A Weekend in Lacanau, France

Our friends John and Andrea have had a holiday home in Bordeaux for nine years. We had a standing invitation to go and visit them. And of course, we never did until they sold the place and we had one last chance to visit, which we did this weekend. Our friends Bob and Lynn took the overnight ferry from Portsmouth and drove down, picking us up from the airport en route.

Friday night was a meal in; some wine was drunk. Saturday the weather forecast was pleasantly inaccurate and it was sunnier than predicted in the morning.


Walking round Lacanau
Saturday morning, we went for a walk en famille.


View of Lac du Lacanau
It was a lovely morning walking through pine woods, with views of the lake.


Fly Agaric
It being autumn and both warm and damp, the mushrooms were in full sprout. This one was simply missing the gnome.


Charlotte posing
Mary, Andrea and the children went home and then shopping while John, Bob, Lynn and I did a nine kilometre walk to Lacanau-Ocean. We all met up at the coast for a lunch of crepe. Charlotte was posing the camera.

After lunch we drove the route du vin from Margaux to Loudon-Medoc going "Ooh, aah!" at the picture-book chateaux and bought some wine to go with the evening meal. Another meal in and even more wine was drunk, and possibly the guests as well - hic!


Mary buying Sauterne Jelly
Sunday we went to the market at Castlenau where Mary bought some Sauterne Jelly. Excellent with fois gras and brie (French of course) so the stall holder informed us.


Chateau Petrus - a bargain at € 2650 a bottle (USD 2518)!
Later we went to check out one of the local wine stores to peruse their shelves and marvel at some of the prices. Then lunch, back to the airport, back to the UK and home for a very early night.

More pictures at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/markmclellan/sets/72157622661084630/detail/

New Zealand wine makers dinner with CJ Pask

Steam Bar, the latest addition to the Wandsworth restaurant scene, is excelling itself. We had a superb wine tasting meal there last night. Arrived 7:30pm and left 11:00pm - the proper way to spend a relaxed evening meal.

Kate did a fine job of presenting the wines and giving us some background to the winery. North island, East coast; middle tier family owned estate (not giant corporate, not garagiste), disused river bed with mix of gravel and alluvium giving a variety of terroir.

The wines were fine but the chef surpassed himself and got a well deserved round of applause.

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New Zealand wine makers dinner with CJ Pask

Gimblett Road Hawkes Bay New Zealand

Tuesday 20th October 2009 7.30pm

Steam Wandsworth is hosting a wine makers dinner with the award winning CJ Pask winery in Hawke's Bay. guest and wine maker Kate Radburnd will be hosting a dinner featuring her wines. Kate's wines will be matched to a fantastic four course dinner, created by head chef William Leigh.

Salsify & Parmesan rolls
CJ Pask Sauvignon 2008

Crab & apple remoulade with Melba toast
CJ Pask Unoaked Chardonnay 2007

Sauteed chicken livers, artichoke & rocket salad
CJ Pask Syrah 2005

Pot roast Scottish partridge, lentils, black cabbage & squash
Declaration Merlot 2005

Walnut souflee cake with crab apple jelly
CJ Pask Cab Sauv/Merlot/Malbec

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Can't be arsed bothered to type up my notes. If you want to know about the wines I suggest you go to Steam Bar and drink them yourself - Cheers!

George III Mahogany dining table

with drop leaves on cabriole legs with pad feet.

As previously blogged the house has been rearranged ("A Weekend with World-Class Wines") leaving us with no dining table.

We looked at fine George III Mahogany dining table in Peter Jones where we bought the TV. A bargain at GBP 2,700 - not!! Instead we put in a bid at the local auction house (Criterion Riverside) for a table answering to exactly the same description. Maybe not in quite as superb condition but still a solid mahogany antique.

We put in a absentee bid for Monday's auction and won the item. And the price tag - a whopping GBP 420, including buyers premium. So 2,700 or 420? Hmmm, <strokes chin> let me think now...



Well pleased with that. So we christened it on Sunday with a fine Sunday evening meal of roast pheasant and a bottle of 1999 Baron de Boutisse Saint-Emilion Grande Cru.

T.Rextasy at Epsom Playhouse Monday 05 October 2009

Monday night I went down to visit my long-time friend Ros in Epsom for a meal at the local Cafe Rouge followed by a concert at the Epsom Playhouse: T.Rextasy The Electric Boogie Tour! And a fine concert it was too; Danielz had them dancing in the aisles.

This is the third time I have seen T.Rextasy. The first was back in 1997 at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, 30th September 1997 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Mark's death. The second was Marc Bolan a Celebration at the shepherds Bush Empire to commemorate the 30th anniversary.

This was the most enjoyable of the three for me. I think this is because of The London Bop 2009 where I realised that a tribute band is not simply trying to slavishly recreate the sound but give it their own interpretation as well. A fine evening, thank you Danielz.

	Play list: Raw Ramp Boogie on Metal Guru One Inch Rock Rapids Solid Gold Easy Action Life's a Gas Buick MacKane Ride a White Swan Token of My Love Born to Boogie Summertime Blues Jeepster	= Interval = Groover Baby Boomerang 20th Century Boy Sensation Boulevard Deborah Lean Woman Blues New York City Baby Strange Children of the Revolution Telegram Sam Just about Get it on = Encore = Hot Love

A Weekend with World-Class Wines

Sometimes I feel like Alice with the Red Queen running faster and faster merely to stand still. I normally quip on a Monday that I go to work to recover from the weekend unfortunately work is very busy too at the moment.

This weekend was another hectic weekend. It started on Friday with meeting Mary straight from work at her hairdressers for a pre-theatre meal at Sofra followed by Bounce performing Insane in the Brain. A hip-hop dance performance based on One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Saturday was spent rearranging the house. Mary decided to turn the dining room into a cosy sitting room. It started with moving the sofa bed from the front room into the new sitting-room. That meant moving the bicycles from the dining room into the hall and the dining table into the study. That meant moving the computer desks into the back guest bedroom. It will take a few days for everything to be restored to order.

Saturday evening, to relax, we went round the dinner to our friends Bron and Maggie. Bron, like Mary, is a wine aficionado and very generously produced some extremely fine wines from his cellar, two of which rated 100 out of 100 by Robert Parker.

• Gisselbrecht Vendage Tardive Reisling 2001
• Chateau Montrose 1990 St Estephe
• Leoville Las Cases 1990 Saint Julien
• Banyuls 1983 Castell des Hospices

A rare treat and a very enjoyable evening.

A beneficial side effect of the room rearrangement was that we had to go shopping for a second TV which meant a trip on Sunday to Peter Jones. We now have 37 inch LCD screen (Philips 37PFL5604H) which will be excellent for watching DVD's while Mary is watching rubbish on the other TV. We gave it a trial run Sunday evening with Moulin Rouge and very fine the new setup is especially with the sound played through Mary's hi-fi.

Barolo and Barbaresco Wine Tasting Dinner

Another fine wine dinner at Enoteca Turi. This time it was more like raiding Giuseppe's private cellar. These were some serious wines and not available in the shops. The prices quoted are for current vintages. Goodness know what these vintages would cost even if you could find them. So it was a privilege to get to taste these. As usual Giuseppe talked about the region and the food plus Tom Harrow from The Wine Guy as guest speaker gave us more insight into the wines and the growers.

It will spare you my detailed tasting notes as these wines are out of my palate's league. What I will say is:

• of the first pair of Barbarescos, the second was twice as good as the first as reflected in the price
• the pairing of the first Barolo with the ravioli was a match made in heaven. all around the table agreed.
• of the two wines with the veal, I prefered the Barbaresco and Mary preferred the Barolo
• I very much enjoyed the Langhe

Assaggi Piemontesi
Piedmontese antipasti
Prosecco di Valdobbiadene DOC Col Vetoraz
*
Millefoglie di funghi porcini con fonduta di robiola
Layers of porcini mushroom with filo pastry, robiola cheese sauce
Barbaresco Rabaja Riserva DOCG 2001 Produttori del Barbaresco (current vintage GBP 39)
Barbaresco Asili DOCG 2001 Bruno Giacosa (current vintage GBP 98.00)
*
Agnolotti del plin
Traditional roasted meat and spinach ravioli with butter and sage
Barolo Gran Bussia Riserva DOCG 1996 Aldo Conterno (current vintage GBP 127)
*
Filetto di vitello con gnocchetti piemontese, spinaci e salsa al tartufo
Fillet of veal with potato gnocchi, spinach and truffle sauce
Barbaresco Starderi DOCG 1996 La Spinetta (current vintage GBP 85)
Baralo Cascina Francia DOCG 1996 Giacomo Conterno (current vintage GBP 105)
*
Formaggi regionali
Regional cheeses: castelmagno, brunette and tom a piemontese
Gaja Sperss 1998 Langhe DOC (current vintage GBP 131)
*
Caffe con torta Gianduia
Tea or Coffee with Piedmont hazelnut and chocolate tart

Excellent food, wine and company as always.

Seven Flavours from Spain

Another fine tasting from the Charteris Wine Society. This time the presenter was Andrew Bird, a brand manager from M&S, and the wines he was presenting were all from their own label Spanish range. Not only did we learn about their wines but also got a fascinating insight into both the wine trade and Marks & Spencer's own culture.

It would appear that all their wines are own label and, unlike some supermarket chains who simply buy wines from the producers and relabel them, M&S employ their own winemakers to work with the producers on the assemblage. As a result what you are tasting is a wine unique to M&S.

It would appear that M&S (or their customers) are very Euro centric with the countries most heavily represented being France and Italy with Spain coming number three. Whereas most supermarkets tend to lead on the USA.



1. Vintage Rosado Cava, Pinot Noir, 2006. GBP 9.99
Dark pink with a fresh fruity nose with elements of green strawberry and red currants, brut on the palate. We then got an interesting history of Cava and its reliance on indigenous grape varieties.

Also interesting to note that the more conservative M&S customers drink proportionally less than do the customers of other supermarket chains. And in France overall they drink a far greater proportion of rosé than do the UK public.

2. Val do Salnes Albarino, Rias Baixas, 2007. GBP 9.99
Pale lemon colour and a green straw or grass, knows with a hint of grapes and melon. On the nose it seemed quite round and unctuous and sweet but I found it tad flabby.

3. Campo Aldea Rioja Riserva, Graciano, 2005. GBP 9.99
Cherry red with a dark wood, blackberry nose. Very soft and fruity. In my view one of the better Riojas, with a good length.

4. Marques de Grinon, Calzia, Syrah / Petit Verdot, 2006. GBP 8.99
Dark cherry colour with their distinct Murillo Cherry nose. palette blackberry jam with a hint of tang. We were regaled with tales of vine smuggling when the producer introduced French vines into Spain in contravention of their laws.

5. Bellmunt Priorat 2006. GBP 12.99
An inky red colour with a nose both floral and cheesy at the same time. The tannins were much more marked than in previous wine and not merely as jammy a flavour. A mongrel blend of grape varieties: cabernet sauvignon merlot, garnacha negra, syrah and carignan. I learned that the garnacha is the world's most planted grape.

6 Pena del Infierno, Ribera del Duro 2006. GBP 19.00
Very inky with a hint of brown and definitely not as clear as the other wines. Jammy and alcoholic at 14.5 ABV with plenty of tannins. I have to say not for me I preferred number five there was something of the farmyard and metallic about it.

7. Lustau Palo Cortado Sherry. GBP 9.99
Light caramel in colour and on the palate also with a velvety toffee flavour. But drier to taste than the nose might have led one to believe.

An excellent and educational tasting.

Birthday Weekend 2009

My birthday was on Sunday but we spent the whole weekend eating and drinking to celebrate.

We started off on Friday evening when Mary took me to a local South African restaurant in Putney. We had seen it from the bus before and promised ourselves a meal there to remind us of our trips to SA. We even booked one time then completely forgot - I hate having been a 'no show'. This time we made it and had an excellent meal. I had very tasty ostrich and springbok for main course. Chakalaka, Putney

Saturday it was the turn of our old haunt Ringwood. We went down early to drop the car off for its MOT. Then round to Bob and Lynn for lunch before an afternoon wine tasting.


Bob and Mary tasting wine

Ringwood has a newish independant wine merchant who has done a number of tutored tastings in the shop. This was his first large scale walk around tasting in a church hall with his suppliers presenting their wares. http://www.newforestwines.com/


Graham (New Forest Wines) and Nigel (Supplier)

After the tasting it was time for a short siesta before going out for a meal at another recent addition to the Ringwood gastro-scape, Seven Fish. http://www.sevenfish.co.uk/

Sunday it was back, via mum and dad's for a cup of tea, to start preparing for meal number 3, the periodic sibling and partners' dinner party. Mary slaved for hours producing a multiple dish Thai meal which went down very well; Mary excelled herself. Sarah seems think it is some sort of competition but it is simply that Mary loves cooking.

And so to bed.

The London Bop 2009

Wednesday was the annual gathering of Marc Bolan fans in Golders Green. This was the, I think, fourth one of these I have been to and one of the more enjoyable. Part of that I attribute to live music from Tyrannosaurus Jed and Remco.


Tyrannosaurus Jed

Also the venue has changed. In previous years it was held in Klub Xtreme a somewhat pokey basement underneath The Rectory pub. This year it relocated to the White Swan in the main pub area. A great improvement as you could both see better what was going on and also hear yourself think which made talking to other Bolanites easier - which is part of the whole reason for going.


Tyrannosaurus Jed

I hardly needed a disco as the songs are already grooved into my brain so it was very refreshing to hear alternative live interpretations especially from Tyrannosaurus Jed who played songs from the earlier era before Tyrannosaurus Rex became T.Rex.


Remco - from Holland

For just one man with a guitar Remco produced an amazingly good sound. What you can't see in this photo is the huge crowd behind me. Standing immediately in front of me was a lady with a Marc Bolan tattoo on her shoulder done in some fine detail.


Marc Bolan Shoulder Tattoo

I met up with a number of people I had met through Facebook and it was good to put faces to the names.

Footnote:
It is appropriate that I post this on my birthday as it was on this very day in 1977 that I first learnt of Marc's death - several days after the event. I was on holiday in Greece and out of touch with dear old Blighty. As it was my birthday I treated myself to a several-days-old Times and there was the small paragraph announcing his death in a road traffic accident.

Fourth Annual Drink the Cellar BBQ

Saturday was our fourth annual "help us drink our excess wine cellar"; wine that is ready for drinking and we would hate for it to go over the hill. As usual our friends rallied round.

The BBQ went well. 41 peeps and 36 bottles. As expected we over catered so it is lamb burgers for a month for us. And while clearing up we discovered 24 lost sweetcorn under the sink. Succotash anyone?

Starters included Italian meats we brought back from Italy last weekend:

• capocollo
• bresaola
• salami piccante
• lonzino

And Mary's excellent Smoked Mackerel Pate with Cucumber Relish

Mains were lamb burgers, some spicy Mexican sausages and chicken thighs marinaded in Japanese soy sauce, ginger and honey. The magic ingredient was employing my nephew Tom as burger flipper. He did an excellent job which meant that Mary and I could mingle with our guests without worrying about carbonised food.

Desserts I spent the evenings of the week before preparing - giving the ice cream maker a severe hammering. All made from a base of proper cream and egg yolk hand-made custard with fresh fruit:

• raspberry
• blueberry ripple
• pineapple and stem ginger
• honey & hazelnut
• strawberry sorbet

Previous attempts to clear the cellar:

• 2007: http://blog.mmenterprises.co.uk/2007/08/social-double-header.htm
• 2006: http://blog.mmenterprises.co.uk/2006/08/bank-holiday-barbeque.htm

Not sure what happened to 2008 but I suspect overshadowed by posts about the London to Paris Bike Ride training

PS. 15-Sep-09.
This is what the cellar looked like 2½ years ago and, in fact, it is much fuller now because we brought a load of wine back from the wine merchants and had to put in a more racks to accomodate them:

Smoked Mackerel Pate with Cucumber Relish

This recipe Mary acquired at a Saturday cookery school some years ago. It never fails to be a crowd pleaser and so easy-peasy to prepare. Certainly there was none left after Saturday's BBQ.

SMOKED MACKEREL PATE

8 oz smoked mackerel fillets
pinch ground mace or nutmeg
1 oz butter (melted)
8 oz curd cheese
pepper to taste
few drops lemon juice
Tabasco or little cayenne pepper

Remove skin and bones from fish, pound to a smooth paste with the mace, work in remaining ingredients

CUCUMBER RELISH

1 cucumber (sliced)
2 tbsp wine vinegar
1 tsp dry mustard
6 tbsp salad oil
3 dsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp chopped fresh mixed herbs (parsley, chives, mint)
salt and black pepper

Combine dressing ingredients, spoon over cucumber, chill well before serving

Yet another holiday in Puglia

This time we had a slightly different vacation, we took a holiday within a holiday: we took a couple of days out to go up to the Gargano, a national park at the top end of Puglia.

We flew EasyJet. British Airways were too expensive and we don't like RyanAir. Normally we would fly Alitalia but this time we thought we would give EasyJet try. The flights were fine but it was the four-hour stopover at Rome airport that was a bit of a drag. Next time it will be back to Alitalia.

Sunday we went to meet up with our neighbours Chris and John for live opera in Cisternino piazza then round to their place for lunch. Afterwards we were joined by Donato the builder to discuss paving our back patio.



Monday we spent down the beach, we tried out a new stretch of the coast at Torre Gauceto. Lovely sandy beaches unlike the rocky coast directly down the hill from us.

Tuesday morning we drove up the coast to meet up with Chris and John for lunch at Mattinato. In the afternoon we drove up to Vieste and back across the mountains over some of the twistiest hairpin bends I have the dubious pleasure of driving.

That evening we stayed in Monte San Angelo and went out for a meal in one of the two Michelin Guide recommended restaurants. The next day was more driving over the hills to Vico through the forest with a short forest walk in the middle.



These are ancient beech forests and just magical to walk through.



Wednesday evening was a repeat of Tuesday evening at the other recommended restaurant.



Thursday we drove over to San Giovanni to see the church built to accommodate the Pope's visit following the beatification of local boy makes saint (Padre Pio).



Friday was a quiet day at home pottering about and a second visit from Donato to discuss the exact line of the paving slabs. We were joined by a very friendly cat, so friendly it fell over in its enthusiasm to rub against my feet. We were afraid it might be another stray but it turned out to belong to a farmer who takes his cat to work with him unlike most of the other farmers who take a dog!

That evening we went back into Cisternino for a pizza followed by an evening of free jazz in the same piazza:


Then Saturday it was home via a shopping opportunity in Rome airport arriving home eventually after midnight.

Middlesex Sevens and U2 at Wembley

Another hectic Saturday starting off with the Middlesex Sevens with Bob and Lynn (like last year 2008 and 2005 and 2004).



Then a cross-London dash from one stadium to another for the U2 360 tour at Wembley stadium. A spectacular show, sound a bit iffy (according to where you sat I suspect) but an enthusiastic crowd and ambiance. The Independant seemed a bit underwhelmed by it though [review].













Fans' reviews and comments on the official U2 site http://www.u2.com/news/title/wide-awake-in-london

Bircher muesli with summer berries

This recipe we first came across as part of our preparation for the London to Paris bike ride. Like pasta before a marathon it is slow release carbs. However it is so tasty we now make it simply to the pleasure of it.

---

A breakfast treat that's good for you and a fantastic summer alternative for porridge lovers.

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 15 minutes plus overnight soaking

Ingredients 100g whole rolled jumbo oats 100ml skimmed milk 50ml cloudy apple juice 1 tbsp sultanas 1 tbsp chopped dried apricot 100g mixed summer berries Pinch of sugar 1 tsp pumpkin seeds 1 tsp sunflower seeds 2 tsp chopped mixed nuts 1/4 apple, cut into lcm approx pieces 4 tbsp natural yoghurt 1 tbsp honey Method Put the oats in a bowl and pour over the milk and apple juice. Stir in the sultanas and apricot pieces. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight. Put the berries in a saucepan, add the sugar and heat through the mixture until the berries have begun to break down, Pour the compote into a bowl and allow to cool. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight. The following morning, stir through the seeds, nuts, apple, yoghurt and honey. Divide the muesli between two bowls, add a dollop of the compote and serve.

Cook's Tip
If you prefer, simply sprinkle the berries on top of the muesli instead of making the compote. Alternatively, serve with the fruit of your choice - mango is delicious. This muesli still tastes great the day after, if you have any left.

www.cyclingweekly.co.uk

Cleaning the Wandle August 2009

My poor bones are aching, but in a good way, from five hours cleaning the Wandle on Sunday under the auspices of The Wandle Trust. It was a beautiful day for getting on the waders and doing some serious shopping trolley retrieval.


Essential rubber wear ;-)
I got some strange looks from my colleagues today when I said I spent Sunday wearing shorts, a t-shirt and rubber.


The team in the water
A good turn out and some excellent team work. Some in the river and some on the bank and some land-side acting in relay to ferry the haul from the river to the bank to the rubbish assembly area.


A very heavy old old boiler
Right at the eleventh hour the stragglers unearthed this monster. Initially full of water and sludge it got lighter with patience as it drained. Even so it took four of us lifting plus half a dozen hauling on the grapple rope to get it up the bank and over the railings.


Part of our collection of ten shopping trolleys
Plus all manner of junk, debris, rubbish, scrap and general detritus. It is appalling what people will simply chuck in the river! Many thanks to Wandsworth Borough Council for providing a truck to cart away all the rubbish.

A full set of pictures on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8179454@N02/sets/72157621877528459/detail/
Apologies for the quality but they were taken with my iPhone not a proper camera.

Sapphire Bullets at The Grey Horse

The gig of the Sapphire Bullets Mahavishnu Orchestra tribute band was the finale of our hectic Saturday:

• A 22 mile bike ride including a couple of turns round Richmond Park
• A couple of hours gardening
• A couple of hours shopping
• Supper at Jamie's Italian (Oliver that is) in Kingston
• The aforementioned gig by the Sapphire Bullets at The Grey Horse

And I have to say they were very good indeed. Far better that one might expect for a fiver at the door in the back room of a pub in Kingston. The drummer is an ex-session musician and the lead guitarist is a very talented man, with Pete on bass, an electric violinist and keyboards player to complete the line-up.

Our friends Bron and Maggie came to show their support and a beer afterward. We had to nick a couple of chairs from the main pub for them as it was standing room only. Then it was the last train home after a most excellent day.

Walking in the Lake District

An superb weekend with over 10 hours of walking up hill and down dale with excellent weather and beautiful scenery plus a bit of eating and drinking as well. The weather forecast had been rain the whole weekend. I am glad to say they got it badly wrong there was a little drizzle Saturday morning then it cleared up. Sunday was lovely and sunny all day, I spent most of it walking in my T-shirt.

We took Friday afternoon off and caught the 13:30 Virgin Trains express to Glasgow, change at Oxenholme for Windermere. We went first class with comfy seats, complementary newspaper and free food and wine. Not realising it was all free, at Euston I suggested we bought sandwiches for a picnic on the train but the free glasses of Shiraz went down nicely thank you. I can definitely recommend Virgin Trains.

We arrived at Windermere and a short walk down to the Oakbank hotel in Bowness arrived at almost the same time as our friends Bob and Lynn who had driven up from Hampshire. After settling in we went across the road to the Angel for a pint of Coniston Bluebird and excellent it was too. That evening the four of us went for a meal at the Fat Olive and an early night.

The next morning we drove up to Elterwater and did a walk round Chapel Stile Great Langdale Beck, Blae Tarn and the Langdale Valley.



About 11 miles in total which took four and a quarter hours walking time. We ended up at the Three Shires with a pint of Coniston Old Man and Dark Ennerdale.



That evening we met up with Mary's uncle Ronnie and wife Avril for a meal in Villa Positano and afterward a night cap of a half the Black Sheep at the Angel.



The next day was a longer walk: Troutbeck, Yoke, Ill Bell, Froswick, Thornthwaite Crag, Caudale Moor and back to Troutbeck.



In total about 13 miles in six hours plus a total ascent of over 3000 ft. A write-up of pretty much the route we did: http://www.lakedistrictwalks.com/yokcau.html



We then went to the Queen's Head for a pint. Mary had a pint of Dizzy Blonde and I went for a pint of Old Tom. As the barmaid poured it she asked "are you driving" as it was 8.5 ABV. Well that helped me sleep on the train home for sure.



Full set of pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8179454@N02/sets/72157621811827441/detail/

1963 Morris Minor 1000 2 Door Saloon For Sale

Mary is regretfully putting Molly up for sale.



Lovely 2 door saloon, grey with red and white trim. Excellent condition thanks to 2007 refurb by Charles Ware. 1098cc. Great runner. Converted to unleaded. Owned for 14 years, lots of past history. Garaged. Now living in London so hardly used for the last two years. 12 months MOT and tax. £3,500 ono

See our ad on Classic Cars for Sale: http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/classic-car-page.php/carno/66336

Another MMG-style four part day

Another quiet MMG*-style four part day on Sunday.

1. Trip to the local auction house to look for sideboards for the breakfast room and claret jugs.

2. Visit the RHS garden at Wisley to check out smelly perfumed roses for May's garden in Scotland.


RHS Wisley: smelling roses


RHS Wisley: Rosa Hot Chocolate 'Wekpaltez'


RHS Wisley: 200 year old bonsai

3. A picnic in NT Hatchlands Park followed by a whistle stop tour of the Gertrude Jekyll** garden. We will have to go back for a fuller inspection.


NT Hatchlands Park: picnic


NT Hatchlands Park: Gertrude Jekyll garden

4. Afternoon tea and cake in Farnham with the Aged P's.

5. A quiet supper of picnic leftovers and an early night.

* MMG = Mary Mitchell Galashan, aka "SWMBO", aka "her indoors"

** Update: 30-Jul-09. Post edited. Do not confuse Gertrude Jekyll (garden designer) with Gertrude Stein (American writer).

Flash web site is not so flash

I was chatting to Mino, an Italian chef, who was over in London for a trade show. He told me about a friend of his who had a restaurant and cookery school in London. So I whipped out my trusty iPhone, googled, clicked on www.caldesi.com and this is what I saw:


www.caldesi.com screen shot 26-March-2009

Rubbish! No text alternative. What if I had been in the area keen to call them up and make a reservation? So I dropped an email to the "design" company:

--
Tue, Mar 31, 2009
xxxxxx

When accessing http://www.caldesi.com/ on an iPhone I get, effectively, a blank screen (see attached screen shot). I guess the site would not work on a blackberry or an ordinary mobile phone either. You really should provide a low-tech html text alternative unless you think typical iPhone owners are not a suitable target demographic for a restaurant and cookery school.

And the link to your site at the bottom of the page is broken: Site design by Originator © 2009 links to http://www.caldesi.com/www.originator.co.uk - methinks someone forgot the http:// and that is how it resolves.

Regards

Mark
--

Recently I went back to check and, yes, it had changed but not really what you would call an improvement. And the link to their site is still broken.


www.caldesi.com screen shot 21-July-2009

Maybe the answer is to educate the clients as some design companies just do not seem to understand accessibility, cross-browser support, standards compliance or a user centric view of the web.