Swainby Classic Car & Vehicle Show Sunday 26th August 2012

Today we paid a visit to the Classic car & vehicle Show at Swainby, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire. It was only £4 for two of us, a bargain. I was really looking forward to it as I had heard that there was a large contingent of BSA bantams present. I am interested in buying one so I was hoping for a chat with an owner, but they were either ignoring me or too busy too talk to me. Nevermind. Apart from that we enjoyed our look round some excellent examples of lovely vintage vehicles.

Real Radio Legends Where Are They Now?

Micky Horswill, Malcolm MacDonald and Bernie Slavern all dropped from real Radio phone in show The Legends.This has caused an outcry amongst fans, me I liked to listen to them at work. It was bad enough losing Gary Rowell and Chris Coopland with the match commentaries but this is the final straw. I call upon all the general public -BOYCOTT REAL RADIO.

Have a read of this:
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-news/evening-chronicle-news/2012/07/24/three-legends-axed-from-real-radio-phone-in-show-72703-31460453/


In the meantime where are they now?

The Purple Man Of York

Today I visited York and we saw the Purple man in Stonegate. I don't quite understand what he does, but he's harmless. Someone told me he was getting bullied for his harmless antics, this, if true is sad. I thought it was nice to see him back. He even has a website: http://purpleman.co.uk/

On This Day In History

What happened years ago on April 5th?

                                       The Admiral Hipper after being hit by bombs.   Image found at :http://www.warshipsww2.eu/ships/img/41083_003.jpg accessed 5/4/12.

The Soviet 3rd Ukrainian Front reaches the outskirts of Vienna which has minimal German forces to defend it. In the West, the French First Army (de Tassigny) captures Karlsruhe on the upper Rine. The US 8th Air Force carries out another heavy attack (450 bombers) against Kiel which causes severe damage to the cruisers Hipper and Emden. Found at:http://www.feldgrau.com/april.html, (accessed 5/4/12).

Less than a month later and the Germans unconditionally surrendered.

Happy Birthday John Craven's Newsround

There aren't many people who haven't heard of John Craven. There are still a lot of us left who remember his revolutionary Newsround on BBC1. It was great for catching up on the news as a child, he wasn't a pompous public school boy talking down to us, he spoke to us on a level without being boring. You can still see Newsround on BBC1, although John Craven no longer presents it, he retired from the programme in 1989. He is now a presenter on Countryfile.

I can't believe it has being going for 40 years, here's the link for the full story on the good old B.B.C. website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17608980

And some You-tube footage;

Can you believe Curry's gave away free CB radios when CB became legal in 1981?

Farewell and Adieu To Niall Quinn an SAFC Saviour

(Image from;http://whatculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/sunderland-chairman-niall-quinn-133119414.jpg  3/4/12).

Today Niall Quinn officially cut all ties with Sunderland Football Club. Over the last 5 years he has been responsible for the drive that took Sunderland to the top half of the Premiership, turning them from a yoyo club into a professional first class team. He has retired from the club to concentrate on his family life and business interests in Eire. On behalf of all Sunderland fans worldwide, I just wanted to say thanks Niall.

Sorry To Those Who Beg To Differ- But The Falklands Are & Will Remain British ORA los que pidan para diferenciar solamente a la Malvinas lo siente el & Seguirá siendo británico

(Image found at:https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQyXII6TEUlYEW02KTr0FXi3yIoWCNH2pe2FTAaThI3MEJlRXvKjETWS7oALOZ-B6CeReSAV0fAUykFJk66GIMSV5UsOwxmV-ep-gyJj2J9y8A7KNa9-krSiNHzs1IYkTF0-k61nG70Bi/s1600/falklandsdm1305_468x357.jpg 31/3/12).

Some of us remember the Falklands War in 1982. There are still a few of us who remember The Second World War. Before WW2, Hitler and Stalin met and discussed the carving up of Poland. A country which wasn't theirs. There are many similarities between Nazi Germany and Argentina in this respect. Argentina still lays claim to the Falklands, a piece of land which was never theirs to claim. This is really undemocratic when the majority of Falklanders want to remain British and part of the U.K.

In 1982 we sent men and women to the Falklands to repel a foreign dictator, who really had invaded the Falklands to divert attention away from the economic and political crisis in Argentina. We remember Goose Green, Twin Sisters, Tumbledown and the General Belgrano. We remember the lives lost in battle. We remember men who died so that others can live in freedom and speak English.

To conclude I say this: The Falklands are and will remain British as long as the occupants want to be a part of the U.K. Hands off please Argentina. Respect the airspace, respect the fishing rights. Forget about losing a war 30 years ago and concentrate on peace and prosperity.

Algunos de nosotros recuerdan la guerra de Malvinas en 1982. Todavía hay algunos de nosotros que recuerden la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Antes de WW2, Hitler y Stalin resolvieron y discutieron la división de Polonia. Un país que wasn' t el suyo. Hay muchas semejanzas entre Alemania y la Argentina nazis a este respecto. Todavía de la Argentina demanda a la Malvinas, un trozo de tierra de las endechas que nunca era el suyo a demandar. Esto es realmente no democrático cuando la mayoría de Falklanders quiere seguir siendo Británicos y parte del Reino Unido. 

En 1982 enviamos hombres y a mujeres a la Malvinas para rechazar a un dictador extranjero, que había invadido realmente la Malvinas para divertir la atención lejos de la crisis económica/política en la Argentina. Recordamos verde del ganso, las hermanas, destartaladas gemelos y el general Belgrano. Recordamos las vidas perdidas en batalla. Recordamos a los hombres que murieron de modo que otros sepan vivir en la libertad y hablar inglés. 

Para concluir me digo esto: La Malvinas es y seguirá siendo británica mientras los inquilinos quieran ser una pieza de las manos BRITÁNICAS por favor de la Argentina. Respete el espacio aéreo, respete los derechos de pesca. Olvide perder una guerra hace 30 años y concentre en paz y prosperidad.

( Image found at:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/ARA_Belgrano_sinking.jpg, 31/3/12).

A Few Christmas Recipes

I'ts been a while since I blogged any school recipes, so here are a couple. Mincemeat and mince pies.

Mincemeat

This will make sufficient for a 1lb jar.

Ingredients
2oz raisins
2oz currants
2oz sultanas
1oz minced peel ( I used dried chopped apricots)
2oz apple
1/2 lemon
1oz chopped walnuts/almonds
4oz demerara sugar
2oz suet
1/4 level teaspoon mixed spice
2 tbsp brandy

Method

Put dried fruit into mixing bowl with mixed peel.
Peel quarter and core the apple. Chop finely or grate and add to the other fruit.
Grate rind from the lemon, cut the fruit in half and squeeze out the juice, preferably with a lemon squeezer.
Add the rind and juice with all other ingredients. Stir thoroughly.
Fill jam jar to topcover mincemeat with wax disc. pressing down firmly so no air bubbles remain trapped underneath paper. Cover with cellophane covers, cover top of jar, secure with elastic band. Label with name and date.

Mince Pies

Ingredients

8oz plain flour ( self raising can be used instead)

2oz lard

2oz margarine

About 12 tsp cold water ( personally I didn't think this was enough, just add enough so the dough stays together without being too sticky).

2oz extra flour for rolling

Jar of mincemeat

Oven 200 degrees Centigrade. Use a top shelf for 15-20 minutes until brown and set.

Method

Oven on, make pastry. Rub fat into flour, mix to a soft dry dough with water.

Knead to a circle, flatten and roll out 3mm thick.

Cut out 12 bases and lids using large and medium cutters.

Ease bases into bun tins, add filling.

Damp edges of lids, seal on well.

Put a small hole in tops and bake.

Icing may be sieved over pies when warm.

Children Say The Funniest Things

> Children Are Quick  
> ____________________________________ 
> TEACHER:    Maria, go to the map and find   North America  . 
> MARIA:         Here it  is. 
> TEACHER:   Correct.  Now class, who discovered   America ? 
> CLASS:         Maria. 
> ____________________________________  
> 
> TEACHER:    John, why are you doing your math multiplication on the floor? 
> JOHN:          You told me to do it without using tables. 
> __________________________________________ 
> 
> TEACHER:  Glenn, how do you spell 'crocodile?' 
> GLENN:      K-R-O-K-O-D-I-A-L' 
> TEACHER:  No, that's wrong 
> GLENN:       Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how I spell it.   
> (I  Love this child) 
> ____________________________________________ 
> 
> TEACHER:   Donald, what is the chemical formula for water? 
> DONALD:     H I J K L M N O. 
> TEACHER:   What are you talking about? 
> DONALD:    Yesterday you said it's H to O.   
> __________________________________ 
> 
> TEACHER:   Winnie, name one important thing we have today that we 
> didn't have ten years ago. 
> WINNIE:       Me! 
> __________________________________________   
> 
> TEACHER:   Glen, why do you always get so dirty? 
> GLEN:          Well, I'm a  lot closer to the ground than you are.   
> _______________________________________ 
> 
> TEACHER:     Millie, give me a sentence starting with '  I.  ' 
> MILLIE:         I  is.. 
> TEACHER:     No, Millie..... Always say, 'I  am.' 
> MILLIE:         All right...  'I am the ninth letter of the alphabet.'      
> ________________________________ 
> 
> TEACHER:    George Washington not only chopped down his father's cherry tree, 
but also admitted it.   
>                    Now, Louie, do you know why his father didn't punish him? 
> LOUIS:           Because George still had  the axe in his hand....    
> ______________________________________   
> 
> TEACHER:    Now, Simon , tell me frankly, do you say prayers before eating? 
> SIMON:         No sir, I don't have to, my Mom is a good cook.   
> ______________________________ 
> 
> TEACHER:       Clyde , your  composition on 'My Dog' is exactly the same as 
your   brother's.. Did you copy his? 
> CLYDE  :         No, sir. It's the same dog.      
> (I want to adopt this kid!!!) 
> _________________________________ 
> 
> TEACHER:    Harold, what do you call a person who keeps on talking when people 
are no longer  interested? 
> HAROLD:     A teacher 

Got these jokes in an email ages ago, hope you enjoy them as much as I did. 

Lonesome Dove

If you have read any of my posts recently, you may realise I have an affinity for things from the 90's. Northern Exposure is something I like reading about and watching on DVD, but around 1993 there was a mini series called Lonesome Dove on BBC1 that became a must see for me. It was written by Larry McMurty about the characters who lived in Lonesome Dove, a town in Texas. like many books that have been adapted for television, the book is an excellent read. The main characters;Captain Call, Augustus McCrae, Deets, Newt, Pea and Loren are all well thought out. The majority of the cowboys are Texas Rangers who have known each other for years, but there are a few new hands that join for the ride.  The book is set in the period after the Civil War and the Mexican Wars, and the cowboys set out with cattle stolen from Mexico and drive them all the way to Montana. The book is full of twists and turns, love and betrayal. It is so well written you can feel the same fear the riders did, feel the sun on your back and hear the bellowing of the herd. Coming from the U.K I am no authority on cowboys, but feel this must be one of the best, if not the best book written about them.