Martin Harley at Cluny 2, 2024

Newcastle, U.K. Thursday 28-November-2024.

This was the sixth time we have seen Martin Harley. This time he was supported by Mark Lewis on upright base to add extra depth and richness. The Cluny 2 counts under the category of intimate venue, nowhere is very far from the stage. 

The plus side of going to Newcastle for this gig is that we got to dine pre-concert at the excellent Cook House restaurant just minutes from the venue. Creative, interesting and very tasty food.

We went for a beer in the main bar so by the time we wandered round to the venue all the seats in the front rows were taken (that's only about six rows of six seats). So we picked the first row of the raked seating at the back only to discover the end seat was reserved in the name of McLellan! It turned out that the gentleman sitting there and I share the exact same spelling of our surnames and he had travelled down from Glasgow to see Martin.

You get your money‘s worth with Martin Harley. He plays two hour-long sets with a break in the middle where you can pop down to his merch table and have a chat with the man himself. He has a new album "Morning Sun", his first solo album for five years so we snapped up both a CD and vinyl of the same.

For me if I do not know the songs, I generally don’t derive quite as much enjoyment as I might. With some bands I have observed that many of the audience know all the words to all the songs. However with Martin even though I didn’t know these new songs they were instantly listenable and I could easily make out the words. 

Part way through Martin was re-tuning his guitar so he asked us to ask Mark anything. There followed an entertaining Q&A session and much banter betwixt audience and performers.

As well as tracks from the new album he did play a couple of my old favourites: “Cardboard King” and “Cowboy in Hawaii”. Mary correctly predicted the two encore songs which were: “Old Winter Coat” and “Chocolate Jesus”. Two fine songs to go out on.

If you get a chance, do go see this man. Brilliant entertainment!

Aubergine Chocolate Cake

Aubergine chocolate cake

By popular demand, adapted slightly from a Harry Eastwood recipe in “Red Velvet & Chocolate Heartache” [MG = Mary’s adaptation]:

HEARTACHE CHOCOLATE CAKE 

THIS CAKE IS SAD. It's dark and drizzling down the window panes. She puffs her chest in hope when she goes into the oven; she then breaks, like a chest heaving a sob. This is why Aubergine (the Eeyore of the vegetable world) is the right kind of friend to hold your hand.

Ingredients:

• 2 small whole aubergines (approx 400g)
• 300g best dark chocolate, broken into squares
• 50g good-quality cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
• 60g ground almonds
• 3 medium free-range eggs
• 200g clear honey 
• 2 tsp baking powder 
• ¼ teaspoon salt 
• 1 tablespoon brandy 

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 23cm diameter loose-bottomed tin with baking parchment and lightly brush the base and sides with a little oil [MG - I used a 21cm square dish]
• Cook the aubergines by puncturing the skins erratically here and there with a skewer, place them in a bowl covered with cling film. Microwave on high for 8 minutes until the vegetables are cooked and limp. Discard any water at the bottom.  [MG - I baked the aubergines in the warm oven for about 40 minutes]
• Leave the aubergines until they are cool enough to handle 
• Skin and purée the aubergines in a blender
• Once the warm aubergine is puréed and smooth, add the chocolate, which will mingle and melt slowly. Set aside, covered once again in cling film, until all the chocolate has melted [MG - I used a bain marie as the chocolate did not all melt]
• In a large bowl, whisk up all the other ingredients for a minute until well introduced to each other and slightly tipsy (bubbly). 
• Fold the melted chocolate and aubergine mixture into the bowl with all the other ingredients and mix well
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and place it in the bottom of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, by which time your kitchen will sing with the smell of hot chocolate.
• Remove the mixture from the oven and let it cool in its tin for 15 minutes before turning on to a wire rack and peeling off the parchment. Quickly turn the right way up again and sit it on a plate to avoid any scars from the rack.
• Sieve a little cocoa powder over the top of the cake before cutting yourself a slice

Held on the High Wire at CatStrand

New Galloway, Scotland. Sunday 24-November-2024.

We first came across Myshkin as part of the Mike West Band at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival in 2001. We learned that she also performed solo and with her band The Ruby Warblers. She has such a fantastic voice that we followed her from afar and bought a number of her CD’s over the years. We then saw her again in 2013 when she appeared at the Green Note Cafe in Camden.

Little did we know that not long after her return to the hippie town of Joshua Tree, California later that year her partner, Jenny Q, was struck down with sepsis. Jenny then went through a terrible ordeal, suffering a period in a coma, great pain, multiple operations and the amputation of both her legs. 

Her experiences are documented in her book “Held Together”. This performance is based on that book and the music that Myshkin wrote during that period “Trust and the High Wire”. The title of this performance is a portmanteau of the book and album titles.

The performance consisted of narration interspersed with songs recounting that time. This was a harrowing but ultimately uplifting tale of the triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity: sepsis, terrible pain, sudden disability, PTSD and subsequent addiction and cold turkey withdrawal from all the painkillers. 

It must have taken great courage to lay bare their souls concerning that traumatic period. Jenny explained at the end that she wanted to start a conversation: that amputees should not hide their prosthetics but wear them openly. She has beautifully decorated artificial legs. Also talking about PTSD and addiction should not be taboo but essential topics. 

To quote Myskin’s website “A candid, spellbinding multimedia performance that tells the story of Jenny's near death experience, sepsis survival, and new life on metal legs.” Read more about this extraordinary collaboration at myshkinwarbler.com.

As we were still a bit tired from a Saturday night birthday party we decided it was too far to drive back in the dark through Scottish country roads so treated ourselves to a stay in the Cross Keys Hotel just a few hundred meters from the venue.

Glasgow Blues Festival at Òran Mór

Glasgow, Scotland. Sunday 17-November-2024.

Sunday morning it was a healthy (?) breakfast of square sausage in a bun and then BIL George very kindly gave us a lift in to central Glasgow for today’s event.

Òran Mór is an interesting venue in a converted church and the festival was held in the crypt.

We couldn’t find the timetable online but it was up on the wall when we arrived.

The Lynsey Dolan Band were headed up by the eponymous, red haired, rock chick, Lynsey Dolan looking like a Scottish Bonnie Rait.

I noticed that the drummer was playing a drum kit with Bison Hip written on the big drum so presumably not playing their own kit. 

This prompted me to ask my nephew Chris who is the drummer with Dutty Moonshine Big Band: 

“Hi Chris. A question for you. How often do drummers have to play somebody else’s kit? We are at a blues festival and the drum kit clearly belongs to the second band because of the name on the front. But the first band were using their kit. Presumably because it’s too much effort to change over drum kits. Is there a standard layout for drum kits? Or is it like picking up a hire car? Check out the indicators, lights and gearstick arrangement, then off you go. “

His reply: 

"Hi Mark. Ha! Great question. Yep you pretty much guessed it, at festivals usually there’s not enough time to be precious about these things, we’re all in it together. And yes in the vast majority of cases a drummer’s needs are the same as the next guy. Depending on the size of the festival and how much cash they’ve got for production there will be a hire kit as the default. Then as you get towards the headliners they will be using their own gear because it’s more important they sound closer to how they want to sound. Plus they’ll be granted more faff about time."

This shows you what the back of the venue looks like up by the bar area where the customers were chattering away, unlike the more respectful audience on the Saturday. At our table were a couple of mature ladies who talked continuously for several hours. As they had kindly let us sit on a couple of seats that they were reserving for their late arriving friends I didn’t feel I could tell them to STFU!

Bison Hip were the second act who we saw at Blackpool back in January and enjoyed so we were happy to see them on the lineup.

Gerry Jablonski Band were third up and were much more blues with a man on the harp. You can’t beat a bit of blues harmonica. I never understand how playing the harmonica works because the holes are very tiny so I assume you’re always playing a chord as you move your mouth left or right along the mouthpiece. We were told that the singer was relatively new but it certainly did not show - a great set!

Xander and the Peace Pirates were a full rocking band featuring a drummer and four guitarists. Notably the front man was one-armed and plays with a prosthetic hand holding a guitar pick. This did not stop from him playing some great rocking blues. Learn more on YouTube: How I Learned To Play The Guitar With My Hook.

We were sure the guitarist on the right was Italian partly because of his looks but mainly because he played the whole set wearing a scarf. Òran Mór was quite chilly and the Italians have a fear of “colpa d’aria” catching a cold or other ailments if you don’t keep your neck warm.

This time we did get into Café Andaluz having learnt from Saturday night and made a booking for an early supper. We timed it so we could see the first half of Xander and the Peace Pirate’s set and the second half of Stevie Nimmo.

Stevie Nimmo was a much more introspective style of singer-songwriter. A kind of musical palette cleanser between the more bluesy acts.

Dom Martin & Band featured some serious guitar playing from the front man. To my mind there are two distinct categories of guitarist: those that basically play chords and those that whose fingers fly all over the fret board. I know nothing about guitar playing technique but the latter seem to be much more accomplished musicians capable and more sophisticated style of playing. 

Dom is from Belfast and has been compared to both Rory Gallagher and Gary Moore. In response to requests from the crowd, he said that he did not normally play covers and had not had time to learn the requested songs but then proceeded to play Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing”.

The headline act we got a full hour and a half of full tilt boogie blues right up to the 10 o’clock curfew. Dom’s music this night was more upbeat and rocking than when heard him at Skegness in 2023. We purchased his latest album and discovered a mixture: some like this festival and some more intense and downbeat numbers like Skegness. 

All in all a good selection of bands most of whom were Scottish so the festival was well named.

Elles Bailey at Òran Mór

Glasgow, Scotland. Saturday 16-November-2024.

The first part of a double header weekend at this venue in Glasgow.

Saturday started off busily with a morning run over to Cockermouth for their parkrun event #2 followed by a bacon butty courtesy of the local WI. Then back to home for a shower and an hour’s Italian conversation class and lunch. We then caught the 3 o’clock train up to Glasgow for an early supper. 

I was promised a “shoogle on the clockwork orange” (translation: a rattling ride on the Glasgow subway).
Shoogle: verb
1. to shake, sway, or rock back and forth https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/shoogle# 

It appears that the rolling stock has been updated sometime in the last 50 years so we had a smooth ride.

We tried to get into Café Andaluz just around the corner from the venue but it was fully booked so we went a couple of doors along to Zizzi.

Elles came out before the concert to introduce the first act and appeal to the audience to not talk through the support acts but to show them some respect and attention.

The first support was Demi Mariner who we have seen before. She plays solo and usually is also part of Elles band. She has a very velvety voice. I liken it to Baileys, it may seem very smooth but there is a bit of a kick behind it.

She performed four songs with a bit of chat between.

The second support act was a duo called Ida Mae, previously unknown to us but talented musicians and so very enjoyable.

We bought their latest album. Interestingly only available on vinyl, no CD version.

The main act: Elles Bailey with full band including Demi Marriner. This tour is to promote her latest album “Beneath the Neon Glow” but I doubt if there was anyone in the audience who did not already own it. She commented that it was lovely to see and hear the audience singing the words of the songs back to her, especially for the lesser known ones, i.e. not released as singles.

As well as singing and playing the guitar Elles also plays keyboard. A versatile musician and bursting with energy as usual!

We couldn’t buy any of her recordings as we already have the complete set!

The venue had a 10 o’clock curfew which meant it was relatively easy to get back to the SIL’s house as public transport was still running.

Wine Tasting - Guess The Grape

Bassenthwaite Lake Station, Cumbria. Thursday 07-November-2024. 

As usual for these tastings we booked ourselves a dinner, bed and breakfast deal at The Pheasant Inn just minues walk from the station. We have a very early supper to line our stomachs before the tasting.

Today was an entertaining variation on “guess the grape”. For this tasting they presented nine varietals in three groups of three: 3 white, 3 light red, 3 heavy red. For each trio they gave us a crib sheet with four grapes described. We then had to identify which of the wines was which grape and which grape was the ringer. 

We did have a little help on the notes sheet in that we knew which country each wine was from. If you know your wines you can make an initial guess based on that knowledge but that was no guarantee. 

All wines were from Lakeland Vintners.

The Whites:

Pinot grigio

• On the nose - typically presents ripe pear, apple, and peach notes. In cooler climates, it may lean towards citrus and green apple, while late-harvest versions give tropical fruit, honey, and spice.
• On the palate - Dry, light to medium body, medium to high acidity. Green apple, pear, lemon, lime, stone fruit.

Sauvignon Blanc

• On the nose - expect pungent, in-your-face aromas ranging from freshly cut grass, peas, and asparagus to tropical and ripe passion fruit, grapefruit, or even mango.
• On the palate - dry, light to medium body. Lime, grapefruit and hints of green herbs.

Chardonnay

• On the nose - unoaked, or 'Chablis-style' Chardonnays, tend to offer fragrant notes of green apple, pear, and citrus, with some chalky or mineral-like aromas.
• On the palate - dry and medium bodied. Notes of ripe pears and quince, lemon, apple and butter. There are subtle aromas of vanilla, honey and pineapple. Oaked versions have a subtle toasted oak character.

Viognier

• On the nose -Viognier is a very aromatic wine with rich aromas of tangerine, mango, honeysuckle, rose, and peach. Oaked versions will also have subtle vanilla and smoke aromas.
• On the palate - dry and full bodied. tangerine, mango, apricots, peaches hints of pears and blossom.

Tasting notes: 

1. Light nose, slight peach / apple, fresh, good acidity; green apple and citrus. ✱✱
2. Oaky, slight green notes, aromatic; gooseberry, grapefruit, grass. ✱✱✱
3. Soft oak, vanilla; honey, pears. ✱

No.	Country	Mark's Guess	Mary's Guess	Correct Grape	Wine	Price
1	Italy	Pinot Grigio	Pinot Grigio	Pinot Grigio	Villa Sandi Pinot Grigio, 2022, 13%	£16
2	Chile	Sauvignon Blanc	Sauvignon Blanc	Sauvignon Blanc	Santa Luz Sauvignon Blanc Gran Reserva, 2021, 13.5%	£11
3	France	Viognier	Chardonnay	Chardonnay	Domaine St Andre Barrel Fermented Chardonnay	£18

So I identified 2 out of 3 right but Mary got all three correct!

The Light Reds:

Pinot noir

• On the nose - Red fruits, layers of earthiness, spice, and, when oak-aged, gentle wafts of vanilla and smoke. As it ages, you might catch hints of mushroom and leather.
• On the palate - Dry and medium bodied. Flavours of raspberry, cherry and vanilla with subtle smoky and peppery hints.

Grenache

• On the nose - Fresh and aromatic with notes of wild berries and chocolate
• On the palate - Overt and spicy aromas with a hint of white pepper, the palate is concentrated with ripe black cherry fruits and liquorice intensity. The varietal character shines through with an underlay of garrigue and a spicy herb finish.

Sangiovese

• On the nose - You'll experience notable aromas of cherry and fig, followed by a flavour profile of sour cherry, cranberry and red plum
• On the palate - Medium bodied with soft red fruits with hints of spice and tobacco on the finish complimented by a smoky note.

Merlot

• On the nose - Merlot ranges from fresh red plum and cherry in cooler climates to baked blackberry and fruitcake in warmer climates. As Merlot ages it becomes chocolatey, meaty, and can have tobacco aromas.
• On the palate - Typical scents include raspberry, plums and herbal flavours. A chocolate edge can be noted on the finish. The Merlot tends to be less tannic than Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tasting notes: 

4. Ruby, slight brown on rim; vegetable?, Soft fruit, metallic; soft, fruity, metallic. ✱✱
5. Deeper colour, slightly more mahogany; lighter nose; astringent. ✱✱✱
6. Mahogany; more pungent, ripe fruit, cherry, sweet; soft fruit, smooth. ✱

No.	Country	Mark's Guess	Mary's Guess	Correct Grape	Wine	Price
4	France	Pinot Noir	Pinot Noir	Grenache	Grenache 223, 2023, 14%	£11
5	Italy	Sangiovese	Sangiovese	Sangiovese	Chianti Duca di Saragnano Barbanera, 2022, 13%	£18
6	Australia	Merlot	Merlot	Merlot	Irvine Springhill Merlot, 2022, 14.5%	£18

So we guessed the same and both got 2 out of 3. Although the Italians do grow other international grapes they are also very patriotic so Sangiovese was always going to be a safe bet. 

The Heavy Reds:

Malbec

• On the nose - Red fruits, fresh, chocolate and coffee aromas.
• On the palate - Red and black cherry flavours with scents of flowers. French oak can often be noted on the finish, very complex yet balanced.

Cabernet sauvignon

• On the nose - When sniffing Cabernet, you may note subtle aromas of green peppercorn, dark chocolate or even bell pepper.
• On the palate - Rich, ripe, blackcurrant and cassis fruit, with smoky and peppery hints. Ripe tannins and a savoury coffee note with a delicate hint of oak.

Shiraz

• On the nose - Black and red fruits with flavours of blackberry
• On the Palate - A rich fruit-filled Shiraz displaying al the characteristics of this popular grape. Vibrant red in colour, with dark plum and spice flavours and wonderful soft tannins.

Petit Verdot

• On the nose - Violets, dark fruits, black pepper and vanilla, followed by flavours of blackberry, cherry, plum, cassis and dark chocolate, as well as strong spicy notes.
• On the palate - hints of ripe blackberry and black cherry. A gentle vegetal note brings freshness. The palate is juicy, packed with fruit and a touch of spice and bay, with a fine texture and beautiful tannic structure. Long and powerful.

Tasting notes: 

7. Deep ruby red; red fruits, chocolate, slight tobacco; tannic. ✱✱
8. Similar colour to above; lighter / brighter but less depth; green notes, plums?; good length. ✱✱
9. Deep purple, dense; green pepper, earthy. ✱

No.	Country	Mark's Guess	Mary's Guess	Correct Grape	Wine	Price
7	Argentina	Malbec	Malbec	Malbec	Bodegas Gougenheim Malbec Reserva, 2021, 13.5%	£19
8	Australia	Cabernet Sauvignon	Cabernet Sauvignon	Shiraz	Helmsman Shiraz, 2021, 14%	£15
9	France	Shiraz	Shiraz	Petit Verdot	Nuit de Lumieres Petit Verdot, 2023, 12.5%	£12

So we both got a pathetic 1 out of 3! Petit Verdot is not a grape we know at all and I was pleasantly surprised by its full character.

After the tasting the attendees finish off what’s left in the bottles. As we were staying locally, we had a good long chat with the owners and a couple of locals and were the last to leave.

A last beer nightcap at the Pheasant and then off to bed.

Wine Tasting - Quirky Wines

WASP (Wine Appreciation Society, Penrith), Roundthorn Country House Hotel, Penrith. Thursday 26-October-2023.

"Wine Tasting with Sam Jary of Black Hand Wines": Sam is our local independent wine merchant who literally had his shop up our street but has now moved to new premises right in the center of Penrith. Black Hand Wines is the place to go if you want something better than your average supermarket wine. He specialises in small independent, organic producers.

There wasn't a theme to the wine tasting as such just a quirky collection of wines that Sam wanted to introduce us to.

Wine Vintage, Origin. ABV, List price.

• Sam's description
• Mary's notes and ✱ star rating.

Wine 1 Altolandon Orange 2022, Manchuela, Spain. 12%, £15.50

• Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris. Aged in neutral oak (greater than five years old) or amphora; wild yeast. One of the highest yards in Spain, at the same altitude as Skiddaw in the Lake District. Pigs are allowed to graze in the vineyards to keep the weeds down. Good with cheese.
• Slightly oxidised. Cider like notes. ✱

Wine 2 Rallo Al Qasar Zibibbo 2023, Sicily, Italy. 13.5%, £17.50

• Zibibbo/Muscat d’Alessandro, Pantelleria. Muscat d’Alessandro comes from North Africa. Also found on the island of Pantelleria [Note: which makes one my favourite sweet wines]. Low yield, bush vines; six months in steel tanks, sugar: 1.6 gm/lt (anything less than 6 gm/lt is considered dry). Match with seafood and blue cheese.
• Fishy/olive nose, floral, lemony,sweet pepper?, slight prickle, grapey. Good acidity, good length. ✱✱

Wine 3 Domaine St Remy Pinot Gris 2022, Alsace. 14%, £19

• Full bodied white, gentle press leading to more tannins, long fermentation. Wild yeast which produces fewer amines which means less hangover unlike commercial yeasts; left on lees, nine months in neutral oak. Granite soil. Sugar: 0.5gm/lt = dry. Match with chicken or Asian food. Orange logo on label indicates a Biodynamic wine. 
• Little nose, clean, smooth rich. Very pleasant but few distinct flavours. ✱✱✱

Wine 4 Domaine Roche-Audran Blanc 2023, France,. 13%, £19.50

• Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Clarette, Boulabonc. Cote du Rhone. 1/3 oak barrels, 2/3 stainless steel. 
• Slight spicy nose. Peppery/green pepper. ✱✱.

Wine 5 Altolandon Malbec 2022, Manchuela, Spain. 13.5%, £14.50

• Stainless steel, skin contact 2-3 weeks. Remontage: pumping over for five weeks, no sulphates, third use French oak barrels, aged four months. Malolactic fermentation. Would age 3-4 years.
• Peppery, leather, chocolate, sweetish nose, chocolate, dark fruit, tannins. ✱ ✱½.

Wine 6 Domaine de Roquemale Meli Melo 2022, France. 13%, £17.50

• Tintura (means a grape where the flesh is red not just the skins). South of France / Languedoc / Bassin de Thau. Low yield.
• Rich, dark fruit, smooth, rich, Cedar, plummy, some tannins. ✱✱.

Wine 7 Les Cadets Graves de Viaud 2020, Côtes de Bourg. 13%,  £19. 50

• 40% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon 30% Merlot. Biodynamic producer. 10 months on lees. Aged in tank and sandstone amphora. 
• Blackcurrant, leeks? Smooth, peppery, green, tannic..

Wine 8 Franco de Porc 2020, Bourgueil, Loire, France. 13%, £22.00

• Domain Du Chevalier (close to Chinon). 100% Cabernet Franc. Grown on Tufo soil. Old oak barrels (leading to gentle oxidation). Very good for aging. 
• Green, metallic? Bit thin, typical Cabernet Frank, metallic, good texture.

The last two wines were not rated because Mary really does not like Cabernet Franc!

At the end, there was a buffet preceeded by a dash for the leftovers to wash it down.

I made a beeline for the Spanish Malbec as my favourite of the reds.

We did the usual: drive up and abandoned the car for retrieval the next day but this time didn’t have to walk home. As you might expect there is quite a demand from people who do not want stay sober enough to drive home. Normally this event soaks up all the local taxis. For the first time ever we had remembered to order a taxi home well in advance and were whisked home in double quick time and fell into bed.

Brunswick Road 15 - Four Portals

Penrith, Cumbria. March-2024. Money Pit II, Season 2, Episode 3 - Entrances and Exits. 

After the major works of the living room strip-and-rebuild that left some snagging list items that needed to be done. In this case four portals: front door, back gate, loft hatch and bedroom door.

Portal one: the front lobby. The carpet between the front door and the inner door was very grubby following all the works tramping plaster dust everywhere. So Mary decided she would pull it up with a view to cleaning it.

Underneath it seemed a little musty so she continued (with my assistance) to rip up layers of plywood to reveal a recess, obviously intended for a doormat.

The revealed floorboards were part woodstained so Mary sanded then revarnished the whole vestibule. Research online revealed that even today you can buy a coir mat of exactly the right dimensions to fit into this Victorian doormat niche.

Portal two: back gate. In order to re-concrete the backyard our Builder had to remove the gate into the alleyway that runs behind the row of houses.

So that obviously need reinstating with a couple of posts screwed to the walls and the old hinge fittings recycled. The posts are still awaiting their final coat of paint.

Portal three: The loft hatch. Previously, I had to use a stepladder to lift the skylight and access the loft while precariously perched over the stairwell.

The original carpenter who was scheduled to do the work hurt his back so a mate of our builder, who did the skirting boards and picture rails, did the work.  They installed a loft hatch together with the concertina ladder that we supplied.

We like this design of loft ladder. I first installed one in Mary‘s mum‘s flat. Then we installed one in Benson Row. And now here.

It has a small footprint in the loft and expands to provide a very sturdy ladder.

Portal four: Bedroom door. We wanted to be able to lock our bedroom door because of doing house exchange. So we could put all our personal stuff and valuables in a lockable room. The existing lock had a century of layers of paint and even when freed up was still a bit tricky to operate. So I went down to B&Q to buy a replacement. the white lock on the left is 125 years old. The black one on the right is what you can buy today in B&Q! The dimensions have not changed in over a century and a quarter.

That's it apart from the odd dab of paint. 

Winter Droving 2024

Penrith, Cumbria. Saturday 27th-October -2024.

Our eighth winter driving and the first time as a participant rather than a spectator. This year we helped organise and staff a stall for Friends of Carlisle Victorian and Turkish Baths. We were allocated a good pitch next to the Melodrome in King Street where they hold the Drovers Cup competition. We were figured that it would attract a good footfall and we were not wrong.

We were there early to set up the stall using our old garden gazebo which we donated to the Friends as we no longer have need for it. There was a last-minute panic because Eden Arts only informed us at the start of the week that we had to have at least 25 kg per leg in case hurricane Betsy swept through Penrith and whisked the gazebo away. This meant an emergency purchase of extra weights and bags of cement to meet their exacting requirements. What a pain!

We had two tables at the front of the stall: one for our merchandising and one for the tombola prizes. We actually had nearly 200 prizes generously donated by all manner of people, so many that we could only put a fraction of them on display. 

I had not realised how much organisation is required for a tombola with that many prizes. Other volunteers had created a list of all the winning numbers and corresponding prizes with the non-display prizes in boxes labelled e.g. Blue 50 to 200, so when somebody won a prize not on display we knew what it was and which box to look in. 

The Winter Droving programme was remarkably similar to previous years. A number of stages for the bands, a variety of food stalls around the Musgrave monument, aka clock tower, with craft stalls along the streets radiating out from Cornmarket.

A number of fellow volunteers took it in turns to staff the stall so Mary and I were able to have a lunch break and wander around the town.

Most of the day was pretty frenetic. Although we sold a number of tea towels and other merchandise, the main attraction was the tombola. At times we had people queueing up to buy three tickets for a pound. Any ticket ending with a 0 or a 5 won a prize so the odds were reasonable and almost everyone walked away with something. Occasionally some unlucky soul drew a run of dud tickets but they were the exception.

It was my first experience of using the SumUp app which we used to record all our sales and tombola takings. Fortunately almost everyone wanted to pay cash as we were unable to connect our phones to the card reader widget.

By the time it was time for the big parade we were almost completely sold out of prizes so called it a day, especially as it had started drizzling. We retired to Fell Bar for a quick drink and to watch the parade from the comfort of our window seat.

It was the usual parade of giant animals, marching bands of drummers and general merriment.

Once the parade had passed, it was time to break down the gazebo. The marshals were particularly strict and would not let us drive up the empty street even though the stated end time had passed. They maintained that since there was a band playing in the bandstand that Droving was still an active event even though we did not need to pass that way to get to our stall and back out again. 

Instead, we ferried all our equipment back to the car in the pouring rain. By the time we had finished my trainers were sodden so we squelched our way home for a supper of pizza and red wine.

At the end of the day when we came to reckon up it turned out to be our most successful fund raising event ever! The money will go towards paying for a detailed business plan which will then give us the evidence we need to apply for lottery funding and grants from English Heritage and other grant givers.

In summary: We had a hugely successful day at Penrith Winter Droving. The weather was kind to us for most of the day so Droving was busier than previous years. We talked to large numbers of people, some of whom knew about the baths, some had used them and bemoaned their loss, and many who did not know they existed. All were pleased to hear about our plans and we got several offers of support. 

Same time next year!

City Break - Berlin

Berlin, Germany. Wednesday/Monday 02/07-October-2024.

Yet again, parkrun is the inspiration for a city break.

Normally parkrun is on a Saturday but each year there are two days where event teams may choose to hold a parkrun on another day. One is New Year’s Day (January 1st) in all countries; the other is a ‘Special Day’ for each individual country - List of Special Days. In the UK the special day is Christmas Day, in Germany it is National Unity Day. 

We are grateful to the German volunteers for giving up some of their holiday to make this trip worthwhile.

This presented us with an opportunity to do a city break in a larger city that has two parkruns. We chose Berlin as it is one of the great cities of the world which neither of us had visited before and was on our travel wish list. 

Wednesday 02-October-24. Travel.

We booked an anything-but-low-cost RyanAir flight, Bari to Brandenburg Airport. We arranged accommodation through Home Exchange in a fantastic apartment right next to one of the two parkruns. In keeping with the tradition of the UK parkrun tourists FaceBook group we posted a photo of us at the airport including our Cow Cowell - the "masonic" insignia of this group!

Hassenheide had put out a call for volunteers but when Mary offered to be Tail Walker or Park Walker they had to turn her down - apparently the course is so complex that they wanted someone familiar with it, having lost a front runner and a tail walker in the past. They subsequently put out a call for cakes so Mary baked some tea loaf muffins and transported them from Italy like "Cakes On A Plane".

After a 30 minute Uber ride from the airport we arrived at the apartment. The apartment and a view of the park opposite:

Having arrived we explored the area looking for a supermarket for breakfast basics and spotted the Muted Horn, a nearby craft ale bar that was an ideal place to go for a drink before eating out. 

We do like a bar that does a paddle of beers. Normally bars offer three beers, this bar offered a four beer paddle and the barman was very helpful in suggesting beers to suit our respective palates.

We decided to eat local and went to Bloom's, the nearest restaurant to our apartment, which served a great selection of tapas and good beer plus great music that could have come from our own playlist! 

Thursday 03-October-24. German Unity Day.

We were hoping to do Hasenheide parkrun first because the park is right opposite the apartment and meant we did not have to familiarise ourselves with the German transport system in order to get to the more distant parkrun at Havelkanal on our first day. 

It was a bit of a nail biter as they only declared two weeks earlier having had to wait for permission from the council to be confirmed.

Unsurprisingly there were a large number of UK tourists doing the same as us, making a long weekend break of it and doing the two Berlin parkruns.

It was a lovely wooded parkrun, two laps, and level apart from an entirely unnecessary loop round a steep hill on the second lap. During his briefing in English and German, the Run Director, tongue firmly in cheek, asked if there were any tourists which got a loud, ironic cheer and lots of raised hands. However they were obviously expecting us as they had organised three first timers briefings, two in English and one in German. There were tourists from all over UK and further afield. We chatted to a visitor from Australia who we thought would win the furthest tourist but, as she predicted, there was someone from NZ! 

All 48 of the mini muffins were devoured and many compliments received. Then back to Bloom's for a huge brunch and more great music.

Friday 04-October-24. A day of touristing.

We spent much the day wandering about the town following a downloaded itinerary. Out itinerary started at the World Clock took us past lots of historic buildings including the Berliner Dom, through the Brandenburg Gate and ending up at the Reichstag.

The Marienkirche - the only building we went inside.

I was mightily amused by the Berlin pedestrian crossing green man sporting a jaunty hat. The Berliners obviously also have a soft sport for Ampelmann [traffic light man].

We saw a couple of shops devoted to his merchandising so that was the fridge magnet souvenir sorted.

The other parkrun was some distance away so rather than get up at the crack of dawn and make our way by public transport to Havelkanal parkrun we treated ourselves to one night in a nearby guesthouse, La Brigitte, so that we would only have a short walk in the morning. The host, Brigitte herself, spoke little English but was very friendly.

Researching food options in the area we discovered an interesting looking restaurant in an old train carriage right next door and with good reviews. Turns out it was the idea of Brigette and it is her husband who runs it in their back garden. 

Lovely setting, bit lacking in atmosphere once the locals had left but very convenient. The short menu had typical German dishes and a good choice of beers. We will gloss lightly over the healthiness of the food. 

Dinner was a very Germanic supper of beer, curry wurst and chips or potatoes. 

Saturday 05-October-24. Havelkanal parkrun. 

Unsurprisingly we bumped into a number of the people we had seen on Thursday who were doing the same double as us.

Beautiful and flat course, out and back along the side of the canal on a tarmac path. Apparently there are beavers in the canal. We saw signs of a lodge on the far bank but no creatures. One of Mary's fastest times lately, so perhaps beer and curry wurst was the answer. Lots of walkers and, as always, a friendly bunch of volunteers.

There was cake!

Back to the guesthouse for a shower and a return to the city apartment. Then we went out for more wandering about the local area where I admired the decorations on wiring cabinets.

That evening we ate at Restaurant Hasenheide as recommended by Barbara, a Berliner, we met while she was visiting Puglia.

Sunday 06-October-24. Sightseeing.

This was the day we did most of our tourist wandering. We started with a two and a quarter hour boat tour along the River Spree. It was cool so we wrapped up with many layers. Even so my fingers went white with the cold.

From the river we saw lots of fascinating buildings: the TV Tower (locally known as the Toothpick where we subsequently had lunch), religious and government buildings such as the Reichstag, the Berliner Dom, state libraries, many different styles of architecture. The trip took us on a canal through the industrial area where we saw old hospitals and industrial buildings. The factory on the bottom left dates from 1900. 

We went for lunch in the TV Tower, in the revolving restaurant 207m up; each rotation takes 30 minutes. We did not have a seat by the window but we still had great views all over Berlin, often spotting somthing different on each rotation.

After lunch we did the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie which were must see's on the tourist hit list. An open-air exhibition nearby gave a very helpful summary of what happened before, during and after the wall.

By then we were all walked out and went back to the apartment for our usual siesta.

We had been told about the festival of light so went back into town that evening to see spectacular laser light shows projected on a number of building along the Unter den Linden, an avenue running from the Berlin Palace to the Brandenburg Gate. 

The Berliner Dom all light up with changing static images.

The State Opera House.

Couldn’t resist. Had to go back to the Ampelmann shop to get the duck!

And, of course, we had to sample the beers in each place especially as it was Oktoberfest! That evening we went to Hopfingerbräu am Brandenburger Tor but were so full after lunch we were happy to see they offered soup on the menu. After starters, goulash soup for Mary and potato and sausage soup for me (plus beer) we had had sufficient so toddled off home.

Monday 07-October-24. Return.

Up very early, we Uber’d our way to the airport for a 09:05 flight back to Bari. As we didn’t fancy shopping for food we broke our drive home for a lunch at Osteria del Porto in Savelletri for a relaxed lunch. 

Then we drove home for a siesta, our parkrun extravaganza complete.