Allowing For Artistic Licence?

I've just finished reading 'The Offing' by Benjamin Myers, not an author I had heard of until I caught a bit of Kevin Whatley reading this on Radio 4 Book at Bedtime and then it was mentioned on a couple of blogs.

It was an interesting, gentle and happy story set in the years just after WWII. The story of a young lad from the Durham coalfields avoiding going down the mines like his Dad by walking through the countryside and of Dulcie a much older lady, living alone and avoiding the memories of something that happened eight years earlier.
When I got to the end I decided it was one worth recommending as I'd really enjoyed it ..............except for the little bits that made me frown.

There were some things that just jarred or am I being too picky?
 For instance ............
Would a 16  year old from a Durham coal mining family have a sleeping bag in 1948?

The Rare Breeds Survival Trust  didn't start until 1973, and back in 1948 no one would have mentioned "rare breed sheep", they would have just been sheep.

Would there really have been "long abandoned caravans" for him to sleep in during his travels in the countryside of 1948?

He took with him paper and a pen. As far as I know - and I'm willing to be told I'm wrong - the only pens then would have needed ink too, it's too early for ball-point pens.  Surely it's more likely he would have carried a pencil?

That's just the few I remember.

Yes I'm probably being too picky............... I'll make allowances and recommend it.

***************

I know the weather in Cardiff yesterday was sunny because I saw some of the heroes running the half-marathon on TV  but here in Suffolk - Oh My Goodness it was WET. ALL. DAY. We don't often have rain that lasts so long. It was horrible. No biking and no walking and saw no one.  I spent some time transferring stuff from the blog and diary onto Word for a Penny Pincher Letter, although our group of letter writers - which started in 2000 - has ground to a halt I'm still doing a letter and printing out as a paper diary to keep for posterity - just for myself and history!

It was so gloomy I had lights and TV on nearly all day just to cheer things,  and watched Rugby, Athletics - last day sadly, Songs of Praise, Strictly and the 2nd part of the new BBC drama -World on Fire, among other things.

Moving the bird feeder to right by the front window was a brainwave that I should have thought of earlier. It started off pushed in the ground but kept leaning so I moved the cast-iron parasol base round and wedged the feeder in with a bit of wood so keep it tight.  During the wet/windy Sunday the visitors to it were non-stop and fun to watch much closer than before and it got even busier once I ventured out to fill everything up.


Back Tomorrow
Sue

Easter Cards

March.....and it was my turn for a Penny Pincher Letter. I've mentioned before how a group of us who subscribed to The Penny Pincher Paper kept in touch after the Paper finished.There were 7 of us

writing originally...........now we are down to  5 taking it in turns to write.
My Penny Pincher Letter is rarely about Penny Pinching because it's all old news but I just write about what's been happening in the last few months, books read, bargains found etc. much the same as the blog...........but without pictures! Luckily 2 of the people who I send letters to don't read the blog so it's new news to them.

Anyway, as Easter is coming up I thought I would make some cards to include in with my letter. I had a quick look through the stash and couldn't find anything that gave me any ideas for cards. So I went on Craft Creations website and did a virtual shop - putting all sorts of things in my basket. When it got to check-out the total came to over £30....WHAT! I went back and took things out of the basket but it still came to over £20......too much for someone with shelves and boxes full of card making stuff. I switched the lap top off and looked through my stash again and at last came up with an idea and made the cards above.

Spending £0.....satisfaction 10/10!

Even though I printed out the letters and got them into envelopes we were then stuck at home due to the snow and  I didn't get them posted off to arrive on the first of the month............ Finally got them posted when the snow went .

We had a very good morning at Addenbrookes yesterday. Col's specialist nurse had organised his usual clinic appointment + CT scan + bone marrow sampling to perfection, we were in and out and roundabout without too many hold ups and home by 2.15pm. And Good News -  we don't have to go to Addenbrookes for 2 weeks and he can have the Hickman line dressing changed in Ipswich next week instead. It will be nice to have a week without that trip along the A14.

Thank you to everyone for hankie comments yesterday. I love to think of boxes of fancy hankies going into charity shops after each Christmas and then selling again before the next Christmas! Hankies and tea towels were the things I was first "allowed" iron when I was young and I do keep a box of soft tissues for visitors, those ones with balm are much kinder on small noses.

Have a good weekend.

Back Monday
Sue

Baps, rolls or buns

Whatever you call them where you live, they are easy enough to make





Large white floury ones sell for around 65p for 4 in the supermarkets. The cost for 4 large home made is around 30p + cooking. So, as long as you put them in when you are cooking something else, that's half the price.

The recipe I use comes from an issue of The Penny Pincher Paper (more about that HERE) - but with alterations

(Edited in to say I use strong bread flour) I don't use as much yeast,salt,sugar or butter as the recipe, and I use my Kenwood chef with it's dough hook to mix,but do make sure the dough is really soft and when shaping into rolls I try not to handle too much. I don't brush the tops with anything but do sprinkle flour.

I've got a newly concocted  recipe for Veggie Burgers which go rather well in these rolls. I'll put that on here sometime soon.

Back Soon
Sue