Things that are happening in October..

Posted on October 1, 2011 by nicdempsey

1) I’m going to see Ryan (on Tuesday in fact), two days in Belfast and general talking and arsing about..

2) Ben has a birthday. Also last week Ben got an A at his appearance (really hard to do), he’s now onto 21 days and well on his way to being a black cab driver. (For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about taxi drivers in London have to pass the Knowledge, Ben is currently in the process of doing this and it’s pretty difficult!)

3) The clocks go back. This sucks for me, I’m not keen on winter and the reminder that’s it’s coming is not a happy one. However, I am going to make a more concerted effort to up the exercise and be outside in the sunlight more to see if that helps.

4) Shopping for wedding dresses. Not for me. I’m being the supportive friend and ‘helping’ Christelle in preparation for her and Mike’s wedding (on Mike’s birthday) next August.

5) Sipsmith Cocktail Masterclass as part of London Cocktail Week. I’ve visited Sipsmith before and this should be fun!

6) Theatre. We’re (Ma and I) going to see the new Mike Leigh play, Grief.

Should be quite a good month..

 

 

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Middleham

Posted on September 29, 2011 by nicdempsey

The 4th and last castle of the holiday. I will write a lot more about the castles later but for mow I’m going to enjoy the last night of my holiday!

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Warkworth Castle

Posted on September 25, 2011 by nicdempsey

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We walked to Warkworth today and visited our first castle of the holiday!

I reckon we’ll manage at least 2 others before Middleham.

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Tomorrow, Holy Island…

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Growing Up

Posted on September 23, 2011 by nicdempsey

I’ve mentioned it about a million times in the last couple of weeks, Tina and Charles moved yesterday. I helped. As a result, I have 6 bruises and am quite tired. It was hard work but I didn’t lose any weight (I don’t think) because Tina kept feeding us. I got to know Tom’s girlfriend, Yoey a bit better and gained a cupboard, 2 highlighters, several plants and a bottle of whisky, so I think I did better out of it than they did!

I’ve written about how the move has affected me and how much harder this must be for Tina & Charles’ children. Christina has best expressed it here, with her usual wit and eloquence. I hope she doesn’t mind me quoting her:

“The house has been a family home to hundreds of people who aren’t technically family, a place to sleep for countless friends-of-friends, and the means of creating many new friendships. It represent more than bricks and mortar in our collective subconscious: it’s a monument to our family history.”

One of the plants I inherited was Tom’s aloe vera, the plant is called Christina, because it’s a bit prickly. Both of them can be but Christina the person is also clever (she knows a lot about 18th Century smut), she sings amazingly well, her Twitter stream makes me laugh all the time and, as her blog about her parents moving out of their family home proves, she writes beautifully and wisely…

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Started in the Kitchen

Posted on September 22, 2011 by nicdempsey

This week in the middle of helping T & C move, I gained some plants and a cupboard! I’ve been looking for a freestanding cupboard to replace the trolley for a while. The trolley has been great but there is a lot of stuff on it so it looks a bit messy and when Olly and Tabitha are around and now they are moving, open shelves within their reach is just too much temptation for them. However, cupboards are expensive (especially when you’re unemployed and have no money!). T & C were going to get rid of this cupboard, they inherited it years ago and it’s been in Tom’s room, it wasn’t worth keeping and not good enough to sell. So perfect for me!

Kitchen before

Kitchen after

Yay for free furniture and check out the new begonia too!!

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Old labels

Posted on September 21, 2011 by nicdempsey

wish I had had time this week to take photos of the very ancient labels on things we’ve been clearing…

This was my favorite so I did get a photo

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Life Neutral

Posted on September 19, 2011 by nicdempsey

I saw this via Samuel West’s twitter feed

Life Neutral

Seems to sum up everything wrong about this industry and government support of it.

 

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Sunday Music

Posted on September 18, 2011 by nicdempsey

I’m going on holiday next week and it involves a 6 hour drive (London to just past Newcastle!) so I’m making CD’s, that will please me and my mother. This is harder than you think, especially in light of Mum’s request that “it’s something I like not the stuff that you listen to”, so no Foo Fighters then!

So today a selection of music that your mother might enjoy:

Gloria Jones – Tainted Love

The Flirtations – Nothing but a Heartache

The Velvettes – Needle in a Haystack

And finally

Martha Reeves and The Vandellas – Third Finger, Left Hand (and proud feminist that I am, I’m not keen. Ma is just an example of how confusing growing up in the 50’s and 60’s was!)

Well that’s the soul stuff

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Friday Night Cocktail

Posted on September 16, 2011 by nicdempsey

Friday Night Cocktail should have been coming to you from the OXO Tower, but Ma wasn’t feeling up to it and we cancelled. This leaves me home wondering what to eat and drink.

Back in August I made some cherry vodka. For someone who doesn’t really drink vodka I have been gifted with an awful lot of it and I love cherries. So now I have it, what to do with it? Well I wanted a longer drink and this is what I came up with.

You could use the cherry/ginger wine/ vodka mixture and top up with fizz if you wanted.

What

1oz cherry vodka

1oz ginger wine

8 frozen cherries

Tonic or ginger ale

How

1) Put the cherries, ginger wine and vodka in a blender and blend

2) Strain out cherry pulp

3) Fill a long glass with ice, add the vodka/cherry mix

4) Top up with tonic or ginger ale

5) Enjoy

Now if anyone can think of a name for it, let me know!

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Random Things

Posted on September 16, 2011 by nicdempsey

1) Pictures from my sister-in-law (or how cute is this boy!)

2) Tonight Ma is taking me for cheeky cocktails (how amazing is my mother)

3) Only another week and I’m going away to Northumbria. Expect more photos like this

On the way back we’re going to Middleham. I am really excited about this in a totally nerdy way.

It’s been an very quiet week but next week is looking stupidly busy, with T & C moving, a leaving lunch for Gill, seeing Jo and Ms T, perfecting the apple cake (more on that next week) and life generally. Now I’m going for a walk and getting tickets to see Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy tomorrow.

(The only thing that could make my mother more excited about seeing this film was if it had Simon Russell Beale in it!)

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