All posts by Keith

I’m a controversialist and catalyst, quietly enabling others to develop by providing different ideas and views of the world. Born in London in the early 1950s and initially trained as a research chemist I retired as a senior project manager after 35 years in the IT industry. Retirement is about community give-back and finding some equilibrium. Founder and Honorary Secretary of the Anthony Powell Society. Chairman of my GP's patient group.
photography

Advent 23

An Advent Calendar
Some of Favourite Images from Other Photographers on Flickr.
Click the image for larger views on Flickr and details of the photographer
Symphony of Colours
Note that these images are not mine and are copyright the original photographer who may be identified by following the link to Flickr

history, ramblings, topographical

Christmas & New Year Traditional Events

This time of year produces a lot of traditional (and often strange) events around Britain. So many places seem to have their traditional event — some are relatively modern while others go back hundreds, maybe even thousands, of years.


I remember when I was a kid there was a relatively modern (started in 1908) Boxing Day tradition of a football match between the Bakers and the Sweeps which survives to this day. The participants, dressed and made up accordingly, paraded round the streets collecting money for charity before playing a fairly rowdy football match on one of the local recreation grounds. This tradition, like many others (both new and ancient) across the country, survives because it raises money for local charities.
I can’t hope to find out about and list here a tithe of the events happening across Britain — and there seems to be nowhere which lists them — so you will need to search out ones that interest you or that are happening near you. IanVisits lists a small number in his monthly “Things to do outside London” listings for December and January.
The most important dates to look for are:
     Boxing Day, 26 December
     New Year’s Eve, 31 December
     New Year’s Day, 1 January
     12th Day of Christmas, 5 January
     Old Christmas Day, 6 January
     Old New Year’s Eve, 11 January
As you see many of these traditions are tied to the old calendar and/or to traditionally important days. They deserve to survive both because they are a traditional part of the British heritage but also because so many do good work raising money for local charities.

photography

Advent 22

An Advent Calendar
Some of Favourite Images from Other Photographers on Flickr.
Click the image for larger views on Flickr and details of the photographer
Gossamer Wave
Note that these images are not mine and are copyright the original photographer who may be identified by following the link to Flickr

food+drink

Parmesan Biscuits

This is the year of the Parmesan Biscuit — small cheesy biscuity nibbles. I’ve just made three batches, two to take to Sue’s tonight after “Carols by Candlelight”. The recipe is from Simon Hopkinson’s The Good Cook.
Parmesan Biscuits
Makes: about 30-36 4cm biscuits
Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus time to chill the pastry
Cooking Time: 10 minutes


Ingredients
100g cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
100g plain flour
pinch salt
pinch cayenne pepper
1 heaped tsp mustard powder
50g finely grated mature cheddar
50g finely grated parmesan, plus a little extra
1 egg, beaten
1 fresh chilli, thinly sliced into rounds (optional)
Method

  1. Place the butter and flour into the bowl of a food processor with the salt, cayenne, mustard powder and cheeses. Process together to begin with, and then finely pulse the mixture in short spurts as you notice the mixture coming together – it will eventually bind without the need for egg or water.
  2. Wrap in cling film and leave to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  3. While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 180C.
  4. Lightly flour a work surface and gently roll out the pastry to about the thickness of a pound coin. Cut out the biscuits to the size and shape you wish — anything between 3cm and 5cm, depending on the occasion. Lay them out on baking parchment on a baking sheet 1-2cm apart; you may well need two baking sheets for this quantity.
  5. Carefully brush the surface of each biscuit with the beaten egg, optionally add a thin slice of fresh chilli, and sprinkle over a little finely grated parmesan.
  6. Bake for 10 minutes, or until they are a gorgeous golden-brown colour; the superb smell will also inform you that they are ready.
  7. Carefully lift the biscuits off the tray using a palette knife and place on a rack to cool. Although the biscuits will keep well in a sealed container for a few days, I have never known this to happen!

Notes

  1. The quantities are fairly critical. Do not over do the cheese or butter and do not over blend the ingredients otherwise the mixture goes too soft and is unworkable.
  2. The “mis-shapes” left after cutting out the biscuits can also be glazed and cooked and will make a bowl of party nibbles.
photography

Advent 21

An Advent Calendar
Some of Favourite Images from Other Photographers on Flickr.
Click the image for larger views on Flickr and details of the photographer
Roger is rather partial to roses
Note that these images are not mine and are copyright the original photographer who may be identified by following the link to Flickr

photography

Advent 20

An Advent Calendar
Some of Favourite Images from Other Photographers on Flickr.
Click the image for larger views on Flickr and details of the photographer
Roofscape Benimaclet
Note that these images are not mine and are copyright the original photographer who may be identified by following the link to Flickr

environment

Festival of Winter Walks

Ramblers (formerly the Ramblers Association) and Walking for Health are holding their Festival of Winter Walks over Christmas and New Year, 21 December 2013 to 5 January 2014.
The Festival of Winter Walks is a great opportunity to discover the pleasures and benefits of walking while making the best of winter days and kick-starting those New Year’s resolutions!
Free, fun and open to everyone walks will take place around the country during the festival. Chosen and led by Ramblers and Walking for Health volunteers, the walks showcase Britain at its wintry best. Many of the walks are short and family-friendly, although there are always plenty of longer walks for the seasoned hiker too.
As always there is a lot more over on the Ramblers website at www.ramblers.org.uk/what-we-do/events-index/2013/december/festival-of-winter-walks.aspx

photography

Advent 19

An Advent Calendar
Some of Favourite Images from Other Photographers on Flickr.
Click the image for larger views on Flickr and details of the photographer
Dessous
Note that these images are not mine and are copyright the original photographer who may be identified by following the link to Flickr

links

And there's more you may have missed

Yet another round in our series spotlighting items of curiosity you may have missed.
As usual, let’s get the nasty, boring science-y bits out of the way first.
A report on the lethal “Elephant’s Foot” in the remains the Chernobyl Sarcophagus. Yes, that is going to be a huge problem for years to come. But no, it doesn’t mean nuclear power is inherently unsafe if operated correctly.
Trees aren’t the only things that can be aged by their growth rings. Oh and they missed one out too: carp can be aged from the rings in their scales.
From trees to … dog farts. Part two of how to make dog farts less noxious. Might work for us too!
Cats are much more civilised creatures, and are probably less consciously a human creation than dogs.
As predatory carnivores cats are pretty high up the food chain, and we like to think we are too. But actually humans are middle ranking along with pigs (and I suspect dogs).
Now for some surgical wizardry. Chinese surgeons have saved a man’s hand by temporarily grafting it onto his ankle. I never cease to be amazed at the skill and ingenuity of surgeons.
Guess where the coldest place on Earth is? Yep it’s in the middle of the Antarctic, as the NASA-USGS Landsat 8 Satellite has confirmed. But it isn’t in the record books because it wasn’t measured with a ground-based thermometer!
More satellite wizardry. Google Earth helped scientists find the lost forest on Mozambique’s Mount Mabu.
So then all you extroverts out there: this is how the rest of us feel. (You’ll need to zoom it.)
They just don’t make ’em like they used to. Theoretical Physicist and thinker David Deutsch on the finest TV series ever made: Jacob Bronowski’s “The Ascent of Man”. And I have to agree with him.
OK, so here’s one for the pub quiz. Who invented the world’s first security camera and when, and then used it to secure a conviction?
Teenager cleared of sex charges after witness doesn’t know if she saw his penis or a mop handle.

vk1

This video of a performance artist Casey Jenkins talking about her “vaginal knitting” has just qualified as my online video of the year.
As it’s that time of year, here is a present for the person who has everything: a Taxidermied Mice Chess Set.

And finally I have to break with tradition and leave you with something more edifying. A gorgeous advent calendar from the sketchbook of Kate Whittington.
The next edition won’t now be until after the festivities, so in the meantime:
Happy Christmas to all my readers!