Five things

[shewhomust]

I have broken my (prescription) reading glasses.

Yesterday I visited the optician and picked out a frame (my only requirement is that the reading glasses be as different as possible to any other glasses I own, to minimise the risk of wearing the weong glasses) and in a week's time I will have new ones. With luck they will work even better than the old ones, since my prescription has changed quite a bit. Meanwhile, I am squinting at things with my nose to the paper.

We - unintentionally - dined on vegetarian haggis.

I had included haddis in my cheese order, since these are the people (or the successirs of the people) from whom I have long bought my haggis. The delivery note says "not vegetarian", but I can see how expressing it like that could lead to errors. The worst thing about it, though, was not that it was vegetarian byt that it was tinned; also in a plastic 'stomach' as a result of which the texture was completely wrong. Which was disappointing.

Other endangered foodstuffs:

A Guardian article discusses seven of the UK’s most endangered foods, of which we frequently eat two, saddleback pork and beremeal. The illustration shows something unlike any bere bannock I have ever met...

Not the finger in the ear show

In 1982 the EFDSS made a half hour programme in the BBC's Open Door slot, about why you might like folk music better than you expect (the defensive note is theirs).

Watch on YouTube

Some familiar faces and some unexpected fashion choices (Martin Simpson in a pink bow tie?)

One for my own benefit: Thank Goodness it's Folk

Sam Hindley and James Fagan on Sheffield Live - because I believe the latest show had lots of Les Barker, and I'd like to listen to it.

Comments

[sovay]

seven of the UK’s most endangered foods, of which we frequently eat two, saddleback pork and beremeal.

I don't think I have ever had bere, unless I didn't know it. How does it taste compared with other barleys?

I'm so sorry about your vegetarian haggis!

[shewhomust]

I don't think you're likely to have eaten bere unawares - you'd only find it somewhere that's really into historic crops (we buy ours from the Barony Mill, when we're in Orkney). I haven't done a comparative tasting with other forms of barley; I mix a proportion into wheat flour, and it brings a certain nuttiness...

[sovay]

I mix a proportion into wheat flour, and it brings a certain nuttiness...


That sounds nice!

(I didn't know if it showed up in whole grain sorts of things)

[lamentables]

I'm going to get a spare pair of reading glasses; I'm long-sighted and cannot read at all without them. I was having mine reglazed last week when the frame broke. They always warn me this is a possibility when keeping the frame and changing the lenses, but that's the first time it's happened to me. Fortunately, my lovely optician was able to find a frame in the shop that was so close to the same shape that I could have the lenses trimmed very slightly to fit and all it cost me was 90 minutes hanging around waiting. I never again want to be that close to a week without reading, sewing, knitting, or anything else I do for relaxation.

[shewhomust]

My sympathies - you are worse off than I, since I can just about manage to read! Ciikind - chopping vegetables and peeling tomatoes - was unexpectedly hard work last night! I was very pleased when the optician rang this morning: I have an appointment to collect my new glasses tomorrow.

[anef]

I've never heard of bere, but I will look out for it now!

[shewhomust]

You may need to go to Orkney for it - but that's no hardship!

[anef]

We do have a vague idea of visiting Orkney at some point - I wouldn't call it anything as definite as a plan!