Fine fish and chips

With the uncertain weather of early autumn, and recent days of wind and rain, when the sun shines it's time to get out and about before winter really sets in.

Yesterday, Sharon visited Kirkudbright. Though most famous as an artists' town, with many famous artists having lived, and living, there, the little port is also a great place for good food. Down by the harbour you can find the Portabites fish and chip shop and there is a great menu of fish and seafood landed by the fishing boats that are tied up only a few feet away in the harbour.

The waters of the Solway Firth are a great place for scallops but, sadly, most of those harvested are immediately sent to the gourmets of Spain and France. But at Portabites they are an important part of the menu. On offer are King scallops in a lightly curried cream sauce and Queen scallops in white wine and cream. Also amongst the seafood choices are mussels simmered in tomato garlic and wine and a big seafood platter served with oatcakes.

Lovers of fish and chips will be delighted to find that there are haddock, cod, whiting, lemon, sole and plaice, to eat with the lovely fresh fried potato chips. A notice gives encouragement to those thinking of healthy eating. We learn that the average portion of fish and chips has fewer calories and at least half the fat of a cheese and tomato pizza; the average serving of chips contains more than double the amount of fibre found in an average serving of brown rice or a bowl of porridge; an average serving of fish and chips has only half the trans-fat found in a typical burger and fries; fish and chips has no added salt – other fast foods can contain up to three times the daily recommended allowance of 6g of salt.

The wheelchair pusher immediately ordered haddock and chips, with mushy peas. Sharon, went for the smoked haddock fish cakes, with new potatoes and salad. Both were delicious.

Next to the cafe is the shop which sells fresh seafood and fish. There were stuffed crabs, whole fish, mussels, oysters, kippers and a whole range of beautifully prepared fillets of fish. There are also tempting vegetables on sale and we picked up half a pound of fresh red chillies.

Definitely a place to return to. Portabites fish and chip shop, Harbour Square, Kirkudbright, DG6 4HY. Telephone 01 557 339 050. Robert and Margeret Maxwell, proprietors.

While in Kirkudbright, be sure to visit the wonderful Stewartry Museum in an old Victorian building in St Mary Street. Check opening hours by telephoning 01557 331 643. Admission is free. For more information on Kirkudbright see www.kirkudbright.co.uk.

Locals pronounce the name of their town as “Kirkcoobree.” Wonder why?

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Sometimes you have to stop

Not every beautiful day is a sunny day. This picture was taken on the west side of Wigtown Bay on a blustery day when the wind was strong and blowing up white horses on the sea. There were spatters of rain on the car windscreen and the leaves on the trees were being blown about by the gusts. We stopped the car and to enjoy the view, which was described to Sharon. Sometimes you just have to stop, life isn't just all rushing everywhere.

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Beautiful blackberries

Today many people think a blackberry is a hand-held communication device reliant on satellites and the Internet.

But the blackberry, or bramble, is a lovely fruit that grows wild at the sides of roads and anywhere else it can get a foothold. With lots of thorns it can be a bit of a pest, but at this time of the year it produces lovely fat juicy berries which sensible cooks are out picking – at the cost of a good few scratches. The berries start out red but then turn a deep purple-black.

We have been making blackberry jam. Here's the recipe:

1kg of ripe blackberries
750g sugar
2 tablespoons of lemon juice.

Wash the blackberries and pick off any bits of stalk. Include a few red berries to help with setting. Put a layer of blackberries in a dish and scatter with some of the sugar, then another layer, and so on. The next day add the lemon juice and boil/simmer in a pan until the setting point is reached. Pour into clean jars, seal and store. (A good place for jars, lids and other bits of jam making kit is www.lakeland.co.uk).

Fresh blackberries are also delicious if added to apples in making pies and crumbles.

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Herb harvest time

Dead leaves were scattering along the road today and the first breaths of autumn are already here. The herbs are being harvested from the pot plants that Sharon has watched so carefully during the summer. They have added fresh tastes to so many dishes but now is the time to cut and dry for winter. Drying now are parsley, chives, oregano, coriander, mint, rosemary, marjoram and others. No basil as this simply refused to grow on Sharon's patio – what a fussy plant.

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Wallflowers

The amazing ability of beautiful plants to find a foothold anywhere is astonishing. Within the cracks of an old stone wall this lovely yellow plant finds all it needs to flourish.

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China Chilo for high summer

Although the early August weather remains grey and dull, it is still summer and there are lots of local lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers and other tasty things in the markets. Here is a summer recipe for “China Chilo” which comes from an 1847 cookbook.

“Mince a pound of an undressed loin of leg of mutton, with or without a portion of its fat, mix with it two or three young lettuces, shred small, a pint of young peas, a teaspoon-ful of salt, half as much pepper, four tablespoonfuls of water, from two to three ounces of good butter, and a few green onions minced.

“Keep the whole well stirred with a fork, over a clear and gentle fire until it is quite hot, then place it closely covered by the side of the stove, or on a high trevet, that it may stew as softly as possible for a couple of hours.

“One or two half-grown cucumbers, cut small by scoring the ends deeply as they are sliced, or a quarter-pint of minced mushrooms, may be added with good effect; or a dessert spoon-ful of of currie-powder and a large chopped onion. A dish of boiled rice should be sent to the table with it.”

Sharon suggests that this is a dish that draws its inspiration from Asia. In 1847, trade with China was exploding after the founding of Hong Kong seven years earlier. Readers will be familiar today with “stir fry dishes.” Plenty of vegetables are included, as is the case with Chinese stir fry, and the mention of “currie” powder further supports the theory that the recipe was brought back by some old China Hand. However, it is localised and modified to suit British tastes. The dish is cooked slowly rather than quickly stir fried. Southern Chinese people find the smell of lamb and mutton absolutely revolting and have a special word to describe the pong “sui.”

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Garden of All The Senses Taking Shape

In a few weeks there will be a special temporary garden in the centre of Wigtown for the blind, partially sighted and other disabled people.

The garden is a project of the enthusiasts of the Wigtown in Bloom project who are working hard to make it success, together with the support of sponsors and other well wishers.

Sharon suggested the garden be set up as she has always loved gardening. “I have always gardened and as I have lived around the world it has always been a great joy. I lived in high-rise apartments mostly so my balconies have been my garden. When I was in Spain, I had a real garden, not just a balcony, and it had lots of lovely flowers and fruit trees, such as medlars, quinces, apple, mandarins, oranges and even grapes.

“As my sight diminished, I found it more and more difficult and struggled. When I had my stroke about two and a half years ago it became impossible for me to garden. But my husband has taken up the gardening for me as I have a little patio which is ideal for pot plants – I give the orders, of course! But things are flourishing and I can see the big blobs of colour, such as my nasturtiums, sweet peas and petunias. And I can smell all the lovely herbs, which get used in our cooking almost daily.

“The idea of the Garden of All the Senses is so that people like me, who can't garden themselves, will be able to come along and enjoy the plants as if it was their own garden. Wonderful people are supporting the idea and will be donating plants for the displays.

“We still have some way to go in meeting all the expenses. I'm hoping, for example, that we might be able to get people to sponsor a pot at £10 a go or make other donations. My email address is sharon888bruce@gmail.com

“We will be setting a date for the garden to open soon and everyone is welcome to come along and enjoy the displays.”

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Never mind the lottery - try millionaire's shortbread

Sharon has been buying lottery tickets for ages but so far the fickle finger of fate has declined to shower her with cash.

Yesterday, she was in Stranraer, and couldn't resist popping into a traditional bakery and cake shop – John Gillespie and Son, in Castle Street. Not surprisingly, this street is right next to the castle and very easy to find.

There were beautiful shiny glazed strawberry tarts, mouth-watering meringues and other tasty temptations. “I fancied something chocolaty,” she said. “The lady pointed out the slices of chocolate-covered, caramel, Scottish shortbread known as Millionaire's Shortbread. Most appropriate, I thought, so I plumped for a slice which I have to say was one of the most delicious things I have eaten in a long time. I ate it when I got home with my afternoon cup of tea. I wish I had bought two so that I had one for today. Whenever I am back in Stranraer I will definitely be visiting Gillespie's.”

The shop also makes wonderfully-light potato cakes, which are a Scottish savoury tradition. They are like flat pancakes and are delicious, either warmed with breakfast or spread with whatever you like.

“I have still got my lottery tickets for the weekend,” said Sharon. “Think how many squares of Millionaire's Shortbread I can buy when I win.”

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Ospreys doing fine

Sharon called in at the visitor centre on the top floor of the County Buildings in Wigtown to see how the baby ospreys are getting on.

She was there soon after the three eggs hatched and saw the little fluffy babies being kept warm and looked after by their fussing mother. Now, six weeks has passed and the young ospreys have grown fast on a diet of fresh fish, caught by their father who is always off hunting, and fed to them in little bits by mum.

A few days ago the nest was visited for the first time so that the young birds can be ringed and it won't be long before they are flying.

The nest location is kept secret to protect the ospreys from madmen who steal the eggs. However, a live video feed is run into the County Buildings visitor centre and plenty of people call in to watch the young ospreys, and mum and dad. At one point, ospreys were nearly extinct in Scotland but conservation efforts and protection have meant that a considerable number of pairs is now breeding.

“They have gone from little fluffy biddies to wing flapping proper looking birds in such a short time,” said Sharon. “It just shows what fresh fish can do for you.”

Saturday, 31 July 2010. Update. Sharon called in at the County Buildings, Wigtown, yesterday to watch the video feed and see how the young ospreys are getting on. The only occupant of the nest was mum, who was busily tearing apart a fresh fish. Dad arrived about five minutes later with a big clod of earth, which he put in the side wall of the nest. The young ospreys are off flying about and come back to roost in the branches of the tree, although they do go down to the nest for feeding. Dad is teaching them how to fly properly and hunt fish. Towards the end of August, everyone will leave the nest, separately, and head down to West Africa for the winter. Next year we hope mum and dad will be back at Wigtown, although the young birds will probably stay in Africa for two or three years before heading back to Scotland to look for mates and their own nesting sites.

A few days earlier, Sharon had been amazed to see a replica osprey nest build in the town garden by local schoolchildren. "You can't tell on the video feed just how big the nest is," she said. It is the same size as a double bed, only round of course. It has got an edging all the way round, like a ledge on which you could sit and have a picnic with the family. And when you see it on the video, the birds almost fill the nest. The babies must be the size of turkeys."

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Home dried herbs

Making home dried herbs is easy – just grow them and dry them.

Sharon is keeping a close eye on the pots of herbs on her patio. There is rosemary, two types of oregano, masses of curly parsley, chives, dill, sage and other tasty leaves. These are now being added to salads and summer dishes.

To prepare for winter, the herbs are cut regularly and laid out on a big wooden tray. When the sun is shining this is put outside but when there is a hint of rain, and Sharon is an excellent weather predictor, the tray moves to a windowsill inside.

If you are not already doing so, get going with your own herb drying to see you through the long winter months.

Roses go to the dogs

Beautiful dog roses now line the lanes, their flowers attracting lots of bees. Dog roses are not only beautiful to look at but they also provide the key ingredient for rose-hip syrup, which provided big doses of vitamin C for people, particularly children, in wartime.

The dog rose is native to Europe, north west Africa and western Asia and the “dog” tag features in the name in many languages. The dog rose is the rose seem in medieval heraldry, on shields and coasts of arms. The rose grows happily it seems wherever it can find a footing and the flowers are small and delicate in a range of colours.

The hip, or fruit, of the dog rose is very high in vitamin C. Here's one way to make the syrup when the berries appear in autumn. Boil two cups of water and add four cups of rose hips and a cup of sugar. Let simmer for about 20 minutes then put into lidded containers and keep in the fridge. You can use honey instead of sugar, says one cook. Older people will remember being given spoons of rose hip syrup when they were children in the days during and after the Second World War.

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Taking time to appreciate plants

Sharon is greatly enjoying her pot plant patio. “I have spent my whole life gardening and loved every minute. But since I had my stroke I am not able to bob about like I used to with my pot plants. So now I have to ask my husband to do the watering and the feeding and the dead-heading. I have the smallest patio in town but it is looks lovely.

“The thing I have come to realize about being disabled as well as blind is that I now sit for long periods of time during the day. When my husband puts one of my beautiful flower pots on the table next to my chair I have lots of time to actually look at the flowers and appreciate how beautiful they are. Although I am blind, I can see some things especially bright colours. Flowers like nasturtiums, petunias and pansies are so brightly coloured. I actually have time now to appreciate all their hard work in growing from tiny little plants into beautiful coloured blobs for me to enjoy.”

What a waste of whisky

Recently Sharon and her chair pusher went along for a briefing on the wonders of Scotland's finest malt whisky.

The briefing was given by Lesley Gracie of the family-owned Glenfiddich distillery and there were generous samples to enjoy. Unfortunately, the Wigtown laws about being drunk in a wheelchair or drunk in charge of a wheelchair are severe and so the only sampling that could be carried out was by sniffing the rich aromas of the not-so-wee tots on the tables.

Lesley started by explaining the unique nature of malt whisky. This is made from malted barley and Scots water and is produced in batches. With the cheaper grain whiskies various grains are used and the industrial-like processes are continuous. Every batch of malt whisky has its own peculiarities and attractions, many acquired during the long process of maturing in wooden casks.

The first sample was 12-year-old Glenfiddich, which was described as: “Nose, distinctively fresh and fruity with a hint of pear. Beautifully crafted single malt, with a delicately balanced fragrance. Taste, characteristic sweet, fruity notes, develops into elements of butterscotch, cream, malt and single oak. Finish is long, smooth and mellow and the colour golden.

Next up was the 15-year-old Glenfiddich, described as follows: “Nose, intriguingly complex aroma with sweet heather honey and vanilla fudge combined with rich dark fruits. Taste, full bodied and bursting with flavour – silky smooth, revealing layers of sherry oak, marzipan, cinnamon and ginger. Finish, satisfyingly rich with lingering sweetness. Colour with reddish hue.

Finally, there was a generous measure of the 18-year-old Glenfiddich, described as follows: “Nose, remarkably rich aroma with rich orchard fruit, spiced apple and a robust oakiness. Taste, richly delivers luxurious dried fruit, candy peel and dates overlaid with elegant oak notes. Finish, warming, rewarding and distinguished. Colour, rich bronze.”

Sadly, most of the people at the briefing were driving and so huge quantities of beautiful samples were poured away afterwards. Sober, the wheelchair made its way home as straight as a die for a cup of tea which tasted, well, of tea.

Sharon says: “The 18-year-old smelled the best and was my favourite. It didn't burn the back of my throat. I am not a whisky lover but I could manage a tot of this some time when we are not rolling around the town.”

A treat from the bees

The big fat bees are buzzing around the flowers on Sharon's patio, so here is a recipe for traditional Scottish honey cake.

Four ounces of clear honey
Three ounces of butter
Three ounces of sugar
Two beaten eggs
Eight ounces of self raising flour
One level teaspoon of baking powder.

Cream together the butter and sugar and gradually add the eggs. Beat in the honey. Sift the flour and baking powder together and stir into the honey mixture. Put in a baking tin and cook for about 35-40 minutes in a moderate oven. After about 10 minutes turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Scots love Scotch Pies

Sharon is not a fan of one of Scotland's national dishes – the Scotch Pie. But, her wheelchair pusher is and the huge dose of calories the pies provide gives the energy for miles of travel.

Scotch pies are a traditional dish found in cafes and chip shops all over the country and traditionally are made with mutton, although some cooks today use beef mince. The lid is dropped a little below the side of the pies, to allow for the addition of gravy or bottled sauce. The meat is encased in hot water crust pastry and baked in the oven. Some connoisseurs apparently prefer them deep fried in the fat in a chip shop. When it is cold and damp, a warm pie is just the job.

The pastry is made with lard, dripping or butter, so masses of saturated fat are essential to the rich flavour. Spoilsports point out that Scotland has one of the world's highest rates of heart disease, which is largely attributed to diet. As Ralph C. Nesbitt has pointed out: “In Scotland we think sausages are a vegetable.”

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Otter Creek

A long time ago Wigtown was noted for its harbour. When sea transport was the only form of transport coastal sailing vessels called carried all sorts of goods, from agricultural products to the essentials of everyday living. In the 19th century the railways came along and the sailing boats were replaced by steam vessels. Then in the 20th century massive investment in roads saw the railways disappear, including Wigtown's line, and the harbour was almost abandoned. Efforts to revive it came to nothing and today the old harbour is primarily visited by bird watchers and people seeking a place for a quiet stroll.

The tidal range in Wigtown Bay is huge and said to be the second-biggest in Britain. When the tide is out mudflats are exposed which attract thousands of birds seeking food. However, there are other residents and if you look closely in the creeks then the footprints of otters can be seen.

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Beautiful bookshop garden

Wigtown is now in full bloom. This is Scotland's book town and Byre Books, down a passage way off the Main Street is well worth a visit, both for its fascinating collection of books and for its garden. The garden is a riot of growth and greenery and the old stones of the book shop are surrounded by all sorts of exuberant plants, happy in the sunshine.

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Cool as a cucumber

Sharon bought a little potted plant at the local gardening centre a month or so ago. It was a baby cucumber. The man said it would produce lovely little sweet cucumbers. With a price tag of only a pound and sitting looking all lonely on its own she bought it. “I felt sorry for it and I have never had a baby cucumber plant before,” she says.

The man said it should be kept inside, as it was rather delicate. After a good drink of water things started to happen. It stood up and two big leaves appeared. Then the stem started to grow fast. After about a week it looked so happy that it was put outside. This was a mistake as, within a couple of hours, the plant was making it very clear that it was not happy, with droopy leaves and a hangdog appearance. So it was quickly brought inside again and put back on its spot on the north-facing window ledge in the kitchen.

That was fine, and within another couple of hours everything was cheerful again. Since then, the stalk has shot up, more and more leaves have appeared, bamboo sticks were tied together to make a bit of a frame and long tendrils started to wind themselves along it for support. The knots and curls they make are fascinating. These tendrils can move inches in a few hours – which is racing along in plant time.

Now yellow flowers have appeared and behind each is a tiny little cucumber – about 15 of them so far. The plant likes lots of water, no doubt it is being used to fill the cucumbers. Sharon watches and waits and is looking forward to lots of dainty little cucumber sandwiches as summer really gets into its stride.

“I am so happy that my first cucumber is such a success,” says Sharon. “Perhaps my fingers are green after all. The little cucumbers will be ideal for our summer salads.”

***

Sweet treats for the judges

The highlight of the summer in Wigtown is the Wigtown Show which takes place this year (2010) at Bladnoch Park on August 4. This has been a highlight of the calender for more than 200 years.

Competition is fierce in all the categories and the hard-working judges are rewarded with The Judges' Lunch. In 2000 expert local cooks were persuaded to share some of their favourite recipes in a little cookbook published to mark the millennium. Here are a couple of selections from “Sweet Success” of the “Judges' Lunch” section.

Orange cake (serves 8)

Six beaten eggs
9oz (250g) ground almonds
9oz (250g) caster sugar
One teaspoon of baking powder
Two large oranges, washed, covered with water and boiled for two hours.

Method. Heat the oven to 190C (170C fan oven), 375F, Gas 5. When oranges are cool, halve, remove any pips and chop roughly. Grease and flour an eight-ounce (20.5cm) spring form tin or place a paper cake liner in an eight ounce tin. Put all the ingredients, plus the oranges, into a food processor and whiz until smooth. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 45-50 minutes. Cool the tin. Turn onto serving plate. Serve sliced into wedges.

The author writes: “This cake makes a superb desert served with a ready made dessert sauce and whipped cream. It freezes well. One portion takes five minutes to thaw on defrost then about 12 seconds on full power should you want to eat it slightly warm.”

Rhubarb and spice and all things nice (serves 8)

Ingredients

12oz (350g) rhubarb, cleaned and sliced, fairly small
8oz (225g) plain flour
Half teaspoon of salt
One teaspoon of ground ginger and half a teaspoon of cinnamon
One teaspoon of baking powder and half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
4oz (100g) light brown sugar
3oz (75g) butter
3oz (75g) syrup and 3oz treacle
One piece of stem ginger, finely chopped
Two tablespoons of marmalade
Quarter of a pint (140ml) of milk
One egg
Icing sugar to dust.

Method. Pre-heat oven to 160C (fan oven 140C) 325F, gas 3. Butter a large, deep ovenproof dish. Put the sugar, butter, treacle and syrup into a pan and melt over low heat. Don't boil. Cool slightly and add stem ginger, marmalade, milk and egg. Sieve dry ingredients and add wet ingredients to give a thick batter. Put half the batter into the dish. Lay on the rhubarb, then cover with the remaining batter. Bake about one and a half hours. Dust with icing sugar. “Try to use small, fine rhubarb for this. Serve with lots of cream.”

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Bookish beauty box

The Reading Lasses bookshop-cafe in Main Street, Wigtown, has very unusual and attractive window boxes – made out of real books. The pansies and other colourful little flowers are adding a splash of colour to the window and making for a cheerful sight in Scotland's national book town. The bookshop-cafe is now under new ownership and when Sharon called into today it was packed with people enjoying tea and cakes and other delicious treats amidst the shelves of books. Reading Lasses specialises in books relating to women but there are lots of other subjects as well. Telephone 01988 403 266. Www.reading-lasses.com.

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Super simple syllabub

Sharon met her friend Charlotte and guide dog Major on Sunday and they, of course, talked of food while demolishing piles of cakes at the Wigtown County Buildings at a tea held after a ceremony in the parish churchyard to commemorate the 325th anniversary of the Wigtown Martyrs.

Charlotte has sent Sharon her recipe for a super simple syllabub. She writes: “There are other variations, but I think this one is easy and very effective.

Ingredients
The rind pared from 2 lemons and the juice of one.
6 oz caster sugar
3 tablespoons brandy
3 tablespoons sherry
half pint double cream

“Steep the rind in the lemon juice for 2 or 3 hours. Then, strain into the sugar. Add the brandy and sherry. Pour on the cream and whisk.

“Best made at least several hours before eating and best of all, make this the day before. Lovely served with fresh rasps, or with ratafia biscuits, or just on its own. Since it isn't complicated and is made in advance, you don't get in a cafuffle. Use any sherry, but most folk prefer a cream variety.”

Happy eating.

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Galloway Gumbo

The difference between chowder and gumbo soups is simple. Both originated in the early French settlements in America but the gumbo was the more luxurious version eaten by the rich descendants of nobility made with the finest ingredients while the chowder was eaten by the riff-raff and made from whatever they could find.

The bays and beaches of Galloway are a wonderful place to find shellfish, though few people seem to bother, buying their shellfish frozen in plastic bags at the supermarkets. However, an expedition to a local bay produced enough tasty shellfish to make sure that the resulting broth deserved the gumbo designation.

This was one expedition that Sharon could not join as wheelchair wheels, wet sand and rocks don't go together. Never mind, she stayed with her mother and they enjoyed listening to an Alan Bennett audio book which they said was hilarious. The wheelchair pusher and nephew Cameron headed off for the coast, after checking the tide tables to make sure that the tide would be out.

A walk out across the wet sand and a bit of digging produced no razor clams or cockles, which, according to locals, fill the bays. Maybe a proper cockle rake, a bit like a garden rake but made of wood and with longer prongs is needed. Never mind there were lots of fascinating things to investigate, including bright green sea grass, bubbled seaweed, pools, a sand eel, transparent shrimps, purple anemones and small but feisty crabs that rose up with claws waving when disturbed.

There was also plenty of good food. Big limpets, an inch or more across were cemented to rocks. You need to be a bit sneaky to knock these off. If you tap gently, they just grip the rock even more tightly – like limpets. The trick is to take a handy small rock and knock them sharply at the side and base of the shell without warning. Do it quickly enough and they will be easy to remove. It takes a bit of practice, but the technique is well worth learning. Barnacles are the tiny little shells that also grow on the rocks and sometimes on the limpets. The limpets are cone shaped and about an inch high as well as across.

In the bay there there were winkles all around. In London a pint of winkles after a night out bought from a stall outside the pub was the perfect end to a happy evening. You can still find a good winkle and jellied eel stall in Bethnal Green Road today. They are traditionally sold in the liquid measure of a pint or half pint, for some reason. Winkles are little sea snails usually black. They can just be picked up from the sand or off the rocks and stones. Mussels are a great treat and plenty of these were gathered in. They liked hiding amidst the long fronds of seaweed.

The sun shone and there were scudding white clouds overhead. All along the shoreline the trees were in various shades of dappled rich green proud of their new Spring foliage. A well-stocked picnic pack contained a big container of boiling water for tea and plenty of cheese and pickle sandwiches as shellfish gathering requires that the strength be kept up. After a refreshment break the the bucket and plastic bags were filled and it was time to head back to shore. A single fisherman, walking out to the oncoming waves, was the only other person spotted during the whole morning.

Then it was back to Hillcrest House guest house, run by Sharon's sister Deborah and husband Andrew, to get the harvest ready, after showing to Sharon. Winkles – steeped in salted fresh water for half an hour and then boiled for two minutes. Mussels, scrubbed first and simmered until the shells opened (do not use any mussels with open shells prior to cooking). The limpets take a bit of preparation. Scrub and boil the limpets for a few minutes. After cooling, take a limpet in one hand and use a small sharp knife to cut out the meat. Discard the guts and other bits and just keep the large foot. After the mussels have cooled, remove the meat and set aside with the limpets. Take a pin or toothpick and winkle out the winkles. There is a little shell “door” across the entrance to the shell which you throw away. Nip off the sand-filled end of the animal.

Now, take all your cooked shellfish meat and chop very finely. Get a big pot and put in some stock, a couple of cubed potatoes, a couple of bay leaves, a bit of greens (we used asparagus ends), salt and pepper and simmer until the potatoes are really soft. Then, turn the heat down and add the chopped shellfish meat and a good amount of cream. Stir and serve with fresh bread.

That's how you make a great shellfish soup – and who cares if it is a gumbo or a chowder?

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Beautiful spot for a picnic

Just to the south of Wigtown, in southwest Scotland, stands the ancient Sorbie tower house. When it comes to a place for a picnic this is perfect.

This week Sharon enjoyed a picnic at Sorbie - the sun was shining, there were flowers scattered around and tall trees. On a more practical level there was also a clean portable loo, good paths and solid wooden picnic tables with seats to sit at.

“It was lovely having a coffee in the country for a change,” says Sharon. “It was the first outing for our newly-acquired, custom-made, picnic bag which we had bought at a charity sale for a pound. Inside it has got holders for plates, thermos flask, cutlery and napkins, so it is most practical. And it certainly did its job for us. We hope there will be plenty more picnic outings during the summer months as the scenery is so pretty and a picnic is so peaceful and less hassle than a busy cafe, particularly if you are in a wheelchair.”

Towers in Galloway were built by powerful local families and were small fortified houses, rather than large castles. They replaced the earlier wooden towers and houses set upon small hills. The hill where an earlier structure once stood is next to the site of the Sorbie tower. The peak period for building these towers, using local designs and craftsmen, was from about 1450 to 1580 and the Sorbie tower is a later example, built for the chief of the Hannay clan, where comfort and showing off to neighbours was also taken into account. The towers never stood alone and would have been surrounded by a cluster of farm and other buildings.

The Sorbie tower was built about 1550 and it was lived in until 1748 when, presumably, the clan chief moved to somewhere more comfortable. The tower fell into decay over the next two and a half centuries before being given to the enthusiastic members of the Clan Hannay Society. Maintenance work started in 1974 and is still continuing. For more information see www.clanhannay.com.

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Sharon, Georgiana and the bananas

Sharon is enjoying listening to an audio version of the book, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who flourished and led a life of immense wealth and scandal in the late 18th century.

The book, by Amanda Foreman, received rave reviews and Sharon is greatly enjoying the audio tape version read by Celia Montague. The ISBN number is 0 7531 0691 4. Georgiana's husband, the Duke of Devonshire was one of the richest men in Britain with a vast income and at he married the 17-year-old Georgiana Spencer in 1774. She “could set a fashion simply by wearing a new hat” and she became a leading figure in the Whig Party. “However, public success hid a personal life fraught with suffering. With a husband who was impervious to her charms, she sought comfort in gambling, soon falling into a cycle of debt and dishonesty, eventually forced to leave England for a life in exile.

“After three years she returned, dishonoured and disgraced, but in the face of a collapsing Whig Party, she rose to the challenge, overcoming illness, despair and prejudice to become respected once more. A beautiful and penetrating account of one of the great figures of the late 18th century, a woman whose great beauty and flamboyance combined with determination to play a part in the affairs of the world and made her an icon of her time.”

The West has the Duke of Devonshire, either Georgiana's husband or a previous holder of the title, to thank for bananas. Great lords liked to send to China for wallpaper, particularly for the room in grand houses where the “Chinoiserie” was kept – furniture, ceramics, silver and paintings. One day the Duke was contemplating his new hand-painted wallpaper which had just arrived from Canton. He noticed a plant painted into the design that he had not seen before. He despatched a plant hunter to China to find the plant and bring him specimens for the glasshouses at Chatsworth. The plant turned out to be the banana and soon it had been introduced to the West Indies and South America. Or, at least that is how one story goes.

“This is a great book,” says Sharon. “Mind you, there are lots of names to keep track of. I think Georgiana was an ancestor of Princes Diana. And, of course, I am enjoying it all the more for the fact that it is a true account of those olden days. Thank God it is not like that now. Life is much more free now. Women aren't held back by so many things like they were then. Mind you, give me the ball gowns and the big hair of the 18th century.”

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Does Sharon take sugar in her tea?

Sharon went to the excellent Cinnamon Cafe in Newton Stewart yesterday. She had been invited to join a small bunch of friends who are blind or partially sighted and meet regularly for a chat and a laugh. Of course an enormous Cappuccino, with chocolate sprinkles on top of the froth and a big moist fruit scone with home-made blackcurrant jam was the first thing to be ordered.

“It was so nice to make new friends who share some of the same problems I have. So we were able to talk about things that we all understand without having to explain everything all the time to people who can see. It was so relaxing and we had such a good laugh.

“Everyone who looks after us is to be highly commended but it is nice to be with people like me. We talked about lots of the things that we have to deal with every day but not in a depressing way. Nobody moaned.

“Just because we can't see, and I can't walk, doesn't mean that we can't answer questions and talk. There is nothing wrong with our brains. So, if people want to know something they should ask us directly. One lady said she hated hearing people asking whoever was with her: “Does she take sugar in her tea?” Why on earth can't they ask her directly as she is quite capable of saying yes or no.

“One thing that I find very difficult is when people talk to me without telling me first who they are. Many times I can identify people from their voices but not always. So, for me it is heart warming when somebody says “Hullo, this is so-and-so” before they start talking. I am sure I miss a lot by not being able to see facial expressions but if there is anything untoward you can generally hear it in the sound of someone's voice. So you can keep up a bit. But raised eyebrows and things like are beyond me. I suppose it's a bit my fault as I don't 'look blind' and can't carry a white cane as it would get tangled up in the wheelchair wheels.

“One lady, Charlotte, had brought Major, her lovely golden Labrador guide dog along. I was amazed to see that he just lay under our table for the whole of our gassing session. Although I did manage to give him a few pats. My old Sam the Labrador would never be so quiet for so long. He would have to go round and greet every single customer with masses of tail wagging and generally getting in the way. But, then, he isn't a guide dog – just one of my best friends.

“I can't remember all the things we talked about but it must have been quite amusing because we did have lots of laughs. It was so good to be with people who have disabilities the same as me so I didn't feel as if I had to try so hard. I found it so relaxing. This was a wonderful way to spend a Monday afternoon and I am very much looking forward to our next coffee and cake extravaganza. We're planning outings as well, to Port Patrick and Castle Douglas so that will be great fun.”

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Creehenge and Gem Rock Museum well worth a visit

If you go up to the Balloch Wood at Creetown you will find a set of stones that isn't quite as ancient as Stonehenge but is every bit as beautiful.

“Creehenge” is a stone circle at the entrance to the wood which features seven large blocks of granite that will stand for centuries to come amidst the trees. Balloch Wood has areas that include some of the oldest trees in the country, dating back thousands of years to the times when the whole of Scotland was covered with forest.

The unique idea of setting up the stones attracted a great deal of local support, not least from Galloway Granite which is a long-established Galloway business specialising in architectural and monumental masonry.

Creetown has a surprising connection with Japan. For many years a Japanese sculptor, Hideo Furuta, worked in the town using the local granite to create his works. A large stone globe he created stands in the centre of the town near the clock tower and there are other works dotted around.

The Japanese connection is continued at Creehenge, or “The Whinnie Face” as it is properly named. The words on the stones are in the Japanese poetry form known as haiku.

Pupils from the Creetown Primary School visited the woods and worked with Galloway-born poet Lucy Burnett. The leaflet distributed at the opening ceremony for the stones explained: “The class had recently been on a visit to the woodland and what they saw, heard, smelt, touched and tasted forms the basis of these poems. While retaining certain traditional features of haiku, such as brevity and a reference to nature/the seasons, a modern flexible approach is taken. Rather than strictly counting syllables, the focus is on the essence of haiku: capturing images in words and creating emotions through these images rather than personal expression. The poems were written by the class as a whole, with fragments of writing by all pupils combined and adapted to create the final poems. The illustrations follow sumi-e principles. This form of Japanese art is often used to illustrate haiku in order to turn the words of the poems back to into the images in which they originated. Copies of some of these poems have been inscribed on standing stones at the entrance to Balloch Wood, Creetown.”

Poet Lucy Burnett explained: “The class took the central concepts of haiku in their stride and were fantastic to work with. Some of the images they came up with were startling. Hopefully the result is a modern, fluid set of haiku which are offered to share our experience of the woodland, or to enhance your own visit.”

Here are two of the haiku on the stones:

animals come out
from hibernation
until grass sways
with the slow wind

light between larch trees
the overlapping echoes
of children's voices

To find the stones go up the road that leads past the church. You will need to leave your car at the bottom of the track where the road runs out as there is no parking. The stones are only a short walk away, although you need a powerful pusher to get up there in a wheelchair.

After the ceremony, Sharon was invited back to the tea and cakes session held at the fantastic Gem Rock Museum at Creetown. This is a must-visit place with an outstanding collection of rocks and gems presented in a fascinating way. Ideal for the family. There is a 4.5 billion year old, three kilogram, meteorite and the fossilised egg and dung of a dinosaur. The “Maverick” gold nugget is one of the largest natural gold specimens on display in the UK.

“Exhibits include world class specimens of fluourite from Weardale in the North of England, an outstanding smoky quartz crystal group aptly named the 'Crystal Crater' found in the Cairngorms Scotland, rare 'nailhead' calcite from West Cumbria, unusual 'Blue John' fluorite from Derbyshire and deep red 'Dulcote' agate from Devon. An alphabet of cut gems on display includes alexandrite, andalusite, aquamarine, beryl and chrysoberyl, diamond, emerald, fluorite, garnet, hessonite, iolite, jade, kunzite, lapis lazuli, morganite, nephrite, opal, peridot, quartz, rub, sapphire, tourmaline, unakite, verdite, Wyoming jade, YAG and zircon.”

The tea and cakes were served in the Prospectors' Pantry where Sharon loved sampling the special home baked Scottish cakes. Her favourite was “Rocky Road” which was absolutely delicious (see picture below). With a name that reflects the Gem Museum's interests it is one of the pantry's most popular items. “People know me and cakes and I am a bit of a gourmet. The Rocky Road was so yummy and it is on my list of all-time best cakes. I will be going back for more.”

For more information on the Gem Rock Museum see www.gemrock.net email: enquiries@gemrock.net. Telephone 01671 820 357. The Gem Rock Museum, Chain Road, Creetown, Dumfries and Galloway, DG8 7HJ. The museum is wheelchair friendly, as Sharon found out as she rolled along the ramps.


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Fishy business in Galloway

Passing through Castle Douglas this week Sharon had a chat with Wyllie who was at his stall in the car park near the tourist information centre. He travels around Galloway selling wonderful fresh fish and seafood from the waters of Scotland.

Wyllie told Sharon all about his great range of food, and she was particularly interested in his home made fish cakes. Meanwhile, the traditional kippers and Arbroath Smokies were interesting the power unit that pushes the wheelchair. However, nothing could be bought that day as an overnight stay in a hotel was coming and Sharon put her foot down at the prospect of sharing a room with a brace of kippers.

However, Sharon was delighted to hear that Wyllie calls to various towns around the region, including Wigtown, which he or his wife visit a couple of times a week. The business is called Ferry Fish and its motto is “First For Freshness No Bones About It.” “Ferry Fish is a family run business in South West Scotland. For the past two decades we have been selling the finest quality fish to households and restaurants. Our aim is to supply you with the freshest Scottish fish, hand-boned rather than machine filleted for a higher quality product.”

For deliveries, the food is only sourced after the order has been placed. So, for instance, if you want a delivery on Wednesday place it before noon on Monday. If you want it for Friday, place the order before noon on Wednesday.

White fish on offer includes cod fillets skinned no bones, haddock, halibut fillets or steaks, and plaice fillets. Farmed sea bass is always available while wild sea bass can be supplied from May to September. With oily fish there are whole salmons or no-bones fillets, steaks, and trout. Herrings, mackerel, tuna, swordfish steaks and anchovies. The list of shellfish includes dressed crabs, crayfish tails, fresh mussels, prawns, white crab meat, and cooked crevettes. There is plenty of smoked fish to choose from, including naturally smoked haddock, Tarbet kippers “the best ever”, Finnan haddock, Arbroath smokies and smoked mackerel. In the luxury goods section you will find smoked salmon, hot smoked salmon, marinated herrings in a variety of sauces including dill, sherry, honey mustard and dill, and “plain – luxury”, and even caviar.

www.ferryfish.co.uk enquiries@ferryfish.co.uk Telephone 01671 820 748

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A touch of luxury with quail eggs

When it comes to tasting a bit of luxury quail eggs fit the bill perfectly. Sharon went for her Saturday roll in the sunshine around Wigtown market and spotted the last box of the eggs at the stall run by her friend Richard.

She bought a dozen, together with a selection of the fresh green vegetables that are appearing with the arrival of Spring. She made another visit to the new delicatessen which has opened near to the County Buildings for a bright red pepper and a courgette, two of her favourite veg.

She had decided on a stir fry for dinner. Here's what to put into into the wok:

One small onion
One small courgette
Half a red pepper
Mushrooms
Green vegetables
Mango
12 quail's eggs
A scatter of salt
A little oil

Boil the quail eggs and shell, put aside. Chop the onion, courgette and red pepper and gently fry in a little oil. In went a couple of roughly chopped mushrooms for a minute or two, followed by the green vegetables. The greens were spinach, rocket and purple sprouting broccoli. A bit of salt. Then chop up mango (use tinned). Finally, add the boiled quail eggs. Serve with plain boiled rice.

The quail eggs came from Glenkens Eggs, Trochie Farm, New Galloway, DG7 3SD. Telephone 01644 420 471.

As we were unaccountably out of aspic, we were unable to make the ultimate luxury dish – quail eggs in aspic. Readers, of course, will have this essential item in their larders. Trochie Farm explains how to make this aristocratic dish.

Boil the eggs, shell and slice in half lengthways. Place in china pots. Decorate with shrimps or prawns. Mix aspic with a little sherry and add to pot. Set in fridge. Garnish with parsley and serve.

This should be a very good season for upper class food – if the number of cocky cock pheasants wandering around the country roads and in the hedgerows is anything to go by.

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Galloway beef is best

It's a fact – Galloway beef is best. Who says so? James Mackintosh who is the executive chef at the Masonic Arms at Gatehouse of Fleet.

James knows what he is talking about as he is devoted to food and learned his craft in places such as the the Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles Hotel, which is Scotland's only two-star Michelin restaurant. When asked if Galloway beef is better than the nation's famed Aberdeen Angus he reply is immediate – yes it is.
There is something about the grass and weather in Galloway, he says, that just makes for beautiful beef. Certainly, the area has always been known as prime cattle country and its breed features a distinctive mid-section white stripe which has led to the name Belted Galloway.

One of James' signature dishes is his beef daube. He travels to his favourite abattoir to select the beef for the Masonic Arms. The daube takes two days to make and it is finally braised in an alcohol reduction for eight to ten hours until it is meltingly soft. It is served with roast salsify, spinach and caramalised spinach puree. For steak lovers there is an eight-ounce rib-eye and a 16-ounce sirloin, Galloway beef of course, served with a range of sauces.

James' menu features dishes that meld local ingredients into tempting creations. One of the starters is a haggis and tattie scone tower with Drambuie sauce. Lovers of seafood are well catered for and on the day that Sharon called in the daily fish special was halibut, served with vegetables Dauphenoise, confit beetroot and wilted spinach.

James runs the Masonic Arms with his partner Danielle and she is equally enthusiastic about good food, the couple having met while working at an outstanding restaurant.

Although there the signs of the Freemasons are engraved in the door to the pub, the Brothers no longer meet there. The restaurant is open and light while the bar offers treats, including a guest beer from the Sulwath Brewers, of Castle Douglas. When Sharon visited this was John Paul Jones traditional ale, named after the founder of the US Navy, a local man. The heraldic arms above the door are intriguing.

Masonic Arms, Gatehouse of Fleet, Open noon to 2pm and 6pm to 9pm. Telephone 01557 814 335. www.themasonic-arms.co.uk

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Toffee sauce is easy

Sharon so enjoyed the toffee sauce that was poured over her pear pudding at lunch during her Newton Stewart Hospital visit last week that she rolled around to the kitchens in search of the recipe.

The cheerful ladies there insisted that there wasn't really any recipe – they just made it on autopilot.

The ingredients couldn't be simpler: brown sugar, evaporated milk, margarine, cornflower. The girls said that all you do is mix the first three ingredients together in a pan over a low heat and then thicken with the cornflower.

That's it. All the best recipes are simple.

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Why suffer at Harrods?

The trouble with Harrods is that it is crowded with tourists and other rif-raf and no cultured person darkens its doors preferring, instead, to seek out individual suppliers where local products are made with the highest quality ingredients.

If you are a chutney and jam gourmet then the place to head for is Galloway Lodge Preserves, at Gatehouse of Fleet. This is a truly local business owned by Fiona Hesketh who, with her team, lavishes love and care on their products at their kitchen in the royal burgh.

Sharon called in at the shop in the wonderfully-named Horatio Square, surely a memory of Nelson. She enjoyed chatting with Lynden and inspected all the shelves which carry not only Galloway Lodge Preserves but also a range of fine foods and items by other quality producers.

She selected a jar of the famous Galloway Lodge Poachers Pickle and a bar of ginger fudge for her mother. The pickle, a Gold Great Taste Award winner, has fans around the world and it is, in fact, sold at Harrods. But there are fewer crowds in Gatehouse of Fleet and only elegant and refined customers.

Sharon and Lynden chatted away and she was very enthusiastic about the food. Galloway Lodge preserves was founded by the late Nigel Hesketh as a small marmalade-making operation. Today Fiona runs things and she has introduced a select range of new products.

As well as the Poachers Pickle there are other chutneys, including beetroot chutney, Bramley apple chutney with cider, hot tomato pickle, mango and chilli chutney, mulled cranberry chutney and peach chutney.

There are also jams, marmalades, jellies, mustard, and a chilli range. Crunchy Original Galloway Mustard is described as being “made from scratch ourselves. The addition of honey and cinnamon makes this a very versatile condiment.” Chilli jam tempts with “a mix of chilli and spices from two continents,” or how about chilli and honey relish? Amongst the marmalades, there is Bladnoch whisky distillery marmalade, made with a dram from the nearby distillery, the most southerly in Scotland, and heather honey marmalade. Rich cranberry and port jelly tempts, as does bramble jelly, and there are many other tasty jars.

So, avoid the vulgar mob and head for Gatehouse of Fleet instead of a certain over-rated store crushed with crowds in South Kensington.

Galloway Lodge Preserves. Shop in Horatio Square, Gatehouse of Fleet, next to the clock tower. Shop telephone 01557 814 357. Kitchen 01557 814 007. www.gallowaylodge.co.uk fiona@gallowaylodge.co.uk.

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Gardeners are a Bolshie Bunch

Gardeners are awkward people. Who says so? Scotland's top gardener for one.

Professor Stephen Blackmore is Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and he says that gardeners are stubborn people who keep on trying, ignoring failures. They think in terms of decades or centuries, often planting things that will not fully flourish until long after the gardener is dead.

Sharon enjoyed talking with Stephen yesterday at the Logan Botanic Garden. This is one of the world's most remarkable gardens. Despite being located in Scotland, it features many plants that need warm or mild climates, such as palms and exotic flowers. The sight of clumps of daffodils growing beneath palm trees is a little unusual and exotic bright coloured flowers are in bursting good health even after the recent savage winter. The reason for this is that the Rhins Peninsula, at the far west of Galloway, where Logan is situated, benefits from the warming effects of the Gulf Stream.

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh dates back to 1670 and today it also operates the Logan Botanic Garden, the Benmore Botanic Garden and the Dawyck Botanic Garden. It is a major force for research and conservation and works in more than 40 countries around the world. Recently, for instance, it signed a memorandum of understanding with the Queen Sirkit Botanic Garden in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and the two organisations are to work closely together. A project relating to Thai ferns is under way. There are many plants from Asia at the Logan Botanic Garden, and the rhododendrons and camellias are particularly beautiful.

Sharon enjoyed talking to Stephen as he is an old Hong Kong hand, spending years of his childhood there and still visiting regularly. Sharing a common interest in the former British colony there was lots of talk of food and happy times.

Logan is well worth visiting. Although things are a little behind because of the long winter the plants are about to burst into bloom. In fact, some already have, including a dramatic purple magnolia from southwest China that produces giant flowers before bothering with leaves. “In the Walled and Woodland Gardens you'll encounter species fascinating and colourful, endangered and bizarre. Nearly half of these have been collected from the wild, and most are from the southern hemisphere. The majesty of antipodean tree ferns and gum trees, the vivid colours of Southern African flowers, the fragrance of tender rhododendrons and the stands of massive gunnera will delight and surprise you.”

There are plenty of facilities for the visitor, including the licensed Potting Shed Bistro, where Sharon tucked into a delicious carrot cake – studded with walnuts and with a “yummy topping”. The shop is packed with interesting items and books. This is also the place to pick up the little machine that provides a self-guided audio tour for a pound. There is a basic language version for children, no doubt it leaves out all the long Latin names of plants. First stop on any visit should be the Discovery Centre, which explains the history and purpose of the garden and includes microscopes to give a really close up look at how plants work.

Most of the garden is accessible to the disabled, although a bit of hefty pushing can be required in places as the paths are gravel, which isn't friendly to people on wheels, but wheelchairs are allowed on the grass. There is a fully equipped disabled toilet and wheelchairs can be borrowed on request. Access to the Potting Shed Bistro shop and Discovery Centre is no problem. Guide dogs are welcome, although Sharon smiled at the notice at the entrance which says that only “accompanied guide dogs” are admitted. Is there a problem with packs of unaccompanied guide dogs trying to get in?
The Logan Botanic Garden is 14 miles south of Stranraer on the B7065. Don't confuse it with the Logan House garden close by, which is also worth visiting. Also visit the remarkable Logan Fish Pond, the world's only larder for sea fish built 200 years ago for a local dignitary.

The botanic garden is open from 15 March to 31 October and on Sundays in February. From April to September it is open from 10am to 6pm. In March and October it is open from 10am to 5pm. In February it is open only on Sundays, from 10am to 4pm. Admission is five pounds for adults, one pound for children, and four pounds for concessions. A family admission is available for 10 pounds and discounts are available for pre-booked groups of 11 or more. Members of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh are admitted free – so it's well worth joining as free admission to the other gardens is also included together with other benefits. From April to September, a guided walk is offered, starting at 10am on the second Tuesday of the month. Car and coach parking is free and there is even shaded parking for dogs.

Logan Botanic Garden, Port Logan, Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway, DG9 9ND. Telephone 01776 860231. www.rbge.org.uk/logan.

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No potatoes and no bread in Galloway

It wasn't so long ago that people living in Galloway had to do without two staples of life – potatoes and bread.

The History of Galloway from the Earliest Period to the Present Time, Volume II, page 404, published in 1816 in Kirkudbright by John Nicholson, gives some interesting information on food.

“In 1725, potatoes were first introduced to Galloway, or at least into the Stewartry of Kirkudbright, by William Hyland, from Ireland. This new species of food being accounted a luxury, few potatoes were used in the district for some time; for Hyland regularly carried his whole crop to Edinburgh, where he sold them in pounds and even ounces.

“At this period, there was perhaps not one baker in Galloway. Only one resided in the town of Dumfries and he baked half-penny baps, or rolls, of coarse flour, which he carried in baskets to the fairs of Urr, Kirkpatrick, &c., where they met with a ready sale. No wheat at this time grew in the district, and it was believed that the ground would not produce it. Even so late as the year 1735, no mill existed in the south of Scotland for grinding this sort of grain. The first flour mill was built at Cluden, in the parish of Holywood, some years after this date.”

No doubt everyone existed on good Scottish porridge which is made from oats. Dr Johnston defined oats in his great dictionary as “a grain which in England is fed to horses but which in Scotland sustains the population.”

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Life on the ocean waves

When Sharon was a young girl she used to travel back and forwards to Africa where her father worked as a railway engineer.

There were long periods in the bush, punctuated at intervals by trips home to England by ship. Sharon's mother and father enjoyed the long leisurely dinners taken properly dressed while Sharon ate in the nursery. She can't remember anything about the food but says she was never hungry.

Neither were her parents. Here is a menu from a voyage to Nigeria on the M.V. Aureol, dated June 5, 1963. The Captain was W.E. Humphreys, the Chief Steward, W.H Neild, M.C.F.A., and the Chef de Cuisine, P. Brindley, M.C.F.A.

Cold Buffet

Jellied beef consomme, Vichysoise, prawns in jelly, sole in aspic, gammon ham, veal and ham pie, lambs' tongues, roulade of veal, haunch of venison. Salads: lettuce, tomatoes, beetroot, yam yam. Dressings: mayonnaise, French, creme crue. Lemon and vanilla ice cream, iced coffee.

Dinner

Appetisers: Juices: Prune, pineapple, tomato, grapefruit maraschino.
Soups: Consomme Dumont, cream Marie Stuart.
Fish: Fillets of Plaice, Meuniere.
Farinaceous: Risotto Milanaise.
To Order, 10 minutes: Eggs Princess.
Vegetarian: Dutch potato mould.
Entree: Sweetbreads, Guizot.
Chef's Special: Guinea Fowl Orleans Style, sauted, deglaced with red wine and veal stock garnished with button onions, mushrooms and diced ham.
Roast: Quarters of Canterbury lamb and mint sauce.
Vegetables: Garden peas, creamed parsnips, parsley, browned, creamed and Pont Neuf potatoes.
Sweets: Golden pudding, coupe Singapore, bombe chocolat, lemon and vanilla ice cream.
Savoury: Croutes au baron, fruit bowl, assorted nuts, coffee.

“Coffee and liqueurs will be served as Passengers desire, either in the First Class Lounge or in the Smoke Room.”

On the front of the menu above the words Elder Dempster Lines, is a colourful picture of a bird. The caption on the back tells us: “West African Bird Series, No 18. The Orange Weaver (Euplectes franciscana). These are the loveliest of the species and are often wrongly described locally as the Firefinch. They are polygamous and have a characteristic bobbing flight.”

Of course the menu was printed in England by Forman of Nottingham.

Sharon says: “I always used to sit on the rocking horse in the nursery because the motion of the boat going up and down over the waves used to make it go by itself. So, I didn't have to make it go, I just used to sit on it and I would be rocked. When we used to pass through the Bay of Biscay and it was a bit rough, I used to pretend I was a rodeo rider because the rocking horse would rock more vigorously.”

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A quiet Sunday drive

“Yesterday we went for a quiet Sunday drive in the sunshine. I used to make scathing remarks about cars tootling along with Sunday drivers but I am so glad to be alive that I loved the drive. There were lambs in the field, buds on the trees and clumps of daffodils everywhere. It's a lot better than being dead,” Sharon.

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What more could a girl want?

Sharon's nephews, Cameron and Connor, called round to see her and brought her some lovely gifts.

Cameron presented her with a giant bottle of Irn Bru, the Scots' favourite soft drink, and Connor gave her a jelly rat and a jelly centipede.

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Tea and cakes fuel recovery

Sharon writes about her weekly visits to the rehabilitation group at the local hospital which includes physiotherapy and social activities. She been to four sessions, with two more left.

“We always start with a morning cup of tea and toast and a good old chinwag,” says Sharon. “There can be up to nine of us in the group and we all get on very well. After the chatting, we go one-by-one for physiotherapy.

“I find the workouts very intensive. There is lots of walking up and down while hanging on to the parallel bars with my good hand. I have to walk backwards as well as forwards, and sideways. Then I have to stop and do bending the knees, which I am actually getting the hang of now even with my bad left leg. I have to wiggle my hips.

“Then I have to walk all around the room with my new quad pod, which is a walking stick with four little feet which makes it very stable on the floor. It doesn't wobble like my crutch does. I do lots of arm exercises as my left arm and hand are of no use after my stroke two years ago. So I have to hold my left hand with my right hand and wiggle it around and lift it up and down above my head. I am not very keen on this because at night I get a terrible ache in my neck and shoulder. It is obviously doing my muscles good but I need plenty of Deep Heat rubbed in before bed time.

“Then I go back to join my group and we play bingo, curling, scrabble, dominoes, word search. Then we have voice therapy with singing. There is nothing wrong with our minds and we can nearly all speak fairly well, it's just our bodies don't always do as they are told. Because I am also blind the therapists photocopy my bingo card to the most ginormous size so I can make out the numbers. I have won once.

“Lunch comes at 12.30 which is always a lovely cooked meal with enormous helpings. There are three courses, soup, main course and pudding. Last week I had shepherd's pie with green beans and fruit yoghurt. I couldn't manage the pea and ham soup. Followed with cup of tea. About an hour later there is a tray of cakes and another cup of tea. Last week I had a treacle scone. Of course, I can't manage to eat anything when I get home so just have something very light at night.

“I must give a ginormous pat on the back to all the lovely staff who are so considerate, helpful, thoughtful and kind, to put up with all of us and our limitations. This needs the patience of saints and they always have a smile and an encouraging cheerful word as we struggle along.

“At the end, when we are having our afternoon tea we play the Oldies CDs that I bring in. We all sing along and have a good laugh at ourselves. Visitors always sing along as well.

“All this might seem very simplistic activity to many people but to those of us who are fighting to get back to normality it is essential to our well-being and recovery. I am so grateful and I always look forward to my Wednesday sessions.”

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