday I found I had gone to the wrong hall - the entrances are side by side - would a wedding exhibition have provided more laughs? We are talking bridezilla and meringue dresses here, one day of froth for one hopes a life time of married bliss.

Looking at the above I have used a capital E for Exhibitors as looks right and makes it sound important. Given the number of people with Exhibitor badges many must have been handed out. Anyway, yesterday  remembered the camera, with its new battery so here's a peep at the stand. There were two of us volunteers,  with the Heritage Manager and yesterday we were joined by the Archivist. Quite pleased to have been asked to help, there are a large number of volunteers working in Local Studies, although I'm not sure who else besides us two were librarians in a previous life.

Quite a few visitors to our stand were local people, many of whom didn't know about this treasure trove on their doorstep, nor did they know about the Building our Borough exhibition that closed recently. It is my understanding that some of the plans will be exhibited in the local libraries but of course it will be just those relating to the vicinity rather than the whole borough.

The free booklet that accompanied the exhibition, we gave them away on the stand as the website address is there so researchers can find out more online.

After lunch took some pictures of the scene from the balcony, after downloading I was struck by the beauty of the building which I assume may have been built in the 1930s judging by the interior of the adjacent car park. Not sure about the shocking Schiaparelli pink carpet, perhaps it was meant for the wedding show.

As our stand, number 36, was under the balcony it was not possible to picture it from above, however this gives an idea of the venue and the crowds. There were plenty of workshops but I hadn't planned to use the occasion for my own family research but to be available on the stand. However, has made me realise that I need to record information and organise paperwork even if I didn't buy any fancy folders and inserts.

An enjoyable if very tiring couple of days, missed seeing England win but a great result.

Soufflé

Today as a change from meat and fish I decided to make a soufflé,  it is one of my signature dishes. Very boring I know but I use the same recipe each time from a British Egg Information Service booklet. Not sure how old this book is, the address has no postcode and the phone number is Gerrard 9200 so probably 1960s.  One is reminded to buy eggs stamped with the little lion. "Then you know before you crack them that they're going to be fine and fresh and perfect". 

The recipes are all in imperial measures, although I suppose "a dash of pepper or cayenne" could be construed as metric as well, the style is chatty and for me the soufflé recipe has proved foolproof.

Whilst preparing the ingredients I listened to a programme on iPlayer, mothers were mentioned and thus I was reminded that I used to cook a cheese soufflé for a light lunch when my mother came to my home, sometimes with my Godmother who was her friend from school days. Fascinating how food can bring back happy memories.

I am pleased to say the recipe worked well today, very filling but I suspect the quantities are meant for more than the two of us.

Goodbye Mustardland

Just a word to say that I feel saddened by yesterday's news that the BBC is closing the Archers Messageboard down. It has been much more than just The Archers, it has become a means of help, fellowship, advice, amusement, friendship to many.

My memory goes back to about the year 2000, the background was blue then and my daughter, known as Groovy Pixie, introduced me to this lovely new world where people rarely used their real names, were often more open about problems, worries, doubts than they would be in real life. One of the boards, The Village Hall, was a support service for everything from health, addiction, family problems to cats, whereas The Bull was more lighthearted, one could find views on Remoskas, the right way round to hang loo rolls, Marmite, whether napkins or serviettes along with consumer and car advice. There has been romance, marriages between people who would not have met without ML.

The random acts of kindness of comparative strangers, known only by their posting names is legendary, one was helped to be by the bedside of a dying parent by relative strangers; a cat was transported from the northern regions of our land to East Anglia. Some one volunteered to drive the new owner to meet the cat and its staff way up north at a service station where the handover was made. We found a recommendation for a MOT garage for daughter from someone in Mustardland. The sadness of death of posters have met with help of all kinds, I do wonder how many other people have marigolds in their garden in memory of someone called Marigold who they would never meet in real life?

Meets were organised, my first was in Kew Gardens, the unintended consequences  of which was that Ian and I became Friends of Kew. At that meet, I met a Mum who lives two roads from me, I used to see her taking her son to school some thirty years ago, we discovered she is a friend of a former colleague, another poster at one time which is how I learnt that the company from whom I had been made redundant was being gobbled up by a big international.

A central London meet was organised, on a Saturday in February one may see a crowd of people meeting at noon on the Wobbly Bridge before ambling to Tate Modern or in some years, the Royal Festival Hall, to eat cake, chat and maybe view the art work before scattering to either the Anchor or other watering and eating establishments. One couple come from Flyover country for the meet, just spending a few days in London for this event.

Of course there is a board to Discuss the Archers, given the dire and unbelievable story lines maybe the Beeb cannot take the criticism any more but new unmoderated sites are being established so PixieMum may go there. I may even choose a new moniker, but I like being Groovy Pixie's Mum.

Life in Suburbia

This Week: Saturday 9th February 2013

The weather ... wet, cold and grey. However bad it is I am pleased to say I made it out today to the High Street for the newspaper, prescriptions and a coffee morning. Even more delighted when I spotted a Filofax cover on the bring and buy stall. Ian uses these for his maths. notes, we have scoured the charity shops, this cover will hold lots of writings on mathematical modelling. Big thank you to Anon for donating it.

I am wearing ...  navy blue jeans style trousers, navy blue crew clothing cable jumper, warm cream blouse and the pink cowl.

I am reading ...  today's newspaper, have finished and enjoyed The vanishing act of Esme Lennox, so much that I may re-read it before the book group meet.

I am creating ...  another cowl in linen coloured Rowan big wool, will be deeper and squishier than pink Spud and Chloe version as it's already more than 29cm long.

I am watching .. plenty of TV programmes about trains, so enjoyable that I fancy train trips around the country when the warmer weather appears.

I am enjoying ... the benefits of Ian's membership of the Royal Academy. With a friend the two of us went to Town on Wednesday last to see the exhibition about landscape. Slightly disappointed, had expected more paintings rather than prints, felt the latter needed more explanation, especially the difference between etching and engraving. Even after consulting Wiki I am not too sure.  More important, can recommend the cakes consumed in the Members' Room before we went to look at electronic toys at JLP and Ian went off for an OU tutorial.

Much knitting was done on the train and tube.

From the learning rooms ...  the last couple of times I have helped at Richmond local studies the work has involved listing information from black and white photographs taken of productions at Richmond Theatre in the early 1950s. I suspect these were publicity shots. If I'd known, I'd forgotten the theatre had it's own repertory company so the same names occur throughout the years, including one Margot Boyd, who became well known when she played Marjorie Antrobus in The Archers. None of the online biographies mention her time in rep at Richmond so the work recording these names in the archive is so worth while for future researchers.

On the menu ...  chicken for supper this evening, not sure how it will be cooked yet.

On the calendar ... collection of our ancient fridge and freezer, we had advertised them on Freecycle and they are off to be spares for another family. The fridge was Ian's Mum's; the freezer was from my Mum so we have had the latter for twenty years. Now it's just the two of us, we can shop daily for fresh foods so the capacity is no longer required. All part of the decluttering ready for transforming the cloakroom into a shower room later this year.

A picture (or two) from last week ...

Started again with the multicoloured yarn, the 'yo' holes can be seen, also a picture of the blue shawl, this completes 31 non consecutive days of blogging about knitting. Readers may be pleased to know I may not attempt any more of these kinds of challenges!

The shawls have been neglected in favour of the quick knit cowl given the cold weather.

Off to have tea and Ian's home made bread pudding, comfort food.

Day 30 and yo

Well forget about the pictures of my knitting in the last blog, the work was all wrong.

Because I thought I knew how to do 'yo' the whole of my first attempt at knitting lace has been scrapped. Instead of simply bringing the yarn to the front and then knitting the next stitch, I had been taking the yarn over the needle instead and this process did not create a hole. I was so angry with myself for not realising earlier, thank goodness for U-tube to show the error of my ways. No way will I give up, learning new skills is for life!

I had assumed the knitting needed to be dampened and blocked to create the design I'd seen in many examples of this pattern, however once it had grown I realised this wasn't so, it took a while for me to realise where I had gone wrong. The variegated yarn didn't help, so I chose another yarn from my stash, a gift from Tee, a Canadian knitter.

 

Ian helped me to wind the Tanis Fiber Art  hand dyed yarn - merino (70%), cashmere (20%) and nylon (10%) -  into a ball and I've now made a successful start. According to the label the colour is Atlantic.

Will report on progress, well there is just one day of knitting blog left.

Domestic report

Day 29 of knitting so just two more to go. So a start with the pictures of the lace shawl that I mentioned before.

I think the colour is more accurate for the top picture, also this knitting will need to be blocked and spread out to see a pattern design, assuming I have not misread the instructions all the way!

Now marmalade. I'm aware in my previous blog the photos didn't appear always, however those jars of marmalade have been put away so I have taken pictures of the latest batch, made Monday and today. We have used up all our jars now, have a few to match lids to jars, then it is the fun of designing labels.

Just a couple more pictures of the hyacinths we were given for Christmas from different sources, both pots are highly scented and have brought thoughts of Spring in this chilly weather.

In the top pictures the snow, now melted, is visible. Am looking forward to venturing forth tomorrow, haven't been out of the house since Tuesday of last week. Am enjoying reading group book, The vanishing act of Esme Lennox, so with reading that, making marmalade, conquering the lace knitting and making more hexipuffs all is well at Pixie Towers.

Simple Woman's Daybook: 16th January 2013

Simple Woman's Daybook: 16th January 2013

Outside my window ... Now dark, clear and bitterly cold so haven't been outside the house all day. No danger of cabin fever, plenty to do, plus knitting and all those books to read.

From the learning rooms ...  Big learning for me was being able to take the photos below with my iPad and work out how to use them on my lap top. Why didn't I consider using the copy and paste facility before? Wouldn't have learnt a new skill if my camera hadn't hidden under my printer paper feed.

 From the kitchen ...

Yes, we're making marmalade again, not sure whether there has been a slight over estimate of our needs as twenty pounds of oranges and six pounds of lemons were purchased. We decided that this amount was slightly too much so have given some fruit to friend. The first picture shows this evening's effort, the second the previous two batches.  Think another cut and cook session tomorrow or Friday. 

I am wearing ...  blue trousers, Navy blue cable jumper, cream warm shirt.

I am creating ... lace shawl and hexipuffs. Day 28 here of knitting blog.

I am going ... by train to see darling daughter on Saturday   ....hums I do like to be beside the seaside ... cos I can as I'm home alone. Bit concerned about the weather forecast, become very breathless in the cold weather, yesterday in Richmond when it wasn't so cold my face hurt with the cold so don't want to risk if it is even colder.

I am reading .. well, will be reading,The vanishing act of Esme Lennox, by Maggie O'Farrell. Received this on Monday when the reading group met for lunch in the local pub. The ten of us managed to discuss the previous book too, Before I go to sleep, which I enjoyed from the second half onwards, although I appreciate one had a slightly repetitive first part ot set the scene. After I had finished the book was surprised to learn the author was male as he wrote very well from a female perspective.

Around the house ...  still finding odds and ends from Christmas, a bag of wrapping paper, ribbon and unused cards to be stored away. After a while I find I don't 'see' items, they become part of the landscape.

One of my favourite things ...  Evensong, preferably in traditional language, the words in Common Worship don't flow in the same way, even reading it we stumbled. Maybe the BCP version is familiar but I find the rhythm of the words make me consider the meaning. Another interesting thought, why was the Gospel reading the same, ie the Wedding at Cana, on two consecutive Sundays at different churches. I thought readings were handed down just as Moses handed down the Commandments so like the National Curriculum one would have the same reading on the same Sunday in all Churches. 

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ...   try to visit the Building our Borough exhibition again at Orleans House Gallery, it closes 3rd February so not much time. Although the plans are available on line it is lovely to see them framed and full size, along with other artefacts. 

Note, although wrote this on Wednesday evening, didn't post it as preview came out with acres of white screen so tidied it up, I hope. Realise still haven't listed my 'haven't done this yet' list. Will add in day of knitting, must be near 31 now.