Hello Dear Reader, once again it’s for a catch up. The Easter break has come and gone and Storm Katie has been battering half of the UK. Unusually, it was the Midlands to the South which took the brunt of the damaging winds. There was garden fence and tree damage locally, but personally I escaped with some ripped roofing felt on my shed. Cubs Scouts is currently on the Easter break. The Reigate Cub Scout Cooking Competition (which we won last year) surpassed my expectations and our young team of 2 eight and 2 nine year olds managed to cook a two course meal in 90 minutes from scratch for less than £5 using 4 gas burners (and without losing any fingers, having any disasters or giving the judges food poisoning). This year’s theme was 100 years of Cub Scouts, so Baloo managed to find “An Indian Recipe” from 1917 and a recipe for a Spotted Dick pudding. During practice, the Indian Recipe produced a really good Chicken Curry with onions. It was very flavoursome chicken dish and a beautiful sauce (not all sauce like a modern curry). The Spotted Dick pudding was really good, but we some learned that it did need a full 60 minutes boiling in the Muslin cloth. The rules say that a leader cannot assist their own team, and I was a little out of position as I was keeping an eye on another group at the opposite end of the hall from ours. This proved frustrating, but I did at least manage to get word to ours to use some more heat to help reduce the sauce for the main course. Points are awarded for Teamwork, Food Hygiene, Presentation, Technique and Taste with 10 points for each. Out of a total of 50 points, the winners got 42 points. Our team managed 41 points, so finished second. Third place in the morning groups achieved 39 points. There were four more teams in the afternoon session, the highest of which was awarded 31 points. It was a really great effort from such a young team, and it is great to see these kids taking on a challenge so successfully. But I am not sure who was more chuffed at the result, the Cubs or their parents. More than one of them told me that the youngsters had never cooked before! We have a visit planned to the local Fire Station for the first meeting of the new term next week and in April, we will be going down to Brighton for the day and seeing a special screening of the new version of “The Jungle Book” Yet again, I have been appalled by atrocities in Europe. My thoughts go out to the victims and their families. The bombings at Brussels Airport and Metro Stations on 22 March were both indiscriminate and shocking. The perpetrators must learn that no good can ever come of this behaviour. I was also saddened to hear that Johan Cruyff had lost his battle with cancer. He was one of the first wave of flamboyant international footballers that I was really aware of. Such an exciting player to see in a World Cup and European Championships. Luckily, his vision of “Total Football” and the “Cruff Turn” will live on. <The moment the Cruyff turn was introduced to the world> Johan Cruyff RIP My beloved Vinyl I have spent spare moments over the past few weeks cataloguing my old vinyl collection. I love the format, but no longer play it and really could not part with it. The popular end of the collection is now on show <<<<here>>>> I also have many classical LPs, but I do not feel quite as emotionally attached to those! I have been to a couple of gigs in the last week. Last Thursday, Emmy The Great played a lovely gig at the Islington Assembly Hall supporting the release of her third album “Second Love”. Although the Photography Fascists were in evidence, I did manage to sneak a few reasonable pictures, which are here. Saturday’s gig by The Tuts was less successful. Having got to Barfly at Camden, I was surprised to see their name on the bill to perform at 9:45, as the band themselves had said that they would be on early. At about 7:30, their names were being crossed from the bills and we were told that The Tuts would not be playing. The band came through the bar as they left and explained to a few of us disappointed fans that they had agreed to an early slot as they were expected elsewhere at 10:00. They found that the Promotor had bumped them up the bill to headliners when they arrived, and their previous commitment meant they could no longer play. We did have a chat about the new album and how things were going with the Pledge Music crowd funding. They are nice kids. Attitude in spades, but real nice girls. That is about all for now.
Chin chin xxx
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14/3/2016 0 Comments A chat to catch up...Feels like a long time, Dear Reader. How's it been? I have been laid up with a cold and cough which has taken hold of Surrey for a while. The nasty cold lasts about a week and you are left with a cough which can last for 5 to 7 weeks. Without tempting fate, I think that after 4 weeks of hacking the annoying cough may finally be on the way out. My beloved Gunners season looks like it will end with them not bothering any silverware engravers. Arsenal were going pretty well until Christmas, but since then the classic combination of injuries and loss of goal scoring form have done for them. I can only hope that they keep faith with The Professor until a suitable replacement becomes available. Fairly busy time on the Scouting front. Pancakes cooked on tin cans, making a card and decorating a candle for Mother's Day, the Swimming Gala, practice for next weekend's Cub Scout Cooking Competition have kept Gibson Pack busy. I was helping with the catering at a County Beaver and Cub Scout Leaders Training Course this past weekend. 32 delegates on Saturday and 36 on Sunday - home cooked style lunch with seemingly endless tea, coffee and biscuit breaks, together with the associated washing up - I slept well last night ! Giggery for the year has begun. The Hinds played Koko on 18 February. A really sweet honest all-girl quartet, who genuinely seems so happy to be playing. I do love seeing a band who smiles. Jake Bugg played the Electric Brixton last Thursday. It was a good gig, even if the headline set was a little short. Saddened to hear that Keith Emerson, passed over last weekend. King of over the top keyboard showmanship and keyboard stabbing, he first came to my notice playing Prog Rock with The Nice, and later with Emerson Lake and Palmer. RIP. Enough for now.
Adieu. xxx |
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