So I pop down to Waitrose for a few things, actually for a bottle of Pimms with the required accompanying items plus a bag of charcoal, to find a traffic queue backed about a mile down the road because traffic lights are being installed at a roundabout. It doesn’t take too long to get through…
HMS Aurora
My Dad’s first ship, HMS Aurora>, or the ‘Grey Phantom’ as she was known by the Italians because of her stealth movements in the Med. Dad could talk about her stats but very seldom would he talk about his experiences on her except where he went.
She brought King George VI to Malta in 1943 following the ‘Relief of Malta’ where in my dad’s words, there was not a cat or a dog to be seen on the Island as Malta had been under seige from June 1940 to November 1942 in the fight to gain control of this strategically important island by the the air forces and navies of Italy and Germany against the Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Air Force (RAF). It was their resolve to bomb or starve Malta into submission, by attacking its ports, towns, cities, as well as ships supplying the island. Malta was one of the most intensively bombed areas during the war. The Luftwaffe (German Air Force) and the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) flew a total of 3,000 bombing raids, dropping 6,700 tons of bombs on the Grand Harbour area over a period of two years in an effort to destroy RAF defences and the ports.
Panic and Despair
Yesterday was my first visit to the office in 15 months. A bit of a nervous moment and I had to tell myself constantly to stop ‘thinking’, and to just follow the flow! I got up nice and early preparing everything beforehand so as not to put pressure on myself. Good girl! Then it came…
Why Easter is called Easter
I am not a religious studies scholar but I am always curious about the traditional holidays that are celebrated in so many religions and in particular Christianity because that is the faith I was brought up in as a child. Easter is similar to other traditional Christian holidays which have grown over the centuries with…
Slow Cooker Parmesan Herb Chicken
Now that winter is upon us in the Northern Hemisphere, the slow cooker has come out of hiding from the back of the cupboard and this Slow Cooker Parmesan Garlic Herb Chicken is such an easy meal packed with amazing flavours! I was a little cautious when making it without any liquid to cover the…
The Day that Alice learnt to swim
I often mention how my Grandparents (well more my Grandmother) ran a Boarding House in Simon’s Town, Cape Town, from the early 1930s as the UK prepared for war. The town was a strategic naval base for the Royal Navy, and eventually its Allies. Many UK expats arrived as the Dockyard (under the Royal Navy’s…
The 10 Commandments of being a Granny
ONEThou shall not put one grandchild above any other grandchild, in favor, gifts, deeds, or attention.TWOThou shall not make for yourself a collection of images taken from the Facebook account, online photo-sharing service, or—heaven forbid—a physical photo album belonging to the parents of the grandchild without asking first.THREEThou shall not take the name of the…
Mum’s Scottish Shortbread
Ingredients 250 gr Butter 500gr Cake Flour (All-Purpose Flour) 125 gr sugar Method Heat oven to 170 degrees / 350 / Fan-oven 150 degrees. Lightly butter a tray. Cream butter and sugar well together Gradually add flour and knead well to make to a biscuit dough Roll or press the dough into a tray to…
Crusty French Bread
An easy homemade bread recipe which is sure to be a hit! Ready in just a few hours as there is no need to let it rise overnight. Bake it in a dutch oven for a crispy crust on the outside and soft, airy bread on the inside. INGREDIENTS 2.25 tsp. active dry yeast 1…
Tasty Slow-Cooked Pork Roast
A delicious recipe for tangy slow-cooker pork roast. This roast is delicious served with saffron rice and brussels sprouts!. It’s easy to prepare and is really one of the best recipes for slow-cooked pork that I’ve ever eaten. Ingredients: 1 lean 2.5-pound boneless pork roast 1 large purple or red sweet onion, sliced thin 1…
Comforting dementia sufferers with dolls
It’s hard to experience seeing a beloved parent go through the effects of dementia losing all their abilities and capabilities to function as they did a few years before. Realisation that this disease had taken hold of my mother, we as a family were fortunate that she was already living in a retirement village and with…
Hey Judes 