An idiots guide to an Idiot: Lockdown cakes

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Lockdown cakes:  I decided to cook everyone another lockdown cake  this weekend.  Gary requested another Moroccan  Orange & Cardamom cake so I did Gary ...

Lockdown cakes

 I decided to cook everyone another lockdown cake  this weekend.  Gary requested another Moroccan  Orange & Cardamom cake so I did Gary & Ellie one of those, Alec & Laura got a vegan version of the same, Olly & Laura  a  Spiced Honey cake and for us a gluten free walnut and date loaf. 

Second time I've done this, it just seems a nice way of keeping in touch and hopefully having a nice slice of cake.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Practise Trenches

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Practise Trenches: Sounds odd doesn't it. But in the woods near Berkhamsted there was (depending on the records you look at!) between seven and a half  and...

Practise Trenches

Sounds odd doesn't it. But in the woods near Berkhamsted there was (depending on the records you look at!) between seven and a half  and thirteen miles of practise trenches dug just over one hundred years ago.

The Inns of Court Officer Training Corps established a camp  at Berkhamsted in September 1914 as they had outgrown their London headquarters due to the huge influx of recruits since war was declared  but a month earlier. It was a huge tented camp, in exitance until 1919 during which  some 12000 officer recruits had passed through the camp, just over 2000 were killed and three were awarded the Victoria Cross:

2nd Lieutenant Jack Harrison VC 11th Bn The East Yorkshire Regiment

Captain Walter Stone VC 3rd Bn The Royal Fusiliers

Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Bushell VC,DSO  7th Bn The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment) 

So what are practise trenches? Actually it is what it says. The troops were practising how to dig good trenches, its more than just digging a hole. There's the parapet and on the reverse side the parados,  the trench itself built in a zig zag or crenelated shape. This reduced the area that shell blasts could effect. The hard digging of flint and clay being practise for what was to come. Although ironically 'The Devils Own' as they were known would be destined to be the  officers overseeing the men digging trenches rather than digging themselves!  There's a field just behind Berkhamsted Castle  called Kitchener's Field, this was their parade ground where arms drill was carried out. Though some of the trenches were filled in there's alot left and much to my pleasure and surprise you get a good idea of what they were. Though really little more than ditches now you can easily discern shape though I couldn't tell which were the front line trenches and which were the reserve and communication trenches, basically  which way they'd have been shooting if they were in France!   

  A good walk, well worth a visit, all socially distanced of course followed by a coffee at the take away cafe at Ashridge College.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Lockdown Dinner. Afters

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Lockdown Dinner. Afters: I completely forgot to come back on and blog about the lockdown dinner we had. It was a great success! The starter by Olly & Laura w...

Lockdown Dinner. Afters

I completely forgot to come back on and blog about the lockdown dinner we had. It was a great success! The starter by Olly & Laura was a Mexican pasta soup and pudding by Gary & Ellie was a cappuccino mousse. All timings were pretty good, we all joined Olly's skype invite at the allotted time. Dress code was varied....only we dressed up! Not that anything was compulsory. It worked really well & I think all participants would do it again, the evening flew by and it was brilliant to be able to have a chat to the four of them. G&E's dog Angus was a very good little chap, I thought he may be keen on seeing what was going on but he was fine. Something else i forgot was to take any photos so there's just these two. The wine that G&E chose slipped down a treat. A good evening.