The Anonymous Widower

How To Celebrate Australian Defeat By England

Last night, I made a couple of my shepherd’s pies.

Last Night's Shepherd's Pie

Last Night’s Shepherd’s Pie

One was for last night and the other was to be saved for later.  Although, as I have had a slight problem with the fridge, I suspect it’ll go in the freezer. I dropped a knife yesterday and it slid under the fridge.  In getting it out of its hole under the work-top, I must have pulled the cable out, so of course it stopped working. As all my milk went solid, I’m not in the best mood today, having had to drink black tea.

I had a thought yesterday, as I was making the pies.  Would one work with kangaroo mince, to celebrate a victory over the old enemy?

My rudimentary cooking skills say it would and from time in Australia, I know that kangaroos are good eating.  So I used that great cooking utensil, Google, to look for a supplier.

The first I found was Macken Brothers in Chiswick. They have a selection of exotic meats and confirmed they can do kangaroo mince.

I also searched further and found Kezie Foods in Scotland, which has a wide selection of kangaroo meat. According to that page, kangaroo meat is very good for your heart.

I’ll definitely cook something in the next month or so.

June 11, 2013 Posted by | Food, Sport | , , | Leave a comment

Remove Weight To Make Something Better

You would think, that by now, we’ve pushed the technology in lifts, as far as we safely can.

But, go up in a very tall building and you’ll often have to change lifts to get to the top.

One of the problems was that the weight of the steel cable that holds the lift car up, was just too much.

But now Kone have come up with a carbon fibre lift cable, that is both light and strong. They call it Ultrarope and it’s described here on their web site.

They claim that maximum lift heights can rise from 500m to a kilometre, whilst saving energy too.

That sounds good to me.

It’s a classic case of improving something, by using a new lighter and stronger material.

June 10, 2013 Posted by | World | , , | Leave a comment

John Stephen Remembered

This plaque in memory of John Stephen was at the Southern end of Carnaby Street.

John Stephen Remembered

John Stephen Remembered

I csan remember some of his fashions from the 1960s, although I never bought anything.

June 10, 2013 Posted by | World | , , | Leave a comment

A Restaurant I Won’t Visit

As they seem to encourage smoking dollies to parade outside, I don’t think I’ll visit this restaurant.

A Restaurant I Won't Visit

A Restaurant I Won’t Visit

She put me off so much, I didn’t even look at the menu, but just walked by out of the smoke.

June 10, 2013 Posted by | Food, Health, World | , | Leave a comment

The Spirit Of London

This bus has been around in various guises, but whilst waiting for a 38 to come home, it passed the stop.

This report on the Stagecoach web site, gives details of its refurbishment after an arson attack.

 

 

June 10, 2013 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , | Leave a comment

My Poor Australian Physio

I’m going to see him this afternoon.  I suspect he’ll get a lot of teasing after the performances of Australia in the cricket and the rugby at the weekend.

I doubt I’ll be the first to lay it on thick!

After all they did celebrate at the pub, by spit roasting a kangaroo!

June 10, 2013 Posted by | Sport | , , | 3 Comments

Car Registration NAB 2

This evening, I saw a car with the registration of NAB 2.

This was once owned by the colourful MP; Gerald Nabarro.  But he didn’t own just NAB 2, but the whole sequence from one to seven or so.  I remember seeing them all lined up in a newspaper picture, with two being used for the gardeners’ mopeds.

One connection to the modern day is that Christine Hamilton was at one time, his secretary.

June 9, 2013 Posted by | Transport/Travel, World | , | 1 Comment

A Conversation With A Smoker

This lunchtime, when I left  to go to the Allergy Show, I was approached by a well-dressed guy at the bus-stop, who asked if I had a light for his cigarette. I obviously didn’t have one and neither did any of the other six or seven people waiting for the bus.

I suggested it was a sign that he should give up his habit, but he said he’d never found anything that worked.  So we all suggested a few ideas and he walked up the road.

He didn’t seem bothered by the ;lecture, but I doubt it will make him think much about his habit.

June 9, 2013 Posted by | Transport/Travel, World | | 2 Comments

A Gluten-Free Beer Created Accidentally

I went to the Allergy Show at Olympia today and came across a beer called Crop Circle from the Hop Back Brewery. They say this on the web site about the beer.

Crop Circle is a very clean flaxen coloured beer with wonderful thirst quenching properties. The Subtle blend of aroma and bittering hops gives a crispness on the tongue which is delicately fruity, giving way to some dryness

Crop Circle has always been Gluten Free – we have however only recently had it tested and certified and believe it is the first main stream beer to be awarded the Cross Grain accreditation.

It is a real beer and not a lager, but it was really to my taste and I shall be buying at least a few bottles. For scientific and research purposes of course!

The interesting thing, is that I once spoke to the head brewer of a famous real ale brewery.  He thought that although his beers were not gluten-free, because of the method of production, they might be very low in gluten.  I’ve drunk the odd bottle of his brewery’s beer and I didn’t have any reactions.  But then I’m not a serious coeliac!

June 9, 2013 Posted by | Food, World | , | Leave a comment

Hollande In Cloud-Cuckoo Land

This story from the BBC is entitled, “Euro crisis is over, says France’s Francois Hollande”

I can hear Bud Flanagan singing a new version of the Dad’s Army theme song call “Who do you think you are kidding Mr. Hollande?”

It might be true to say that the crisis with the Euro is over, But the crisis with some of the countries in the Euro-zone certainly isn’t!

 

June 9, 2013 Posted by | News | , , , | Leave a comment