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Cruise Blog

CRUISE BLOG: THE SYMPHONY OF THE SEAS – DAY ONE

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Saturday, 22nd October, 2022

We were a bit worried about how long it would take to board the ship, there seemed to be hundreds of people milling around, but we were pleasantly surprised by the quickness and efficiency of the Royal Caribbean staff and in no time at all, we were boarding the ship!

As luck would have it, we spotted Denise, our friend, straight away and she led us to her husband, Ian, who was busily booking our specialty restaurants, as we had pre-paid for the specialty restaurant package which entitled us to eat at three restaurants during the week. The main one we wanted to make sure we could do was Alice in Wonderland on Tuesday, as that was Phil’s, my husband’s, birthday. We were in luck, we could book it, but the other two restaurants were already quite full up, so we had to settle for five o’clock sittings, which was a bit frustrating.

As we hadn’t eaten at all that day, the first stop was the Windjammer – we have cruised with RC on a few occasions and were familiar with the setup and we have never been disappointed with the food or the service before.

Windjammer done, it was time to explore the ship and we couldn’t resist a game of crazy golf. The game was a bit flawed though, as every time we hit the ball, the wind took it further by a couple of feet, normally in the wrong direction! We were truly thrashed by our friends, but vowed we would beat them on a re-match!

Phil then spotted the zipwire, as we are all involved in scouting, you can imagine that this was something they wanted to do (not me, I have a bad back, or a china back as my husband would say!) We went to enquire and found out that you needed to be wearing a covered t-shirt and closed-in trainers or shoes, which Denise and Ian didn’t have, but Phil did, so he had a go.

On the zipwire….

After this excitement, it was time for a Pina Colada cocktail. We didn’t buy the alcohol package, we bought the refreshment package as we’re not big drinkers, but you need a cocktail to start off a holiday!

Sorry, couldn’t resist – one of my favourite songs!

We then went our separate ways to find our cabins as it had just been announced that the cabins were ready. We were on Deck 8, cabin no 293, overlooking the Boardwalk. We knew that the carousel was underneath our balcony and we were a bit concerned about the noise, but on entering the cabin and opening the balcony doors, the sound from the carousel wasn’t at all loud.

It was a nice change to have a different view than the sea, but I do love watching the ocean and waves at the end of a busy day.

At about 4:45PM the Symphony of the Seas left Miami, it was very hot up on the top deck but the views were incredible. We are used to sailing out of Southampton, so this was a treat for us to see the amazing hotels and buildings and especially the beach.

We arranged to unpack and then get ready for dinner, we had already booked this on the App before we had boarded as we were Any Time dining and Denise and Ian came to have a look at our cabin. We made our way to the Main Dining Room (MDR) and sat down for our first of many meals on board.

I have to say it was a little bit manic, our waiters seemed to have quite a few tables and a very demanding table sat behind us. He forgot one of our drinks and brought me the wrong starter. This was rectified and he was very apologetic, but when my dinner arrived which was roasted chicken with vegetables, the gravy was very spicy, which obviously it’s not supposed to be. I think the wrong sauce was put on this dish, because I’ve never heard of a spicy gravy!

Again, he was very apologetic, offering me a new meal, but I had eaten what was not covered in the sauce and couldn’t have possibly eaten another plate full of food.

We went for a wander and ended up at the On Air Club, where there was a karaoke session in full swing. There were some very good singers and some not so good ones!

We then decided to call it a night as Phil wasn’t feeling too good, so we said our goodnights and headed back to the cabin. Phil was up all night with a bad stomach, so not much sleep was had by either of us. Hopefully in the morning, he will feel better.

Take a look at the video:

To see a video of what we got up to with lots more photographs and videos, take a look at the YouTube video:

And lastly….

Cruise Blog

Cruise Blog: The Symphony of the Seas

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22nd October – 29th October, 2022

Thursday 20th October, 2022

Travelling to Miami

We decided to drive to the airport and leave our car with a Meet and Greet service by Blue Circle from Holiday Extras which included a stay at a hotel the night before.

We arrived at the Mercure hotel and booked into our room and discovered that we had been upgraded to a Privilege room, excitedly we looked to see what our perks would be: a carton of orange juice and can of Fanta in the mini-bar and dressing gown and slippers in the wardrobe! I did make use of the orange juice in the morning though…

We were travelling with our friends who we were spending the first week on board the Symphony of the Seas with us and then they were spending a further week on board the Explorer of the Seas, whilst we were travelling back home.

We had spent £32 on a pre-paid dinner package, which included starter, main course, pudding and a drink, so we went down to the restaurant to see what was on offer. The meal was okay, but both Phil, my husband and Ian, ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala which by all accounts was very, very hot!

After a couple of drinks, we all headed back to our rooms as we had quite an early start. Having booked our flights through Royal Caribbean at different times, we had different flights, so wouldn’t be seeing each other again until we were on board the ship.

Friday, 21st October, 2022

The next morning, we drove to Heathrow Airport and left our car with the Blue Circle Meet and Greet, which when we found them, was quite painless.

From there we headed to Terminal 3 Aspire Lounge, which was very full and people who hadn’t booked were being turned away. It was difficult to find a seat, but once we had settled down we tucked into hot breakfast and coffee.

We were travelling with American Airlines and I found their app very useful. It gave you the latest information about the flight, the gate number and even your boarding pass, so checking in with the suitcases was easy and quick. On board the plane, they had many films, TV shows, etc., to watch and I found myself enjoying Mrs Harris Goes To Paris and the BBC’s comedy, Ghosts, (even though I’ve seen them all a few times before!) Phil enjoyed Oasis at Knebworth and Top Gun Maverick.

We arrived at Miami at 5.30 PM local time which was 10:30 PM, England time and we searched for the shuttle bus to the hotel we would be staying in, which was The Hilton, Blue Lagoon Hotel. Eventually the transport turned up and we boarded the vehicle to take us to our hotel and which only took about 20 minutes. This was free of charge by the hotel.

When we arrived at the hotel, the first thing we did was to book the shuttle to the port, but we were told that we were too late to book on the 10:15 AM shuttle, so we decided to get a taxi in the morning and headed to the pool bar for our evening meal. By this time it was about 1:00 AM England time and we were shattered. As soon as the meal was finished we headed back to our room and we were asleep before our heads hit the pillow!

Saturday, 22nd October, 2022

The next morning we went down to the lobby to check out and went to the concierge to book a taxi, to be told that we could go on the shuttle for $13 each! So, we didn’t need telling twice, we paid the driver (who seemed a little stressed with a couple of the women who didn’t have their luggage labels) and then we left for the port!

After what seemed like ages, we arrived at the port and after dropping people off at different cruise ships, it was our turn, we turned the corner and there she was: Symphony of the Sea in all her glory, we were nearly boarding after two days of travelling!

Take a look at the video:

To see a video of what we got up to with lots more photographs and videos, take a look at the YouTube video:

the walking dead, Walking Dead Poetry

THE WALKING DEAD: S2 EP 1 – WHAT LIES AHEAD

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The group leave Atlanta and head for an army base not far,
But soon they find their way blocked by abandoned cars.
The RV's radiator hose breaks, they search the cars and trucks,
Glenn and Dale manage to fix the hose, that's a bit of luck. 

Rick spots a walker, but behind it is a very big herd, it's badass,
He tells the group to hide under the vehicles until they pass.
Dale lies flat on the roof of the truck, Andrea is inside busy
with her gun, she suddenly sees the walkers outside the RV.
Dale lying on top of the RV while the walker herd passes by.
She scrambles to the bathroom, a walker wanders through the open door,
Andrea tries to assemble her gun, but a piece drops to the floor.
The walker hears it and pushes the door with all its might,
Dale sees that Andrea's in trouble, she will have to fight.

He throws down a screwdriver for her to use,
She stabs it in the head, until the blood begins to ooze. 
Once the herd is past, Sophie emerges from her hiding place,
But two stragglers have seen her, they then take chase.

Sophie runs into the woods, followed by Rick,
He manages to grab her, and tells her to be quick
And run back to the highway if he doesn't come back,
But when Rick returns, Sophie's gone, but there are some tracks.
Rick and Sophie
Daryl tracks Sophie and she was heading to the highway,
But then her tracks veered off to another path,  to his dismay.
They continue to search and Rick kills a walker to see,
If it has any remnants of human flesh in its belly. 

They find that a woodchuck is all that the stomach contains,
There's still hope, they will continue the search again.
The next day the group goes back into the woods and they hear
The sound of church bells and they sound quite near.

They hope that Sophie is responsible for that sound,
But when they get there, she's nowhere to be found.
Rick, Shane and Carl continue searching and they find a deer,
Carl moves closer, he's curious but without any fear. 

Then suddenly, the sound of a gunshot rips through the spot,
The deer falls to the ground, so does Carl, he's been shot!
Carl sees the deer…
Cookery, Cooking and Baking, Gousto

Cooking with Gousto

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We have been using Gousto for about six months now and have been impressed with their variety of meals and step-by-step instructions which even I can follow! So we decided to show you how easy it is to cook with Gousto.

Disclaimer: We have no affiliation with Gousto and this recipe was ordered from our own account.

Shredded Hoisin Chicken Wraps

Ingredients:

You are provided with the necessary ingredients and the only one not included was vegetable oil.

British chicken breast strips
Tortillas
Cucumber
Gem lettuce
Hoisin sauce
Soy sauce
Spring onion
Toasted sesame seeds

Method

First we had to let the chicken air for a little bit before we started cooking it and then drizzle a little vegetable oil into a pan over a hight heat. Cook the chicken strips for about 5-6 minutes on each side until golden and the chicken is cooked through.

Then it’s time to cut up your cucumber into discs and then into matchsticks and slice your spring onions lengthways into thin strips.

Once the chicken is cooked, you need to shred it apart using two forks.

Put the shredded chicken back in the pan and add your soy sauce and hoisin sauce to it and cook until warmed through.

Wash your lettuce, pat it dry with kitchen paper and then finely shred it.

The tortillas just need to go into a microwave for about 20 seconds, just to warm.

Assemble the wraps…

Cover the tortilla with some hoisin sauce (we added this from our own hoisin sauce bottle!)

Add some lettuce on top…

then cucumber…

and sliced spring onions…

and lastly the shredded chicken.

Thoughts

This was a very simple recipe to follow with not much cooking involved and it took us about 20 minutes from start to finish. There are more complicated recipes and we will be doing one of them in the near future. The meal was tasty and three tortillas was just enough for us, which is another good thing about Gousto, it gives you portion control.

I have uploaded a video where we make this dish on my YouTube Channel, please give it a watch and see how we got on.

Christmas, Days Out, national trust, Reviews

A Nutcracker Christmas at Mottisfont

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The biggest Nutcracker I’ve ever seen!

Prices:

Free entry for National Trust members, Art Fund Members and under 5s.

Peak admission

Adult – £21,00
Child – £10,50
Family – £52.50
1 Adult Family – £31.50

Off peak admission

Adult – £19.00
Child – £9.50
Family – £47.50
1 Adult Family – £28.50

Parking

This is free.

Length of time spent here:

We arrived at about 10.20 AM and stayed until 2.30 PM.

My Review

We were babysitting our two grandchildren, Harry (5) and Olivia (3), so we decided to take them to Mottisfont to take a look at the Nutcracker Christmas. This particular ballet has become very familiar to us this year as Olivia’s dance show was based on it and Harry’s school Christmas play was also The Nutcracker, so Harry was fully aware of the story.

We arrived at about 10.20 AM and the first red flag was that we had to queue to park our car. I have a Blue Badge and so we were lucky enough to be able to park just at the entrance, but this was no advantage as the queue to get in snaked around the car park like the queue for a Disney ride! I must admit that when I looked at the website there was a warning that it could be busy, but I didn’t think it would be THAT busy!

So my advice would be to either go later in the day, perhaps Sunday morning wasn’t the best time to arrive or if you can, go during midweek.

Nutcracker Trail

We decided to follow the Nutcracker Trail which had miniature theatre scenes of Clara’s family home and the Land of Sweets. There was a also a chocolate boat that children could play on, a game where you had to throw bean bags at the mice and a Nutcracker puzzle.

Harry and Olivia playing on the chocolate boat.

Inside the House

After you have paid your entrance fee, then you queue again for some timed tickets into the house. They are for every half an hour and you can go in anytime during that half hour.

This is where the story of The Nutcracker comes to life. The story begins as you enter the house and you can see the German village where Clara lives.

German village

Each room as you walked into it was more magical and more enchanting than the last. There were scenes from The Nutcracker: the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Land of Sweets and a duel between the Nutcracker Prince and the Mouse King.

It was very well done and there was lots of attention to detail. Both of my grandchildren were captivated by it: there was ballerinas for Olivia and soldiers and mice for Harry!

Please take a look at the short video….

After looking around the house, which I would say took about half an hour, we went for a walk along the river. Even though there was a few people doing the same, it was still very peaceful and the kids loved seeing the ducks and playing Poo sticks on the bridge.

We did buy some hot chocolates and sausage rolls from the Coach House Café where there was a long queue but it did move quite quickly. It was a bit expensive at £35 but everything was hot and tasty!

This is the third time we’ve visited Mottisfont, it’s not very far from where we live and it’s nice to see it in the different seasons.

We all enjoyed our visit and even though there was a fair amount of queuing it was well organised. I would definitely recommend a visit to this beautiful place!

Restaurants, Reviews

KANISHKA BY ATUL KOCHHAR, 17-19 MADDOX STREET, MAYFAIR, LONDON

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About Kanishka

Atul Kochhar is at the forefront of fine Indian dining. He is an established restaurateur, television personality and author of cookery books.

Kanisha opened in March, 2019 and Atul appointed his protegee, Ashok Kumar as Executive Chef.

The restaurant is named after King Kanishka, an emperor of the Kushan dynasty known for his military, political and spiritual achievements.

Atul was the first Indian chef to receive a Michelin star in 2001 and won a second in 2007. He is the Chef/Patron of seven British restaurants which promote the best of Indian gastronomic fare combining modern techniques and traditional recipes and ingredients.

Ashok Kumar was featured in The Great British Menu, London and Southeast region in 2024 where the theme was celebrating the Olympics and Paralympics with a banquet hosted by the British Ambassador in France.

We were in London for a very special reason, we were going to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, so we decided to have a special meal to celebrate this and because we had eaten lots of times at Sindhu on P&O Cruises (Atul’s restaurant on board), we booked Kanishka.

We decided to go for the Tasting Menu which was £105 each but decided against the wine pairing as we’re not very big drinkers, so we ordered a bottle of wine instead.

As it happened, both Phil and I had different menu choices for each course, most probably because he loves fish and I am definitely not a fan!

NASHTA
Atul Kochhar Blanc de Blanc

The first course was Nashta, which is the one in the background – the outer casing was very crispy and crunchy and the filling was smooth and moreish, almost like a humous texture and taste. The front two were complimentary and everyone received those, the one on the right was VERY spicy and they were both mouthfuls of tastiness.

Then it was onto the next course:

NADRU KI CHAAT
Lotus stem kebabs and crisp with tamarind, cherry chutney, yoghurt

DEVON CRAB BONDA
Devon crab fritter with chickpea sundal, tomato chutney with Isle of Wight tomatoes

I had the kebabs, which didn’t look like the kebabs we normally get from our local van in the layby and Phil had the crab. The kebab had lots of different textures which all blended together extremely well and the pomegranate seeds really made it pop! Phil said his crab was delicious, he wished he could have ate more!

JAL TARANG
Scallop, chicken jus, hazelnut & crispy chicken skin

So, I ordered the DHUYEN KI BATAK – home smoked Margret Duck breast, orange and spring onion chaat but forgot to take a picture of it! I have to say, this dish was superb, probably my favourite one of the night. The duck was cooked to perfection and together with the refreshing orange segments and spring onions, it tasted wonderful. Phil loves scallops and this was one of the best ones he’s had and together with the chicken jus, was incredible. He did wish though that he had a slice of bread to mop up that delicious sauce.

CHICKEN TIKKA PIE
Speciality of the house served with spring berry chutney

JOHN DORY
Cornish John Dory with Isle of Wight tomatoes

I had the chicken tikka pie which definitely didn’t taste like any other pie I’ve had! It was absolutely delicious. Phil enjoyed the John Dory and was impressed with the tomatoes which came from the Isle of Wight!

Time for a break – a toilet break – which I just had to take a picture of, it was a very nice restroom!

DO TARIKE KA GOSHT
Lamp chop, lamb loin, Swiss chard and jus

PURANI DILLI KA BUTTER CHICKEN
A classic of old Delhi – chicken tikka in rich tomato sauce

Phil’s lamb chop was ‘melt in the mouth’ and the spices were just about the right amount, not too spicy so that the taste gets overwhelmed. My butter chicken was amazing, there were side dishes that came with it and there was quite a bit of it, especially after eating all the previous courses! This has made me change my order when I go to an Indian now, I always order the butter chicken rather than the Chicken Korma!

Indian desserts are usually not very good but these were on another level! Refreshing and light after such a lot of food!

We met the Executive Chef, Ashok Kumar, who was in the TV programme The Great British Menu and we had a chat with him, but unfortunately forgot to take a picture!

Thoughts

This was an amazing meal and we felt it was good value at £105 each. The staff were very attentive and friendly. There was a smell of varnish as they were in the process of redecorating, but as we were sat downstairs we couldn’t smell it whilst we were eating.

Overall, a wonderful dining experience.

Creative Writing and Short Stories

The Ghost Hunters

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This was it, the building they were investigating. Why this building? Well, it was rumoured to be the most haunted building in America, it had been featured on an episode of Ghost Adventures, where they had experienced lots of phenomena. Now it was their turn…

“Are you ready?” she asked her fellow ghost hunter, “It’s giving me the chills just looking at this place.” “Yes, as ready as I’ll ever be,” he replied, trying not to show the fear he felt, in his voice, “Come on, let’s go for it.”  

“Wait a minute, I haven’t set my camera up,” he said, “Well, do hurry,” she replied, feeling sure that he was playing for time, “We need to get in before dark.” “Okay, all set,” he answered, placing the camera on his shoulder, “You go first.” 

She tentatively opened the door and the hinges let out a huge squeal as if in indignation at being opened, she gazed into the gloominess and heard a door bang in one of the corridors, she screamed and turn around, running out into the daylight, swiftly followed by her fellow ghost hunter.

They reached the safety of the grounds and looked at each other, “Well, we got further than the last time,” she said, “We even managed to open the door this time.” 

Great British Bake Off, Reviews

Great British Bake Off: Episode 1 – Cake Week

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Please be aware that this blog will include spoilers… you have been warned!

A parody of Barbie, with arguments over who is the best Barbie between Noel and Alison and Ken (Paul Hollywood) picking Weird Barbie (Prue) with a bad American accent, kicked off the new series of Bake Off.

Signature Bake: Loaf Cake

Prue says that to really impress her, the bakers need something that surprises her, “They could put two kinds of sponge together, so it looks marbled or they could bury something interesting inside.”

Paul Hollywood advises us that, “Time management is critical, you don’t want to put decoration on top of a warm cake, it will literally just melt and slide off. It’s gonna be tricky.”

They have been warned!

Illiyin’s “Cinnamon Roll” Loaf Cake –
The judges loved this loaf cake praising the flavours. This earned Illiyin the first handshake of the series.

Gill’s “It’s all V’s Fault” Loaf Cake –
The marbling was good inside the cake and it tasted nice and orangey, but it was let down by the overall look as the icing had melted.

John’s Cherry & Chocolate Marble Loaf Cake –
A proper loaf with enough height, the inside was more of a splodge than a swirl, but the overall flavour was good.

Andy’s “My First Bake” Loaf Cake –
Lovely flavour but the texture was very heavy.

Mike’s Lemon & Linseed Loaf Cake –
Paul noticed it had a big crack inside. The lemon flavouring was spot on, but Paul couldn’t taste the linseed and Mike obviously had an issue with timing as the icing was melting.

Georgie’s Vanilla & Chocolate Marble Loaf Cake –
Nice flavour, but was criticised for not having enough height. Paul said, “I don’t dislike it, I just think it could be better.”

Sumayah’s “Halwa Surprise” Loaf Cake –
A good strong bake that hadn’t been overmixed with the perfect coconut level in the flavour.

Jeff’s “Guiding Star” Loaf Cake –
Prue was impressed with the star running through the cake. The flavours were good, but the overall look was compared to “lava flow.”

Nelly’s Coconut Loaf Cake –
Prue commented that it was basically pudding and was delicious. Not the best decorated but flavour-wise was lovely.

Dylan’s “Sticky Rice” Loaf Cake –
Neat with a good height. The flavour was there but the bake itself was doughy and dense,

Christiaan’s “Umami Apple” Loaf Cake –
Clever decoration, but the judges weren’t impressed with the miso/apple combination.

Hazel’s “Raspberry Surprise” Loaf Cake –
The shards were too thick and it was slightly overbaked.

So we already have the first handshake of the competition, was it too early or do you think that doesn’t matter, if Paul thinks it’s worthy then that’s fine?

Technical Challenge

We were told the news that Jeff wasn’t feeling well, so he won’t be participating in the rest of the programme.

The technical challenge was to bake 8 symmetrical mini-Battenburg cakes but there was a twist – it’s a Taste and Bake Challenge. There was an example of a Battenburg under the gingham cloth and they had five minutes to inspect that before starting on their own ones.

There was a certain amount of trepidation from the bakers, apart from Georgie who admitted she’d looked at a Battenburg recipe last night! (That’s my girl! – if you look at my previous blog, she’s one of two I have chosen to win this year!)

11. Mike
10. Hazel
9. Sumayah
8. Andy
7. Illiyin
6. Gill
5. Nelly
4. Dylan
3. John
2. Christiaan
And the winner was…. GEORGIE!

Showstopper Challenge

Paul highlights Christiaan, Mike and Hazel, who may be in trouble and have to leave the show today.

This week’s Challenge is a hyper realistic illusion cake with flavours and types of sponges up to the bakers in just four hours.

Georgie’s “Fanny the Chicken” Illusion Cake –
Prue commented it was an odd shape, but that the chicken had a real personality. Alison asks the judges, “How does Fanny taste, guys?” The judge’s managed to keep a straight face and replied, “Absolutely lovely!” Bake Off with its best innuendos. Two of the sponges were overbaked but it had a lovely lemon flavour.

Sumayah’s “Pato the Duck” Illusion Cake –
An exceptional illusion cake, probably one of the most realistic looking cakes in the tent. Beautifully baked. But no handshake!

Wow!

Dylan’s “Canopic Jar” Illusion Cake –
Impressive illusion cake. An unusual flavour, but delicious.

Christiaan’s “Sweet Seams are Made with This” Illusion Cake –
Prue loved this sewing machine illusion cake comparing it to her own one at home. Paul didn’t hold back on his critique saying it was massively overbaked and bone dry and the flavour was quite sour.

John’s “The Perfect Brunch” Illusion Cake-
The judges were impressed with the illusion cake and they loved the flavours.

Gill’s “Crown Green Bowling” Illusion Cake –
Good illusion, although Prue wished the bowls were more rounded, The judges loved the taste of it.

Mike’s “My Favourite Cake & Books” Illusion Cake –
Each book could be picked up separately, the judges loved them. A beautiful cake, executed very well from Paul and Prue just said, “Ditto.”

Amazing!

Andy’s “It’s an Overnight Job” Illusion Cake –
Exceptional illusion cake, Paul could tell straight away that it was overbaked. Lovely flavour with the sharpness of the raspberries.

Hazel’s “Handbag” Illusion Cake –
For a first for Bake Off, Hazel carried her handbag illusion cake by its handles. But Paul commented it wasn’t very neat, overbaked but a beautiful lemon flavour.

Nelly’s “Retro 90’s Shoes” Illusion Cake-
Good chocolate flavour, but lacking the flavour of the raspberries.

Illiyam’s “Flowers in a Vase” Illusion Cake –
Paul and Prue loved the flowers but weren’t keen on the vase. A well baked cake with amazing flavours, but the design was slightly flawed.

Who went home?

Actually nobody went home because Jeff was ill, but they were warned that two people could go home next week.

Star Baker

Thoughts….

A great start to the series, cake week is always a good one as we do get some great bakes. Not to brag but my two choices, John and Georgie won both the Technical and Star Baker! I think Christiaan and Hazel may be gone next week, but let’s hope they do better with biscuits.

Maybe not sending anyone home in the first programme could be established in future series, I know that I would probably need at least a week to settle in and get my nerves under control, they do this in Strictly and it gives everyone a chance for a little bit more practice.

Next Week:

Biscuit Week and it looks like carnage as we see two people fall to the ground…

the walking dead, Walking Dead Poetry

THE WALKING DEAD: S1 EP 6 – TS 19

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Shane is visiting Rick at the hospital, by his bed,
The army are outside, they're shooting the dead,
Shane tries to wake Rick, so they can get out,
He calls for help, no-one is hearing him shout. 

The power goes out and Rick's monitors close down,
Shane is nearly caught, he leaves Rick dressed in his gown.
He makes his escape,  he thinks Rick may be dead,
He barricades the door with a hospital bed.
Shane visiting Rick in hospital
Rick and the survivors enter the CDC and stand by the wall,
Dr Jenner demands they do a blood test,  "It's protocol." 
They all have a good meal with lots of drink and food,
Glen is drunk, they toast Dr Jenner, it's a feel good mood.
 
After dinner, the group have the luxury of a hot shower,
Except for Shane, who drinks alcohol which he devours.
He confronts Lori, he is angry, she says he lied about Rick,
He said that Rick was dead, she feels like she was tricked. 

Shane tries to force himself on her,  she scratches him,
He runs off and she returns to her room, feeling grim. 
The next morning most of the group is feeling sick,
They take some aspirins and hope they feel better quick. 

 Dr Jenner shows them a video of somebody dying,
Their brain goes black, then restarts and is trying
To get up and walk, a bullet flies through TS-19's head,
"The person is forever gone," he sighs, "They are dead."
Dr Jenner
Dale notices a clock which is counting down from an hour,
Jenner says it's how much fuel they have left and how much power.
Rick wants to know what happens when the clock gets to zero? 
Jenner explains the lab will blow up, there will be no heroes. 

Jenner locks the doors, the group is trapped, they can't run.
They try to break through the doors with axes and guns.
Rick asks why Jenner stayed if he believed there was no hope,
He informs Rick that TS-19 was his wife, he wouldn't cope.

Jenner agrees to open the door, but he warns them all,
They won't be able to get past the lockdown at all. 
Rick asks Jenner to leave with them, he shouldn't fear,
But Jenner refuses and whispers something in Rick's ear.
Dr Jenner whispers something to Rick
Jacqui stops, she has decided she doesn't want to go,
And Andrea states that she wants to stay also.
Dale sits down beside her, he's not going anywhere,
Andrea is angry, he really shouldn't care. 

The others are in the lobby, the doors are shut, 
There's no way out, they can't escape, but,
Carol has a grenade, they can escape at last,
They blow the doors off with a huge blast.

The group make their escape and are relieved to see, 
Andrea and Dale emerge,  who get in the RV, 
The building blows up and leaves lots of rubble,
They head off, fingers crossed they have no more trouble!!
Great British Bake Off, Reviews

The Great British Bake Off 2024

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So here we go again, the new series of The Great British Bake Off when we all feel inspired to bake whilst sat on the sofa watching, but know in our heart-of-hearts that it won’t happen as we’re already thinking, “I can get that for £1 in Tescos!”

Bake Off Contestants 2024

I will be reviewing episodes each week (I will be on holiday for a couple of weeks but will try to catch up!) – so let’s start with a meet and greet of the bakers!

44 years old and a car mechanic from Essex.

33 years old and a menswear designer from London.

Aged 20, a retail assistant from Buckinghamshire.

34 years, a Paediatric Nurse from Carmarthenshire.

A 53 year old senior category manager from Lancashire.

Aged 71, a former nail technician from Kent.

31 years old, a birth trauma specialist midwife from Norfolk.

Aged 67 and from West Yorkshire, a former university lecturer.

A directorate support manager, aged 37 and from the West Midlands.

Aged 29 and a farm manager from Wiltshire.

A palliative care assistant, aged 44 and from Dorset.

Aged 19, dentistry student from Lancashire.

I’m going to make a bold move and choose my top two just from reading the descriptions of each baker!!

Number Two Choice:

Georgie – she is a self proclaimed cannoli connoisseur and lives in a Welsh farmhouse with her husband, three children, ten chickens, two ducks, two dogs and a cat!

Number One Choice:

John – John learned to bake with his nan and now bakes to honour his nan’s memory, he loves classic bakes with a twist! His favourite bake is a classic lemon tart.

It’s great to see them all back again – I was a bit sceptical when Alison Hammond joined the team, but I was soon loving her comments and of course her infectious laugh!

I’m very excited for this new series and I can’t wait to see if there will be any cooking disasters, messy workstations and of course, soggy bottoms!