Alt.Mustardland

I'll have a look tomorrow.

It's going to rain tomorrow, and we're promised a heatwave next week. I'm theoretically on holiday, so I finished off one of the Booker prize shortlist books my daughter gave me for Christmas. She bought all 6 and gave two each to me and my sisters to read and pass around to each other. My first two seem very grim, now I've begun the second based in the California women's prison environment, but I'll try and finish it this week to fit in a visit to one or even both of my sisters at the weekend. They haven't sent either of theirs to me so maybe they haven't even started. The hope is that my daughter should have got them all back and we can have a Book Group day around Christmas. We are all quite busy, so I don't know if it will happen this year or next. There will probably be another set of finalists in the autumn, so I'm not sure where we're going with this. The best one I remember going back, was Wolf Hall, and I enjoyed Schindler's Ark, but I haven't read all the winners, let alone the shortlists.

Just that they seem to have things like Tweezers among their Stationery, so does that bookshop, sometimes called "The Works" (the one that sells remainders books as well as stationery).

Yes to both. Why?

Do you have one of them Poundswrth type shops (or a Market).

I got it thanks. I replied to your email.

I think perhaps I can use an ink tank on my printer, but another day has passed without being able to buy a pair of tweezers. Today there was a notice saying that the main street of our town is closed for the weekend for a cycle race. I did some shopping so I can collapse in a heap and have a little doze.

I'm trying to remember my original Printer - they were more expensive then, and I was always told not to waste money on getting them repaired - it doesn't work (I don't think that applies to mere misprints). But .. What I distinctly remember was that it had all the colours in a single cartridge unit, but one could also get a single non-coloured one that took the full size of the cartridge - a Great improvement.

I sent you an e-mail.

The cartridges don't last very long. Only a score of pages. But maybe the permanent cartridges have a lot more in them. I shall get some tweezers in hopes I can clear the jam in the output tray and start with some heavier duty paper until it's working properly. I'll use it for bulk stuff and save the inkjet for pictures and scans and one offs.

The magazine has gone off to the printer now, and I've had my toes done so I'm more comfortable with less hanging over me.

Yes, I have a Cannon printer - but I don't understand the destructions, so it's probably just as well that I can't find them (the instructions that is). The Previous one (hp) was a) simpler, and b) worked. I have found the silver disk that was needed to get it going: so I might give it a re-try.

Sorry for not getting back to you, which I will, but a bit of a brain "turn" got me taking ages to type, and then lost the lot. I'll try another sleep before having another Go..

I could a tale unfold whose lightest word would shrivel up thy blood, make thine orbs start from their spheres, and make thy knotted and combined locks to part and separate and each particular hair to stand an end, like quills upon the fretful porpentine.

Or just say that after stocking my expensive laser printer with a set of cheaper refilled toner cartridges, I foolishly tried to print a photograph on proper paper. The next sheet to go through of normal paper jammed irretrievably in the output tray. Because I needed to print off the draft magazine, I ordered a cheaper printer that scans and copies as well. It came with a CD ROM which I had no use for, and after messing about with subscription sites that only revealed their status after going through download, installation and scan, I found the instructions for downloading before those for using the disc, not after. I finally got it to work printing test sheets so now it's the real thing. I replaced a HP colour Laserjet printer with a Canon 4 in 1 inkjet printer for a third of the cost.

In other news I'm enjoying some Cotswold brie with baguette and red and white grapes, not wishing to incur disapproval.

So the this Mornings show is over - It must have gone well.

Rather a quick post - I should be sorting documents (and have that Hosp appoint in the Morn - Must have info for that too).

One of my Very first Management Services Client was the Director/accountant of "Home Grown Fruit", Based in Canterbury and I had to examine several sites - Herefordshire, S Wales, Essex and several in Kent. The Kent site had several farms as Members but (Like Brookfield) all seemed to be relatives of each others Farms. Wish I had encountered Brogdale.

Yes, Billericay Blusher was a Local type - just like to know what it was/is like.

I was when I was visiting my daughter then my cousin. I wanted to visit Brogdale, and Whitstable. Well worth the visit. Both are Real places, not artificially tarted up with glitter and tat for the tourists. Usually I live in Somerset near a seaside town with very little for the tourists who aren't staying at the holiday camp.

I think Billericay Blusher will be a local name or even a local variety.

The live performance is tomorrow morning. Other people will be playing in the spaces, and I have to count so I know when to play again.

I just Googlied "Billericay Blusher" - it came up with Cosmetics, so I added the word "apple" and it came up with repairers for Apple Computers in Billericay, and a School that uses Apple Computers (thinks: that school was originally a Church school ... The Pilgrim Fathers - had a ship built in Tilbury, did Sea trials to the Brighton, Picked up their mates along the South Coast, Took Victuals (Beef Livestock) on their last port of call at Plymouth and invented America. How do I know ... The Current clergy's daughter married my mate).
Faversham ... in Kent. Didn't know that you were as near as Kent.
A Rehearsal with spaces in it! When is the Live performance?

As long as it wasn't abusive or violent, just relax. I'm sure they will benefit from your wisdom and experience.

There's a great apple collection Brogdale, across the estuary at Faversham, which has the National collection of apples. 2000 + varieties. We grew lots in South Shropshire, including cider apples, including Tom Putts. There was one yellow cooker that was dual purpose. You had to pick it carefully because it was so soft you could dent the surface by light finger pressure. My auntie said it 'went abroad' when you cooked it, because it turned into puree very easily. We called it Scotch Bridget, but my brother told me it was a Pippin.

One year, I arrived at Brogdale in Octogre to find it was apple day. There was a huge barn with saucers on tables with all the varieties set out in order of type. At one end, an enormous shelf unit divided into cells had a different apple in each cell. When you looked at it from the opposite end, it had turned into a mosaic picture of an apple. I later discovered when I visited my artist second cousin up by Margate, that his wife had designed it. She was a pretty good artist herself.

I've been to a rehearsal this morning, where I had to count a lot of beats between playing and not playing. Nice hymns, and 3 pieces by Haydn, Corelli and Purcell respectively.

I'd better go and Hide - Just realised that the Board I've been shouting at, I was in fact telling the local Councillors their fortune.
I'm going into Hiding, I have to berate them in a more structured way during the next week ...

You see... You see what you've done: Got me thinking on another tack. Yet another Client (Chelmsford Council) had me out sorting Dustcart rounds. One of the Rural rounds had to call at ... well, I nearly said Farmhouse, but it was actually a Fruit collection of different Apple types - hundreds of them - I was told that He had an open day every year, and sold these apples in small quantities (Retail Quantities that is). I can't find it now? I was told that He had the Local (to me) apple, Billericay Blusher. No idea what it looked or tasted like, nor if it was a Desert, Culinary or Drinking apple?

I like Braeburns these days, or Laxton's Superb, which was crossed with Golden Delicious to produce Braeburn. A later attempt with the same breeds produced the Jazz apple, but it isn't as good as Braeburn. I remember Fanny Andrews who made the most delicious faggots, with lots of sage and onion. Discussing it a few years ago with my brother, it emerged that neither of us had ever bought them anywhere else. Fanny lived in one of the farm cottages and worked harder than anyone I ever knew. She once gave me a bantam hen and chicks which were about the size of spherical 5p pieces. They were the most delightful feature of our farm yard as I grew up. Apart from the 5 Shire horses.

You are not allowed Brie without Grapes: or you will have to resort to Granny Smith?
Thinks: You have just reminded me of a Manager at Thorn Electrical, Who had a Russet tree in his Garden and through the season would bring an apple to each of us four at the Dining Table to go with Canteen Cheese. Funny how one sometimes remember these long-missed people.

Snap. I bough a bit of Somerset Brie. But I haven't got any grapes. Chiz. I get days when I keep falling asleep. It's nature's way of telling you to take a break. In your uphill struggle, you need to build in at least one day off a week. Don't do as I do, Do as I say.

Not had much time to look in today (OK, to be more honest, I keep falling asleep).
I bought a half-wheel of Cornish Brie (£2:00, Chelmsford Market), So I'll raid the Biscuit Jar and make a Goodnight Snack... with some Grapes.

Rain again, but it looks like tailing off for the rest of the day with short light showers. Ignoring the heavy rain in the middle of the night that is.