Grieve...

 

So how do you grieve?

Senora O'Blene and I were just discussing this. One needs to grieve a real person's passing, but without the dross of all the hangers-on being exemplified by the awful BBC and other channels.

We don't need to hear about what the peripherals get up to, our late Queen is the star of the show!

We wonder where her statue will be situated? Outside Buck House maybe?

Rain at last...

Remarkable likeness to Ron Groat...

 

Old Nick on the grasp...

It's been quite a good year for blackberries, despite the hot weather and very little rain, and I've picked around six pounds and they're being carefully fermented in the time-honoured way!

There is a downside to these 'profits a prendre', as on the first foray into a new area covered in brambles, I crashed my bike on the rough track, and received several cuts and bruises for my trouble, but the effort was worth it, and only the mental scars remain...

At the end of the season, the berries start to fade and drop off, and it's the time when my mum used to say, 'The Devil's got them'! So we're about there now!

 

Tools for comestibles...

 

About this time of year, the hop industry gets into top gear, and arrangements for the harvest are pretty frenetic!

When dad was engineer for a huge hop farm there were several other managers going about their various tasks, and one of these chaps, Ernie G, was in charge of providing everything needed for the various hop-pickers' camps dotted around the countryside, and there was a lot of catering eqipment needed for the hundreds of people who were bringing in the harvest.

Ernie and dad were special friends, and could banter away for ages, and I have an abiding memory of him telling dad that he was currently working on sourcing the 'Crockerware and Cuttleware', which made for much jollity all round!

And he gave me this serviette ring for my christening, so that was a nice thought wasn't it!

Covers unavailable...

There's some sort of pop festival going on near here, with names of bands I've never heard of, but the kids might have...

After three days, I've only recognised one song, 'Pinball wizard', and that was pretty dire, and it struck me that the sort of music I enjoy is never covered by any of the squealing/yelling lot, as : -

1) I like proper pomp rock played by real pros like Rick Wakeman or Steve Hackett!

and 

2) they couldn't play it or sing it...

As we've had to have the windows open because of the heat, we've had the full nine yards of rubbish, so I can't wait until 8.30 tonight when they all bugger off home.

Hats...

 

Apart from this being a damned good album, the current hat is becoming very useful as the hot weather continues!

My favourite is a straw trilby, which I bought in the US several years ago, and is styled in Australia but manufactired in China - so work that one out!

As the top foliage becomes sparser, a decent 'titfer' is a must these days, but I don't want to think about the tweed winter cap at this moment...

All those questions from the committee...

 

So the grilling continues...

Ron Groat and Amelia Newt are in constant battle with the members of the committee, and the pressure just doesn't let up!

Scrobs is reminded of the delicacy shown above, and remembers quite clearly how delicious it all was, especially after six pints of Young's Best Bitter! Nowadays, kids and some odd people choose a kebab or other such stuff which resembles an elephant's leg, to soak up the residue of cheap lager but the West End Grill was just fabulous!

When Liz Truss is crowned, I may well try and emulate the concoction - I tried to do this when Pan Yan Pickle was discontinued, and made up a batch of chutney using the exact proportions shown on the label, but it didn't taste anything like the real thing!