More Country Pursuits
Want to serve your guests something festive? Try my world famous Winter Wonder.
The dark rum warms the cockles while the spicy aftertaste of ginger beer will give you a kick and liven up the party. It certainly does when Babs Sax is around anyway; I’ve had to limit her to no more than four Winter Wonders a night. [...] Continue reading
Don’t trust a man who only calls you ‘Sexy, Hot Lips etc’ and never by your first name. Chances are he’s got so many other women on the go he only sticks to terms of endearment in case he calls one of you by the wrong one. Happened to me once, luckily the en-suite bathroom had a sturdy lock on it. She soon got over it. [...] Continue reading
A warming winter soup with a touch of spice. Ooh la la!
Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the pumpkin, onion, garlic and thyme. Cover and sweat on a low heat for ten minutes, stirring a couple of times. Add the chopped tomatoes (and half a teaspoon of sugar if using tinned tomatoes), tomato purée, a little grating of nutmeg and simmer until the pumpkin is [...] Continue reading
The village of Churchminster is mentioned as far back as the Doomsday book. In the 11th century the village was little more than a number of small dwellings, but it was unusual in the fact that it had both a Christian church and a monastery, hence the name ‘Church Minster.’ Both original buildings are long since gone, but the monastery is thought to have stood on the land that now belongs to Clanfield Hall. The present day St Bartholomew’s stands on the same site as its predecessor and was rebuilt in 1559 after a freak flash flood swept through the area. Apart from a new roof in 1832 and emergency work to rebuild the spire after it was hit by lightning in 1921, the church has barely changed and is [...] Continue reading
DO invest in a pair of Hunter wellies. Traditional green is the preferred choice but if one feels like throwing caution to the wind, dark blue is desirable. Avoid the polka dot and floral ones from those dreadful high street chain shops. They are vulgar, impractical and clearly mark you out as an outsider.
DON’T ever put on the aforementioned wellingtons without shaking them upside down first. All manner of insects and creatures can crawl in unannounced. Fenella Washington-Crewe pulled her Hunters on once without thinking, only to find a hedgehog had chosen to hibernate in one for the winter. Fenella was housebound for weeks and missed that year’s hunting season.
DO make headscarves an essential part of your wardrobe. They make a wonderful accompaniment to an outfit and, of course, protect [...] Continue reading
