Category Archives: ramblings

amusements, current affairs, personal, ramblings

Predictions for 2020: The Results

This time last year I made a long series of predictions about what would happen during 2020. So what did I get right, and what wrong?

[Some of the items remain redacted to protect the sensitive and innocent.]

UK

  1. Look out for natural disasters around 9-10/02 (snow), 9-10/03, 7-8/04 (very wet Easter), 6-7/05 (financial crash) (all of these dates are moon at perigee and full). CORRECT for 9-10/02 with Storm Ciara bringing heavy rain and high winds, with snow in the north. CORRECT for 9-10/03 which was again very wet and windy. VOID for 6-7/05 as this was an erroneous date for moon at perigee.
    Also 30-31/10 (plane crash) (moon is at apogee, full and a Blue Moon). WRONG
  2. Penumbral lunar eclipse (visible in London) 10/01, 05/06, 05/07, 30/11 may also presage problems. CORRECT for 10/01 with the beginnings of the emergence of Covid-19. WRONG. for the other dates.
  3. UK leaves EU on 31/01: UK will not request a further extension and anyway the EU wouldn’t grant it. CORRECT
    Leave deal will be unsatisfactory (basically the deal of 10/2019, passed due to Tory majority in the new parliament) containing many Henry VIII clauses (many of which will be abused before YE). CORRECT
  4. Government cannot agree a trade deal with EU by YE. WRONG
    If the EU proposes an extension beyond YE 2020 the UK government will refuse it, thus cementing a total “no deal” Brexit. CORRECT; no extension was offered; indeed the UK government indicated it didn’t want any extension.
  5. Boris Johnson continues to believe in unicorns and will ride out the economic turmoil following Brexit. CORRECT so far.
  6. Corbin is replaced as Labour Leader by a woman; possibly one of Yvette Cooper, Stella Creasy, Angela Eagle, Angela Rayner. (Predicted before the runners and riders were declared.) CORRECT in that Corbin was replaced. However WRONG that the new leader would be female. Also WRONG that the named females would be in the final running for leader.
  7. Despite attempts by UK and Ireland, the parties in Ulster are unable to agree a power sharing administration. WRONG; a new administration was agreed in January.
  8. There’s a move to reunite Ireland as the post-Brexit border is unworkable. This could stimulate Sinn Féin take their seats at Westminster to try to push through the reunification. WRONG on all counts there.
  9. Scotland is denied an independence referendum in 2020 by Westminster and fails to get a Supreme Court ruling in it’s favour. CORRECT that BJ would deny Scotland another referendum.
    The SNP will build resentment against Westminster in order to win elections (and maybe a referendum) in 2021/22. WRONG in that there is no major sign of SNP building discontent (more than normal).
  10. Increasing calls for reform of electoral system (to some form of proportional representation) but they’re continually blocked by the government who implement boundary changes to cement their position. WRONG
  11. HS2 gets the go-ahead and a feasibility study into extensions to Edinburgh/Glasgow and Cardiff. CORRECT; HS2 was given the go-ahead in February, with a proposal to extend to Glasgow surfacing in June.
  12. Fracking is allowed to restart. WRONG; in fact Cuadrilla (who have the only UK fracking licence) have surrendered the fracking part of their licence.
  13. Sadiq Khan wins a second term as London Mayor – but only just. VOID as the elections have been postponed to 2021 due to Covid-19.
  14. Nigel Farage gets a peerage; John Bercow, Kenneth Clarke and Dominic Grieve do not. WRONG about Farage and Clarke. CORRECT about Bercow and Grieve.
  15. Appointees to the Supreme Court (eg. the replacement for Lady Hale) are seen as being clearly political appointees, rather than appropriate legals. WRONG as far as I am aware.
  16. Because of the economic turmoil the UK is in recession by YE. CORRECT; UK officially in recession by August, largely due to Covid-19.
    Unemployment hits 10%. WRONG; September’s unemployment was just 4.8%.
    Bank of England Interest Rate returns to 0%. WRONG; base rate was reduced but only to 0.1%.
  17. Sterling plummets against dollar and Euro following the UK’s exit from the EU. CORRECT for Euro which fell from €1.18 to €1.11. WRONG for US Dollar which rose from $1.32 to $1.37.
  18. Inflation rises to at least 10% by YE, mainly due to large cost increases in the food industry and hospitality sector. WRONG
  19. FTSE falls 10% cf. start of year – due to Brexit and the financial crash. CORRECT; due to Brexit and Covid-19 the FTSE100 fell by 12.8% over the year.
  20. Financial crash, probably in early May, with the possibility that a bank will fail. WRONG
  21. S&P and/or Moody’s downgrade UK creditworthiness by two levels. WRONG
  22. Mortgage interest rates hit 10% before YE. WRONG
    Average UK house prices fall by at least 10%. WRONG according to the ONS they increased by around 5%.
    Repossessions double. WRONG; repossessions fell dramatically although there was a significant rise in home owners with serious payment arrears.
  23. Pensions (private & state) are compulsorily frozen. WRONG
  24. Drug prices double as the US buys up the NHS. WRONG; if this has happened it’s been well hidden.
    Prescription charges are extended to everyone with no exemptions. WRONG
  25. Either ASDA or Morrison’s fails or is taken over. CORRECT; ASDA was bought from Walmart.
    Debenhams finally fails. CORRECT
    Major problems for M&S and/or John Lewis – a partnership between the two looks likely. CORRECT about problems for both M&S and JLP although WRONG about an M&S/JLP tie-up.
  26. Major drug/alcohol or fraud/fixing issue uncovered in one or more of UK athletics, rugby, cricket. WRONG
  27. Extinction Rebellion fizzles out. PARTLY CORRECT in that ER have gone very quiet although they’re still around.
  28. Diane Abbott and Theresa May are diagnosed with long-term illnesses. WRONG as far as we know.
  29. Magnitude 4 or greater earthquake somewhere in UK. PARTLY CORRECT as there was a Mag 3.9 quake in Uxbridge in September.
  30. At least 200 deaths in illegal migration attempts to the UK. VOID as I’ve been unable to find any consolidated data.
  31. Plans announced to replace the Thames Barrier; work to start 2025 and complete 2040. WRONG
  32. Announcement that London congestion charge zone will be expanded out to N & S Circulars in 2025/6. PARTLY CORRECT; this was proposed by government (and sooner than 2025/6) as part of a deal to provide extra funding for TfL; however it was eventually removed.
  33. Relatively mild wet January/February followed by a cold wet spring & summer thus ensuring a poor fruit and grain harvest. WRONG as the winter was not especially warmer or wetter than of late; but CORRECT about the cool, wet Spring and Summer and the ensuing poor harvest.
  34. Death of the Queen and Prince Philip. Possibly also Prince Charles, in an accident. William becomes King by YE. WRONG on every count.
  35. Other Deaths: Edwina Currie, Gordon Brown, a royal duke, Kenneth Clarke, Jeffrey Archer, Dennis Skinner, Lord Heseltine, Lord Gowrie. WRONG on every count.

World

  1. Trump wins 2020 Presidential election due to Democrat dissent over their candidate. WRONG
  2. Saudi Arabia drastically cuts oil exports amid internecine turmoil. CORRECT; Saudi Arabia did cut oil exports but due to a fall in demand because of Covid-19.
  3. Zimbabwe finally succumbs to outright civil war which spills over into South Africa. WRONG
  4. South American countries descend further into right-wing government. WRONG
  5. Rate of Amazonian deforestation increases. CORRECT
    Global temperature and CO2 emissions continue to rise. CORRECT
    The COP26 climate talks in Glasgow (in November) end in disagreement and failure. VOID as the talks were postponed due to Covid-19.
  6. Major violence (civil war?) in Turkey. WRONG
  7. Violent uprising continues in Hong Kong and India. CORRECT for both Hong Kong and India.
  8. Russia annexes one of the Baltic states. WRONG
  9. Big solar geomagnetic storm causes major breakdown of satellites and infrastructure, probably across North America but possibly elsewhere. WRONG
  10. Collision between two operational satellites (maybe as a result of geomagnetic storm). PARTLY CORRECT in that two (non-operational) satellites had a very close near-miss in January.
  11. Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon both launch crewed capsules. One of them fails with loss of the crew. CORRECT in that SpaceX did launch crew, and in fact took crew to ISS. WRONG about a Boeing Starliner crewed mission and loss of crew in a failure.
  12. At least one other major space mission fails. PARTLY CORRECT; with 10 orbital launch failures out of 112 (9%) this has been the most mission failures in a year since 1971.
  13. Magnitude 7 or greater earthquake in California and another in Peru. WRONG
  14. Greta Thunberg is burnt out and sinks out of sight to complete her education. PARTLY CORRECT in that Thunberg has gone very quiet although she’s still around.
  15. At least one major global IT company fails (or is saved only by a takeover). WRONG
    Also a major airline and a shipping line. CORRECT for airlines; see, inter alia, Air Italy, Flybe, Virgin Atlantic.
    VOID for shipping as again I can find no good data, but given the state of the shipping industry it seems likely there were major failures.
  16. Major plane crash in western Europe – possibly France – possibly controlled flight into terrain. PARTLY CORRECT Ukrainian Boeing came down near Tehran; all 176 onboard lost.
  17. Ebola flares again in central Africa. CORRECT; there was an outbreak in DRC between June and November.
  18. Significant new disease emerges (as MERS and SARS did); concern at possible pandemic. CORRECT (in Spades!) with the emergence of pandemic Covid-19.
  19. Number of western countries ban vaping or include it in their anti-smoking regulations. WRONG
  20. Amazon and/or Facebook is involved in a major anti-trust or privacy law suit. CORRECT; Facebook is facing major (anti-trust?) law suits in USA.
  21. Deaths: Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Dalai Lama, Angela Merkel, Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch. WRONG on all counts.

Personal

  1. Personal (a), (b): [[REDACTED]] WRONG
  2. Neighbours1 (a), (b): [[REDACTED]] WRONG
  3. Neighbours2: [[REDACTED]] WRONG
  4. Neighbours3: [[REDACTED]] WRONG
  5. Local Community1 (a), (b), (c): [[REDACTED]] (a) & (c) WRONG; (b) CORRECT
  6. Local Community2 (a), (b): [[REDACTED]] (a) CORRECT; (b) WRONG
  7. Local Community3: [[REDACTED]] WRONG
  8. Friends1 (a), (b): [[REDACTED]] WRONG
  9. Friends2 (a), (b), (c): [[REDACTED]] (a) CORRECT; (b) & (c) WRONG
  10. Friends3: [[REDACTED]] WRONG to the best of my knowledge
  11. Friends4 (a), (b): [[REDACTED]] WRONG
  12. Friends5 (a), (b): [[REDACTED]] WRONG but only just
  13. Friends6: [[REDACTED]] CORRECT
  14. Friends7: [[REDACTED]] WRONG to the best of my knowledge
  15. Deaths: 11 named individuals [[REDACTED]] CORRECT for two individuals; WRONG for the other nine to the best of my knowledge.

These have all been redacted as the content is bound to be sensitive to people I know, however they are documented in my files and will be reported on at the end of the year.

Yet again this is a pathetic hit rate, although in my defence I suggest that really all bets were off this year due to Covid-19.

Tomorrow I’ll post my predictions for 2021. Watch this space.

ramblings

Scary Thoughts

Now this is really worrying …

If she were still alive my mother would be 105 today.
My father would have been 100 earlier this year.
And, Fates permitting, I shall be 70 in just three month’s time.

This is unreal. I mean, how have I clocked up almost three-score years and ten? I’ve not done nearly enough to warrant that length of time! I have memories of being at primary school, grammar school, and my effectively 7 years as a student, plus large chunks of the last 20 years. However there are huge parts of my working life which are an almost complete blank. I have no day-to-day memories, images, or recollections of what I was doing – at least far fewer than for other periods. Perhaps because it was tedious and boring?

Unlike many people, my brain doesn’t store video reels of incidents in my life. All I have is the occasional blurry snapshot with no soundtrack. My brain just can’t get its head round how this constitutes a lifetime.

Just keep banging those rocks together as long as possible!

personal, ramblings

Horrible Times 13: Day 150

Here we are at day 150 of Covid isolation from the world. FFS that’s five months of house arrest. And as a result what has changed? Absolutely bugger all.

We still have a government which is interested only in lining its own nests, and those of its mates, and who can’t – more likely won’t – see what’s important in the big picture (see my post of a few days ago). So they start loosening things up, to get the economy moving. They want eateries to reopen, and bribe us to use them. Then moan because we’re obese! “Free burgers and free bullying for all.”

No wonder the number of infections goes up and there’s a return to restrictions. Why should we be surprised? Well we shouldn’t, as this is essentially only a re-release of “Brexit Fiasco – the game without rules”. So, yes, let’s not forget we yet have the fallout from Brexit to negotiate over the next 18+ months. Not so much a car crash as a railroad train/road train crash.

At a more personal level things are much the same as well. We are still muddling along; still very much in lockdown. Although we are told we can do things, neither Noreen nor I are at all comfortable with the idea of going out and about, even with masks. Which means procrastination and bone-idleness continue to be the order of the day.

So, a few things (good and not so good) that have happened since my last report on day 125.

Good Not So Good
  • I’ve made some small family history discoveries. Amongst them, in 1901 one of my 2nd-great-uncles was Butler to the Dowager Countess of Londonderry.
  • Being able to sit around in the nude: who wants to wear clothes in this heat?
  • Our friend Tom is back and getting the garden straightened out.
  • Home-grown tomatoes, marrow and chillies.
  • Continuing good food. As Noreen says, our g-g-grandfathers would think we’re living like the gentry. And why not? We deserve some consolation!
  • Having Tom around, lovely though it is, is disruptive; neither of us gets anything much done while he’s here.
  • Continuing episodes of “Cat and Mouse: the Soap Opera”.
    S4E9: Live Mouse in the Study.
    S5E17: Dead Rat under Desk.
  • I’ve been sleeping incredibly badly.
  • I’ve an annoying boil under my left jaw. At least that’s what the doctor thinks it is.
  • As a consequence of these last two, the depression doesn’t improve and there’s no “get up and go” to be found.
Yesterday’s haul: the first marrow and another batch of tomatoes

So I wonder what happens next? Will I be able to report some welcome improvements in my next report on (maybe) day 200? I must admit doing so would be a great relief! But I won’t put the Champagne on ice just yet.

personal, ramblings

Horrible Times 11

Today is Day 125 of my house arrest. Yet again not a lot has changed since my report on day 100.

At a country level we continue our journey to Hell in a handcart, thanks to the lies and selfishness of our so-called government. Yes, you’re right, I have absolutely no respect or trust in any of them. And a large swathe of the British public continue in their stupidity. But hey, we’re doing well; the USA is far worse, they’re totally out of control is what it looks like from here.

At a more personal level we continue muddling along through lockdown. Procrastination and depression seem to be the order of the day, although nice sunny days do bring some noticeable relief, even if it is temporary. Nonetheless too many things are not getting done, and it seems to be impossible to unlock the wheels.

So, a few things (good and not so good) that have happened since my last report on day 100.

Good Not So Good
  • Rain. It was badly needed although the dull grey wasn’t welcome.
  • Our Alder Blackthorn is absolutely buzzing with bees; earlier mostly bumblebees, now mainly small solitary ones.
  • Beautiful pristine Brimstone butterflies: 2 females, then a male. Probably the result of the caterpillars fed up on the Alder Blackthorn.
  • The supermarket have fresh blackcurrants. I love blackcurrants!
  • Jean, who we’re helping with shopping via our supermarket deliveries, sent us a lovely bouquet as a thank you. [See below.]
  • First apples are growing on our new trees [see below], and we have some huge tomatoes beginning to ripen.
  • Dull, grey, miserable weather. Although the rain was needed the dull wasn’t.
  • Depression. It just doesn’t get any better. Somewhere there’s a magic switch to turn it off; but where?
  • The stupidity, and selfish lying of our government. They care only about lining their own pockets.
  • How many cats have next door got now? They will have very woolly, sheep-like, cats but not look after their coats. And of course, none of them will be neutered.
  • Back pain. It’s the result of a 35 year old injury and idleness resulting from this and my previously crocked knees.
  • Procrastination. Very much the result of the depression, and to a lesser extent the back pain.
Left: Yellow Alstroemeria from a bouquet of flowers.
Right: One of the first apples on our new trees.

Talking to people in the healthcare arena they’re saying that little is going to loosen up (at least in terms of the way healthcare is operating at present) until there is a good Covid-19 vaccine in widespread use. Their, and my, assessment is this isn’t going to be until at least the end of 2021. So don’t hold your breath.

I still reckon we’re going to see quite a bit in the way of a second wave starting in August; fuelled by the indigenous idiots going out on the town (restrictions now having been eased); returning from holiday in “who knows where”; and schools going back in September. This second wave could well continue up until Christmas. I just hope I’m wrong!

So, like many, I’m getting to the point where the outside world is just too scary; and all in all I expect to stay in isolation for a while to come.

But with luck things might have improved by the time of my next report, which I’m scheduling for Day 150. Meanwhile, be good and enjoy the summer as best you can in safety.

personal, ramblings

Horrible Times 10

Today is Day 100 of my house arrest. Nothing much has changed since my last report on day 80 – and that includes the stupidity of the British public and the government.

Things are sort of muddling along here in their own desultory lockdown way with not a lot getting done except procrastination. Basically with no extra-mural excitements (where there ever any?) the depression is exerting its muscles. It’s all very demoralising.

Anyway, here are a few things (good and not so good) that have happened since my last report.

Good Not So Good
  • Finally managed to get the watering system set up for all the tubs on the patio, plus the tomatoes and marrows.
  • The quality of English strawberries and asparagus has been outstanding this year.
  • The willingness of the Kent Family History Society hive mind in helping me unlock one of the mysteries in my family history.
  • On a whim I ordered some peonies from Waitrose Florist. Not only were they available for next day delivery but they were really stunning. (Sorry no photo, see depression above.)
  • I’ve been cutting my hair really short. After an initial close shave it’s grown back and is now being kept at 10-15mm. Unexpectedly I actually like it.
  • As mentioned above, the depression doesn’t get any better, and neither does my back. So I’m still failing to mow the lawn – but Noreen has managed to do it twice.
  • How have the last couple of months been so windy? It’s very un-summery.
  • Unusually a couple of weeks ago our supermarket delivery was 45 minutes after the booked slot. Irritating because it was lunchtime.
  • Everyone going on about BLM and statues. Just don’t get me started.
  • I’ve got an annoying little stye in my right eye.
Boy Cat in the Grass
Boy Cat chasing grass and enjoying the sunshine with the humans
[Click the image for larger view on Flickr]

I hope to provide a further progress report on either Day 120 (Thursday 9 July) or Day 125 (Tuesday 14 July). Meanwhile, have fun!

personal, ramblings

Horrible Times 9

Today is Day 80 of my house arrest. And nothing much has changed since my last report on day 60. It’s all still rather tedious, although most things seem to be trotting along and not as fraught as even three weeks ago.

The great British public are being ever more stupid. Talking to a friend in south London (New Cross) the other day, he says taht everyone there things it’s all over and life will resume next week. And the idiots think that because the roads are empty the speed limits don’t apply; so the police are seeing a significant number of stops for traffic offences (mostly speeding). I really don’t know how we get some common sense into the heads of these people.

Anyway, I thought I’d document a few things (good and not so good) that have happened over the last three weeks or so …

Good Not So Good
  • Our friend Tom is OK; he disappeared from the radar in early February. It turns out he wasn’t well then (not Covid-related) and needed some time out; he’s now OK and sitting about home getting terminally bored.
  • The quiet is wonderful (although there is still too much background noise, especially now the weather has improved).
  • Our new apple trees look to be thriving; we might even get a handful of apples this year.
  • Tomatoes and marrows planted out in the gro-beds on our patio.
  • We have even more roses in bloom, including right to top of silver birch: see my post here and also below.
  • Letterbox Flowers: see this post.
  • My depression isn’t any better, but it does swing in and out to some extent.
  • I’ve had what appears to have been a mild cold (no, it wasn’t Covid!).
  • I’m not making the time to sit in the garden; I always seem to have too much I have to do!
  • Being careful to wash your hands at every turn is getting somewhat tedious.
  • My back is being really painful (it’s stopping me doing things like mow the lawn) and really suffering without massage and manipulation.
  • We need some good rain; the garden is parched.
Maiden's Blush
Rose “Maiden’s Blush”, aka. “Cuisse de Nymphe”
[click image for larger view]
Apothecary's Rose
Apothecary’s Rose, Rosa gallica “Officinalis”
[click image for larger view]

I intend to provide another progress report on Day 100, Friday 19 June. Meanwhile be good, stay safe, and remember those burnt offerings to the gods.

personal, ramblings

Horrible Times 7

Today is Day 60 of quarantine for me. Yes, I’ve not been off the premises in the last 60 days; Noreen has been out just a handful of times, mostly just to the postbox.

It’s all a bit tedious, although everything seems to have settled down into a new non-rhythm – things aren’t as fraught was they were 6 weeks ago, although the thought of either of us getting this lurgy still induces a fit of the horrors.

Anyway, just by way of a small celebration, I though I would document half a dozen good, and the same number of not so good, things which have happened here in the last 60 days.

Good Not So Good
  • We’re managing to eat extremely well – probably better than normal – to keep the spirits up!
  • Super fruit & veg deliveries from First Choice Produce, as occasional treats
  • Spring sunshine & warmth
  • Roses already in full bloom, and some of the tulips have been magnificent this year (see below)
  • Been doing some gardening – though not as much as is needed
  • Friends helping each other, and looking out for each other
  • It’s just too hard to motivate oneself to do very much
  • Cannot get massage to ease my back
  • Idiot neighbours who have workmen in to do totally inessential work during lockdown
  • Other idiot neighbours who, while one member of the household is ill with Covid-19, have friends round for coffee
  • Death of a friend (not from Covid-19) and no funeral to go to
  • We had to buy a new fridge
Lady Hillingdon Rose
Lady Hillingdon Rose (click image for larger view)
Pink Tulip
Pink Tulip (click image for larger view)

Be good and stay safe, and hopefully the gods will allow us all to survive.

food+drink, ramblings

Ingredients

2 Comments

Being idle as I am, I fell to thinking about food. Well who doesn’t?

Now there are very few things I really will not eat. Oysters and tripe are two which immediately spring to mind.

But there are quite a few things which, if you show me a recipe or a menu item containing them, I’ll pass on by. Pretty much top of the list are:

  • Sweet Potato
  • Butternut Squash

however they are rapidly followed by:

  • Pomegranate
  • Pumpkin
  • Gnocchi
  • Polenta
  • Tofu
  • Sourdough
  • Spelt
  • Cavalo nero

Those top 10 are followed by a few lesser horrors which will be considered under duress:

  • Beetroot
  • Goat’s cheese
  • Kale
  • Cranberry
  • Sweetcorn
  • Egg custard

And there are a few cuisine choices/combinations I will avoid:

  • Anything sweet with meat – I can’t abide jam with meat!
  • Anything which is unnecessarily vegan
  • Pretty much anything that I don’t know what it is – why do all chefs have to always include something which no-one has ever heard of?

And I am sure there are others I’ve forgotten.

But why is this? Well obviously it is in part because I actually don’t like many of them them and sometimes that is down to texture as much as taste. I’d eat them if I had to but I’ll never choose to if there is a half-decent alternative. But it is also partly because many (though not all) are/have recently been trendy and fashionable, which I find an immediate turn-off – I’m resistant to jumping on bandwagons and following the herd: thank you, I’ll decide what I eat, drink, like, think, believe; I don’t need you to decide for me!

I’m sure I’m not alone in this. What do other people refuse to eat not necessarily because they dislike it?

environment, ramblings, science

Much More than Environmental Reform

My friend Ivan had recety started a new blog, Restored World. In Ivan’s words:

I have created this website to share my thoughts and reflections on how we might respond in new ways to the needs of our damaged, ailing world. What has led me to speak out here is my belief that our current way of thinking and doing things is not only inappropriate but continues to harm us.

It is clear from our collective struggles to even begin to address the climate emergency, the mass species extinction, increasing inequality, or other challenges such as the present spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, that we appear trapped … within an outdated mode of thinking that determines our functioning, a mode no longer appropriate to the immense challenges we face in the present global crisis.

We collectively all need renewal, myself included, if the world in which we live is to be restored. My hope is that this website, which is a personal account of my search for that renewal, can be a small contribution to our collective effort in imagining how we will restore our world.

Although Ivan and I are coming at the problem from different perspectives (and this blog is more wide-ranging) we seem to be singing from the same hymn sheet. Ivan is a thinker, and as a professional writer is much more eloquent in expressing his views than am I.

One thing reading Ivan’s thoughts has done is to goad me into finishing something I started long ago: encapsulating the way I see the complexity of environmental reform in a diagram.

Environmental Reform Diagram

Environmental reform isn’t easy. As the above diagram shows it involves a whole interdependent network of actions and effects which revolve around three core necessities:

  • Reform of Agriculture and Fisheries
  • Reform of Natural Resource Usage
  • Reform of Energy Production.

There are a number of obvious entry points to the network, although starting anywhere one can is better than not starting at all.

What this doesn’t show is the necessity to reduce our reliance on product, and reform both our dominant capitalist hegemony and our broken political system. Each will be another complex network and connecting these reform networks will be yet another level of interdependent network – and I haven’t thought about any of that, yet! We could start on this anywhere, in any of the networks, and hopefully actions in one place will flow through into the other networks.

None of this is easy. But we have to start somewhere and hopefully the current Coronavirus pandemic will trigger the paradigm shift we need, which will flow over into real action on climate change and global reform.

Wish us luck!

food+drink, ramblings

Recipe: Fruit & Frangipane Tart

Like many others during these times of woe I’ve been cooking more. Today was a baking day: as well as the headline Fruit & Frangipane Tart, we put together a small “jam” tart (using half a jar of very sticky mango compote), pineapple crumble (using fresh, rapidly ripening, fruit), and put some “spare” bananas in the dehydrator to dry. Anyway here’s the tart recipe …

Fruit & Frangipane Tart

This makes enough to fill a deep 23cm quiche tin (preferably one with a removable base) with a bit of pastry left over for the “jam” tart.

Ingredients: Pastry
400gm plain flour
200gm butter
50gm caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
Milk
Pinch of salt

Ingredients: Fruit
1-2 coffee mugs full of pre-cooked “stewed” fruit of your choice (I used stewed rhubarb)
Extra sugar to taste

Ingredients: Frangipane
200gm ground almonds (I ground up some flaked almonds in a coffee mill)
200gm butter
180gm caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
Zest of a lemon or orange
Generous tbsp vanilla essence

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 175°C.
  2. Make the sweet pastry according to your usual method adding the minimum amount of milk to make it bind together. Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Roll out the pastry and line the greased flan tin. Blind bake for 15 minutes.
  4. While the pastry case blind bakes, get the fruit and frangipane together.
  5. If necessary, drain any excess liquid from the fruit (I put mine in a sieve for 5 minutes and drained out an eggcup of juice) and sweeten to taste.
  6. To make the frangipane put all the ingredients in a bowl and beat together until they form a smooth paste. As I need the exercise I did this by hand (the end result will be quite stiff) but with the right attachment you could do this in a food processor.
  7. When the pastry case is ready, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before removing the baking beans. Turn the oven up to 180°C.
  8. Put a good layer of fruit in the pastry case and then a generous layer of frangipane (ie. all of it!).
  9. Return to the oven for 45-50 minutes until the frangipane is firm to the touch. If the frangipane is browning too much cover with a piece of foil.
  10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before trying to remove the tart from the tin. Serve as either cake or pudding.

Notes

  1. As I’m not a good pastry cook (hot hands and not enough practice) you may wish to follow your own preferred method for the pastry.
  2. The jammier the fruit is the better it will set in the cooked tart.
  3. I found this made about 25-30% too much pastry. Use the extra to make jam tart(s).