Midlands visit October 2012 part 2

While continuing work on the second part of Camilleri’s Snack Thief it is time to bring my weekend in the Midlands October 5^th to 8^th up to-date.

I enjoyed lots of good food, not Montalbano standard where the pay of Italian police Inspectors appears extraordinarily well, eating out at great food restaurants and flying to Genoa for regular weekends at the home of his long term woman and she likewise is able to fly to him and rearrange her occupation to suit his life style, work and other interests. I have never understood the quality of lives some people in reality as well as in fiction live when relying on one family income, even if that is at an above average level.

The food, the glorious food and I repeated the lunch of a chicken breast with barbecue sauce potato chips and salad with apple crumble on the Monday before departing as I had on the Friday lunchtime of arrival. On the Monday I decided upon custard with the apple crumble whereas on the Friday I had a dollop of plain vanilla ice cream. On Sunday I went for a walk in Rufford Park, grounds of the former 12^th century Cistercian Abbey where the monks led an austere life of prayer and hard work. I eat a lunch of roast beef with horseradish sauce in a medium size crispy baguette and a trio or was it quartet of roast potatoes with a little gravy from the neighbouring table un a covered veranda outside the restaurant as that inside was fully booked and which my understanding is a regular situation at weekend where the roast meat buffet with good wines has become famed. The full roast meal was around £7.25 while the satisfying baguette £3.95 and the morning was pleasantly warn in the sunshine and OK to be outside when clouded. Only a week ago I cannot remember the evening meal for certain but chicken curry comes to mind while but on Sunday there was a salmon salad at lunchtime and a chicken breast in a delicious sauce with vegetables in the evening. It was during this weekend I discovered the art of preparing a toasted sandwich using what I call a sleeve although Lakeland sell as a bag and the writing of this at the early evening time of 4.30 this Sunday 14th stimulated me to making a cheese and tomato toasty using two thick slices of bread which had to be forced into the aperture but had sprung free ready when I returned after typing a few more lines. Apart from drinks and two packets of crisps, my other snack was part of a carton of grapes over three nights.

For breakfast there were mushrooms and tomatoes, with the addition of instant porridge one morning and a bacon roll with coffee from the bakery close to the Travel Lodge at £2.14 although afterwards I noted a breakfast sub with coffee at the new Subway for £2. The Subway is using the premises of the former betting shop and I noted it was open at 10pm when I returned on the Saturday evening. In rounding up the food remembered over the week it is only fair that I record again that on the Friday evening fancying an ice cream I purchased a pack of cornet wafer chocolate ices creams for only £1.20 and after considering offering two of the four to the receptionist or some arriving customer I consumed the lot although after enjoying two the third was more than sufficient and the fourth was definitely too much.

It therefore also seems appropriate to record my visit at this point to the former austere living Cistercian Monastery of Rufford Park now managed by English heritage although owned by Nottinghamshire County Council. It became a private estate in the 17^th century with the fourth Earl of Shrewsbury, one George Talbot whose grandson converted the Abbey into a Country House. The sixth Earl main claim to historical fame is as one time keeper of Mary Queen of Scots and as the fourth husband of Bess of Chatsworth and Chelsea in addition to Hardwick Hall and who was previously married to the William Cavendish whose family became the Dukes of Devonshire and still are. A daughter of her marriage to Cavendish married the eldest son of the Duke by his first marriage.

The country estate then became owned by the Saville Family of Yorkshire including the sixth Earl of Scarborough who inherited when his brother died and who was part of the Lumley family whose home was Lumley castle, now a hotel, overlooking the Durham County Cricket ground and the town of Chester Le Street.

I have visited the park before one Christmas when for a modest additional charge the grounds were festooned with coloured lights and although I walked around the lake or at least part of it my impression was of a much smaller land area and I cannot remember seeing the ford which is known as the water splash and where one can stand overlooking as vehicles of different sizes go through, some cautiously while others travel with abandon The road is closed when the overflow from the lake is such that the ford becomes dangerous. The walled garden is well set out and there are three shops as well as an information centre staffed by Nottinghamshire County Council on Council services and issues together with an exhibition and a children‘s activity area. Two of the shops are on two storeys and sells a range of crafts and pottery artwork in one and outdoor clothing in the other while the third is a traditional gift shop including books, cards and a range of souvenirs. There is also a traditional cafe restaurant service hot food, snacks and afternoon teas. What was interesting is that here a filled jacket potato cost more than the hot beef or turkey baguette. There were a score or more of tables in the courtyard here and all occupied as the sun was out and seating well sheltered from a cool wind.

Both Newcastle and Sunderland featured on Sky TV as did Warrington in the Grand Final Challenge Cup. The successful English ladies cricket team played Australia in the Final of the 20 20 World competition

First off was Sunderland whose game away against Manchester City commenced while I was enjoyed lunch at Rufford Park. I did not anticipate a good result especially as the City start to season was not as good as might be expected from the current Premiership champions who secured their title in the final game of the season at Newcastle, a game where I was present. I was able to watch the second half with resigned masochism as City increased their first half lead of one goal to three.

There was a different expectation on Saturday evening when the bookmakers had Warrington to beat Leeds at odds of 8 to 15 against after they had won comfortably in the mid season cup at Wembley. However I was not convinced as Leeds who had finished the season in the lower part of the top eight as they have in many season yet not only make the Grand Final but had won more times than any other club, and had beaten Warrington in last year’s semi final on the way to take the Final for the fifth time. Warrington had fought back in the first half 14.14 and Leeds came out with a renewed determination which quickly gave them the edge gaining 12 points to Warrington’s 4 to take the title again as worthy winners 26-18. Warrington in their first event Grand Final appearance gave a good account but they and their supporters went home disappointed,

On Sunday morning it was also true that throughout I felt England also the favourites having beaten Australia by seven wickets already in the competition were chasing the game after the Aussi, put in to bat, had an excellent start and when the England team’s big guns went out early I feared the worst. In fact the game ended closer than expected only four runs short and six off the last ball would have won it. Newcastle had beaten Manchester United at St James’s Park last season and the way both teams had started the year suggested that whichever team took command in those opening minutes was likely to end the game victorious. They lost 3.0 and although they had chances as with the other matches over the weekend the result was never in doubt.

Just as well the food and the company were brilliant.

Midlands weekend October 2012

It is 22.30 on Monday October 8th 2012 having returned earlier in the evening from a successful, enjoyable, interesting and productive weekend in the Midlands and which included several good meals and a visit to Rufford Park, Nottinghamshire which contains the ruins of a 12^th century Cistercian Abbey and the former country house seats of the Earl of Shrewsbury and then the Saville family of Yorkshire. The journeys provided the opportunity to listen to the BBC play productions of Le Carre’s Honourable Schoolboy and the Secret Pilgrim having also listened to Tinker Tailor before departing and commencing Smiley’s People over the latter part of the journey home, and reading most the first Andrea Camilieri Montalbano novel to be made into a Television 90 film during the visit, called The Snack Thief. I also watched Newcastle lose to Manchester United on Sunday, Sunderland to Man City, Warrington to Leeds on Saturday and the English Cricket Team to Australia in the World 20 20 Cup. Not good weekend for the teams supported or watching them. When was the Ryder Cup? When were the Olympics?

I made a major shop at Asda on the way back on entering South Shields cashing in a £7 voucher for the expenditure of over £50 as well as acquiring a three month supply of shaving gel and razors.

During the visit I solved a major problem and came to several major decisions of long term significance.

I commenced preparations for travel on October 4^th when I noted a clear blue sky in the morning and which became a feature of the weekend with much sun which warmed, although without sun there was a cold wind although it was still possible to eat out lunch under an awning on the Saturday lunchtime at Rufford Park.

I had risen later than usual on the Thursday having stayed up to finish listening to the BBC radio play of Tinker Tailor and also watching some of the BBC TV serial on DVD. Deciding as I did so that I also wanted to create a separate Blog series on Google of Le Carré writings. I put the first collection of Smiley writings which I numbered 1-5 in relation to the first five written works, appreciating that the extent of previously missing spelling and typographical mistakes that still persists in my work because of the unwillingness more than inability to apportion time to ensure the mistakes were spotted and corrected. Because of the decision to recheck all the items the process took longer separating the Le Carré pieces from what else the writing included and together with the writing about the author and the subject of spies, and aspect of my own experience which can be made public. All of which will be included later when I have completed the Smiley and other works to hand.

In fairness to me I had also brought the case downstairs and listed on paper what else was required before the following morning. I decided to cook a portion of sprats for lunch as I would be away on the Saturday and the fill the car with petrol at the Morison’s garage at Seaburn rather than call in on my was the following morning.

I noted at 12.50 that I had enjoyed the sprats where I have the cooking and washed up from yesterday as well as the day, finished the carton of grapes, some of which were unpleasant contrasting with the delicious and wholesome red grapes at £1 a carton which came and went all to quickly at Morison’s, and enjoyed a glass of Pepsi diet with ice and then watched the latest film version of Jane Eye. I only have a vague memory of the 1944 film version with Joan Fontain and again the 1970 Susannah York. There were TV series in 1973 1983 and 2006, with further film versions in 1996 and 1997. I acquired copy of the book when at Oxford in the early 1960’s and in the 1990’s I visited the parsonage in which Charlotte Bronte was raised with her family and which is now a museum. I also walked on the moors. Jane Eyre remains one of the great heroines created in British literature, and the Bronte sisters, remarkable writers in the English Language. I added the Jane Eyre book to the reading list shelves and which contain 35 books in addition to the Le Carré read plays DVDs both to be viewed as well as some viewed, and some viewed and to be written about. I will write a review of the Jane Eye film separately.

I was organised for travelling by the evening having gone to Morison’s much later that hoped for the petrol and calling in at the Supermarket which I found in an extraordinary state undergoing a dramatic upheaval as they have relocated the butchers, salads, and deli counters and relocated the frozen food to where there used be soups and stationary, electrical goods against the coast road back wall. They are also replacing all the other display shelving but bit by bit so bread was in two places and stationery, electricals was all over the place. I forgot inexpensive crackers which was my only interest but spotted bags of the butter mintoes I use at night to counter the dry mouth and liquorice as an aid to comfortable regularity, on offer at three bags for £2 which compared favourably with the single bag price of 89p coming to an overall saving of £1.74 which paid for the petrol used to get the petrol rather than stop, once I started out in the morning as gone are the days of 5 am waking for the swimming and seven hour sleep have become the minimum. I made a mental note to stock up further on return plus the cream crackers.

I have lost/mislaid my small umbrella and could not find one at the Morrison store and was too lazy to go to Azda on the way back where I knew they had them. I noted that Morrison had three Lexmark printers in store, where the asking price after an assistant checked is £50. This time I noted the number and checked with IJT to find they are the most expensive of cartridges although also listed as recycled ones. I will give this a miss and go to IJT.

I had undertaken a washing and drying of clothing but on examining the presently favoured brown trousers worn with brown house jackets and green coat I saw that they need washing so this was undertaken and then ironed. I did some writing but by 10pm I was ready for bed

Friday October 8^th with the alarm set for 7 I had a good 8 hours use of the Sleep Apnoea machine which I carefully packed for the journey. I decided it was time to wash the lower bed sheet which I replaced and remade the rest of the bed. I had washed and ironed the brown trousers for the journey as well as ironing a pair of green trousers and decided on four white shirts one a day. There was little included in the Cool bag this occasion, just some tomatoes and mushrooms for breakfast with packets of porridge, but no tins of beans or rice, cream crackers to go with the soup, fruit, drinks, croissants Danish pastries or pain au chocolate than I have taken and used on previous trips of a similar nature with the car. I did take some liquorice and the butter mintoes.

I was ready to depart well before nine checking I had included the phone charging cable, the mobile internet USB and a USB storage drive. I had brought the lap top up to date the previous day. I brought the car to the garage having to move and put back the barriers around the partially repaired subsidence holes and the road closed notice after moving he car back onto the road way. I had not had time for a coffee or breakfast so decided to call in at Asda, a little out of the way, for a large bacon roll and coffee which I consider expensive at £2.74, especially as I thought the umbrella would cost over £5 to reclaim the £1 parking fee only to find the umbrella cost only £3.68 and as it was approaching 9.30, I forewent the fee rather than go back and purchase something for £2.

I had arranged to meet someone for lunch at 12.30 arriving at 12.20 and listened to most of the Secret Pilgrim which proved to be a look back at the life of a contemporary of Smiley and precipitated by a talk George had given to the latest graduating class of Spies from their training centre of the Circus, Sarratt. I will write a review separately. The lunch was good (and talk long) with chicken, barbecue sauce and chips with salad followed by apple crumble and ice cream. There seemed be more crumble and than apple. There was Pepsi with lemon and ice and a standard coffee. Later there was chicken soup and toasted cheese sandwiches.

I registered at the Travel Lodge early evening and was pleased to be on the ground floor, deciding to visit the nearby Tesco to replace the cheap shaving foam (which had proved next to useless and was binned the following morning) by a can of Gillette Gel which I had acquired on a previous visit as well as Gillette razors at 10 for just over £1 which were also more effective than those bought recently at Asda. The following day I purchased more packs of the instant razors and also two more cans of the Gel. I purchased a carton of grapes which I eat over the three days for 98 pence and a great wicked indulgence, a pack of four cornet ice creams for £1.20 just 20 pence more than for the Feast I enjoyed at the Croydon Travel Lodge the weekend for the Paralympic Games. I did not anticipate eating the four ices and considered at one point offering two to the receptionist who had given a good welcome back recognising from previous visits although the last occasion was back in March as I stayed at Nottingham Riverside for the August visit for the cricket.

I admit I eat all four cones and did feel a little sick by the end. Whether because of this on the upheaval of preparing for the visit, the journey, the subjects which I talked over, I did not have the most settle of nights which several wakings and restlessness before sleeping. One problem had become the tenderness of the skin at the bridge of the nose from the CPAP machine and then rubbing of the spectacles. On assembling the machine it has spurted water with the major leaks notice I feared the problem was being caused by the travelling. I then noted I had fixed the tubing to the wrong connection and once rectified there was no problem. Perhaps this had been the problem with the previous machine-human incompetence! I settled down and read the opening chapters of the Snack Thief