This article was originally published on Hubpages in July 2010.   Why Make Jam? Preserving fruits is easy. It is a traditional kitchen skill which can create a store of long-life foods which taste delicious, look good, and are totally free of artificial colours and synthetic additives. Add a pretty cloth lid over the metal one, and a pot of homemade jam can make a handy last-minute gift. Harvest fruits from the hedgerow - away from roads, to avoid fruits which may have absorbed toxins from exhaust fumes - or grow fruits in your own garden as we do, and the only financial expenditure will be sugar and whatever fuel you use during the cooking process. Making jam is a great way to save money. Re-cycle old glass jars with screw-on metal lids. Wash jars and lids thoroughly, then rinse in clean water. When you start your jam-making session, spread them out on a baking tray and put them into a cold oven. Raise the temperature to 100 degrees and leave them like that for half-an-hour to ste...

Gentle Waves and Tranquil Days; watercolour,2018. Eagle-eyed regulars have already noticed that I've changed the name of my online merchandise store from Spooky Cute Designs to something more direct.  There was nothing wrong with the old name, as such, but had become rather misleading.  The store's earliest designs tended to be teddy bears wearing a witch's hat, or the ever-popular Beelzebear designs or similar, and while many of these items are still available, (printed onto T-shirts, bags, household furnishings, posters and more), the majority of the store's merchandise now derives from my art and photography, plus the range of items for writers which remains popular.  Therefore the old store name was misleading to new clients.  I only changed its name recently but sales are already improving. One of my nieces recently posted on Facebook that she was thinking of combining her two YouTube channels into one.  As I said to her, a hazard of having any kind o...

Here's a short video slideshow made from some of the rapid sketches I'd done during 2016.  The location is Birkenhead Park, and all but one of the sketches were done with an ordinary fine-line ink pen.  I used a small pad which could easily be tucked inside a jacket pocket for convenience.  When I describe the sketches as rapid, I mean it.  Many of them were completed within a few seconds.  I hope you all enjoy the video.  You can find my other videos by using the menu above, or at my YouTube site. As I type this, rain is pattering loudly against the window beside me.  It's a sound I've always enjoyed; I find it strangely comforting and restful.  Rain has its own musicality. The rain will also help to water-in the loganberry and thornless blackcurrant canes I planted in large tubs yesterday.  I also potted up two wall baskets with three tiny strawberry plants in each.  As they grow, these will happily dangle down and provide a sp...

Rapid sketch of moorhens; 2016. I'm enjoying a spot of annual leave this week, which began with a lively and well-attended writers' event at Bebington Library on Saturday the 19th.  This featured members of Wirral Writers , Bebington Bards , the 3Ls Creative Writing Group and Riverside Writers .  I'm no longer a member of Riverside Writers due to constraints of time, but I had been invited to join in anyway. Due to there being so many writers and poets wishing to read, a strict time limit was imposed and so the audience only heard half of my 1,600 word story, Fame, which is about an obscure, ageing rock singer who has turned up on Facebook.  It's a story about reminiscing and unachieved ambitions which still tempt. My sister Evelyn came to the library event, and afterwards she and I travelled to my home with my friends Tim and Nigel, where we all socialised for a couple of hours and caught up on news. I've been generally tidying up the house.  It is now ...

Left to right: Adele CB, Freddie, Sharon and Adele H. The last time Freddie, Adele, Sharon and I all had lunch together was when we were still in high school, so when Sharon suggested a get-together we readily agreed, and it was a fabulous day.  Here we all are, in the photo, ready to dine at the Oxton Bar & Kitchen. As teenagers, we all lived in Lowton , a small village in Lancashire.  Life revolved around school, Lowton Youth Club, listening to music and the usual teenage preoccupations.  Adele's recently bought the house she grew up in, Freddie lives just outside Nottingham, while Sharon lives in Orange County, America, where she works as an artist. We had great fun catching up on news, of course.  After a good lunch, we meandered round the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum then returned to my house for coffees.  Naturally my dogs joined in the fun, being spoiled for choice by having three extra people to demand cuddles from. Adele didn't parti...

An avenue of apple trees outside Gilroy Allotments.   Sign encouraging people to freely enjoy future apple harvests!   Gilroy Allotment site, a thriving community project.   Gilroy Nature Park, a few short steps from the allotments.   Click on the pictures to view them larger.      A new avenue of apple trees lines the narrow public footpath which leads from Gilroy Road in West Kirby, Wirral, and passes the Gilroy Road Community Allotments site and the entrance to Gilroy Nature Park.  The young trees are of mixed varieties, supported by stout wooden posts, and have been planted on both sides of the path.   There is a large sign, shaped like apple leaves, which declares:  "Incredible Edible!  When ripe feel free to pick some fruit!"  Another 'leaf' on the sign reads:  "The apple avenue is an invitation to consider where our food comes from and how we can reduce our food ...

A rugged path leads to the summit of Caldy Hill. This morning promised a glorious spring day, and so I went for a walk over Caldy Hill.  My two dogs kept me company, of course, as the likelihood of any human member of this household being able to head out for a walk without taking Emily and Ygraine along too is pretty slim.  Not unless you'd want to endure hours of grumpy yapping and sad-eyed sulking, that is.  The light wasn't too good for photography, really - Wales, on the opposite bank of the River Dee,  was totally obscured by haze - but the golden-yellow gorse is looking too lovely for me not to attempt a few shots.  It's a pity readers of this blog can't share the gorse's perfume...  Think of warm honey, with a dash of sharp lemon and you'll have a reasonable idea of the fragrance hanging on every slight breeze.   Most of the trees here are deciduous and it's still too early in the season for leaves, but every branch is covered in...

Penny, Felicity and Joyce enjoying the spring sunshine. Last night I discovered a flavour which I hate even more than aniseed, and that is cardamom.  Big pods of the stuff were in the curry which I had been really looking forward to, as I love a good curry.  Then I was attacked by what surely has to rank as being amongst the most vile flavours on earth.  People like this stuff?!!   Wikipedia describes it as having a "strong, unique taste".  I agree.  It's also revolting; spectacularly so, even. Each to our own, of course.  This body of mine has always had a strange relationship with some foods, which seems to run contrary to average reactions.  For example, peppermint tea, which is supposed to settle upset stomachs, actually makes me feel nauseous.  Salad, beloved by millions, gives me excruciating indigestion, as do certain dark green foods.  Echinacea, which is supposed to boost the immune system, gives me spli...

My two young silver-laced wyandottes, Felicity Kendal and Penelope Keith, both laid their first eggs this morning!  The third, smaller, egg in the dish was laid by my older hen, Joyce Grenfell, who is an ISA Brown. You can watch them on this video:   

Last night we watched Nell , which stars Jodie Foster, Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson.  This is a story about a young woman who was found living in a remote shack without modern amenities.  Nell had been raised by her mother, who spoke poorly due to the effects of a stroke, and consequently Nell's version of English was at first assumed to be the nonsense of a severely mentally handicapped person. Jodie Foster's acting in this film was extraordinary.  I've been an admirer of her work for years anyway but this intense performance was fascinating.  The film occasionally strayed into sentimentality, and there were a few little holes in the plot.  Where was Nell's mother getting money from (which she exchanged for groceries delivered to a rock near their home, the money being left in a purse there).  If the mother - who died at the start of the film - had needed to buy food so would Nell, an issue which ...

Freshly harvested from our four-year old tree - and not one drop of insecticide was used.  We lost two apples to wasps but the rest are ours.  They even smell sweet! It's as well we're not relying on this small harvest to support us through the coming winter.  Richard's already ear-marked them for an apple crumble, anyway. 

My latest batch of homemade jam - apple and cherry, in this instance - straight from the pan and waiting for wax-paper seals.  The apples were from our garden; the first time we've had a decent crop from this young tree.  There is still some fruit on the branches, as yet unripened. I make my own jams so they're totally free of synthetic colours and other additives.  Made properly, unopened preserves can be safely stored for years.  It's a pleasant feeling to know the household cupboards are well-stocked. I also enjoy maintaining old traditions.  Preserving foods for the coming winter months is a task which has been observed for millennia.  These-days we're so used to simply popping out to the shops 24/7 that on the rare occasions that there's been some kind of hold-up in the supply chain, people started panicking within only a few days.  Maybe we should think about becoming a little more self-reliant?  We've become so d...

“You have a refrigeration problem,” said the fridge repair man. Hence the overwhelming lack of chill, hmm? The madly-gurgling contraption was barely two years old. We are not pleased. Certainly we will not be purchasing that brand again. The repair man said he could try re-gassing it but the likelihood of this lasting more than a day or so was slim to anorexic. Fortunately the modest freezer section wasn’t full to capacity. There were several tubs of home-made soups and Bolognese sauces which are now on the compost heap. And there was one lone samosa lurking in a corner. Last night’s meal was a bacon feast. We’ll be having roast chicken tonight, and again tomorrow night. Well, these things can’t be refrozen…. And the kitchen bin is filled with ice-cream (sugary poison anyway) and a spectacularly vile apple strudel whose twin was mostly fed to the dogs at New Year. Emily buried her share in the garden. To the best of my knowledge she’s yet to dig it up again. Our new fridge-fr...

 If you like children's books, then give  Ingo by Helen Dunmore a try. This story about mermaids off the Cornish coast was imaginative and thoughtful, and introduces the reader to two modern-day children who are grieving for their father. The mermaids may be enchanting but can they be trusted? I can’t wait to read the second in the new series. Also good was   North Child   by Edith Pattou , which has elements of Beauty and the Beast and The Snow Queen. The heroine comes from a farming family who’ve run into hard times. She is pushed into a dangerous and scary life with a talking polar bear - but who is the polite stranger who sleeps beside her each night? Several members of Riverside Writers enjoy reading children’s literature. They admit that having kids or grandkids is a great excuse to indulge in the latest stories. I have no such excuse - but who cares! On Monday, May 24th, local author and playwright Marc Gee will be giving a public talk about his w...

Am I ready for tonight? I organised it, so I should hope so… Yesterday, I was chatting to Julie Mann , one of the librarians at West Kirby Library, and we remarked how the initial planning for New Tales for Old Byways had begun at a meeting a year ago. That was when the Wirral Bookfest had been scheduled for April, before the threatened library closures set everything back months. Julie will be taking photos tonight, just as she did for last year’s Words from Wordsmiths event. Wirral TV will be filming tonight’s event. This was confirmed only yesterday. It should be an interesting experience to have a film crew moving around. I’ll be reading Seth’s Basement , which introduces one man’s strange hobby; and also Food, which is one of my series about the Caldy Hill fae. But the program is very diverse, being a group effort. Hope to see you there!

Saturday saw me in Manchester, when I met with two friends. When burgers were suggested for lunch I hesitated. Regular readers of my scribblings will know I avoid junk food like the plague. However, my two friends hold similar leanings regards health and aesthetics and they said this restaurant made its own burgers from 100% Aberdeen Angus beef. We just made it before a monsoon drenched the city! http://thatsfoodanddrink.blogspot.com/2007/07/gourmet-burger-kitchen-opens-in.html  offers a fair description of GBK. So, yes, if you’re in Manchester and are feeling hungry, I can recommend the place – pleasant surroundings, reasonably priced and excellent food. The milk shakes were yummy, too. Sunday saw Emily waiting for Cat to arrive. That puppy explodes into happy yipping-yapping when my niece’s arrival makes the front gate squeak. The poor girl can hardly get through the door for our two dogs excitedly greeting her. She was wearing black jeans. Oh dear. When will she learn? Bl...

“So,” I said to Richard, “what did you cook for yourself on Saturday night while I was away?” We were on our way back from Lime Street Station where he’d kindly come to collect me after my weekend in Manchester. “I got indigestion,” he said. “What from? What did you eat?” “Pilchards and scrambled egg on toast,” he said, “followed by rhubarb pie. And haggis.”

I’m still recovering from the biggest chocolate and vanilla ice-cream sundae, with chopped nuts and brandy snaps and runny chocolate drizzles that I’ve ever encountered! Slimming it wasn’t, but scrumptious it most definitely was. Neither I nor Mum could finish the entire dessert. Poor Richard could only look on, over the expanse of plain apple pie which he’d chosen. This was yesterday, in the Waterside Inn in Leigh , which stands beside the Manchester Ship Canal, the historical waterway which joins Manchester to Liverpool and the Irish Sea. Back in the Victorian era of wealthy cotton mills and coal mines, this canal provided a vital route for import and export. Now it’s used mainly for tourism. The mills stand empty, unless they’ve already been converted into luxury apartments. The coal mines were closed during the Thatcher years. And Leigh, like many mining towns, never really recovered from the loss of traditional industries. Many shops are empty or derelict – yet the entrance to ...

This advert (reproduced word-for-word here) might appeal:- "Stay at our hotel for a 7 day holiday you will receive: GLASS OF WINE WITH EVENING MEAL EACH DAY, FREE PACKED LUNCH, WHICH INCLUDES CRISPS, BISCUITS, DRINK, PIECE OF FRUIT AND A SAUSAGE ROLL (sandwich option extra cost of £1.80) 1 NEWSPAPER (PER ROOM). HAPPY HOUR TWICE A WEEK 9-10pm ALL HALF PRICE. Our famous 5 Course Hot Buffet, Good food with En-suite, Colour TV, Telephone Dancing, and Entertainment each night.” I wonder how telephone dancing works? Is it a bit like telephone sex, in that you don’t actually do anything but talk about it? Picture the scene, with some weary holiday-maker perched on the edge of their hotel bed, furtively whispering into the handset: “I’m waving my arms now. Ooow, and just look at those tapping toes, and that dodgy wiggly-shuffle thingy that I always do….” Who checks to make sure guests only have “1 NEWSPAPER PER ROOM”? What happens if you sneak in another, or – oow, the thrill – seve...