Observations from a Hill

I've mentioned The Lads here many times, and as recently as the other day: the extended group of [formerly school-] mates that continued long after we had left secondary education, until we became our own diaspora spread far and wide around the UK and the world. Some of us survivors of this once extensive clan still stay in touch via email, the boomer's choice of remote communication. We sometimes get to meet up in person, in ones and twos, although a much larger gathering was formed at the funeral our dear friend Johnny Kyte [blog posts passim]: with representatives a number of the 'sub-tribes' that formed the Venn diagram of friendships within the larger 'super' grouping that was 'The Lads', which, by the time we hit the pubs of Birmingham in earnest back in the early-mid seventies, became very much a larger, mixed gender grouping, as we all started relationships and most got married. We had an email round yesterday to that effect, as it is sixty years...

We went over to Ynys Môn today for a drive out with Carol & Kev who are staying in the cottage for a few days before the next paying guests arrive; fetching up at Pringles - one of the most godawful retail experiences imaginable and to which coach-loads of ageing and aged people [don't say a word] flock in their hundreds every day during holiday seasons. Needless to say it was not my idea, but a pint in the pub opposite before was sufficient fortification to soften the blow. I simply studied the many shelves of fine whiskeys on offer, decided that all were far too expensive for my current pocket and went and sat in the car as the sun turned to showers, listening to Radio Four. We had previously paid a visit to Hooton's farm foods, passing the fields of sunflowers on the way, and bought some veg for tonight's soup; and then went and ate our sandwiches in the car-park of Plas Newydd, before deciding that the café there was effectively a no-go area of similarly old people,...

It's interesting to reflect that the 'internet' - as we would over-simply characterise that huge, sprawling, multi-layered, complex and nuanced network - that we all take as much for granted as we do [at least in the more privileged pockets of humanity] electricity or running clean water - almost never came into being. By which I mean the World Wide Web; those layers of software abstraction and network protocols that seamlessly enable us to suck network bandwidth in the form of cat videos and AI slop. Oh, and some useful stuff as well. Its creator, Tim Berners-Lee had a hard time convincing anyone that his idea actually had any merit at all, and if the naysayers had had their way, the notion of the Web as we know it would have been still-born there and then. But by the August of 1991, the World Wide Web had just one thousand users - all at CERN, where Berners-Lee worked, and the first ever website garnered no more than around  ten visits a day.  This truly was the ground be...

I watched Andy Burnham's first turn addressing Parliament at the sharp end this afternoon, and I have to say I was impressed both by his confidence and the message he was keen to convey. It's interesting to reflect - especially in the light of Keir Starmer's decision to step down as an MP - that, although I voted for Starmer's leadership and was very sceptical about Burnham's challenge for that leadership, that I feel I've been completely wrong on both counts, and it's not an uncomfortable feeling: I like to admit my mistakes where I can. It's good to know you're in the wrong and it's good to admit the fact when faced with it. I was wrong to assume that Starmer's legal background would carry the day in debate: the converse in the political arena proved to be true: he has a good heart, but is no politician. I thought initially that Burnham's challenge was born of ambition and hubris, but I genuinely now believe this not to be the case. I a...

I know this is taking gratuitous food posts to the next level - this being the third in three days: and about the same damned meal for God's sake - but bear with me, it was a long day yesterday and I'm both tired and would like to watch a movie before bed, so there you go. I mentioned the sheer value of the leg of sheep that formed the magnificent centrepiece to this dish; and looking at the amount of eating left on it [two more meals off it tonight, and more to come], this has to represent the best value meat, pound for pound, that we've bought in recent years; never mind the first-rate quality of the produce. I reiterate yesterday's main message: buy your lamb/hogget/mutton from your local Asian, Halal butcher: you really will not be disappointed...

Pictured, this afternoon's birthday main course after cooking - see last night's post for a preamble - although a kleftiko  is essentially a pot roast with juices, I decided halfway though cooking to separate the meat from the veg and strain the sauce from the potato/pepper/tomato/garlic etc. mix and continue roasting the meat and veg in separate pans on a higher heat to finish. The sauce was reduced just a little, and we served it more like a traditional Sunday roast. Despite the deconstruction, it was recognisably a Greek kleftiko, with a hefty presence of lemon, garlic and oregano. I used a large glass of red wine as the base liquor, and the initial cooking was started, covered, on a high heat for just under an hour then reduced to 150˚C for a couple of hours before the deconstruction and final roast for an hour or so at 200˚C uncovered. Most importantly, the meat was rested for about an hour before serving, and was tender and flavourful as a result. We will all smell rather...