Letters to my Sister. Part 4: November 1991 Rave On

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Friends, friendship, Gonks, letters, Memories, nostalgia, rave, school

Letter 7

22nd November 1991

A.M

Dear A,

‘Ello!!! I had hoped 2 have your letter yesterday morn’, but it were there when I got in from ‘t’school.  And when I did read it I had a major shock and shall now file an official complaint 2 U, the writer:

“you spell ‘surprise’ S U R P R I S E, you spelt it ‘suprise’, and not just once…but twice on the same page!”

Anyway, ’nuff said.  Went to a rave last night, it was quite good but the DJ was a bit heavily into KLF I think.  Also dodgy ex-fifth years were hangin’ about – no sign of Sir Curly Wurly snapper himself though.  I did spy S.H ‘mingling’ though.  All the teachers were “Raaaaaavvvvvviiiinnnnngggg”, Mrs P.S was especially good at the time warp!

To answer your questions: No, Mum hasn’t made a Xmas cake yet.  And yes, I’ve done a bit of shopping, but not much. (Your prezzie, by the way, is a deluxe gonk and holly arrangement arriving sometime before Dec 13th so watch out!!!).  Well it’s 8.05am before school.  I shouldn’t really be writing this, I should be trying to learn some biology stuff: How to label a tooth and how to label ‘de parts of de bod-day’.  I don’t know when I’ll ‘fin’ this letter, I guess I could take some ‘papier’ ‘avec’ ‘moi’ to Swansea. Yes! I’ll probably do that! Bye!

P.M

I thought of all sorts of exciting things to tell you!  For instance, I did yoga on tues’ for P.E, it were really, really good!  When you had to totally relax K.G fell asleep!  Yesterday in Double French we were supposed to be doing some crappy stuff about Basingstoke, but S.M and I spent t’whole affy cracking each other up doing Isabella Lopez (from Neighbours) impressions (How daaaarrrrre you loooook in my hund-bag?!?!??!).  Had a most boring day today: I.T, French, Double Science, History and English.  Great fun!

By’t’way – I’ve gorra day off on Monday – so there! Next time I have a day off on either a Friday or Monday maybe I could come visit u 4 a long weekend??? (As long as I bring my gonk!0

Anyhow I’ll goooo now!

24th November

‘Ey up! I’m writing this jerkin’ ’bout in ‘t’car on’t M4 at 3.26pm on a Sunday affy!  I’m using a new pencil coz I canne find me pen, this’ll be messy, so mi dispiace.  We left Bazza yesterday at about 6.30am, but had to pick ooop a parcel from de Royal Mail depot, so we didn’t get movin’ ’til about 6.50ish.  We arrived in Swansea about 10.15.  Auntie M, Uncle H and S came up 4 a while. When they went we went into town with Auntie P.  I got some more Xmas prezzies in ‘Athena’ or ‘Althena’ (or whatever) they had looooaadddds of ‘Fred’ things.  I got S.M a Fred card for her birthday, they also had mugs, T-shirts and a calendar.  By the way, there’s going to be an ‘Athena’ or ‘Althena’ (or whatever) in Basingstoke.  Got back t’flat and spent evening EATING  and watching T.V.  I dossed down on’t’sofa (I’d taken my quilt).  I woke oooooop at 7.40 today but didn’t rise until 8.40ish.  Went to the Uplands bookshop for the papers, whereupon I got myself a Smash Hits Yearbook (1992) which I’m leaning on now!  Then Mum, Nanna and I walked round to see Auntie P’s new(ish) cat, Jenny.  She is absolutely gorgeous! Black and white glossy fur and big, big greeeeeeen eyes!  We didn’t stay long, came back and had lunch and left just after 2pm.  It’s now 3.33pm and we’re somewhere in England.  Phillip Schofield’s show (crap) is on Radio One, as usual, I can’t hear the music, luckily he doesn’t play good stuff (E.g: Madonna, Beatles, Extreme, Vanilla Ice etc).  Oh by’t’way, I think when Nanny comes at ‘Crimbo’ we’d better make special efforts to talk to her and not bugger off elsewhere ’cause Mum says she’s reallllly dreading her coming.  I know she’s not the nicest and easiest person to get along with, but she’s family so I guess we’d better okay?  I’m thinking of moving my little gonk to a better home by placing the sexy item on our ‘fridge, a long with me other magnets and I think some pictures and cuttings.  I like a ‘fridge to be attractive on the outside! (And not to have tins of soupy mould or beef within!!!).

I’m glad I’ve got no school 2-morra.

Have you heard about Freddie Mercury? He’s got A.I.D.S, sad isn’t it? I wonder if Queen will still carry on ? (I suppose Prince Charles ‘n’ Di could takeover?).  Do you watch Spitting Image?  It’s one of me faves.

(Sticker of Bros)

A present from me yearbook, I know you loooooovvvvve Bros soooo much!

oh!!! You know the stickers I want ya 2 get, d’ya mind if I pay ya when ya come? ’cause they won’t come 2 much, and you’ll be having your moooooonnnneeeyyy given ya soon, you don’t ‘ave 2 gerrrremmmm immediately but b4 Dec 13th!

‘Ere we are:

3 x Happy Birthday

2 x Furry dinosaurs

2 x Furry badgers

1 x shiny penguins

TA!!! They ain’t 4 me anyway! Just keep receipt soooo I can pay ya!!!!!!!!  On Radio 2 this morning they played “The ballad of Barry & Freda” (in other words Vicky Wood’s ‘Lets do it’ song). BRILLIANT!!!! We’ve just passed 4 ‘Mother Superiors’ slammin’ it down the M4 in their car! Say 3 Hail Marys ( and a ryvita!).  I fear I’ll have to finish this letter soon b4 it gets dark.

Have you been late night shoppin’ yet? I have, but it didn’t feel like the usual Christmas atmos’, it was just cold! They didn’t even have the crappy lights on!!! I wonder when school will start putting up their usual tacky assortment of crepe (crap) paper, threadbare tinsel and ‘snow sprayed’ Jolly Fathos!?! I expect they could always surprise us and come up with an unusual décor of bog roll entwined around gonks and pieces of mistletoe hung in unsuspecting places so you have to snog Mr Graha, or even worse…Mr Fisher!

Anyhow, kinda run out of CRAP to tell ye!

Farewell, adieu!

Rachel

P.s did you see Casper Jarrott? If you did*

“Hey screw, give us a loo! for number one and number two!!!”

(* on the other hand, if you didn’t you won’t know what the hell I’m on ’bout!)

(Also included in letter a bastardised postcard of Kylie and Dannii Minogue, I’ve made speech bubbles saying ‘You should see my sister, man she’s a slag!’ ‘Hey! so’s mine!!!’.  An instruction on the back to ‘stick dis in’t’kitchen – ok?’)

(Also included a separate letter: Dear Miss W, I appreciate your concern for me, a humble gonk, I have got a name and I am related to Sir Gerard Gonk (the 1st) so I am, therefore, related to Gonk royalty!  Goodbye, yours sincerely, Allardyce Elmo Gonk xxx)

COMMENTARY:

Written on grey writing paper.  The back features an ‘amended’ sticker of Chesney Hawkes where I’ve written ‘a vast improvement n’est ce pas?’ and a Body Shop sticker of an okapi.  Another rambling, non-sensical missive from my 15 year old self.  Had a little chuckle at the bit about ‘the rave’ (it was a youth club disco) and also what construed as good music that should be played on the radio…

Letter 8

28th November 1991 (actually a postcard)

Ey oop!

This ain’t your proper letter but it were free in J17 so I thought I’d like, kind’ve send it!!! Ain’t yet received ‘deine brief’ but hope to soon.  Anyway, keep on ravin’.  By the way, I’m dying of tonsillitis (I fink).

Love Rach x

Hello any nozy people reading this!!

COMMENTARY:

A bizarre postcard featuring a picture of a fly.  There’s a speech bubble left blank which I have filled in with: ‘I’d like to be a fly on the wall to see your face when you get this crappy postcard!!!’  and written next to it: U2 “The Fly”

Letter 9

30th November 1991

Dear A,

Thankx 4 the letter and the treasured Hambley Bredge notelet… the sarky comments about the bread and bramble jelly were not noticed by moi ’til tutor group, said comments caused much hysterical laughter from me so I had to show M.M who was equally amused.  Also K.R, R.D, K.P and L.F read the front (don’t worry they didn’t read anything ’bout the Dippy Duo or most unsavoury bleesome concoctions in the freezer!) By the way I fink your mascara is on ya bureau… I should remember to enclose it…I’m sure you can’t live without it! it is, after all, just hair gel! I feel I have nothing interesting to fill this letter up with, I ‘spose I could always go string up some bog roll then come back and tell you about that… p’raps not… anyway, I think this recreation was done some years previously avec Paula and Brian Reynolds… do you remember that??? Ooh yeah, thanks for me £1 no big rush for the 50p all the dosh should be in by Friday…but I’ll just have to send off £15…correction, Mum and Dad will send off £15 and I’ll have to keep collecting the dosh and give it to them… OOOOHHHH GGGGRRRROOOOOVVVVEEEYYYY!!!! The “Swing Low” that dead groovy rugby World Cup song is on the radion… ‘ave you ‘eard it??? It goes: “you gotta run run with the ball, you gotta run, run with the ball!  swing high sweet chariot…oh En-ger-land…swing low…swing high…carry me home!”  I fear I may have all the lyrics back to front… Ne’mind!  D’ya like the new Numero Uno? (U2: The Fly…if you didn’t know) ‘Ave yer ‘eard A-ha’s new ‘hit’ yet? Has Helen? (or is it Trudy?) well, whoever the A-ha fan is.  Golly gosh…8.54pm already!!! Got a French oral test tomorrow…hooray! what fun!  By the way if theres lotttsszzz of mis@@@@@4£takes in the 5%rest OGf this Leeter itz cooz *mYYY “WORD ERASER” riboon hat @$run oot!!!  Mi dispiace.  Did you view the televisual feast that is the poll winners’ party?  It were dead good!!! ‘specially when one of Carter USM trashed the set ‘n’ tried to beat up Phillip Schofield*!!!  Aye it were good! (*Unfortunately he failed!!!)  Oh yeh… has K told ya about the party she attended at Aberystwyth (spelling?) where drugs were afoot! M told me this juicy gossip…and if there are any drugs floating round YOUR college…could you send me some hash I’m right out???  Also, I haven’t had any marijuana for ages so pop some in  Jiffy bag pronto! Ha….not really!!!  Ya really took me seriously then!!! OOOOOhhh good, I like this song “American Pie” by Don McLean.  I don’t think that was him in Bath coz I heard that singer speak when he was in Bath…and he had an English accent…and old Donnnnniiiieee is American, well we’ll never knoooowwwww!!! Any horny lads about at college? (I know The Dippy Duo are just sensational!!!)  I like this boy at school but you don’t want to know about that as I already bore the pants* off all my friends going onnnnn and onnnnn about him!!! (* a ref to a bare bummed gonk if I ever I saw one!!!)  (.08pm…. wayyyyy past my bed time!!!! Sorererrreeee that this letter is soooccch a staiiit(that was my way of spelling a Brummie’s accent) I did ne think that my corrector ribbon woz gonna go for a B!!! Just glanced at my bare bummed gonk….!

Well…now to say

“Hasta la vista baby!”

Lotza love (and minced beef out of a tin)

p.s A bur bur

Rach’

COMMENTARY:

Typed on my state of the art electronic typewriter (my parents had spotted my potential, obviously) onto grey writing paper. 

Despite the passing references to drugs (which I wouldn’t have known had I fallen over any) I had not, repeat not, imbibed anything before writing this bizarre missive.  The Dippy Duo were some mature, hippy type students that were in my Sister’s Halls of Residence.

Letters to my Sister. Part 3: October-November 1991. Fireworks

Tags

Coronation Street, Friends, friendship, letters, Memories, nostalgia, school, writing

(postcard)  Letter 4 October 15th 1991

Yo!

Hello. Thanx 4 the “amusing” postcard. Very nice.  It probably was the strangest postcard I’d ever had the mis-fortune 2 receive. Can’t remember what Italian I wrote, but! but! if ya bring said letter with you I may be able to translate…Anyway, what the hell d’ya think dictionaries are for?  Got hockey again today! HOORAY!  By the way it’s 7.57am, Last week Simon Mayo played our fave song: “DRRREEEEEEAAAMMMER!”.

See ya soon, if not before.

R xxxxx

COMMENTARY

Garfield postcard saying “I hate empty mailboxes”.  18p stamp used with comment ‘This is all we have soz’.  I think I mean Dreamer by Supertramp and I’m being sarcastic.

Letter 5 : November 5th 1991

Dear A,

Hello! Just got your letter, so while I’ve got time (8.04am) I thought I may as well start t’letter ‘off’.  As well as your letter, I got one from T.G, so I’ve got that to reply to as well.

If you’ve got your camera ‘wiv’ you pleeeeeeaaaaaaassse take a photo’ of the dippy-hippy – in other words the personage who wears no sox and shooz.  Weird or what?

As you can see, I have done paragraphing in English, but cannae be bothered with it most of ‘t’time!

School is one hideous mound of work at the moment: just recovered from French tests (I did well) only to be faced with some physics results; I did brilliantly (I don’t think) managing an amazing 9.5/30 and 13/31. Great! Today we have a maths test and either today or tomorrow I’ll be doing my English oral project on smoking.

Double (doss) multi-gym this ‘arbo’ the only good thing about it is the grrrooovy muzack (Think it’s Now Dance ’91! Yeh!).

I’ve heard A-ha’s single again, Mayo-man played it yesterday.  By the way, U2 are nicht numero uno anymore: it’s ‘Dizzy’ by Vic Reeves and The Wonderstuff.

Well, here it comes, time to spill the beans (illustration in red biro of spilt beans, saying spiiillll splllatttt)

The boy I like a school is called (cough! cough! Ahem, nice name coming up) N.R, I’ve only known him for about six months and liked him (in that way) since September.

I hope your fireworks plans were better than mine! We were going to go round S.D’s on Saturday at 5pm, but she and her parents thought it was too windy’n’wet, which it was.  But on this coming Sat I’m going with M.M to the Brookvale display.

Oh yeh, regarding fireworks: on Thursday N.R said he was having fireworks at the weekend so we all tried to get ourselves invited but t’was to no avail! Then THEN he comes to school (yesterday) and told us “you could’ve come but I didn’t know anyones’ phone number” Typical.

Better go 4 now, it’s 8.18am.

Well I’m back again, just in from school at 3.43pm, the Russian exchange is ‘happening’ at the moment, but the only people I know with exchange partners are A.M and I.C* and they look alright.  No furry hats and welly-boots!!!???!?!???!!!????!

* Last night I.C was rushed to hospital with appendicitis so he’s not going to have a very exciting time with his exchange student!

The River Island postcard was very nice.  How many did you nick? Oh, by the way, T.G’s asked me for your address so I expect you’ll receive a letter from her soon, well, actually I haven’t given it to her yet, but I’m writing to her in a minute so I’ll include it then.

Had the maths test – I totally bodged that up, did my English ‘presentation’ and got 17/20, although all the way through it I was doing my impression of a milkshake without the milk!!! (In other words, I was rather nervous!!!).

Italian tomorrow.  It’s okay but there are some right stuck up snobs from Cranbourne there. Especially E.C.  She and her cronies were talking about lycra and the way she said ‘my tights are made of lycra’  was ‘my tates are made of lake-ra’.  Stupid posh accent.

Dunno if I mentioned it in my previous scribbling but in drama we’re doing a pantomime.  Our group is doin’ Sleeping Beauty.  I’m King Steffan.  Which means I get stuck holding the Tiny Tears and wear some of Dad’s trews.  Rave on!

I’ll finish ze letter later! Bye!

I’m back again! On lovely peach paper!!!!! Why, why, WHY am I only good enough 4 crappy-blotting-paperesque-luuurrvvvely-crimbo-prezzie-style stuff?

Yes, you did miss out on ‘Bottom’.  Sadly it is now finito and replaced with some crappy American comedy-drama that I have watched before instead (Quantum Leap).

By the way, maybe K is too busy to write. M tells me she is head (I think head, or equally high position) of the CND there! oooooohhhhh mmmmmaaattttrrrronnn! (Kenny Williams ahoy!).

Another ‘by the way’ your ‘thank you’ letter is enclosed, the one I forgot to give you when you were in Bazza (Basingstoke).

When you were a 4th year (Year 10) did you get involved ‘avec’ the old folks crimbo party? I am! I’m doing the catering with R.D, S.D, E.T, P.F and D.L.  We’ll give them a really hot chilli or some nice chewy stuff for their false teeth to get stuck in, ha ha!

Also to be arranged is the entertainment.  We can just picture musical wheelchairs and spin the bottle!!!

Well, I won’t waste anymore of yours (or my) valuable time with this 3 page bunch of pastel and black crap.

Write soon! Schreibe bald!*

RSVP

A bientot

Arriverderci

Bye

Piss off

Bugger off

BYE

Rachel xoxo

* no, don’t shave your head!

COMMENTARY:

written on yellow and peach paper with a mauve envelope. The envelope is adorned with the following messages “Hiya sexy (That’s 2 anybody who’s reading this letter ‘n’ being nosy) and “Piss off Mr Postman”.  Also ‘seasonal decorations; of a poppy and a firework.  And yes, let’s gloss over my choice of topic for the English oral exam.

Letter 6: 13th November 1991

Dear A,

Hello! As I write this letter I’m 95% sure I’ll be seeing you on Saturday, so you’ll probably be reading this when we’ve gone!

If I do see ya I hope I will have the privilege of seeing the rude picture sent by S (yes, I do remember her.)

Ta f’t phonecard.  I hope the trip to the launderette was enjoyable and I sincerely hope those weren’t your knick-kncaks with skidmarks on!

Watching ‘Coronation St’ stupid old Ivy is whining on at Don.  By the way, ya know Don’s new “bird”, d’ya remember her as Doreen Slater from Adrian Mole?

My weekend was most exciting.  On Sat I went into town with M.M.  Supposedly to buy crimbo prezzies.  But all I bought woz a Snickers bar and a can of Diet Coke! Plus! ‘American Pie’ 7″ by Don McLean.

In ze arbo I went to K.R’s for a few hours and then in’t’evening I went ‘avec’ M.M ‘n’ her family to the Brookvale firework display, which was good.  And I must confess I did exclaim ‘oooohhhh’ and ‘aaahhhh’ on several occasions.

Did sod all on Sunday morning but on Sunday afternoon R.D, K.R and I had this crazy scam to walk (!) from Kempshott to Old Worting Road to see this boy K.R fancies lives (A.W) we were only going to work out which house it was but we decided to go ahead and ‘knock’ for him…

Don’t know if it was more embarrassing for us or him but he’d just gotten out of the bath and was wearing a pastel stripey towel around him! His family were really nice to us and made us feel really welcome: “D’you want a drink?” was said to us 4-zillion times.

Anyhow, K.R and A.W are now going out so maybe it was worth the walk in the freezing cold!

Maybe next Sunday we’ll journey to N.R’s house (see previous letter if you canne remember who he is!) infact we were going to journey round there Sunday just gone, but due to staying at A.W’s too long we ran outta time.  Actually I was most pleased today when he gave me a gift consisting of a Tottenham merchandise catalogue.

Bloody chemistry test tomorrow.  I expect I’ll do brilliantly.  Also tomorrow there’s a ‘careers convention’ in the Sports Centre from 1pm-8pm, don’t know who I’m going with or how I’m getting there- but I’m going!

S.M’s off school at the moment (bad backache and chest pains) so I’ve got t’school bus twice so far this week, the first time in 2.5 years! it’s still the mega doss up it always was: On Monday (I didn’t go to Italian) we saw how many people we could cram onto the back seat (we managed 9) and on Tuesday we lobbed some squidgy pear at unsuspecting first years.

Did anyone pass any comments on the offensive messages scribbled on’t’back of envelope? (and if not, why not?) you may have also noticed a funny greasy/splodgy mark on the front.  I put some White Musk on my wrists in The Body Shop ‘n’ it splashed on the letter I was holding in my paws, sozzy ’bout that.

(drawing of Misty the cat)

Portrait of Misty stumbling around on my lap whilst I was attempting to read Just Seventeen.

** Anyhow ich habe vergessen what I had 2 say, so I’ll say guten nacht for ce moment et ciao et hasta la vista.

Bye, luv Rachel

** my attempt at being five-lingual (?) English, French, German, Italian and Spanish

(drawing of flowers and caption ‘An English country garden”)

(same letter continues, 14th November 1991)

It’s me again! I went to said careers convention at the Sports Centre on me own (aaaaaahhhhhhhhhh) but saw loads of people I knew there.

After that I wandered around town like a lost sheep, I bought S.M some Body Shop stuff (Don’t know if it’s to be for Xmas or her birthday) and myself some Tea Rose eau-de-toilette.

Well, I will be seeing you on Saturday – and if you’re reading this letter after we’ve gone:  If I was in a bad mood, I’m sorry – I have a lot on my mind and a lot to think about!

I hope you had a great time cleaning out the ‘fridge, you could’ve had a nice going over in ours’ t’other day a half eaten cheese ‘n’ onion quiche was stinking it out plus some museum quality cottage cheese!

Are you enjoying Italian? It’s okay at QMC. It’s hard work and the lessons drag onnnn, but I know it’ll all be worth it when I am fluent in ‘la lingua Italiana’ (or whatever).

Ahhhhh, Friday tomorrow! I love that ‘Friday feeling’ when the bell rings at 3.25 and you can charge out the door with gay abandon (she’s really nice by the way) and get home and rest from school ’til Monday.

I don’t like Fridays all that much: I.T, French, Double Science, History and English. Science is a bit “scab mcflab” at the moment – examining old teeth!!! Yeeeeuuuccck!

Oh yeh – next Thursday 9.30pm BBC1 “Canned Carrot”, yehhhhh! At last summat decent f’t Thursday night instead of endless crappy ‘Smith and Jones’.

Brrrrrrr! as Jakki Brambles would say ‘It’s a chilly old willy of a day’.  It’s F***ing cold, one is glad of me Tottenham scarf as you are of your trendy chenille gloves.

Spoke to S.M earlier.  She’s just written 42 invites to a party she’s havin’ after Christmas (for her birthday).

Drama’s fun at the moment.  We were practising the forest scene from Snow White up on the stage, all pretending to be trees and throwing strange shapes with our arms, when in troops the Sports Studies group (N.R, K.R, M.R, R.D etc) How embarrassing! being seen as a tree!

So, you’ve heard A-ha’s latest? But have you heard Extreme’s? It’s kind of funky.

You still haven’t nicked the curtains for me as I requested in an earlier letter.  Remember I wanted ’em for the school disco.  So I’ve got until 19/12 to fashion them into a gorgeous creation to ‘get on down’ avec Mr Meacher, Mr Fisher etc.

Anyhow, Goodbye!

Luv Raz xxx

also included in the letter was a postcard of Luke Perry and Jason Priestley from Beverley Hills 90210.  I’ve written speech bubbles with ‘Je suis un bogroll’  and ‘Je suis un crappy bum’.  Which is what we used to sing to Je Suis Un Rockstar by Bill Wyman (why?)

COMMENTARY:

Grey and pink paper. Plain envelope with a drawn stamp of a loo roll.  Reverse is ‘SWAK’ in some offensive bright lipstick and tres tres perrrrvvveee written by it.

I’m glad the good old Body Shop gets many a shout out in this letter as that really encapsulates the decade for me!  Also I see here the first signs of young love, or in my case what I thought was unrequited love.  Always say I hated school, but reading these back it doesn’t seem so bad….

Also amusing is the hopes of being fluent in Italian.  I am currently doing Italian ‘for fun’ at work and remember very little despite getting a GCSE in it…

 

 

 

Letters to my Sister. Part 2: September & October 1991 – the Coronation Street Chronicles

Tags

Coronation Street, Friends, Gonks, letters, Memories, nostalgia, school

Letter 1 26th/27th September 1991

Dear A,

‘Ello.  I’m looking for me fweind, Gerald.  He’s got a right bare bum and right frizzy pink hair.  Have you seen ‘im?  Anyhow speaking of Gerard Depardieu (cue hand flapping and gasping by the bus station) was mentioned in French today,  SHOCK HORROR!!!  I’m just watching SMITH AND JONES, pretty crap really.  By the by, like, you MUST watch BOTTOM on Tues’, 9pm BBC2 (if you’ve got time and yer telly’s alright) it is absolutely HYSTERICAL!!!  Do you like the peachy paper???  I’ve just written to me friends, but THEY got the naff, crappy, recycled bogroll stuff Auntie F gave us 4 crimbo.  Hope you appreciate it!!!  Listen to this “SKILL” joke:

Knock knock

Who is there? (the suspense is killing me)

Hula?

Hula Who?

NO! Hula Hoop!

Hysterical, nearly as funny as a steaming gggggrrrrreeeeaaatt toe nail.

I’m going ’til tomooooorrrrrroooow.  So Adios and Adidas ’til FRIDAY LUNCHTIME

Bye! x

Dear Sister,

Well hello again.  It’s bloody freezing!!!!!!  And it’s lunchtime and it’s 1.03pm.  K.R’s been an awkward bugger so I had to change pens.  Just suffered a depressingly boring double biology lesson.  History and English yet to come.  Wooooohhh.  Well you’ve probably been out raving as I speak.  I’m taking great care of your bare bummed gonk.  Can I nick some of your books?  As long as I stay out of the pervy D.H Lawrence books and the so-called amusing and long overdue Reginald Perrin books.  Might be going to see ‘Backdraft’ on Sunday, but I don’t know.  Hope I bump into the Geordie bloke.  Not gonna get the bus into town 4 a while 4 fear of meeting the WEIRD woman.  Help.  And now for another amazing joke….

Q: What do you call a popstar who nicks kershaws?

A: Nik Kershaw! (geddit! ho ho ha ha)

Another change of pens, my hands are soooooo cold I can’t write properly wi’t’other pen.

Misty keeps going into your room going ‘Myaaaa’ loudly then coming out again.  Just been told a crappy joke by somebody, won’t bother to pass it on.  Here’s a list of cast and crew Christ the lord knows what they do.  Don’t worry about this PERCULIAR letter.  I must go.

Bye & keep happy.  Get one up yer!  Arriverderci (it’s one on one)

Rach’ xxxx

COMMENTARY –

written on pastel paper.  On the back of the envelope I have written ‘If you don’t open this NOW it’ll blow up in 10 seconds”

Gonks were what we called trolls, those horrid little plastic doll things with crazy hair.  Seems we were fairly obsessed with them.

Letter 2 1st October 1991

Deeeeeeaaaarrrrrrrr A!

Yo…. what’s happenin’ mannnn?  I think it’s gggggrrrreeeatttt that you’re a-mixin’ with some veggies, now you know a carrot….you’d better get 2 know some sprouts, they’re a really nice race of people.  I f***ing would like meine sock back s’il vous plait…it’s one of me faves!!! weeellll I don’t know if you should write to T.G ot t’ole family, make up yer own mind!!!!  Had double hockey, this ‘arbo’, jooooooost gggreeeeaat, I bloody froze,  I woz wearin’ a tee-shirt and shorts!!! I declined the temptingness of self-defence ‘avec’ sexy Mr S.  If hot-pants Mr M had been taking it I would’ve been first to volunteer!

CORONATION ST UPDATE!!!

Gail and Martin got married, Ken (he of sweetcorn fame) n Alma went away for their weekend and they weren’t given separate rooms, Mr Holdsworth has purchased a (kinky) waterbed, Liz has told Andy and Steve she’s preggers, they’re not overjoyed aaaaaannnnnnddd Betty threw some hot-pot over Phyllis (not strictly true this last bit!!!)

Must fly 4 the moment “Home & Away” is on.

October 1st (still)

By the way, your curtains sound absolutely divine, p’raps you could nick ’em for me so I could make them into a shirt or some other tasteful article which one could don at the next school disco.  At least your room wasn’t a rubber-sheeted bed with a gorgeous purple ‘n’ orange light-cum-ornament thing on the wall.  Or! Or! a room with nothing in it except a single bed with a candle(nook)wick bedspread and a pedal-bin with a sign saying “This is not a bidet”.  I feel like getting some PASSPORT PICCIES done on Sat’,  did you have to use those ‘lovely’ ones you got done t’other week?

I’m going again ’til tomorrow.  Ciao

October 2nd

Merci pour ma chausette!!! Italian was good today, this boy called A.R fell asleep!!! it was soooooo funny!  Just watching t’football on’t’telly.  Dad’s just had to go down t’shop to get Misty some food!  Poor little Misty!!!  Bloody biology test tomorrow, a’mazin thing:  Haven’t seen old Mrs G’s kids in for aaaggggesss!  Seeing T.G again tomorrow she’s got a ski meeting so she’s comin’ 2 c me b4.  Oh yeh…. did u know Gary Lineker just had a son and they’ve called him GEORGE.  Yeh well.  Don’t think we’re gonna get ANY work at all this year and next in English,  Mrs O doesn’t notice ANYTHING! I meant today K.R and me sat a the back so we always eat sweeties (if we’ve got any)  K.R ate a strawberry yoghurt and Mrs O didne notice!!!!!!!!!  Got a new boy in I.T called ‘Nana’ what a nana! mustn’t tease, he’s African.

Oh yeh! there’s this boy at school called F.G, he is a real liar: he told everyone he’d written and recorded a song for S/A/W so in drama today he played it 4 us, I couldn’t hear it very well, but! BUT! suddenly I recognised it “I’ve got that song on a tape at home!” I exclaimed “It’s by Billy Bragg and it’s on NOW 8!”  you’re rumbled F.G.  HASTA LA VISTA BABY!  Bye and stay happy.  Rach.

COMMENTARY:

Written on pink paper with a jade envelope.  On the envelope after ‘sender’ I’ve written the name of one of my Mum’s friends, who we didn’t like followed by ‘not really I lied’.  Have also drawn a pineapple and a flower and written:  Oh yeh, you cheapskate, WHY did I only get a 2nd class stamp.

The reason behind trying to write in some sort of cod-Northern vernacular is due to shared love of Victoria Wood.  Misty was our pet cat.

Letter 3  9th October 1991

Dear A,

‘Ello!!! well it’s all very well you sending cheapy paper with carrot cake splodges on, what I want to know is…. have you initialled any of your grains of coffee yet?

CORONTATION STREET UPDATE!!!!!!!!

Ivy has got “Little Nicky” to join a football team run by the catholic church, but he has to be an “Altar boy” in order to become a member (In otherwords he has to look all angelic in a white dress and sing in the choir).  Liz and Jim are having an extension, to add an extra room f’t new baby.  Vera (she with the headscarf) objects and so does Percy Sludgebum.  Kev’ has been made redundant and Sally is very upset.  Ummmmmmmmm that’s allllll!!!

Anyway back t’letter….. ‘Backdraft’ was really good, thing is…I got a medium drink….so mixing that with an exciting film lasting over 2.5 hours, one was rather uncomfortable. (In other words, once could’ve done with a trip to the bog in Jolly’s!)

By the way….I’ve borrowed ‘Lady of Hay’ I haven’t read that much but what I have read is rather good!  I did ne get any passport photos done, but I will soon.  If ya lucky (Ha!) I may include a photo in this letter, if I can find one.

Merci pour la Gonk de la bare bum.  Don’t know what to call it…at moment it’s on a tin… and I can see the darling thing from my bedside…it is very sweeeetttt, much thanx.  In future enclose some of said mushy peas… I’ve never ‘ad any!!!! (I were a deprived child, never ‘ad a ra-ra skirt, never ‘ad mushy peas).

Allora, ciao.  Come stai?  Io sono abbastanza bene grazie.  Mi piace Italiano, ma io preferisco drama.  Che ore sono? Sono le 21 e 17.

Yeh well, I hope you understand the above…if ya don’t… mi dispiace ma dura! Just showing off my limited knowledge of Italian.

Scccchhhooooolllll is reeeallllllyyyy boooooooorrrriiiinnnng.  Yesterday I was supposed to be having a double hockey lesson…Hmph, easier said than done.  Old Mrs L made us wear hockey boots from the school’s looooovvveeeellly stock.  I didn’t have socks on, soooo I had to wear divine hockey/footie boots wi’bare feet.  Well I was all geared up wi’me jolly hockey stick and ball, infact, for once I was really looking forward to my P.E lesson… alas it turned out to be one of the worst ever experienced.  Namely, once I’d started to play said sport Iwas practically crippled by the bloody boots.  Me and several others.  Sooooo after a while I asked Mrs L if I could get me trainers.  In the end me and S.H had to go and get mine, K’s, his and C’s trainers annnnnddddddd if you’ve ever seen any of the P.E teacher’s bunches of keys you’ll understand why it took us all nearly 10 mins to get into the changing rooms…. Thennnnnn I realised MY trainers were in her room….Quick look around for that key…nearly break keys and lock in process, can’t get f***ing trainers…hobble slowly to Salisbury block to find Matron (to get plasters) Ask Mr B (‘When I was in Africa…’) if Matron is in her room.  ‘Yes# he says.  Knock on door, loudly,a few times and try door handle for good measure.  No, she is not in there….Traipse on down to reception…Added embarrassment…Of Course!  It’s the change of lessons from 5th to 6th!  So there’s me….looking soooo stylish…red face, messy hair, sweaty, scruffy off-white T-shirt, baggy blue trackie bottoms and those darned boots.  So after clip-clopping and skidding through Portsmouth corridor, passing numerous 5th years, I finally get to reception.  Mrs T is giving some 1st year a right old bollocking, I patiently wait….AT LAST!!!!!!  I can go into reception…. and looking all weak and feeble and in pain I EVENTUALLY GET MY BLOODY PLASTERS!!!  Apply said plasters to my bleeding blisters, put those agonising boots back on and go back to trying to win  a game o’hockey!  Was it really worth it for 20 painful minutes??? Luckily for my flagging good mood our team won (Though no thanx to me) 4-2.  Not the most enjoyable lesson I’ve ever had!!!!!!!!! And now I’ve got 2 lovely blisters and some cuts all over me ankles.  Hmmmmmm.

What are the lectures like?  Have you been to the hallowed T.V room? Anyone had any major (funny) cooking disasters?  How is the FOREVER FRIENDS tree thingy?

Still haven’t seen ‘Robin Hood’ oh weeeellll, I’ll expect I’ll live without ever seeing it. AAAAAGGGGHHHHHHH!  I’ve just been struck down dead by a mysterious bolt of lightning, but due to a strange and uncanny happening my fingers and brain remain functioning, allowing me to type this letter.

Bye.  I’m going ’til THURZDAY night.  Rach’ xxx

10th October 1991

Well, it’s not Thursday night, it’s 4.18pm but thought I’d finish your letter. Ummmm, school was okay: Drama: we’re doing  weird Harold Pinter play.  Health related fitness: well I said I was playing table tennis…but what we actually did was see who could hit it highest, hardest, off chairs, on the stage etc.  Biology and Maths were totally non-descript and in double-French we had this new assistant (Carolyn, 22) who I think is planning a mass pub crawl, ’cause she ashed us about the pubs and clubs and was Martines nice?  Always look on the underside of your shoe…incase you’ve trodden on dog dooooo, you can’t move for people whistling the whistly bit in “Always look on the bright side of life” which, if you didn’t know, is number 8 in’t’charts.  Ummmmmm, lacking in funny ‘n’interesting stuff to say, I’ll be back later… probably.

11th October 1991

Pineapple!!! Well I’m back again as you probably gathered.  After me promising to be back later I did ne have any time, so after Neighbours and before Sainsbury’s shopping I thought I’d write.

Yet another booooorrrriiiiing day at school: I.T, French, Double biology, History et English.  The best bit of the day was ging to the shops at lunchtime.  T’other day R.B took his mini tape recorder into the chippy with such candid messages on it like: “And I like the look of the man with the hat on” and “cooorrrr! she’s f***ing sexy!”  the old granny behind the counter didn’t even notice the strange sounds coming from his pocket!!!  There’s never really anything to do at lunch so ‘causing havoc’ down the shops is the only recreation we have.

*****GOOD JOKES FROM ‘MORE’ MAGAZINE SECTION*****

Q: Why are men like toilets?

A: Because they’re either engaged, vacant or full of crap

Q: What do you call a man whose lost 95% of his brain?

A: A widower

****** CRAPPY JOKES FROM SCHOOL SECTION *****

Q: why did the light turn red?

A: Well wouldn’t you if you had to change in front of all those cars?

Q: Why is a piece of toilet roll like the starship enterprise?

A: Cause they both go round Uranus looking for Klingons (YEEEEUUUUCCCKKK!)

Q: What do you call a man who has been at number 1 for 14 weeks?

A: Bryan Adams

Don’t worry about the above joke, it’s not really a joke, more like an amazing fact!

On Sunday night R.D and E.T did a waitressing job for some church… guess who was there?  yes, you guessed it!  Tie a la Hicken!!! if he had his tie a la Hicken is anyone’s guess.  I forgot to ask.   I’ll have to add a P.S later telling ya what happened in Corrie St.  I hope you had a good time in the Bog on Wednesday night.  That sounds a bit pppppppeeeeeerrrrrvvvvveeeeee.  Note enclosed newspaper clipping… pity the paper forgot to mention his ‘A’ in Curly-Wurly snapping and crisp crunching.  Oh well, c’est la vie as fans of Robbie Neville sometimes say.  (Stuck in newspaper clipping of some boy’s crap GCSE results who was  in our tutor group, I’ve written WELL DONE by them) Wellll I’ll be C’ing U 2-morrow BYE!

Love from Razza xxxxxxXXXXXXxxxxxXXXXXxxxxx

p.s Fri – Coronation Street

Kevin had been operating his own business in the street ’til Derek sent the police round.  Sally is getting pissed off with the McDonald’s extension (coz there’s so much noise).  Gail & Martin have found out about Ivy’s plan about Nicky keeping the surname Tilsley.

COMMENTARY:

Typed on my state of the art electronic typewriter onto plain paper.  Handwritten on the back of it is ‘Oh yeh, what did your friends fink of you buying a pornographic gonk???’.  Extremely tedious monologue about hockey.

Letters to my Sister. Part 1 – the background

Tags

books, letters, Nina Stibbe, nostalgia, school, university

A few weeks ago I stumbled across a book called “Love, Nina”. To demonstrate how 21st Century we’ve become I didn’t stumble on it in the conventional sense, i.e. whilst walking round an ‘actual’ bookshop, instead whilst looking at the bottom of my Kindle screen where it will tell me of the Daily Deals and sale titles.

“Love, Nina” is a collection of letters written by Nina Stibbe to her Sister, Vic, whilst she is living in London between 1982 and 1987. At first she is working as a Nanny and then latterly she is studying English Literature at University. I devoured the book in a few sittings and also started to look online for interviews and information about Stibbe. In an interview with The Bookseller Stibbe says:

“Even with my kids, I’ve recently stopped making them write thank you letters, letting them do it by email. I did carry on writing letters quite late, but then I started to feel eccentric. Somehow emails don’t last, they’re just not forever. Letter writing is a dying art.”

Inspired by the book I decided to ask my Sister if she had any of the letters that we had exchanged whilst she was at University. A week later she presented me with a carrier bag containing 76 such letters and cards I sent between 1991 and 2003.

The main bulk of the letters are actually 1991-1998 (this spans both of our spells at University) and the few that follow afterwards seem to have been written just to thank her for a birthday gift or to send photos of my cats. E-mail has predictably replaced the letters as the medium of choice and I agree with Stibbe’s quote above. I have attempted to keep personal e-mails in my Hotmail account and even printed a load out for my friend Sophie which I bound into a book as a birthday present one year. It’s just not the same.

Finding these letters means so much to me. Around 2000 when I ‘properly’ left home after buying my first house I rashly threw away the diaries I had kept from 1988-1998 and also think that’s when I threw away some boxes and folders of correspondence too (they may turn up, but I really don’t think, despite what I’ve told my Sister that I kept them.) I have regretted this ever since.

I have now gained an insight into those lost years once more. And although the letters are fairly frank in parts in their discussion of crushes and teenage parties, they’re only telling half the story. However, I can just about remember what was not written, I can recall what was not divulged and why this was so.

My Sister left for University in the autumn of 1991. A few months previously my best friend had also left town as they had moved for her father’s job. I was just starting the 4th year (or year ten as its now known) to begin my GCSE subjects. Female friendships at that age (actually at any age) are a fickle and transient thing, so even though I allude to friends and allies frequently, I seem to remember feeling alone and fed up a lot of the time as my best friend and my Sister weren’t around. Some girls were finding boyfriends and once more the circle and nature of friendship changed to accommodate this. I think this is the reason for the voracious letter writing: Sometimes I didn’t have anyone to talk to or hang around with.

I will add footnotes where necessary to explain cultural references, in jokes etc. or to tell the real story, the one that has been kept from the letter. As best as I can remember it anyhow. I seem to recount the minutiae and mundanity of life first as a school girl and then as a student effortlessly. What I don’t seem to allude to much is the real thoughts, emotions and fears of what I was really experiencing. I guess that wouldn’t have made for so much entertainment?

Before I embark on transcribing the letters (which I think is going to be a long and on-going project and will take several months and blog posts, so stick with it) I want to end on these lyrics from one of my current favourite bands, Arcade Fire:

It seems strange
How we used to wait for letters to arrive
But what’s stranger still
Is how something so small can keep you alive

Being Carrie

Tags

children, friendship, SATC

Today I stepped into a Facebook discussion about ‘friends dumping other friends when they have children’. I opened my can of worms, stepped ungraciously off my soapbox and fled the scene of the crime.

I felt I had to say something and get this off my chest as I felt this sweeping generalisation was rather unfair.

I am in the minority of most of my friends as I have chosen not to have children. That is my choice and I expect my friends to understand and support that, same as I would support their decision to start a family.

When a friend has a child of course the nature of your friendship will change and evolve, but why would it be a reason to terminate a friendship. You still want that person in your life and care and are interested in them, it just so happens there is now an extra person whom you are also interested in and want to share the in their highs and lows and spoil them with gifts they might like.

I’ll admit that it can be difficult and challenging once the dynamic changes. It would appear that someone forgot to put the batteries in my biological clock so trying to connect with friends’ children (and indeed my own niece and nephew) does not come easily to me. I do not know anything about raising and nurturing children but try and offer common sense advice when it is needed or rally round to make sure they know they are doing an amazing job. But that also can make me feel surplus to requirements, frustrated and redundant where once I would’ve been able to hold court on jobs, relationship, culture, fashion, fitness advice. I cannot emphasise, I can only sympathise.

Also there’s the sense that as much as you want to see your friend and their children as often as schedules allow they are now in a whole new world that you do not fit into, nor are you welcome. I don’t know my Peppa Pigs from my Pontipines. Dr Spock will always have something to do with Star Trek. I suppose in some sense there’s also perhaps a degree of jealousy: that your friend has found a new circle of friends who all share the bond of motherhood; all the while you’re stuck at work compiling spreadsheets or trapped in a meeting.

I have never been naïve enough to think that as soon as the baby is born things will switch back to the way they were. I know friends cannot come to every social occasion as before and even if they manage to appoint a babysitter that plans may have to change last minute and be cancelled or rearranged.   That’s life. I will always still ask my friends on the off chance they can attend but I would not be insulted and would understand if they can’t make it.

To use a SATC analogy (because of course this is the founding basis of how I live my life) we may want to be Samantha when a friend has a baby, but we have to be Carrie.

Star Man

Tags

Bowie, Friends, Memories, Travel, Work colleagues

My friend Chris passed away before Christmas after a long illness.  A week before his 44th birthday.

I had a birthday card I never got to send.  And that made me sad.  But I realised even though I had only known him just over 10 years I had a lot of fun memories of him.

He was a senior colleague when I started out in Export Sales for a publishing company.  He was fluent in French, German and (most impressively) Russian – so he was a great asset to our Export department.  Jealous, as I had always wanted to learn Russian, I marvelled at listening to him on the ‘phone talking to customers and was always amused when suddenly a word like ‘spreadsheet’ or ‘dumpbin’ would crop up in the conversation.

I took over some of Chris’ old German and Austrian customers when he was promoted to cover the Middle East.  Although the customers warmed to me conversations always went back to Chris and what he was up to and how he was doing.  Chris was always a great font of knowledge whilst I was on these trips if I could not understand the local lingo.  I remember texting him late at night after seeing an intriguing pop song on German MTV with a very long song title.  I was quite disappointed when it was translated to ‘Night with bandage’ or something.

One of Chris’ many endearing (ok do I mean infuriating) habits was his knack of leaving things to the last minute and then having the whole department rallying round to help.  We all did because he was that sort of person you wanted to help, and you knew he’d do the same for you.  For example, he once left getting his Russian visa right to the last moment and then had the whole department ringing the embassy all at the same time and waiting on hold until the first person got through.  He got them a bottle of champagne.  He always bought beers back for us and once an impressive bottle of Russian vodka for me, in a beautiful Matrioshka doll bottle.  He also never forgot I liked giraffes and these featured on various cards and nick-nacks over the years.

Chris was a huge Bowie fan and had been to see him many times.  There are many Bowie songs I listened to last year and made me think of Chris but one of the more apt ones was ‘Under Pressure’, which became the theme tune to our pre-Frankfurt bookfair preparation.  As the printers broke, tempers frayed, we all ate too many Haribo: Chris would run around the offer singing the chorus over and over again.

It was perhaps his love of Bowie and glam rock which lead him to dress up one Xmas party in some tight silver lurex trousers and ridiculous gold platform boots.  The boots were on display everytime we visited him last year in the hospice.  He also took down the office pin up of Nick Knowles one day and replaced it with a photo of him in the glam rock outfit instead.

I remember other daft things too.  One lunchtime after visiting either a pub, McDs or the chippie (he loved a spam fritter) we sat in his car outside work while he played my friend Cara and I our first hearing of Derek & Clive.

Yes, he went far too young and no doubt there were so many things he wanted to go and places he wanted to see; but he also packed a lot into his life.  On a recent trip to the hospice we sat and watched a montage of photos of some of his travels to far flung places.  Many off the beaten track places in his beloved Eastern Europe (the places the guidebooks probably don’t tell you about, for good reason) but also his more recent trips to Asia. And so tomorrow with a heavy heart we’ll all formally say goodbye to one of the good guys. It will be a sad day, of course, but I am also looking forward to hearing more anecdotes and stories about him as I feel I’ve barely scratched the surface here.

Покойся с миром товарища.

Further adventures in veggie cooking: ‘Lamb’ tagine

Tags

cooking, Quorn, Tagine

I made another recipe up on the spot tonight and although it needs finessing the end result wasn’t disastrous.

This was a stab at a sort of tagine type affair made with some of Quorn’s new offering: vegetarian ‘lamb’ style strips.  Although never a huge fan of the real deal when I did eat meat I’m quite enjoying this passable substitute especially in curries.

I put about half the bag of frozen lamb strips (approx. 150g) in a medium saucepan with 3 chopped cloves of garlic, 3 small peeled and chopped carrots, 4 green cardamom pods and a few small pieces of cinnamon bark.  I covered this with water and added a large spoon of Marigold vegetable bouillon.

I boiled this up with the lid on for about 20 minutes until the carrot was soft.  Next I added one chopped green chilli, a large handful of chopped cherry tomatoes, about 70g of sliced green beans, 70g of chopped dried apricots.  I simmered this for about another 10-15 minutes then added a generous dollop of tomato puree and 1/3 teaspoon each of ground cumin and ground cinnamon and some salt to taste.  Then added half a lemon chopped into quarters.

I simmered this for another 10 minutes or so, checking the taste and fluid content before adding in…um…a fair bit of couscous and some chopped coriander and chopped mint.  Once the cous cous started to thicken up and cook and the liquid reduced nicely I then added half a large size tin of butter beans.

Stirring constantly I let the cous cous fluff up but without annihilating the butter beans to mush.  I probably poured in about another half a pint of water so it didn’t dry out.

I served it with a blob of natural yoghurt, but that’s optional.  It serves 2-3 but I was hungry so this was two large servings.  You’re not supposed to eat the lemon, unless you’re that way inclined.

I’ll be honest I don’t really know what it’s in a tagine so this was largely winging it.  The areas for improvement: it could definitely handle more cumin, perhaps a little more salt and I would probably use okra rather than green beans.  Chick peas probably would’ve been better too, but I’ve slightly ODd on them following an ill advised splurge at Cost Co.

A paean to paneer

In the absence of a proper blog here’s another one of my ad-hoc, veggie recipes.

After years of apathy towards paneer (the firm Indian cottage style cheese) I tried it in a few dishes my friend made me, had some sumptuous saag paneer in Goa and chilli paneer at one of the best curry houses I’ve ever been to :  Manzils of Digbeth.

I made this curry earlier in the week and it was rather good.  I had not planned to blog the recipe so as usual forgive me if the measurements are not precise.

I fried 2 small onions with 2 cloves of garlic and a chunk of ginger finely chopped.  I used olive oil but other oils will suffice.  I added to the oil some black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, kalonji/nigella seeds and fennel seeds.  No coriander seeds as I am not a fan but if they float your boat then chuck ‘em in.  Once the seeds had started to toast and pop I added a tin of tomatoes and let this simmer and thicken.

The idea then was that I was supposed to use my hand held blender to smoosh this all up, but for some reason it wasn’t working.  So I skipped this step.  I added salt, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground turmeric and ground cinnamon.  I crumbled in 4 dried chillies (less if you don’t like it too piquant) and a generous squirt of tomato puree.   I then added 2 black cardamom pods and 4 green ones and some pieces of cinnamon bark.  I let this simmer whilst I tackled the next step.

I cut ¾ of an aubergine (all I need is a small aubergine…) and a whole pack of paneer into chunks.  I then heated some (olive) oil in a pan and browned all these off for about ten minutes, turning occasionally.  Once you’re happy with these take off the heat and set aside.

I added 3 blocks of frozen spinach to the curry sauce and some fresh spinach that was hanging around (like it does).  Once the blocks had melted down I then added 4 or 5 chopped mushrooms and some chopped green pepper and stirred this altogether.

I let this cook out whilst I opened and drained a tin of brown chick peas.  The normal ones will do of course.  Brown chick peas are just the regular ones but with the skin still on, just FYI.  Once the veg in the sauce was soft I added the chick peas in, some more puree and some more water and gave it a stir.  I think I also added a teaspoon or so of generic curry powder.  Simmered it for about five minutes then tipped in the paneer and aubergine mixture.  Stir to amalgamate but don’t squish up the paneer too much.   Heat through for another five minutes then serve and EAT! 

Serves 4.

Guest post : http://afemaleview.net/2013/04/19/guest-post-bournemouth-beer-festival-a-beginners-guide/

Guest post by me!

http://afemaleview.net/2013/04/19/guest-post-bournemouth-beer-festival-a-beginners-guide/

Souper…

Tags

cooking, food, healthy eating, soup

Yes. I know. A new blog post.  Let’s not wet ourselves over it.  Point is I’ve blogged.

Like most people January has begun with many a good intended resolution.  One of which is trying to eat better again (it all went to pot last year).  So yesterday in an attempt to kick start the healthy eating I made some soup.  I find making soup quite therapeutic.  Maybe it’s all the chopping.  Maybe it’s the pulverizing everything with the blender.  Whatever, it works for me.

You may remember from my other recipe post (last time I bothered to blog) that cooking for me is highly experimental and I don’t follow recipes.  I much prefer to make things up as I go along.  And so I did…

I roasted a large butternut squash cut into wedges (I still feel incredibly bashful buying a butternut squash…but that’s not for here).  I roasted it on a baking sheet liberally covering it with olive oil (the only fat in here so I thought I’d go to town), I covered the squash with salt, pepper and three crumbled up chillies.  I roasted it for half an hour (approx) at er… I’m guessing a fairly high heat.

When it felt soft in the middle I placed it in a saucepan with a pint of vegetable bouillon, a further half pint of hot water, 2 peeled garlic cloves, a chunk of fresh ginger and a large bayleaf.  I then simmered this for…oooh…about 20 minutes.

I then discarded the bayleaf and used my hand held blender thingy to liquidise to a nice smooth, fairly thick consistency.  I then added a splash more water until it felt the right consistency (some of us prefer a more solid soup, right?) I then added a drained tin of cannelini beans, a little turmeric (just to stain the vest top I was wearing), cumin, coriander and black pepper.  I then simmered this, to cook out the spices, for a further fifteen minutes or so.As I was dividing it into containers (three fairly decent portions) I then remembered an experimental butternut and peanut soup I made last year so stirred in two tablespoons of ‘the good peanut butter’ – that’s optional of course.

Batch 1 was enjoyed today at work and jolly nice it was too…