Retro Reclamation – From Trash to Treasure

May 10, 2014 by Eve England

My latest project involved the up-cycling of my late gran’s pair of mid-century utility dining chairs. They were not in a good state when I got them, and the leatherette plastic coverings were all torn and worn, and the paintwork flaked miserably with age.

These chairs were produced by a London firm called H.Lait & Sons Ltd, and match the sideboard that I also inherited. When I finally managed to purchase some gorgeous atomic print upholstery fabric from the States, I knew that I had to get them finished.

Step 1 – Strip & Varnish

To start, we had to remove what was left of the original paint. This was a laborious task (for James, that is, not me!), but was well worth his effort when the smooth finish made the varnishing exercise (for me!) a breeze. I used a teak-coloured varnish to matched the top of the sideboard.

Step 2 – Re-Upholstery

Not having the confidence, nor in fact, the skill, to cover the chairs myself, I engaged a small firm called Cliff Amey & Son in Cardiff to do this for me. The fabric is a re-printed vintage design by Charles and Ray Eames, and has been produced by the New York textile company, Maharam, and the quality of this fabric is just divine. This design was created for a 1947 textile competition at the Museum of Modern Art. The pattern is known as the small dot pattern, and this colour is the “Document Reverse” in black with cream. This design forms part of Maharam’s “Textiles of the 20th Century” range.

Step 3 – Re-assembly

I absolutely love these chairs, and think they are actually far nicer than they ever were, even when new, and the abstract atomic design complements our mid-century themed study perfectly. And most importantly, it has meant that I have been able to transform two items that would otherwise have been destined for the rubbish tip into elegant and iconic pieces of furniture that I am sure I will treasure and admire for many years to come.

“If it’s the right chair, it doesn’t take too long to get comfortable in it.“– Robert De Niro

http://www.maharam.com

http://cliffameyandson.co.uk

Cintus Supremus: The essence of an 80s childhood

May 8, 2014 by Eve England

I have vivid memories of the first time that I saw Steven Spielberg’s 1982 sci-fi classic, E.T: It was 1985, and my mum had taken me and my little sister to the re-release of the movie at the Odeon cinema on Swansea’s Kingsway.

It was unlike anything I had experienced before. It was mesmerising, wonderful and frightening in equal measures. The relationship between the “lost boy” and the marooned alien sought to inspire tolerance in a generation of kids across the globe, but for me, it’s gorgeous and Oscar winning piano score fostered a love of music, whilst the dazzling cinematography ignited a lifetime fascination with the mysteries of outer space.

Whilst I was initially disappointed that the Motley Movies screening of Star Wars scheduled for May 4th fell through, I was pleased when it was announced that E.T was selected to replace it. Who can forget, of course, the homages to the George Lucas’ forerunner when Elliot plays out a scene from the movie using his action figures, and Yoda’s appearance at Halloween! As the more fanatical followers of the Star Wars canon will know, George Lucas returns the favour by giving the E.T. aliens a seat in the Galactic Senate in Episode I.

The venue for the movie was the rooftop terrace of the Jacobs Antique market in central Cardiff. The weather was glorious as we enjoyed a few glasses of Prosecco and a Grazing Shed burger overlooking the city, waiting for the sun to set and the projector reel to roll into motion.

With the large screen, the large speakers, the fabulous unlimited popcorn together with a front row seat, it felt like it was the 1980s again, and we were treated to the un-spoiled, un-altered original release version – not a Walkie-Talkie in sight!The evening reminded us all of why this delightful movie remained the top grossing film for over ten years, beaten to the top spot by another Spielberg masterpiece, Jurassic Park, in 1993.

The first weekend of a Summer-long schedule of screenings at Jacobs was amazing, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. For our next outing to the roof, we will be fast-forwarding a decade into the late ninetees for an evening in the company of our favourite heist-hard-men, Vinnie Jones and Jason Statham, as we witness their propulsion towards blockbuster fame in the Brit-grit-comedy-classic Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels.

For further information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/MotleyMovies

Tickets available from: http://www.fatsoma.com/promoter/motley-movies

Me, sometime in the late 1980s, with my entourage of plush toys – E.T is amongst them, of course!

A Cheep-Chic Easter

April 23, 2014 by Eve England

I absolutely adore the little chenille chicks you can buy at Easter time! They are just so fabulously kitsch!

Our Easter supper this year was a simple cheese board and other snacks, framed with a lovely vintage Kraft American process cheese crate (purchased from an Etsy store) and retro cheese “pixies”.

The crate was filled with alpine plants and a selection of catkins.

Our pastel napkins were transformed into bunnies, also adorned with a sprig of catkins, to represent the bob tail of the bunny rabbit.

We also enjoyed Easter Bark, made from white and milk chocolate and bejewelled with smashed pretzel and white chocolate m&ms, candy corns and marshmallows. Yummy!

A selection of other chocolatey treats accompanied this pretty pastel bark.

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!

Chick on location @ Devil’s Bridge, Ceredigion, Wales

Back to black: the resurgence of vinyl

April 17, 2014 by Eve England

I was given a lovely old Dansette record player for my 30th birthday by my parents.

Unfortunately, I soon realised that the stylus needed replacing (as all of my records, including the new ones I had bought, were skipping terribly), and, having been unsuccessful in my attempt to source a suitable replacement at the time, I have not used this wonderful gift since then.

I did, however, recently manage to find a helpful store on eBay, where the proprietor kindly recommended a suitable replacement for me to purchase. With some help from my dad, we managed to get the old thing working again, and I must say, the sound quality is superb considering its age.

As one of the last models of Dansette to be produced (with the Prince having been manufactured some time in 1969), its automatic mechanism works just perfectly. I also took the opportunity to give the player a good polish and clean, and I am so pleased that it is now finally working again after all of this time, and looks fabulous!

The Dansette record player became the player of choice in the early 1950’s, and was produced by a London firm called J&A Margolin Ltd. It was the first “portable” sound system, with many models having a carry-handle for the teen-bops of the time to take their beloved vinyl albums with them wherever they went.

We have, of course, come a long way since then, with our ultra sleek and truly portable iPods and other MP3 devices, however, the Dansette was designed specifically to be a shared device, with its built-in mono speaker enabling a large group of people to enjoy the music at any given time.

The Dansette Prince, along with many other models, has a BSR auto-changer, which allows several records to be stacked together to extend your listening time, and saved having someone on stand-by to continually change the records at a party. The Prince was the original multi-media device, with a Garrard four speed turntable (78, 331/3, 45 and 16 rpm), for all of your vinyl needs!

However, the high cost of purchasing a Dansette eventually conspired its demise, with cheaper and more advanced HiFi equipment being introduced from Japan, utilising, in particular, the new cassette tape technology.

Despite selling over one million units since its inception in the early 1950s, the last Dansette was produced in December 1969, marking the end of a mid-century British icon.

However, there has been a mini-renaissance in the popularity of the record over the past couple of years, and even in my very modest collection of records, I have everything from Miles Davis through to Lady Gaga, with my two recent acquisitions being the soundtracks for the 1994 cult classic, Pulp Fiction, and the recent Baz Luhrmann’s Gatsby!

This post-digital shift is an interesting one: with more and more popular artists releasing limited-edition vinyl versions of their albums, the resurgence is being driven by 16-25 year olds. The MP3 generation is discovering for itself that the record can offer a far superior and fuller sound than that offered by the compressed quality of their smart phones and iPods, as well as providing cover work and lyric sheets to be enjoyed and shared in a far more tangible way.

I love the smell of cupcakes in the morning

April 6, 2014 by Eve England

Last week, was camo-cupcake time!

Using a combination of the Hummingbird Bakery’s chocolate and vanilla cupcake recipes, I created the camouflage interior by colouring the vanilla batches using dark brown and moss food colouring. The terrain was created using a batch of chocolate and cream cheese frosting, with a sprinkling of dyed toasted coconut, chocolate flakes and a good handful of explosive chocolate-coated popping candy.

Each cake was completed with the deployment of an armed-and-ready toy soldier.

“If I was a criminal, stationery stores and bakeries would be the two kinds of places I would concentrate on”. – John Turturro

April 3, 2014 by Eve England

I have been a stationery addict for as long as I can remember.

During my school and college days, I enjoyed nothing more than heading on over to WH Smiths or Staples at the start of each term to purchase a whole bunch of exciting new stationery. My love of stationery has continued into my working life as a lawyer, and a long working day is always made that much more tolerable by the reassuring sight of quirky and pretty items of stationery scattered all over my otherwise despicably drab work station.

The term “stationery” can be dated back as far as the thirteenth century, where various tools and equipment were used in the production of hand-written manuscripts, and later, the Guild of Stationers of London, evolved over the following centuries to reflect the technical developments relating to the written and printed word. Today, the world of stationery has become a funked-up and fashion-driven industry, and there really is something out there for all tastes, personalities and budgets.

To mark National Stationery Week 2014, I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to present to you all my current Top Ten stationery items (I am always on the lookout for the next funky item, of course, meaning this “Top Ten” is in a state of constant flux!), with the hope that others will soon succumb to this wonderful affliction, and embrace it with gusto!

SPACE MONKEY STATIONERY TOP TEN

1. “Laugh it up, fuzzball” – Vintage Han Solo, Star Wars Pencil Case

The release of the Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in 1977 brought with it the start of mass movie merchandising. From action figures to Frisbees, the franchise thrived on the fan-frenzy that ensued. I do love this pencil case, for primarily nostalgic reasons: to start they just don’t make pencil cases like this anymore. There is something about the materials used, its smell, and how annoying the small insert of foam was when you tried to get into the case (although, as I got older, I soon realized that this little piece of foam was a crucial part of the case, and helped to keep the pencil case in as pristine a condition as possible when considering how well-used these things were). The new plastic pencil cases, just aren’t the same.

2. High Society – Smythson, London

Smythsons is the pinnacle of high-end stationery, and the London establishment certainly lures patrons in with its vivid array of colourful, leather-bound delights. Whilst most of the Smythson collections come with a hefty price tag, there is no denying the quality that you get in exchange. However, it is worth keeping an eye out for the sales they have from time to time, as the cute idiom notebooks, in particular, are often available for a far more justifiable price at these times.

Some of my favourites are shown above, including the wonderful personalised pink Bond Street organiser (which I tend to use as a note book, as I also have their stand-alone canary yellow diary), pencil case, and the fabulous “White Christmas” notebook that I keep with me at all times to keep track of inspiring festive ideas that pop into my head at random times throughout the year. I also have a selection of gorgeous note paper and note cards (worthy of a separate entry below, I must add), which are also, usually available during the sales season at a more reasonable price. If your budget allows, however, I would certainly recommend investing in at least one item from this gloriously elegant and timeless stationer – you will not regret it.

3. T-Minus – Space Shuttle Habitat Notebooks

Habitat’s disappearance from our high streets was a particularly distressing time for me. It was my home interior store of choice, and they could always be relied upon for the odd piece of quirky stationery, amongst the more usual items. These were a star buy for me about 5 years ago, and were released at about the same time that Habitat had its VIP Buzz Aldrin Moon range in stock, as well as other space related accessories for kids.

I have about four of these, and I have now almost run out of pages, but I hope to use the covers for new booklets when I finally get to the last usable page.

4. Welcome to Miami – South Beach Pencil Holder

Florida is possibly the most Kitsch of the American states, and is teaming with all sorts of tacky-tourist-tat Americana. We even went to one restaurant, the Bubble Room, on Captiva Island, that was decorated in an array of vintage Xmas stuff – even though we visited in April! It was a brilliant place, and the cakes were to die for, if you ever get to visit. However, I also found this wonderful pen-holder, full of floating flamingos at one of the stores just off Ocean Drive in Miami, and it cheers me up everyday when I look at it.

5. The Eagle has Landed – Vintage Portmeirion Apollo 11 Mug-Come-Pen-Pot

This is one of the little gems that I inherited off my late grandmother last year, which was originally purchased for her by my dad. My dad has been instrumental in fostering my keen interest in all things space, and as this commemorative mug shows, there was never any chance that I would turn out any differently! Whilst not an official piece of stationery, it has been a wonderful and fitting holder for my Paperchase star pencils.

6. Me, Robot – Smythson Notecards

I was particularly excited when I came across these bad robots when browsing the Smythson website last year – I mean, Robot Stationery!? What a fabulous combination!

When trying to think of something interesting to say about robots, I found out that the first use of the word “Robot” was in a Czechoslovakian play by Karel Capek in 1921. Interestingly, the word derives from “robota” meaning “drudgery” in Czech and “work” in Slovak, and ties in with the overarching view that robots have been created to serve us. I love robots, and love science fiction about robots. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov is a classic short novel, and Silent Running and Batteries not Included are two of my favourite robot movies.

7. War-on-error – Soldier Erasers

Whilst not the most practical erasers, these are just pure fun, and I just had to buy them when I saw them!

8. “We drink because it’s what men do” – Stainless Steel Waterman Pen

This wonderful stainless steel Waterman pen was given to me by my sister when I was promoted at work last year. It is such a lovely pen to write with. Here I have displayed it with the equally tasteful Dorothy Thorpe-esq Umbrella Old-Fashioned that glasses I have, and a lovely lead crystal decanter given to us by some good friends for our wedding back in 2009.

9. Honky-Tonk Parade – Piano Calculator

How wonderful is this?! As a pianist myself, I was immediately drawn to this at a very stylish interior design emporium in Bruges. Again, as with many pieces of quirky stationery, it took some time to get used to the layout of the numbers, but once you got the hang of it, it was great. It certainly makes billing time a little more interesting!!

10. “Nothing very bad could happen to you there” – Tiffany & Co Address Book

I have had this fabulous Tiffany & Co Address Book since 2008, and bought it at the flagship store on New York’s Fifth Avenue. I love the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and it is just lovely walking into the ground floor area and knowing that it has hardly changed since the movie was filmed there back in the early 1960s. My good friend, Boo, has recently reviewed Truman Capote’s original novella, which, for those of you who have read this classic will know, has quite a hue to its Technicolor counterpart. Boo’s post is available at : http://www.bloomingboo.com

“A pencil and a dream can take you anywhere.”  - J.A.Meyer

P.S. This bright pink Kate Spade note book was also a strong contender for the Top Ten – The idiom “Eat Cake For Breakfast” is fab, and the tiny thin rainbow ribbons are an absolute delight!! Another fantastic import from the U.S of A!

When I grow up…

March 29, 2014 by Eve England

There was a time when every kid wanted to be an astronaut. Times have certainly changed, and an obsession with all things celebrity has overtaken the insatiable curiosity that spurred the mid century generation to set their sights on the moon. There was a time when every kid wanted to be an astronaut. Times have certainly changed, and an obsession with all things celebrity has overtaken the insatiable curiosity that spurred the mid century generation to set their sights on the moon.

Space Monkey Meets Space Legends

Last weekend, we met three space legends: three individuals who have each made their own incredible contributions to humanity’s exploration endeavours.

Buzz Aldrin

Yes, we met THE Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong’s fellow moonwalker on man’s first moon landing in July 1969.

Having started his NASA career on the Gemini Project, Aldrin was selected to fly along with Armstrong and Mike Collins on Apollo 11. The landing of the Eagle realised Kennedy’s “we shall go to the moon” proclamation months before the end of the decade, and crucially before the USSR managed to so. Despite Russia’s early success (with the launch of Sputnik and Uri Gargarin into orbit causing significant panic in the West), the Space Race was won in the end, by the Stars and Stripes of the USA.

Despite having retired from NASA in 1972, Buzz continue to support his nation’s interstellar exploits, and is now a key advocate of Obama’s ambitions to launch manned missions to Mars by the 2030s.

This has been far more than three men on a mission to the Moon; more still than the efforts of a government and industry team; more, even, than the efforts of one nation. We feel this stands as a symbol of the insatiable curiosity of all mankind to explore the unknown.
– Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin Jr

Alan Bean

Alan Bean travelled to the moon on Apollo 12, and became the fourth person to walk on the moon. Alan is also hailed as the only artist to have visited the moon, and Alan uses moon dust to recreate beautiful images of our closest extra-terrestrial neighbour.

Bean continued to work for NASA after the end of the Apollo programme, and spent time on America’s first space station, Skylab, where NASA conducted tests to see whether humans could live and work for extended periods, with sights very much on future Mars colonies.

Bruce McCandless

The third person we met last week was NASA veteran, Bruce McCandless, who was a commander on NASA’s first aerospace vehicle, the iconic Space Shuttle, and is famous for undertaking the first untethered EVA (Extra Vehicular Activity) in 1984 using the Manned Manoeuvring Unit he helped develop. During this EVA, on mission STS-41-B, McCandless drifted more than 300 meters away from the safety of the Shuttle, allowing fellow astronaut, Hoot Gibson to take this mind-blowing image.

Interestingly, Bruce was also part of the CAPCOM team for Apollo 11, and he was also part of the mission that deployed the Hubble Telescope using Space Shuttle Discovery in 1990, allowing us to see further and deeper into the universe. The telescope was, famously, repaired by another team of astronauts in 1993, arguably saving NASA from certain disbanding.

The next generation

It always surprises, and saddens me, that few people seem genuinely interested in our exploits in space. This disinterest on the part of the public is not, however, a new phenomenon. Indeed, even after the historic steps taken by Armstrong in 1969, the public’s support had waned by the time Apollo 13 launched in 1970. It took disaster and peril to reignite the public’s interest in the space programme. The same story during emerged during the Shuttle programme, where the frequency of the shuttle launches saw them bring tsing for granted and man’s first reusable space ship was viewed as something far from extraordinary. Even NASA’s selection of a teacher to go into space could not enthuse the nation. The fatal Challenger disaster, again, sadly proved that public’s fickle interest in the space programme.

There is no question that since the early 2000s, NASA, and other space agencies across the globe, have done amazing things, and the challenge of keeping the world abreast of these achievements continues. But Chris Hadfield and others are trying to change this. Hadfield is arguably one of the most well known astronauts of our time, with his space tweets and his own rendition of David Bowie’s Space Oddity from the International Space Station brought space to the masses via the social media capability that was certainly facilitated by Hadfield’s twentieth century predecessors. I met Chris at a book signing in Waterstones before Christmas, and he is clearly on a mission to inspire a new generation to aspire to contribute to mans next steps towards the stars.

NASA and Beyond

NASA’s Administrator, Charles Bolden, made his House testimony yesterday seeking a higher budget to allow NASA to continue its scientific endeavours more independently of Russia as America awaits its commercial partners to ready themselves for the job of becoming NASA’s next gen. space taxis. Since the decommissioning of the shuttle fleet in 2011, NASA has relied on the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft to get its astronauts to the laboratories aboard the ISS. With increasing tensions between Russia and the West, it will be interesting to see whether fears about the weaponisation of space will result in NASA taking back a more pivotal place in the US’ defensive contingency. You can read Bolden’s address here:

http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/2014_0328_bolden_final_house_science_opening_statement.pdf

Vehicle Assembly building at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

“A BOOK?! What d’you wanna flaming book for?” – Hosting a library shower

March 20, 2014 by Eve England

A new addition to our family is due on Star Wars Day – May 4th – and we are all very excited about it!

Don’t worry! I did resist the temptation to organise another Star Wars themed event (despite the very provocative due date), and decided to choose a theme that would be a little more neutral and baby-specific! And so I thought: what better way to prepare for the little one’s arrival than to get my sister’s friends and family gathered together to start assembling a new library for him/her! Books have always been such an important part of my life, and I hope that I will have an active role in ensuring that the little darling is as well-read as possible!

The idea was largely influenced by an article I read in Martha Stewart’s Living publication about 18 months ago, which included some wonderful suggestions about how to set up a “build-a-libary” themed event. A “build-a-library” baby shower is centred around the act of each guest being asked to bequeath their favourite book (old or new) to the baby, as a gift that may be cherished by the child throughout its life.

The rest of this piece provides ideas, tips and information about where you can get some wonderful clip art, accessories and other little gems to make your baby shower a perfectly delightful and relaxing event for your “mother-to-be” to savour.

The Invitations

As noted above, Martha Stewart’s Living had some gorgeous printables that you can use to create your invitations, and these are available online at http://www.marthastewart.com. I supplemented this clip-art with some cards and envelopes from Paperchase, and decorated them with different types of ribbon and string.

The website also included printable “book plates” that could be sent to guests in advance so that they could write their personalised messages inside the book they brought.

Mise en scene

I was conscious from the outset that I wanted the event to have a literary theme throughout, and I was fortunate, early on, to find some fabric that incorporated a stacked book motif, taken from Quentin Blake’s illustrations of the Roald Dahl classic, Matilda. The colour of the fabric fitted in perfectly with the Martha Stewart colour scheme, and served as a striking focal point for the party. You can buy this fabric from http://www.kidsfabric.co.uk. Two meters was just about perfect to fit our table top (if you had time, you could make a proper tablecloth, however, I didn’t have time, and left the fabric as cut).

Home-made bunting shaped like mini-books and raindrops were made using pink and purple paper and printed Alice in Wonderland text. I used mini pegs to hang the garland from the conservatory roof.

To continue with the literary theme, my mum and dad raided their old book collections to find some pretty vintage books that we used (which, I must confess included a Patrick Moore Astronomy book, but in my defence, it had a wonderful pink and purple nebular backdrop and matching coloured text) , all stacked-up, to add some variety to the table presentation.

I also took advantage of mum’s parrot vase, and framed it with dad’s model ship to create a “Treasure Island” drinks counter!

Finally, the fully harmonise all of these wonderful colours and themes, I ordered some flowers from a local florist in Cardiff http://www.forbesfield.co.uk, who provided a perfectly colour-matched bouquet of garden flowers that I then dispersed around the room in an array of teapots, cut-glasses and jugs.

The scent was intoxicatingly wonderful, and added yet another dimension to the room. Thank you Beth for choosing such a lovely bunch!

Afternoon Tea

To ensure we were able to invite as many people as possible, we decided to serve afternoon tea nibbles for our guests. As those who know me are fully aware, I am a stickler for colour-co-ordinating food. As you can see, we tried, where possible, to match the food to the pinks and purples we had used elsewhere.

My home-made staple, the marshmallow, made another popular appearance, this time in a violet guise (flavouring available in Lakeland), and my not-so-perfect macaroons were, despite their mis-shapeness, a big hit!

I was also fortunate enough to stumble across a delectably sweet and tangy soft drink in M&S last week, a Rhubarb & Custard pop, that soon vanished into the whimsical glassware.

Dr Seuss’ ABC

To ensure that my sister had a personal reminder of the afternoon, I set up a guest book station whereby guests could use my new vintage-esq FujiFilm Instax 90 camera to take pictures to adorn the pages of a vintage Dr Seuss Alphabet book. I also sourced a couple of wonderful American Crafts library-style ink stamps from http://www.craftie-charlie.co.uk that guests used on tiny library cards to predict the baby’s birthday. Guests were also encouraged to guess whether the little star would be a boy or a girl, and to try and second guess what name he or she would be known by. I, of course, suggested that Luke or Leia may well be an appropriate choice…

Favours

No party would be complete without a little something there for the guests to take home with them.

The little boxes (purchased from catseyepress on eBay) contained a small handful of those idiosyncratic chalk alphabet sweets that I hadn’t had in years, and I was over the moon when I discovered that the tiny sweet shop in Cardiff’s indoor market had these on offer in their pick’n’mix section!

The second gift was a mini note book (bought at the fab treasure trove that is the Tiger store in Cardiff) that I customised to include home-made labels (using my amazing new label maker from Oh My (available on Notonthehighstreet.com)) and mini star pegs from Paperchase. My dad then came up trumps, when he found a lovely little vintage suitcase in the attic for me to use to display these little treats.

The Library

And of course, we mustn’t forget the main attraction: the library! I used my vintage Tams heart planters to display more of Forbes Field’s blooms, which then doubled up as the book-ends for baby’s new books. Overall, we had a range of lovely books for my sister to add to her library at home, including vintage classics and more recent publications. There were also a couple of treats for the mum-to-be, including some Hotel Chocolat treats and a Vintage Tea Party recipe book!

Epilogue

“So Matilda’s strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone.“ – from “Matilda”

I would certainly recommend that anyone looking to organise a baby shower should consider this amazing theme.

With technology becoming such an integral part of our young people’s lives, we must not forget the important influence that books have on young minds, and a build-a-library shower is the perfect way to ensure that the next generation is given the opportunity to own and enjoy a varied library.

– THE END –

Six Biscuits 2014: That’s the way the cookie crumbles…

March 16, 2014 by Eve England

Super Saturday – March 15th 2014

And there we all were again: All poised for an exhilarating day of international rugby. Super Saturday has become a legendary, not-to-be-missed, date for the diary, and 2014 certainly didn’t disappoint.

With none of the nations being in a position to seize the coveted Grand Slam title, the final weekend was a three-way race between Ireland, England and France. If Ireland won, they would be the outright winners, but if France beat Ireland in Paris, then England could snatch the title on points difference.

12.30: Rome

The first game saw England rattle up an impressive tally of tries against the Italians in Rome, more than conscious of the need to get as close as possible to Ireland’s own formidable points difference to have any chance of stealing ahead of the Irish.

15:00: Cardiff

The Scottish crumbled in Cardiff in what was another high scoring game. The Welsh were without star Full-Back, Leigh Halfpenny, but Stuart Hogg made it impossible for his team to fend off a determined Welsh team. A deplorable hit on Dan Biggar led to the Scot being sent off the field after only 20 minutes of play, leaving Scotland to suffer its worse ever defeat against a Welsh side.

Poor Halfpenny misses the end of the tournament due to a dis-located shoulder, and will miss the remainder of his final season with the Blues before re-locating to Toulon.

Crunch Time: Paris

The Six Nations following a Lions tour is historically there for France’s taking, with France winning every tournament afterwards since 1998. However, following France’s shock loss against Wales mid-tournament, France looked to have squandered its opportunity to win yet another Championship off the back of the four nations’ trip Down-Under over the summer. Statistically, Ireland had only managed to beat France in Paris once in some 40 odd years, and so England were relatively confident that a tournament win could emerge off the back of the weekend’s final game.

But England’s dreams of winning only its second Six Nations Championship since 2003 was to be shattered by the luck of one Irishman named Brian O’Driscoll. The Irish Centre had bid farewell to his home crowd at the Aviva Stadium last week, and the game in Paris yesterday against France was to be his final international game.

England watched helplessly as France’s last attempt to claw back a marginal victory over Ireland was denied by the video ref somewhere in the depths of the stadium, thus realising the fairy-tale ending for Brian O’Driscoll.

It really was a fitting end to a remarkable sporting career with O’Driscoll closing his international career with a win against all the odds at the Stade de France. Now would probably be the best time to explain that the last time Ireland won here was, in fact, the first time O’Driscoll played in a Six Nations tournament (it was actually the first EVER Six Nations tournament after Italy joined in 2000), and there was no wonder that BOD battled against his emotions as the final whistle went. Whether you loved him, or loathed him, everyone could agree on one thing: that rugby was losing one of its best. Take a bow, Brian O’Driscoll, for you have served our sport well.

BRIAN O’DRISCOLL – LEGEND

Happy St. David’s Day: Introducing the Wonderfully Versatile Welsh Cake

March 2, 2014 by Eve England

Yesterday, the people of Wales celebrated St. David’s Day. Back in the sixth century, Dewi Sant helped establish a monastery on the site where St David’s cathedral, Pembrokeshire, now stands. “Dydd Gwyl Dewi” celebrates the life and death of this popular saint, and the first of March has been a national day of remembrance for the Welsh patron saint since the eighteenth century.

My favourite St David’s Day tradition has to be Welsh Cake making. Known as “picau ar y maen”, these Welsh wonders are baked on a bakestone, and traditionally contain sultanas, currants and raisins. They are often compared to scones, but are much denser and doughier than the traditional scone, and are not usually eaten with any accompaniments.

As a child, and not yet having developed a particular taste for dried fruit, my mum used to make the South Wales variation known as a Jam Split, which was created using two thinner disks of cake sandwiched together with raspberry jam. Whilst I now also like the more traditional variety, I still make the jam versions as a nostalgic alternative. This year, I wanted to try some new flavours. The first flavour I opted to make was a white chocolate and lemon version, with a hint of cardamon, and the second being a twist on the Jam Split variety with the addition of a peanut butter layer to the jam one, playing homage to one of my favourite American exports, the PB&J sandwich!

I have set out below the recipe that I have used as a base for years, and highlighted the stages at which you can experiment with your own personal touches. NOTE – Don’t let any traditionalist curb your enthusiasm here. In my view, there is no such thing as a “traditional” Welsh Cake – these are wonderfully versatile treats that should be enjoyed in what ever flavours take your fancy! Don’t forget that Welsh cakes can also be eaten at other times of the year…

Welsh Cakes Recipe

1lb plain flour

8oz salted cold butter, cubed

6oz granulated sugar (use only 5oz if making a Jam Split or other sweet variety)

Variations: Traditional – 4oz of dried fruit, currants, raisins or sultanas or a combination of all three; JamSplit – No fruit, but jam or other spread for sandwiching; White chocolate and lemon – rind of one lemon, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, a few cardamom seeds, removed from their pods and crushed, and 150g white chocolate

large pinch of salt

1 teaspoon of baking powder

half a teaspoon of mixed spice

1 egg, lightly whisked along with teaspoon of vanilla extract

extra milk for binding

1. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the cold butter and rub together to make breadcrumbs.

2. Add sugar, baking powder and spices and stir well to combine. Add in the dried fruit and combine. VARIATION: To make a Jam Split, do not add any dried fruit. To make a white chocolate and lemon version, grate in the white chocolate and the rind of a large lemon, and add the cardamon seeds.

3. Make a well in the middle of the mixture and pour in the whisked egg into the well and combine using a knife using figure of eight movement to do so. Add milk as necessary until you can bring the mixture together to make a ball ready for rolling. Add the milk a little at a time to avoid making the mixture too wet. VARIATION: For the white chocolate and lemon version, add in a tablespoon of lemon juice at the binding stage.

4. VARIATION: For traditional or white chocolate and lemon versions, roll the dough on a floured surface so that you have a sheet which is approximately half an inch thick. VARIATION: For Jam Splits roll the dough to a quarter of an inch.

5. Cut into rounds or any shape you like. I like to use stars and hearts. VARIATION: for the Jam Splits, sandwich together two pieces with your choice of jam. For the PB&J version, add a layer of peanut butter.

6. Heat your bake stone or nonstick frying pan and grease with a little butter.

7. Cook them on a medium to high setting, and each side will need a couple of minutes to cook. You will have to keep an eye on them to avoid them burning.

8. Remove from the pan and let cool slightly on a rack.

9. VARIATION: sprinkle the raisin ones with sugar, and all other flavours with edible glitter (optional).

10. Eat warm or cold.

11. JOIWCH (Enjoy!)

HAPPY ST DAVID’S DAY

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