Today I've mostly bin...

[LAT]

......... visiting my sister in hospital in London this morning and shopping in Guildford with Looby this afternoon. I have now put my feet up and just have to decide between two jackets, for one of which I need to go back to Guildford again tomorrow.

[Bunnylump]

Come on LAT, details? Colour? Rest of outfit? Hat?

BTW sorry to hear your sister is in hospital. I hope she's ok.

[LAT]

The hat is the deciding issue. I bought it a couple of years ago when I went to a Royal Garden party with my sister. And since I don't have many occasions to wear hats I do want to re-use it. It's pink

Looby was an absolute star this afternoon. Brilliantly helpful and encouraging.

[Bunnylump]

I've only ever worn two hats in my life. One was a big wide brimmed purple one when I went to a wedding at the crypt chapel at the houses of parliament, and one was when I went to a fancy dress party as... wait for it... A JESTER!! The hat was a marvellous creation of mine, red and green with bells on, with the "horns" filled with the middle of loo rolls! I also pinched one of my Dad's shirts, cut it in 2, died half green and half red, and added a jaggy bottom and bells.

[gill216]

Will your outfit match the pink hat? Have you got a haberdashery nearby? By a piece of net that matches the outfit you want to wear and fix it over the hat with a ribbon of the same colour, leave enough spare to make a small veil. Just so long as the net doesn't clash with the pink you'll be fine. Have a look in the hat shops to see how they make hats fit the outfits.

[MBH]

.... making my annual visit to The Hoppings (Town Moor travelling fair) in Newcastle.

The mud hasn't gotten too bad (yet) this year, but it is well know that when the fair is in town it always buckets down with rain - no exception this year.

Just wandered round enjoying the atmosphere (not much - very quiet), looking at the new artwork on the rides (I love airbrush art - especially the ghost trains), and looking for my annual win of a stupid soft toy on the archery stall BUT it wasn't there The archery has never not been there... they must have finally stripped all the flights off all the arrows (and are too tight to get new ones), or it is not considered too 'low tech' for today's fairground.

Cleaned up and coffee'ed so I'm off to bed now.

[gill216]

MBH I'm so jealous. The Hoppings- I just might drive up there and have a walk around.

For those who don't know anything about The Hoppings it is the annual meeting place for all of the Fair people from all over Europe. You don't get one waltzer or whatever, you get half a dozen of each at least. All competing to be the fastest -and with the most spins. If it's a new fair ride it will be there, Rain doesn't stop play - spend a fortune on the rides and side shows. The atmosphere is brilliant. At least 2 visits in the week are compulsory to see it all properly.

Another volunteer for a meet in June?

[Bunnylump]

That sounds like fun MBH. I expect the archery thing has been vetoed by some jobsworth health and safety person.

[Scurra]

I thought we'd agreed not to have political threads on here, Bunny

[Bunnylump]

Soz.

[Biscuit]

spent the day at westfield with my daughter and mum - had a great time - spent too much on my daughter (my mother is a really bad influence but that is why I took her) - but it was so brilliant to see my daughters face - it was like the "great reveal" on the make over programmes. Mum (73) was actually dancing to the music in Mango's and looked about 20 years younger - i think the more they mix with teenagers the younger they become:) - won't be telling my OH how much I spent but hopefully i will be a major contributor to the economic recovery!!

[BassBloke]

Bin stawberry picking with the kids. Then made traditional baked strawberry layered cheese cake. Yum yum in my (and everyone elses) tum.

Cheers. BB.

[chazzie]

Is there any left...... can you send some over here..... sounds delicious

[Bunnylump]

The shopping trip sounded thoroughly theraputic for you Biscuit! Isn't Westfield that massive shopping centre near the BBC? Or am I on the wrong place?

And BB you are truly EVIL. You can't tell us all about layered strawberry cheesecake and then not have any for us to try!!! Sounds scrummy.

[BassBloke]

OK, here you go. I have amended the recipe in light of a few "anomolies" like too much butter and eggs for my liking. Be aware this is a baked cheesecake, and not the normal rubbery stuff you get from Tesco. It has the consistancy of a sort of Quiche-ish type thing.

Filling: 300g strawberries, 100g caster sugar, 1 or 2 eggs according to size, 500g mascarpone, 100g cream cheese, 100 ml double cream.
Base: 30g butter, 120g digestive biscuits, 3 Tbsp demerara sugar.

20 cm cake tin, line with greasproof paper. De-core strawberries. Half in pan with half caster sugar and 1 Tbsp water. Slowly boil for 5 mins. Cut other strawbs in half.
Push cooked strawbs through sieve. Mix other half of strawbs into puree.
Crush bikkies into crumbs mix in demerara, melt butter and stir in. Put biscuit mix in bottom of tin and press down.
Beat eggs then add remaining caster sugar. When fluffy beat in both cheeses until smooth. Whip cream to thicken, then fold into mix.
Put half mix in tin. Carefully put strawb mix in a layer. Add other half of cheese mix.
Bake in heated oven 180C for about 1-1/4 hours. If it starts to brown too much, cover with foil.
Allow to completely cool, pop out of tin, and gulp down with lashings of double cream before the kids get hold of it.



Cheers. BB.

[Laura]

BB, you're not secretly Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall in real life are you???

He was ranting about those rubbery cheesecakes you get if you don't make real ones on River cottage last week!!!

[giraffe]

Not sure what is going on but....

I thought my front windows had fogged up, and then I realised the road was full of smoke. All the neighbours have appeared in the street, and are speculating as to what is on fire. Great billows of smoke comming from behind / the back of the house opposite and two doors down. The fire brigade have just arrived and ash is falling in the front garden.

I went out side for about a minute and my clothes stink of smoke. Yuk!

[Laura]

oh heck! That doesn't sound good!

[giraffe]

Panic over! The houses opposite back onto a wooded bank, which separates them from the main road. Apparently youths/ hooligans started a fire and it got out of control.

It was still snowing ash an hour later, after the fire brigade had gone.

OH reckons us girls will do anything to get our hands on a hunky fireman!!!!

[chazzie]

OH reckons us girls will do anything to get our hands on a hunky fireman!!!!

so tell all..........