Wrest Park, Chinese or French?

A really nice afternoon out with the Memsahib today. Tara had noticed that Wrest Park were doing a  special tours around rooms not usually open to the public. They contain hand painted wall papers dating from the 17th & 18th centuries. Covered over with  false walls for donkey's years they were something of a surprise when these three rooms were stripped.
Now renovated the Chinese rooms are perhaps the more vivid and are hand painted, the French room though also very beautiful was made in a different way using wood blocks to add each colour to build up the picture. The work that went into the wall paper is breathtaking and must have taken an age to complete. My photos don't really do it justice.The house has had a checkered past, a family home and weekend residence in late 19th century, hospital during World War One and eventually offices, it's now wholly owned by English Heritage who have embarked on a twenty year project of renovation of both house and gardens to bring it back to its former glory of around a hundred years ago.
Coffee and cake beckoned after the tour. Proper cakes made on the premises  that was delicious with the added bonus of gluten and wheat free cakes as well! What's happening? Tara isn't used to a choice!
The set up at Wrest Park has changed considerably since we last visited some years ago. Some of the out buildings have been converted into a shop and café  there's a play area and outside seating for the summer, it all looks great but has perhaps lost a little something in now being too organised, I'm all for slightly disorganised and more at ease, but maybe that's just me.
We'd been toying with the idea of rejoining English Heritage for a while now, the best offer I'd seen online was 20% off with three extra months membership for going direct debit. Joining at an EH property gets you your entrance money back, this more or less worked out to the same deal as 20% off so we decided to join then and there, it's also a place Tara can walk any dog guests we have as we now have free entry. Lots of EH places around and some well worth another visit so I think we'll be quids in!
Just to mention our dear No.2 son and girlfriend.  Alec and Laura have just arrived in Australia and are on the Gold Coast about 80 miles from Brisbane. Looking forward to their surfing photos!

Chinese wallpaper

Chinese wallpaper

Chinese wallpaper



Chinese wallpaper

Tara going into next room.

View looking down the side of the grounds.

French wallparer

French wallpaper

French wallpaper

back to Chinese again.

View looking along the gardens.

Arty shot in B&W showing part of the grounds.

 

An idiots guide to an Idiot: T shirt and CD's

An idiots guide to an Idiot: T shirt and CD's: Gary and Ellie very kindly brought me an Amazon voucher for my Birthday which I'm only just spending. There are loads of CD's I want...

T shirt and CD's

Gary and Ellie very kindly brought me an Amazon voucher for my Birthday which I'm only just spending. There are loads of CD's I want both back catalogues of bands I know and new stuff. I also like a T shirt and invested in  the T pictured here from the rock band Rainbow.
It's a particularly special T shirt for me as not only was Rainbow the first rock gig I ever went to but 'Down to Earth' is my favorite Rainbow album. The tour I saw them on was of the same name and knocked my socks off. It was at the Wembley Arena and was a sell out, even the music played inbetween the bands was good, we all sung along to 'Union Man' by the Strawbs and 'All you need is love' by the Beatles and many others.
The support band were good too, called Samson they had as their vocalist a then unknown Bruce Dickinson & a masked drummer called 'Thunder stick.'
More great songs in the interlude and I bought the Rainbow album 'Long live rock n roll' in those days vinyl of course. Then it turned into the last night of the proms as 'Land of Hope and Glory' belted out of the sound system and, Bang! Rainbow took to the stage!
In my humble opinion this was the best line up of the band  which to an extent turned into Ritchie Blackmore and some session musicians as nobody ever seemed to last long!
The legendary Cozy Powell was on drums , his drum solo was awesome with the whole drum it lifting off the stage if my memory serves, Don Airey on keys just made them sing. His solo was a real mix of classical, rock  you name it he played it! Roger Glover along with Blackmore another ex Deep Purple bod kept the foundations of the band solid with a great bass line and Graham Bonnet on vocals was brilliant! Blackmore of course is a great guitarist but also a complete plonker. He threw a moody about something or other and went off after only around an hour and ten and refused to do an encore. This did end the gig on a sour note but what I'd experienced was truly brilliant, I still have vivid memories of it some 38 years later.
I read in the paper next day that there was riot  because dickhead wouldn't do an encore............Well we saw one lonely copper on our walk back to the station and definitely no riot. We'd have noticed!   
Many years later I saw Graham Bonnet on stage again, he still has a great voice ,he just looks in pain whilst stretching for the higher notes.........and the lower notes, he sang alot of Rainbow classics which brought back many happy memories of a young herbert and a couple of his mates making their way to Wembley to enjoy some great times.


Rainbow t shirt featuring the album cover of  'Down to Earth.'

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Cottage Pie.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Cottage Pie.: It's been cold and icy here so yesterday when I cooked dinner I made something hearty,and though I say so myself  a pretty good Cottage ...

Cottage Pie.

It's been cold and icy here so yesterday when I cooked dinner I made something hearty,and though I say so myself  a pretty good Cottage Pie & a veggie version for the Memsahib to keep away the winter blues.
Cottage Pie like Spag Bol is not a quick meal, not if you want a tasty dinner anyway, it does well to cook the mince slowly before adding to the mash. I always forget the difference between Cottage & Shepherds Pie but using beef mince definitely made it cottage. Fried the onions & garlic first, added the mince & got it all cooked down a bit, added smoked paprika, parsley, chilli flakes, salt,
pepper, couple of stock cubes & water also slung in some veg in the shape of chopped peppers and carrots  & later a little soy sauce, a little Worcestershire sauce  and a squirt of tomato ketchup, I would have used tomato puree but we were out of that. Tara's was cooked in the same way but with quorn mince and afew caraway seeds. Got this all simmering away nicely & did the potatoes. Just boiled as usual, not sure what make of spud they were, then all put through a ricer, a gadget that I always thought was bit of a waste of time as surely a masher is just as good, well it isn't, I always use a ricer for mash now. Brought some decadence into the mash in the shape of some cream and general seasoning. Bunged atop the mince I left it spread quite roughly so the peaks of the potatoes  would crisp up. Half an hour or so in the oven and it was ready. I enjoyed cooking it and I certainly enjoyed eating it , as did Oliver & Tara, having said she probably couldn't eat much finished the lot! A seal of approval I think!

Mince at the top and quorn below.

Quorn Cottage Pie.

Cottage Pie.

  

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Post Festivities

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Post Festivities: Here we are on 2nd Jan already, Xmas and New Year  a memory though we had alot of fun getting to here! Stirling job by Gary & Ellie to ...

Post Festivities

Here we are on 2nd Jan already, Xmas and New Year  a memory though we had alot of fun getting to here!
Stirling job by Gary & Ellie to make the Xmas Day very special, good to get a walk in on Boxing Day and a very pleasant games day on 27th at Ella and Julian's & a small but select gathering NYE.
Got lots of goodies for xmas and birthday and am currently looking at the plethora of CD's I could invest in with the Amazon voucher G&E gave me for my birthday. Do I go to fill the back catalogue of bands I know or try out  some more modern bands? Probably abit of both I think, and maybe a
t-shirt as well!
Had many nice walks with our house guest Welly and again today with Bess, though we won't look after a dog over xmas again as it does inevitably limit us on going out etc, we didn't go out Xmas Eve for instance which we have done in past years. Missed Alec and Laura of course, birthdays and xmas were very strange without them they both seem to be having fun and looking forward to getting to Australia on the 6th Jan where they have a years work permit to top up their savings as well as exploring Oz.
We are determined to get abit of guaranteed sun on our backs this year and both like the look of Cadiz in southern Spain, a historic town that amongst other things was laid siege to in the Peninsular War during the Napoleonic era so will investigate getting there. The Memsahib has at last applied for her new passport so we can take it from there.
Enjoyed just chilling and pottering about. I do enjoy a good potter.
No luck on the lottery again so its back to the grind tomorrow. I can hardly wait!

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Christmas

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Christmas: Gary & Ellie kindly invited the family to their place for Xmas Dinner & what a feast they laid o  for us! It was good to meet Ellies...

Christmas

Gary & Ellie kindly invited the family to their place for Xmas Dinner & what a feast they laid o  for us! It was good to meet Ellies Dad James & his partner Sue, also Ellies sister Izzie, Ella & Julian, Olly & Laura, Beren,Tim and us.
They had worked really hard to make their house very festive with a great looking tree and a very tastefully decorated table. There was loads to drink and eat, instead of turkey they went for leg of mutton with garlic and rosemary  and a cockerel rather than chicken, Gary had prepared stuffed peppers for Tara.  Loads of veg, roast potatoes, parsnips carrots, cauliflower cheese, pigs in blankets and all delicious. They had worked extremely hard and  their efforts paid off handsomely, we were all so full that the puds never came out. They Gary made cocktails , a coffee martini..........very nice, very potent, not many folks were drinking them , so Gary & I did.......... I should have stuck to beer!  A really good day , missing Alec & Laura of course  but we spoke Xmas Eve & Alec phoned again Xmas Day. Enjoyed meeting Ellies Dad & partner, they are very easy people to get along with. Gary and Ellie gave us a faultless day, they thought of everything, enjoyed it immensely.   

  

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Status Quo.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Status Quo.: I was genuinely shocked and sadden to hear that Rick Parfitt, one of the original members of Quo  died yesterday. I have been a Quo fan for ...

Status Quo.

I was genuinely shocked and sadden to hear that Rick Parfitt, one of the original members of Quo  died yesterday. I have been a Quo fan for around 38 years & had the privilege of seeing Rick with them on 4 occasions ( saw them again just two weeks ago though Rick had already retired from the band by then). Influenced by my friends back then as to what direction my musical tastes took it was always going to be rock (and Punk!) and I was instantly hooked on Quo.
You could never leave a Quo gig downhearted, their music was always uplifting and great fun,
 there have been many jokes about their 3 chord riffs but those 3 chords seem to have worked for them over the past fifty or so years! Always a sense of humour they actually released an album a few years ago called 'In search of the fourth chord,' the cover al la Indiana Jones!
Rick appeared to have lived the life of a rock 'n' roll star with all its drink & drug excesses so perhaps 68 is old for a rocker! Some xmas his family will have this year. As I write this there has been no statement yet from his old side kick Francis Rossi, maybe he is still just too distraught.
'The end of an era' is a much hackneyed phrase but today it rings true.
There'll never be another.

A journey from hell saved by The Quo!

Two and a half bloody hours to drive 43 miles from home to the 02!
Set the postcode on the satnav and got taken on a journey through the arse end of London, by the time we were there I thought my ears were going to explode through frustration!
I told Tara & Julian that if I ever suggest driving to the 02 again they have my full permission to kick me up the arse good and proper.
And relax...........Found a pub, pint of Doombar, remembered why we'd travelled to the 02 & all was well again.
Quite an early start to this gig, the first support came on at around 6.40pm, they were called The Lounge Kittens, three birds in short skirts & pink high heels, warbled abit then buggered off............that's a bit unfair, they were very good! They did acapella type singing, mostly rock covers, AC/DC et al with key board accompaniment. They were good fun & had the audience behind them, such as were there for the first support anyway! Given a smaller venue I think they'd be good to see again, something a bit different.
Not a bad seat all things considered, we were tucked in to the right of the stage, quite near the stage but high up, any higher & we'd have had nose bleeds, no big screens which was surprise, they are usually the only way of identifying who is actually on stage!
The second support are a band I've always liked called REO Speedwagon, I suppose  they would have once fallen into the category of 'middle of the road' rock, soft rock if you like. They were very good, but Tara said she thought singer, Kevin Cronin sounds like Kermit the Frog, when he spoke anyway!
Then about 8.45pm the mighty Quo hit the stage! This tour is called 'The end of the electrics' as they are hanging up the electric guitars in favour of acoustic but we'll see!
They were of course brilliant playing all the old barnstormers and very little from more up to date albums, nothing from 'Bula Quo' for instance which was definitely a good thing! (You know me, I have always been a huge Quo fan ever since I first got into music around 38 years ago, cut me in two & there'd be 'Status Quo' written through me, but they just shouldn't release any more studio albums!)
Loud enough to cover my dodgy singing I was able to give  vent to such classic Quo tracks as 'Caroline,' 'Roll over lay down,' 'What you're proposing', 'Whatever you want' and of course 'Rockin' all over the world.'
Always good value they played for about two hours, Francis Rossi hasn't lost any of his musical ability as Julian remarked. Tara noticed that strangely he did not mention his old sparing partner Rick Parfitt who has had to retire due to health problems, they've played together in Quo for something like fifty years so you'd think he'd have said something about his old mate,  nor was there any kind of thanks to the support bands as you might expect from the headliners & is usual with other bands.
However that does not detract from the great evening we had. I ummed & arred about getting a t shirt as they were £25, alot I think for a t shirt. Julian had already decided to get one & I then had second thoughts & succumbed! We nearly didn't end up with them as we didn't get them until after the gig and two of the kiosks selling them were out of what we wanted so we had to go the main  sales point near the 02 entrance.
While we were queuing Tara had the great delight of watching some big jessie getting  her knickers in a twist as she couldn't find her husband. On being comforted  by a member of the 02 staff Tara heard her ask this idiot what her husband was wearing, she didn't know! Has he got a mobile? Yes. Have you phoned it? No. Why don't you then? Some people  shouldn't be let out on their own!
The gig wasn't a sell out of the 02 as most of the  back of the arena was either empty of curtained off but given the capacity  of the 02 being 20000 I reckon there must have been a good 12 to 15000 there, anyway we left the arena happily clutching our new t shirts and made our way to the car park. Traffic was pretty well grid locked as there was alot of people trying to get away. Tara had wisely thought to pack us some victuals  which we tucked into, by the time we'd finished the traffic had cleared and we sped away, this time I just followed the signs for Bethlehem...... not really, the M11,  then I knew where I was . We got home in an hour!  It was a terrific gig!


Lounge Kittens set list.
Who Are You
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
Africa
Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)
Pictures of Matchstick Men
Isle Of Wight Festival 2016 Medley


REO Speedwagon set list.
Don't Let Him Go
Take It on the Run
Keep Pushin'
Can't Fight This Feeling
Son of a Poor Man
Time for Me to Fly
Back on the Road Again
Ridin' the Storm Out
Keep On Loving You
Roll With the Changes


Status Quo set list.
Caroline
The Wanderer
Something 'bout You Baby I Like
Rain
Softer Ride
Beginning of the End
Hold You Back
What You're Proposing / Down the Dustpipe / Wild Side of Life / Railroad / Again And Again / Paper Plane
The Oriental
Creepin' Up on You
Gerdundula
In the Army Now
Drum Solo (The Caveman)
Roll Over Lay Down
Down Down
Whatever You Want
Rockin' All Over the World
Encore.
Burning Bridges (On and Off and on Again)
Rock and Roll Music / Bye Bye Johnny

REO Speedwagon

REO Speedwagon

Status Quo

Status Quo

An idiots guide to an Idiot: A birthday.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: A birthday.: Fifty five! Bloody hell when did that happen!  It means I left school 39 years ago, some of my Junior School teachers, who were getting on ...

A birthday.

Fifty five! Bloody hell when did that happen!
 It means I left school 39 years ago, some of my Junior School teachers, who were getting on abit then must have snuffed it by now, I just don't know where all that time has gone, and gone so quickly.
We've always celebrated birthdays  ( not Dad he hated the very idea of birthdays & Paul has pretty well followed in that family tradition!)  personally I think you should make a fuss of birthdays & of course it means a get  together.
We spoke to Alec and Laura again today (we'd spoken on Alec's birthday two days before mine), Alec told me I had a birthday present & when I signed onto FaceBook I found he had unblocked me & invited me to be his friend, on the proviso I don't abuse it!  I shall comment wisely!
Tara had booked us a meal at Chez Jerome a fantastic French restaurant in Dunstable & Oliver kindly dropped us down there & what a feast we had.
Starters were Champignons des bois which is mushrooms in a creamy sauce with a crispy poached egg on top for me which was delicious &  Halloumi for Tara which was Grilled halloumi cheese, grapes, figs and capers drizzled with honey dressing & salad leaves. Mains we had were Venaison which was a very rich Venison stew with mash and seasonal veg, the Venison just melted in the mouth, it was great.  Tara had  Loupe de mer which was Sea Bass fillet with lemon and garlic butter, again with veg. Washed down with a couple of Peronei's for me & Bacardi & coke for Tara.
Puds then, I had an old fave of Vanilla Crème Brulee & Tara Dark Chocolate Mousse with Cream Anglaise which is a fave of her's. Couple of Brandys and Tiamarias later we were replete & ready for home & Oliver kindly picked us up as well. A great night with the one I Love, what could be better?

Here's afew photos for evening including a bottle of wine that Tara got me, she tried to get  beaujolais nouveau  but unfortunately Lina who runs the restaurant couldn't get any from her supplier so she gave be a very nice bottle of Cote Du Rhone  which I shall look forward to tasting in due course.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Two dinners and a battlefield walk.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Two dinners and a battlefield walk.: A mix of three events on this blog entry. Met Paul & Kate for Sunday dinner last week, we went to the White Lion in Dunstable & very...

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Two dinners and a battlefield walk.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Two dinners and a battlefield walk.: A mix of three events on this blog entry. Met Paul & Kate for Sunday dinner last week, we went to the White Lion in Dunstable & very...

Two dinners and a battlefield walk.

A mix of three events on this blog entry. Met Paul & Kate for Sunday dinner last week, we went to the White Lion in Dunstable & very good it was too.
Paul, Kate came round here first so we drove there in one car which made sense. Paul ,Kate & I had roast beef with all the trimmings and Tara had a beetroot & feta salad, wasn't a huge choice for Tara but they could supply wheat free bread for her which was good. All the food was well cooked and prepared, I had a very nice pint of London Pride, others having soft drinks. All too full to do a pud justice I had coffee, Kate a Latte, Paul tea & Tara also had a Latte after that we called it a day there & came home. Good to see Paul & Kate, they told us about the bothy they are staying in over New Year on Exmoor....a very different NY but I'd prefer somewhere with guaranteed warmth!  We must meet up again soon. No photos I'm afraid, I did take some on my old Blackberry but it won't download them onto the PC!
Tara & I had dinner at the Bridgewater Arms in Little Gaddesen yesterday evening. It's all very Christmassy here with a real log fire an' all! Quite a snug pub though our window table could have done with being a bit warmer, it's a Greene King house that is waitress service in the restaurant. Had a pint of London Glory. Another relatively light amber coloured ale,4.1% in strength, I was driving so just the one, Tara having a Bacardi and coke.
I had a Wagyu burger. It was very good but no better than other burgers I've had to be honest, don't really know what all the fuss is  about this Jap Wagyu beef is this is anything to go by. Tara had Chilli Salmon fillet with salad odds and sods. Mains were a goodly size so didn't really have room for pud so we  knocked it on the head then. Got home & watched a couple of films. I'd recorded 'Starter for ten'  starring James McAvoy (produced by Tom Hanks no less), a film about a student getting onto the University Challenge team and the ups and downs of   whichever bird he fancied. I thought it was a jolly little film, with a great camo by Mark Gatiss as Bamber Gascoigne however Tara fell asleep. Wouldn't watch it again but it was a reasonable film. We then watched 'Now you see me' about some magicians who pull off a bank robbery and annoy Michael Caine. I wasn't so keen on this one but Memsahib thought it the better of the two.
Generally read before going to sleep & at present reading 'Azincourt' by Bernard Cornwell, I  haven't read any of his books before & am enjoying this one set in medieval times, Henry V and all that.


That leads me to days jaunt which was a very interesting  guided walk around Berkhamsted Castle to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the siege of the castle by the French King Louis in 1216. It's just about to date as to when the siege happened though some allowance must be made for the use of the Julian calendar in those days before it was changed in the 16th century to the Gregorian calendar. About twenty people turned up in freezing conditions to have a very lively and informative talk by Julian Humphrys the Battlefields Trust Development Officer.
Berkhamsted Castle is somewhere that we have known for years having had picnics and walks round it many times when the boys were younger, it's a very ruinous affair now (that's nothing to do with our picnics I should add!) but there is still just enough left to get a flavour of what an imposing castle it would have once been. The faced masonry of the walls has long been robbed away in part to build a manor house nearby so all that's left is the inner core of flint and rubble, also the coming of the railways in the 1830's chopped off the original main gateway into the castle. It had two ditches ( moats by another name I think) which was rare in castle terms. The French king laid siege to it after taking both Rochester and Hertford castles. He eventually ran out of steam when the rebellious English barons who had initially joined him went back to the Royalist side. It was about an hour and a half walk  though mainly it was standing listening,  also had a chance to meet Laurence again who I hadn't seen for ages. I may well renew my membership of the Battlefields Trust after this as I enjoyed it so much, follow this link to find out more about them:   http://www.battlefieldstrust.com/



Smug git drinking beer.

Chilli salmon fillet. Tara's choice.

Wagyu burger. My choice.

A roaring fire on a cold winters night.

                                                                                                            

 

 

 

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Footie & Brewdog!?

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Footie & Brewdog!?: So here's the thing. I'm staying at a very nice hotel in Norfolk I don't usually stay at because it's too dear. £150 B&B...

Footie & Brewdog!?

So here's the thing. I'm staying at a very nice hotel in Norfolk I don't usually stay at because it's too dear. £150 B&B in the season but greatly reduced in November! I've done the usual miles & bloody miles driving and am now knackered & can't be arsed to go into the restaurant so have elected to eat in the bar. It's a golf course and hotel that I'm staying in so of course on the TV in the bar is on sport.
 I have the pleasure of watching the Spurs v Monaco Champions League game ( I've just had to google that as I haven't a clue what the game is)  and I'd like to tell you that after all these years I've finally seen the light & can see the point of footie................I'd like to  tell you that but it would be a lie, and what's more you know it!
Thank Buddha I've brought my laptop along so I can do this blog or go on Face Book etc.
Beer tonight is Wherry, a pint known to me in this part of the world, a Woodfordes  Brewery beer, at 3.8% a good Tuesday night beer, my usual preference of a nice citrus tang to it & joy of joys  Brewdog has made it to Norfolk!
I was first introduced  to the beautiful Brewdog range  of craft beers by my good buddy Andrew. The beer  comes all the way from Scotland in various forms, the only beer here is Punk IPA, a bit poky at 5.6%  but then its a small bottle. Strangely a number of friends who like a beer have tried Brewdog, at my insistence, & not really liked it. I'm amazed! I have eaten tonight as well! A very good steak, mushroom and ale pie  with mash and veg........forgot I'd had similar last night  but what the hell!
Not a clue what's happening with the footie  which is as you'd expect. Another bottle of Brewdog and I'll call it a day I think. Night all!

Pint of Wherry.

Brewdog Punk IPA

Delicious steak, mushroom and ale pie.

  

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Sunday lunch.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Sunday lunch.: Gary & Ellie invited us over for lunch on Sunday which was a delight. We got there about 2pm,Tara driving Gary's car that had been i...

Sunday lunch.

Gary & Ellie invited us over for lunch on Sunday which was a delight. We got there about 2pm,Tara driving Gary's car that had been in for a service in Dunstable. The cooking had just been started by Gary, & Ellie sorted out our drinks. It was a veg curry for Tara & chicken curry for us which was very good indeed, quite hot enough for Ellie & I but probably mild for Gary!
It was a very relaxing afternoon, their house is full of interesting little knick knacks and has a friendly warm feeling to it made by Gary & Ellie. They are obviously very happy and happy where they are as well.
As a Mum & Dad this is heart warming to see, we love them both and always enjoy their company, I don't believe in any sort of god but I do believe in the family and Gary & Ellie are a perfect example of what it means to me. Our turn next!

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Birmingham. Beer,pizza,a play and a museum.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Birmingham. Beer,pizza,a play and a museum.: Had a lovely night away with the Memsahib this week. Birmingham? An odd choice I hear you say, well no, actually a very good choice. It'...