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Easy fruit scones – Mary Berry Recipe

Easy Fruit Scones a blog [

I have been baking a lot during lockdown and after a few failures I searched for an easy fruit scone recipe and came across one from Mary Berry.

You may have read my earlier post about how I’ve been reducing food waste during lockdown and that I enjoy cooking my own meals from scratch.

My mum was a fabulous baker making delicious scones in minutes as well as fabulous steamed puddings. I envied how quickly she could throw ingredients together to make such delicious goodies. She taught me a lot about cooking and at school, (many moons ago), Domestic Science as it was called then was my favourite subject and one of my best!

I think I’m quite a good cook but whenever I make a batch of scones they never rise as much as I would like and just don’t taste as good as shop bought ones. Mr Fitz likes a scone and even better when they are freshly baked form the oven and still warm. Now he’s retired I decided I would search for a new recipe or technique which would improve the taste of my scones. I have many cook books but decided to Google for a recipe for easy fruit scones.

I found one from Mary Berry and I love it. It is a quick easy fruit scone recipe and I’ve used it several times now and each time they come out exactly how I want them to be. In fact  during a video chat amongst a group of friends the weekend before last, one of my friends who also has baked for many years commented that she too had been baking more but her scones were not as she would like.  I pointed her in the direction of the Mary Berry recipe and she too has rejoiced at how lovely they are.

Therefore I felt I wanted to share this recipe for easy fruit scones with my readers.

Mary Berry’s fruit scones

Cooking Time 10 minutes  Makes 10 scones

Ingredients

  • 75g (2 1⁄2 oz) butter, chilled and cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing
  • 350g (12oz) self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
  • 30g (1oz) caster sugar
  • 75g (2 1⁄2oz) sultanas
  • About 150ml (5fl oz) milk
  • 2 large eggs, beaten

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan 200°C/425°F/Gas 7). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

Put the flour and baking powder into a large chilled mixing bowl. Add the cubes of butter, keeping all the ingredients as cold as possible.

Rub in lightly and quickly with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and sultanas.

Pour 100ml (31⁄2fl oz) of the milk and all but 2 tablespoons of the beaten egg into the flour mixture.

Mix together with a round-bladed knife to a soft, but not too sticky dough, adding a bit more milk if needed to mop up any dry bits of mixture in the bottom of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, lightly knead just a few times only until gathered together, then gently roll and pat out to form a rectangle about 2cm (3⁄4in) deep.

Cut out as many rounds as possible from the first rolling with a 6cm (21⁄2in) cutter (a plain cutter is easier to use than a fluted one) and lay them on the baking sheet, spaced slightly apart.

Gather the trimmings, then roll and cut out again. Repeat until you have 10 scones.

Brush the tops of the scones with the reserved egg. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until risen and golden.

Remove and cool on a wire rack.

Per serving

Calories: 238
Saturated fat: 5g
Unsaturated fat: 4g
Sodium: 275mg

Ingredients for fruit scones

 

Fruit scones on a baking tray before cooking

Brushed with egg before baking

 

They are delicious easy fruit scones in fact I have baked another batch this afternoon, and we enjoyed them sat in the garden still warm with butter that was melting. We had run out of jam and to be honest we usually just prefer them with butter alone.

scones fresh from the oven

Fresh from the oven

A fruit scone with butter on top

But before I go I must answer the age old question if we do serve with jam and cream which way do I prefer? I’m a jam first then cream kind of a gal….

Try this recipe and let me know what you think. Do you have a tried and tested recipe for anything that you love – let me know in the comments if you do. Also please take a look at what  I’ve been reading in lockdown

Keep staying safe.

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Book recommendations – What’s on my kindle May 2020

A blog post title

I have been reading so much during lockdown and I thought I would share with you what’s on my kindle, what I have read recently and maybe inspire you with some choices and make some book recommendations.

I used to spend hours as a child reading, friends and family always commented that I was never seen without a book in my hand.

More recently I found that reading got pushed further back in my priorities and I only read on holiday. Whilst on holiday with friends in 2015 my roommate had a newer version of Kindle than I had. It was slimmer and lighter and just dropped into her handbag. When I retired from my nursing career a few months later I treated myself to the latest version. Since then I do tend to carry it when travelling and using public transport. I created a Whattsapp group for friends who have similar likes to me and we share book recommendations

But still the number of books I was reading was much less than I would have liked. In 2018 I think I read around 6 books in total. Last year I decided to set myself a target of reading 30 books. I failed to keep records of the books I read but even though I had read many more than 6 I know I did not read 30 – maybe 15. But still an improvement.

This year I again set the target of 30 and I’ve been keeping track! The lockdown scenario has really helped me due to the enforced Stay Home message.

A kindle on a garden chair

Where do I find Book recommendations?

 

A few years ago I was fortunate to be invited by a woman’s magazine to be on a panel reviewing the book recommendations from The Richard and Judy Book Club. We were provided with a full set of that seasons book recommendations and I really enjoyed most of them. As I had a positive experience I use that as a starting point. Before lockdown I will browse the shelves in WH Smith who host the Richard and Judy Book Club initiative and select a few that I fancy. To be honest I take a snapshot of the front with my phone so that I can remember and research in the Kindle Store later.

Anyway that’s the background to my reading habits lets get on with what I have read during lockdown.

I have read 10 novels since lockdown began in March and have enjoyed them all.

A photo of an ebook cover as a book recommendation

I will list them and at the end recommend my top 5 from the list:

  • For Reasons Unknown the 1st in DCI Matilda Burke series – Michael Wood
  • The Husband’s Secret – Liane Moriarty
  • The Perfectly Imperfect Woman – Milly Johnson
  • The Girlfriend – Michelle Frances
  • Blood Orange – Harriet Tyce
  • The Magnificent Mrs Mayhew – Milly Johnson
  • The Murder of Roger Ackroyd – Agatha Christie
  • The Strangers Wife – Anna-Lou Weatherley
  • It’s Raining Men – Milly Johnson
  • How to Keep a Secret  – Sarah Morgan

a kindle book front

My Top 5 book Recommendations from this list are:

  • The Husband’s Secret – Liane Moriarty – I have become a big fan of this author. I have watched Big Little Lies on Sky which I didn’t initailly like but I revisited it and loved it, even though the storyline was dark in places. I have since read another books by Liane – Nine Perfect Strangers. Her signature themes are female friendship, duplicity, the darkness lurking beneath lucky, ordinary suburban lives…The last twist, though, is worth the wait. I found The Husband’s Secret to be the best I’ve read so far. It was fast moving and I was able to quickly build a picture of the characters. I did have a little suspicion of the outcome as the story progressed but could not guess the full ending. Without giving anything away all I will say is that I loved the way she outlined alternative outcomes to the characters lives at the end was a fabulous touch.
  • The Murder of Roger Ackroyd – Agatha Christie I am a huge Agatha Christie fan and in fact I attended a talk about her life and works during a sea day on last years cruise holiday – (if you are planning a cruise you may like to read an example of what we did on another sea day) Her stories are very cleverly crafted and much more intricate in the written form than TV dramatisations portray. Whilst listening to the talk about her works I discovered that this novel had been voted by the British Crime Writers’ Association as the “Best Crime Novel of all Time” Therefore I was intrigued to see why. If you are a seasoned Agatha Christie reader with many of her books you can sometimes speculate to whodunnit before the end. I have to say that I only managed to guess immediately before the killer was revealed. A good read if you like the genre.
  • It’s Raining Men – Milly Johnson. If I don’t want to read anything heavy Milly Johnson has become my go to author. I first discovered her when she was a contestant on Come Dine With Me! This again is my favourite of those I have read. Such a delightful story of 3 work colleagues who decide to holiday in a high class Spa in Yorkshire. There is a mix up with the booking and things don’t quite go to plan. They have all got a secret about their current love life. The story is a lovely piece of chic lit with a splashing of fantasy. I didn’t want it to end.
  • For Reasons Unknown – Michael Wood This book was recommended to me as I enjoy a good piece of Crime fiction. It introduces DCI Matilda Darke for the first time. A detective with a recent troubled past. She has suffered a couple of trauma’s and feels she has to prove herself to colleagues. It is set in Sheffield. A murder takes place which begins to interlink with a previous cold crime. I love a good whodunnit and this keeps you guessing to the end. If you enjoyed watching the TV drama Happy Valley then I think you will enjoy this.
  • Blood Orange – Harriet Tyce This was one of the book recommendations from the current Richard and Judy Book Club choices. Obsession, revenge, lust and murder play out on the pages as a female barrister tries to hold her life together while her personality tries to tear it apart. This is a dark thriller with many twists and turns. I couldn’t put it down and Harriet’s next novel is already on my reading list.

I hope you enjoy a taster of what I have been reading and like my book recommendations.

Do you have any book recommendations for me? I need some inspiration as I am mid book at the moment and love to get suggestions to add to me reading list.

I am on 14 books in this years challenge to read 30. I’m hopeful I’ll do it this year.

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Ring Tyre Inflator – Car Gadgets Product Review

 

Image of a blue car with a blog post title

Disclaimer – The car gadget I am reviewing was gifted to me  – the Ring Tyre Inflator. However this has not influenced my review and opinion of the product. My review is completely impartial

Ring Tyre Inflator packaging

This product, The Ring Tyre Inflator,  was gifted to me for review prior to my brothers illness last year and this review has been delayed. The plus side to this though is that I have had quite a few opportunities to use it.

Owning a car is a great thing enabling travel in your own space, for convenience and  making shopping easier. However I don’t know if you are like me but there are 2 maintenance tasks that I try and avoid – they are

  1. Filling up with petrol
  2. Putting air in the tyres.

I ma educated to Masters Level but putting air in tyres is a skill that has passed me by, I leave it to Mr Fitz. I’m a little ashamed of this as I like to be fully independent. And secretly I did worry that in an emergency I would be a little lost.

Therefore when I was offered the kind opportunity to try the Ring Tyre Inflator, I jumped at the chance.

The company provided me with excellent supporting information about the product

You may or may not be aware that under or over-inflated tyres can reduce the maneuverability of a vehicle, causing your tyres to wear more quickly. This will reduce the fuel efficiency of the vehicle, increasing both fuel costs and CO 2 emissions.

Not great.

But with a tyre inflator you can drive more safely on the roads and reduce costs, as better tyre care means fewer trips to the garage!

As you will see, the team here at Ring have worked hard on the new design of the RTC1000 to provide a large digital screen for easy reading; an LED light to make it simpler to inflate at night; a flat bottom to keep the product stable; dust cap valve holder to stop them rolling around while inflating and integrated storage for the cable and airline, to keep the product neat and tidy when not in use.

But, the inflator is about so much more than its appearance, it has top inflation speeds (0-35PSI in just 2 mins) to make tyre care easier and quicker; has a set auto stop to guarantee accurate inflation and the ability to store
the set pressure ready for next time you use it.

Powered from the in-car 12V socket, it has a long 3.5m cable to help reach tyres all around the vehicle, comes with storage case and three-piece adaptor kit, and includes spare valve caps and latex gloves.

So, with all that to take in, what do our experts say?

Lizzy Sebine, Tyre Care Product Manager at Ring, says: “As tyre care is a car maintenance essential for drivers, we want to make it as easy and quick as possible. Excellent inflation speeds are essential for a tyre inflator, but so is ease of use for the motorist. We’ve taken a fresh look at our design to make sure that it’s easy to see
results, illuminate the tyre and even to make sure dust caps don’t get lost during use.”
Carney continues: “Around 40% of traffic accidents in the UK that are caused by vehicle defects are tyre related. This shows that poor tyre maintenance is clearly leading to increased risk for drivers and their passengers. Plus, new MOT rules implemented in May 2018 state that a car can fail its MOT if the tyres are obviously underinflated. There has never been a better time for motorists to invest in tyre maintenance.”

So with this information to hand I went ahead and used the Ring Tyre Inflator at home on my car. It was so simple to use! Instructions were clear – you read the tyre pressure printed on your tyre and enter it into the machine and it then automatically inflates to the correct pressure. So, so easy.

The Ring Tyre Inflator is small, light and compact and now sits in the boot of my car.

back of box for ring tyre inflator

This was a godsend when a couple of months ago I had gone to visit a family member and when getting in my car I noticed I had what looked like a flat tyre. I was able to get the Ring Tyre Inflator out of the boot and reinflate it. I was then able to safely get to a garage and have the tyre checked – there was in fact a screw embedded in the tyre and I was able to get a replacement fitted. This helped keep me safe on the road.

I would highly recommend this – it is so easy and convenient and could avoid having to call out your car rescue service, which can often mean a wait to be seen.

I would really like to thank Lucy for giving me this opportunity.

What are your hates about driving or any other maintenance job? I’d love to read your comments

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An emotional day – How I celebrated VE Day 75 –

A photo of a VE Day party with a title caption

An emotional day is my reaction to the VE Day 75 years celebration. This is how I celebrated and spent the day.

What is VE Day

May 8th 1945 was the date the Allies celebrated the defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler’s Reich, formally recognising the end of the Second World War in Europe. This became known as VE (Victory in Europe) Day.

It was an emotional day for me for several reasons

  • My parents were very proud of their part in the War, my father saw active service as a soldier in the Army and was deployed overseas as part of the British Liberation army.
  • My mother was a volunteer fire warden and was a machinist sewing garments for the military.
  • They married during the war.
  • My parents, especially my mother loved to talk about life during the war and her experiences. She said it was horrible but the spirit of the nation and how everyone helped each other was amazing
  • My parents have passed away in 1976 and 2007.
  • I had one brother who was also very interested and proud in our family’s involvement, we also had uncles who proudly served in all the forces. Sadly my brother passed away in January this year, which is why my blog had been dormant for some time.
  • This means it was such an emotional day because I have none of my birth family unit left to share memories with. I felt a little lost, even though my husband is very supportive.

A wedding photo of a wartime couple in Black and White

My parents Adeline and Norman

Throughout the day I would find myself weeping, many of the images and songs played reminded me of my family. My mother was a great singer and would often sing wartime songs.

 

How did I spend an emotional day in remembrance of VE Day 75

I had managed to obtain a string of Union Jack bunting from Amazon to string across the garage door and make a small display in our front bay window. Our avenue hadn’t planned any street celebrations and there was only our house and a couple of others that were decorated.

A window display for VE day 75

A garage door decorated with union jack bunting

Our garage door

In the morning I looked through old photographs of my parents taken during wartime, some I had not seen before after they had recently been passed to me from my late brothers possessions. I was amazed at the resemblance to my nephew and nieces.

A black and white photo of a Britih army soldier from WW2

My dad Norman

A soldier from WW2 in uniform in a garden

A black and white photo of a wartime woman

I dressed up in Red white and blue

A woman dressed in red white and blue holding a VE Day cupcake

We watched the 2 minute silence at 11 am and I sobbed throughout.

An afternoon tea box with VE Day cupcakes and a loaf cake for Mr Fitz was delivered to the doorstep obeying social distancing rules. This was from a local cafe, my first order from them but certainly not my last as it was all delicious. The Lotus Biscoff Loaf cake was really indulgent!

A collage of an afternoon tea

My afternoon tea and Lotis Biscoff cake

Mr Fitz and myself sat in the garden with some beer and a bottle of Champagne and I enjoyed my afternoon tea.

A man sat in a garden poring champagne

Champagne to celebrate

Churchill’s speech declaring the end of the war in Europe was shown on TV in the afternoon at 3pm – following this someone in the immediate area then played wartime tunes on a trumpet. We couldn’t see him or her but both of us and our surrounding neighbours all clapped and cheered at the end of each song and naturally and predictably I shed a tear and sobbed.

A truly emotional day but one I was glad to be part of. During the day I thought about one of my cousins from my mothers side. He has none of his original family unit left either.

Spookily he telephoned me the following day to see how I was – we are not normally in regular contact as he was my brothers age, around 11 years older and my brother was his contact – they were very close. It appears we had both had the same thoughts about each other and we had a lovely chat and shared memories together. Very uplifting for both of us.

I had started to trace my family tree a couple of years ago using Ancestry.com but found the monthly fee an unnecessary outgoing. This weekend I have resumed my search using free sources – one being FamilySearch.org which is organised and maintained by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints – it is a worldwide source.

I spent nearly 2 hours searching last night and am hooked. I will let you know my progress at a later date.

Thanks for popping by and reading my account of an emotional day.  How did you spend Bank Holiday Friday? Also let me know if you have traced your family tree – any hints or tips are gratefully appreciated.

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Who are the best Vloggers? My 5 to watch in Spring 2020

Text Asking a question Who are the best vloggers

Best Vloggers Spring 2020

Who are the best Vloggers? I love youtube and subscribe to many Vloggers – I change my favourites around here are my 4 to watch in Spring 2020

So Who are the best vloggers in my opinion at the moment

Clutterbug

This is owned by Cassandra Aarnssen a canadian mother. Her niche is organisation and decluttering. She can also show how to revamp areas all on a budget.

She describes people as having 4 different organisational styles, Ladybugs, Crickets, Butterflies and Bees. I tend to be a Ladybug – everywhere looks tidy but inside cupboards and drawers things are untidy and I hoard things. Her personality is so bubbly and motivating. Her posts are humorous with great easy to follow practical tips.

She also has a blog to read if this is your preference.

The Minimal Mom

Dawn is also Canadian  and her blog whilst also about hints and tips to be more organised and how to declutter. Her whole reason to do this is to live with less. Living with less means there is less to worry about and take care of.  This is something I subscribe to – after all I know myself and my friends love nothing more than a good declutter and trip to the tip. Although Local Authority Refuse waste depots are currently closed at the moment, I cannot wait fro them to reopen. I have been clearing cupboards etc during my time at home. Again Dawn has a lovely bubbly personality and the big plus for me personally is that she has a daughter called Adeline – which was my mother and grandmothers name! A name I never hear in the UK.

In fact I have been watching them both and then found that they have produced content in collaboration with each other!

Lucy Wyndham Read

Lucy is a fitness vlogger and as we are all trying to keep moving whilst in lockdown I like her site. If you read my post about Life in Lockdown and what I’d been up to you will have seen her videos mentioned. For many of us it’s a bit of an effort so to find this lovely young lady producing short sharp sessions that are around 7 minutes long providing a good all over body hit! She demonstrates 2 levels of each movement depending on fitness. I’m rather ashamed to say that over the past 12 months whilst caring for my late brother my previous fitness regime had got lost by the wayside so I’m definitely trying the easier option but don’t be fooled you still get a good workout.

 

Kerry Whelpdale

Whilst staying home I’ve been cooking more, using up leftovers, being creative with the contents of the cupboards and baking. I found Kerry whilst looking for inspiration. We love our slow cooker, or crockpot if you are overseas.

Kerry is a lovely English mum with 2 boys and a husband and she shows you how she meal plans or meal preps, often batch cooking.  Again she has a sunny personality and produces some simple no nonsense nutritious meals.

Rosie Henshaw

Rosie is a delightful bubbly mother from the South of England. She has the most fabulous home and decorates and accessorises it on a budget. She has some fabulous crafty and no fuss DIY ideas to keep you home on trend and looking its’s best. As I say she’s really bubbly and often just records at her dining table, she admits that her editing skills are minimal so videos are just produced on the go. Rosie also shows fashion hauls and is proud to be described as curvy, she has no hangups and is body confident. I always finish her videos smiling as she is so friendly and chatty.

So there we have it my current 5 favourites, the best vloggers for my needs at the moment,  although they are not the only ones, I have posted previously about favourites,  I can go down the rabbit hole of youtube daily. I often watch whilst I’m cooking, finding new vloggers to watch by following recommendations from YouTube itself.

Let me know who you are watching I always love finding new vloggers to watch. Comment below with suggestions of your best vloggers to watch or what you think of my recommendations

Stay safe, stay home and keep washing those hands

 

 

 

 

Life in lockdown of an over 50’s couple – Diary Update #1

A smiling couple in lockdown

 

Life in lockdown of an over 50’s couple

Life in Lockdown has been with us a month now. I’ve been reading many blog posts whilst staying home. Some of them have contained diary posts. I’ve been interested to see how other people have been passing their time whilst in lockdown due to the current Coronavirus Pandemic.

I thought I would share with you what myself and Mr Fitz have been doing.

I may make this a weekly update but as we’re now approaching our first month I thought I’d make this first one a monthly round up.

 Mr Fitz life in lockdown for an NHS worker

The lovely Mr Fitz is a key worker and works as a Hospital Porter. His role is mostly in the grounds he is part of a team recycling and moving rubbish, recycling packaging from essential supplies deliveries. Some of the waste is infected clinical waste and linen. A truly unglamorous role but a vital one and someone has to do it. As I’m very fearful and respectful of the virus and being a retired nurse with a good knowledge of Infection Prevention methods the poor man has to undergo a strict decontamination regimen when he returns home from work. The downside of life in lockdown.

Key worker hospital porter returning home via garage life in lockdown

John returning home via the garage

He has good hygiene and handwashing practices anyway outside of these circumstances but here are the additional steps:

  • He enters via the garage and undresses in there before coming into the house where I leave a bag for him to put his clothes in and a small bowl in which he empties the contents of his pockets I have all the doors open to the bathroom and he heads straight into the shower.
  • I then put his clothes in the washer and wash or wipe down the contents of his pockets.  His phone and car keys are wiped down but everything else including house keys and bank notes are washed in a bowl of soapy water.
  • I wipe and spray the garage door lock inside and out.
  • I wipe any surface he has touched before his shower – including shower door handle and shower tap.
  • After his shower I change his towels.
  • At the end of each working week I change the bed sheets.

This may seem like overkill but we would rather be safe. Initially he claimed I was treating him like a leper but as the disease and information has evolved he’s agreed my actions were the best!

I have to state that he is set to take early retirement at the end of April and this routine will not then be needed.

Exercise

Mr Fitz is in a normal routine and has a couple of walks at weekend. He would normally visit the gym and is currently setting up a fitness station in the garden, to help him stay fit after retirement. This will be good for me too. I have been taking part in some home fitness videos on You Tube – my favourites are from Lucy Wyndham-Read. Short and challenging. Also although I try to stay at home as much as possible I like a walk several times a week. I have a route close to home around the roads that is usually quiet and I walk early in the morning. Mr Fitz works 6am to 2pm so I wake early with him. You may have read in a previous post that I like to listen to Podcasts on my walk. I have worked out that twice round my route gets me to 10000 steps. On days I don’t walk I still wear my pedometer and aim for my 10000 steps whilst cleaning and working in the house.

Just prior to being asked to Stay Home we had a very long walk of 7 miles to a local fisheries that we have never visited it was beautiful, peaceful and tranquil. Once Mr Fitz has retired we hope to discover more nice settings close to home. Our locality is considered semi rural and fortunately there are many beautiful places to walk nearby. We hope to explore some more during life in lockdown.

 

A lake and bullrushes in sunshine

Staying Home – our life in lockdown

I have to say that I am enjoying staying home and having very few problems with it. I am a home bird especially since I retired from my Nursing career. My role as a nurse involved long unsocial hours away from home and as I got older when I was home I was too knackered to do much and my cleaning and housekeeping regimen was minimal.

Since retirement I love cleaning and keeping my home nice. We moved into this beautiful house when I retired and we love it.

As I’m used to having routine in my life I have maintained this during retirement. I always have the luxury of a brew in bed in the morning either reading, browsing social media or catching up on my favourite TV shows. After that though I am up dressed and start on chores or projects.

I am a great list maker and find that having a To Do List keeps me focused and stops boredom. I watch lots of vloggers on Youtube who share their knowledge and ideas. I think that will be a topic for a future post – who are my favourites to watch.

The main thing I’ve done is painted our 3rd bedroom which I use as a home office. I’ve promised myself a make over for about 2 years, however last year it got put off due to my brothers illness, so now I felt there was no excuse. I luckily had the forethought to purchase paint and supplies just prior to lockdown. I have completed most of it with the help of Amazon. I love my newly tidied organised space and will complete it once we can return to the shops.

A collage of a home office created during life in lockdown

My home office makeover

We have also spent a lot of time in the garden catching up with jobs. Mr Fitz has painted the fence – approximately 40 panels and I’ve painted our wrought iron gates, again I purchased what I needed in the week leading up to the request to Stay at Home.

Thankfully the weather has been kind and we have been able to spend plenty of time sitting in the garden. Today we have revamped our patio space with the finishing touch of an outdoor rug from Wayfair, which arrived today. Its a lovely space and one we hope to continue to enjoy.

A garden furniture set on a wayfair rug

New patio set up with Wayfair rug

The only problem is that we have a resident bat who returned from hibernation at Easter. He is the only blot on the landscape as I am petrified of him as he flies so close to the windows and patio doors. Another topic for a future post.

Also I have enjoyed cooking and baking. Being more creative than usual with the food we have. I’ve made cakes, fishcakes, curries, a fabulous lemon drizzle cake using a Jane Asher packet mix from Quality Save and tonight I am making homemade spicy burgers.

collage of home cooking

Some of my home cooking

Also we have joined in the weekly Clap for Carers – our whole Cul De Sac has joined in and I find the response so emotional, especially as many family members, ex colleagues, family and friends are still out there on the frontline in different capacities.

Family

Obvously missing direct contact with family is hard. My poor Sister in Law has lost my brother after 45 years of marriage and is coming to terms with living alone and now its enforced its particularly difficult for her. We all stay in contact via phone, social media and Wattsapp.

Well I think that sums up our month. I hope you are all staying safe and staying home. What have you been doing and what have been your biggest challenges during life in lockdown? I’d love to hear what you are doing or what is worrying you. A problem shared is a problem halved.

Stay safe, stay home and keep washing your hands.

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5 podcasts to listen to during daily exercise

Headphones and a mobile phone for 5 podcasts to listen to sounds

The pick of my 5 Podcasts to listen to

I have recently become a huge fan of listening to podcast whilst out on my daily exercise. Here are 5 podcasts to listen to during exercise.

If you will have read my post about how life got in the way of my blogging career you will have read that I read a lot of books whilst caring for my late brother. In addition to reading I started to listen to Podcasts. My usual fitness routine had been lost in the event but I tried to take regular walks and whilst walking I listened to Podcasts.

What is a Podcast?

Simply put: a podcast is an audio programme, just like a talking radio broadcast or radio chat show, but you subscribe to it on your smartphone and listen to it whenever you like.

In a little more detail, a podcast is a series of spoken word, audio episodes, all focused on a particular topic or theme, like TV, sport or crime as examples. You can subscribe to the show with an app on your phone and listen to episodes whenever you like on your headphones, in the car or through speakers. I always listen through my smart phone.

A lot of podcasts are really simple, just a few friends chatting about something that they’re all really passionate about, like movies, sport or running a business. But some are really polished and super professional, including theme music, sound effects, professional editing and more.

The more professional podcasts are great to listen to, but they take a lot more time and money to produce. The amateur shows, on the other hand, might have a few rough edges, but it means they can get it out, every single week, and grow a loyal following.

3 of my favourites are chosen because I love the presenters approach. But here are 5 Podcasts to listen to that I love.

My 5 Podcasts to Listen to:

Crime Junkies Podcast

Crime Junkie Podcast is the first Podcast I started to listen to and to be honest I am slightly obsessed with is. It is my go to listen when out walking. It is an American production. Hosted by Ashley Flowers and her assistant Brit.

This is how they describe themselves and their site- a direct quote from their web page

About Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie is a weekly podcast dedicated to giving you a true crime fix. Every Monday, Ashley Flowers will tell you about whatever crime she’s been obsessing over that week in a way that sounds like you’re sitting around talking crime with your best friends. The storytelling is straightforward and free of rabbit holes so the cases stay suspenseful and are easy to follow. If you can never get enough true crime… Congratulations, you’re a Crime Junkie!

As I said it’s American and they are based in Indianapolis. Obviously there is a lot of American vocabulary and use of the adjective Super! the cases are not generally known to us, although they do cover some of the more well known infamous murders such as Lizzie Borden and The Hillside Strangler.

I get totally absorbed in their stories and makes my walk fly by.

I love that they have their own motto for staying safe Be Weird Be Rude Stay Alive

I’m totally addicted to these 2 as well as their website they are active on Social Media and there is even a UK Fan page on Facebook -so its not just me then!

That Peter Crouch Podcast

As you may know I am a huge female football fan and a passionate supporter of Manchester City FC. In this period of no football I can’t say I’m missing it as much as I thought I would, but I do love a bit of footie banter – I know its not something many females can profess to enjoy! I do describe myself as a tomboy with a feminine edge! One of the greatest things about being in a football crowd is the humour.

I like Peter Crouch and I think he’s such a likeable bloke so I saw his podcast advertised on the BBC and decided to give it a listen.

It’s very lighthearted and full of football banter and humour. Nothing too deep being discussed and if you are a football fan missing your fix this could be for you. It had me laughing out loud several times during each podcast.

Table Manners

This is another BBC Podcast. It is led by Jessie Ware and her mother Lennie.

Jessie Ware is a singer/musician in her episodes she is accompanied by her mother and they invite a guest round each episode for food, drink and conversation or chit chat. Her mother does the cooking and there is very pleasant chat. It is like being a silent guest at their dinner table.  There is some slightly annoying repetitive parts to the introduction of each episode but that is counter balanced by the really catchy theme music. Sounds vintagey to me – if there’s such a word! This one is quite new to me but I really like it  and you learn interesting Trivia – e.g in the episode with Sandy Toksvig I discovered that the baking left after each episode is packed up into huge Tupperware boxes and fed to Prue Leith’s pigs! Now that fact will get you far in life but sadly it’s the kind of trivia my head is full of.

Headphones and a microphone my choice of 5 Podcasts to listen to

The Law and Order SVU Podcast

One of our favourite go to programmes to watch is Law and Order Special Victims Unit.  We love the stories and have become invested in the characters lives and story lines over the years. I found out that they now have a Podcast – a lot of it is discussing behind the scenes action with the actors plus some radio episodes.  The show is in its 21st year and for a big fan like me I find this really interesting.

If you are a fan of NBC Productions they have many other Podcasts related to their shows to download and listen to.

You Must Remember This

I am a huge fan of Vintage Hollywood films and the stories of the Studio era. My mum was a huge film fan and watched hours of movies from this era and even had a collection of postcards of the stars. She loved  Janette McDonald, Nelson Eddy, George Raft and John Wayne. My favourites are Bette Davies and James Cagney.

I naturally developed a love for this era too and read many biographies. I will always choose a vintage film to watch over a recently made one. Black and White Vintage movies are my love and I’m a self confessed anorak about them.

Because of this I love finding programmes on Sky Arts where stars and their films are discussed  by critics and people who knew them. This Podcast is in a similar vein. It is created by a Journalist, Karina Longworth, who is well known in Hollywood and has the inside stories. You Must Remember This is the podcast exploring the secret and/or forgotten histories of Hollywood’s first century.  There are many episodes featuring topics such as Hollywoods first weight loss guru and tales of first weight loss surgery. Topics that are talked about ta length today but have been around for over 100 years.

Episodes also talk about the rise and fall of big names such as Maureen O’Hara, the female star of my husbands favourite film The Quiet Man.

This could be a great Podcast for anyone who has an elderly relative self isolating and shielding at home. Or could be played over speakers in care homes. Or simply to be enjoyed if you are a vintage Hollywood film buff like me.

In fact as its a sunny afternoon in Manchester I think I’m going to take myself off into the garden to listen to one of my recommended 5 podcasts to listen to

As I’m a new listener I welcome suggestions for any that you think I may like. If you haven’t yet subscribed to any or started to listen to them I highly recommend you give them a try, they make a change from listening to music.

Some can be downloaded onto your device to listen to when there is no Internet or Network coverage – thinking of the future when we can travel and holiday again

So maybe start with one of my favourite 5 Podcasts to listen to.

Take care stay safe and keep washing those hands

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Product Review – Serious Readers Alex Light is it worth it?

Title caption product review

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post and we received this lamp for free to review. This does not prejudice or affect my review. All opinions are honest and our own. 

I was approached by Serious Readers to trial one of their products. You may have read some of my earlier posts including ways to keep healthy over 50 and that I am always looking at ways to combat changes in normal function as my body increase in years and find ways to minimise the impact.

I am updating the original post to confirm that I have been using this lamp continually for over a year now and still find it to be fabulous. In the current climate of staying home and people are concentrating on original hobbies or taking up new ones, I still highly recommend this to optimise your lighting.

One change that I have noticed is in my eyesight. I have always worn contact lenses for astigmatism but in recent years I have noticed changes in my ability to see in poor quality light. This has caused me to be unable to wear them in low light and have been wearing varifocal glasses, which provide a much sharper image. However, I still note there is a difference in subdued lighting, and I love to have table lamps on in the evening instead of the full room light. I love the cosy ambiance these provide.

When reading or trying to complete a crossword I already struggle and either have to put the large room ceiling light on (The big light as Peter Kay calls it!) or use supplementary light from the torch on my mobile phone.

People don’t always realise that as they age, less and less light gets through to
the retina making it harder to see detail and read in comfort. This is why the people at Serious Readers, created a range of high performance reading lights using bespoke Daylight Wavelength Technology™ to allow people to see with amazing clarity and true
colour. They claim “We bring the natural light close to the daylight our eyes are built to use”

In my career as a neonatal nurse I have used similar lights to enable me to perform intricate procedures, such as venous cannulation on neonates, and I found them to be invaluable.

When I was approached by Serious Readers to trial one of their Alex lights I was more than happy to do so. 

Serious Readers Alex Floor standing lamp

About Serious Readers

The company’s literature states that recent research shows that poor quality light not only  causes eyestrain but can also damage eyes and interfere with your sleep. Too much short wave-length blue light poses a risk to the highly sensitive retina.

The absence of a harmful blue light spike in their technology eradicates the risk of damage to the retina and minimises disturbance to our body clocks. The Serious design, with a stay put flexible arm and rotating swivel joints mean the light can be set up just in the right position for you, so it takes the strain not you. Our sight dominates our sensory perception and we can’t help ourselves but subconsciously adjust our posture and strain to try and see clearly.

The Alex light is suitable for:

  • Reading books
  • Reading larger publications, (magazines, newspapers)
  • Hobbies involving colour (artwork, needlework)

Our opinion on the Serious Reader Alex Light

I say ‘our’ opinion because although the product was sent to me to review, my husband uses it the most and absolutely loves it! He’s hogging it daily for reading his newspaper, he has been constantly complaining that news print is getting smaller! 

The Serious Reader Alex Light comes as either a floor lamp or a table lamp, their is also a choice of colours. We chose a floor standing model in white. It looks neat and sleek, taking up little floor space.

The lamp arrived in a very large cardboard box, almost as tall as me! Once the box was opened I was delighted to find that it did not require any assembly – always a huge bonus.

Serious Readers Floor Lamp in packaging

Serious Readers Floor Lamp arrived ready assembled and well packaged

A feature I liked was a cord holder – a rubber case where excess flex can be wrapped round and secured to reduce any trip hazard and unsightly wires.

The head of the lamp is very small but hugely powerful. Our living room has 2 sofa’s and myself and Mr Fitz sit on one each most of the time. The lamp is so powerful that we can change the angle to suit whichever one of us wishes to use it without moving the lamp. 

Man reading newspaper from light of Serious Readers Alex Light

I have been able to complete crosswords easily without resorting to the torch from my mobile and Mr Fitz has been able to read comfortably without squinting and bringing the newspaper up to his face. I was going to relocate the lamp after this trial up to my home office but it is staying put in the living room as John is such a fan of it too. 

Evaluation

At around £299 the floor lamp appears expensive but if like us you are suffering with reduced vision in poor quality lighting, it is worth the price in our opinion. There was nothing we didn’t like about it. If you have an elderly relative who has given up hobbies due to the inability to see what they are doing, this would make an ideal gift, it could restore their enjoyment in leisure activities they once loved. In fact any family or friend over 60 who complains of “newsprint shrinking” or “lightbulbs not being what they were” please tell them about this fabulous product. 

If you wish to see the light in action please check out my video review on YouTube

 

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Visiting Santorini by cruise ship – Fira and Oia

Blog title visiting Santorini by cruise ship

Visiting Santorini by cruise ship

Visiting Santorini by cruise ship was one of the highlights of our trip around Greece on P&O Oceana in September 2018. This was our second port day and you can read about our sea days here and stop at Pireaus in Greece here.

It’s fair to say it was the destination I was most looking forward to visiting.  I am a traveller who tends to research and plan for hours before travelling but this was the one time that I could have enjoyed a better stop if I’d paid more attention.

I hope by reading this I can help you enjoy a day when visiting Santorini by cruise ship.

Santorini

Holidays in Santorini is the dream of a lifetime for many people. As this is the top tourist destination in Greece, the island is famous for the impressive caldera, the volcano and the romantic sunset. In fact, it is frequently included among the best destinations in the world. Over the last years, tourist season has extended in Santorini, from early April until early November due to the many cruise ships that dock there. Source: www.greeka.com

When you arrive by sea, there is no confusing the island of Santorini. Dazzling white houses cling to the edge of vertical, rocky cliffs against azure blue waters. The most southern of the Cyclades islands, it is surrounded by Thirasia and Aspronisi, which were once part of a large volcanic island. Considered by many to be the site of the “Lost City of Atlantis”, this magical little island glimmers from the fading sun as many watch its decent from the numerous bars and cafés at the water’s edge.

view of Santorini roof tops visiting by cruise ship

Arriving on Santorini from a cruise ship

Our cruise ship P&O Oceana docked in the sea offshore from the old port of Fira and we were transferred to the Island by tender. As we had a balcony cabin we could see the tenders being loaded and passengers being ferried across. We found this beneficial as we could see when the initial hustle and bustle had ended and we could enjoy a less crowded boat and a relaxed trip across. This short boat trip itself was a real treat.

2 people on cruise tender visiting Santorini by cruise ship

When you arrive at the Old Port of Fira there are 3 ways to get up to the cliff tops so that you can explore the town and travel further afield on the Island.

Landing port visiting Santorini by crusie ship

Landing at Port of Fira

The 3 choices to get into Fira town are Cable car, walk up the 600 steps into the town or ride a donkey to take you up the steps.

At this point I would state that I do not in anyway endorse anyone riding the donkeys.  There is mounting objections, quite rightly too to these poor creatures being used for tourists. Heavy overweight tourists are being carried and causing injury. There are even gathering campaigns for cruise ships to boycott Santorini until the donkey transfer is discontinued. Therefore I will not discuss this option

If you choose to walk I would suggest that you would have to be super fit to manage this climb! I only climbed a few whilst at the top and they nearly killed me. Also by walking you will have to look at the poor donkeys of Santorini and walk through piles of donkey droppings!

Santorini Cable Car

Having said what I have done so far you can guess that we used the cable car. During my pre cruise research I had read of there being long queues to actually get on the car. It was a blisteringly hot day in the high 30 degrees and thankfully we didn’t have to wait too long. I also have to give a big shout out to P&O who provide shade and cold water, either plain or infused with fruits to provide refreshments in the heat. The cable car looks modern and in great working order. The fee was around 6 Euro’s each if I remember correctly. Now at this stage I have to confess that one of my fears and phobias is heights. We shared our carriage with 2 older ladies who teased me all the way up after I sat there with my eyes closed gripping my husbands knee! I have been on other cable cars that I have tolerated better. It’s quite jerky as it passes over the upright towers. If you wish to see what it is like there are several videos on Youtube showing the journey.

Fira

As you may have read in my other posts about this cruise, we chose not to participate in any of the bookable excursions. Mr Fitz and I like to just stroll and explore ourselves, we viewed each Port as a taster of the destination. We had no desire to be off the ship for long periods, especially as it was so hot. Once we arrived at Fira we initially found ourselves on the main street. It was a typical small town with cafe’s, restaurants and gift shops, added to this the roadway was busy with cars and kamikaze scooters! We just ambled about and initially found ourselves ambling around and found ourselves following more dusty roads dodging psycho scooter riders! We don’t tend to use maps we like to just drift and see what we see. After a change of direction we found ourselves heading back towards the cliffs. I have to confess here that my research and homework fell short and I had missed something vital which I will expand on later in this post!

Again I cannot reiterate for a fair skinned celtic skinned woman like myself the heat was becoming unbearable! Even my sun loving husband was finding it hard going. Once we were back near the cliffs we found a network of small pathways between houses and hotels. I’ve taken a little bit of video footage to provide a taste of how lovely it is.

We found a little hotel with a cafe which seemed to provide art classes to tourists. There were several people sat around the edge of the terrace drawing and painting.  This lovely quaint hotel was painted in the colours of blue and white, that are synonymous with the Island. It provided much needed refreshment and shade. I tried a traditional Greek coffee which was very strong and enjoyable.

man and woman sitting under a parasol

Cooling off on Santorini

 

We then decided to make our way back to the cable car and return to the beautiful Oceana. We continued in the warren of small alleyways and found ourselves on the steps that climb up to the top. Boy they are challenging in the heat! It wasn’t just me that was struggling, even though it was September the temperatures were higher than the seasonal norm. We saw a few people struggling and overcome. We had carried water in our rucksack and I think that is an absolute must when on a Port Day. I packed 2 budget lightweight plastic water bottles and filled them up each day. You cannot always rely on having water to hand if you feel a little light headed in the heat.

There are some fabulous gift shops selling jewellery and gifts. I treated myself to a small necklace as a souvenir, another confession here – another of my addictions is to jewellery and accessories! Besides the normal tourist souvenirs,  Santorini is full of one-of-a-kind boutiques and galleries and interesting shops that sell local arts and crafts and things that you wont find in Athens. There are over 40 jewelry stores, most of them on the main street in Fira which is how it got the name ‘Gold Street’ – Ypapantis Street is it’s real name. This street is considered to be one the biggest Gold markets in Greece.

Following the descent by cable car P&O staff were there again with shade and cool courtesy refreshments whilst we waited to board a tender back to the ship. Again I am going to say that the trip across by the tender is really relaxing and part of the whole experience of visiting Santorini by cruise ship.

Do your research

If you are planning to visit Santorini by cruise ship then do your research and don’t make the mistake that we did.  Whilst we were walking around Fira we were looking for the viewpoint that is symbolic with Santorini – the white buildings with blue domed roofs on the cliff edge. We found similar but not that one! It wasn’t helped that in Fira we couldn’t find many signs to help guide our way.

After returning back to our cruise ship I decided to read a little more about the destination – that was when I had my light bulb moment, (my menopausal brain fog provides many of these, when I remember what I’d read or learned previously!) The iconic view is not in Fira but Oia. On reflection if we had taken an alternate route we could have improved our experience. This is the information I am offering to you to hopefully help you.

A fun way is after arrival by tender is to book a 20 minute boat transfer from the old port to Ammoudi Port in Oia for around 8 Euro’s. This includes a bus trip to Oia Town where you can spend a few hours, then take a half hour bus trip back to Fira. There is no return boat transfer from Ammoudi to Fira by boat.

a boat in the Aegean sea

An example of a boat ferry from Fira port to other towns

By doing this you can maximise your visit to Santorini in the time you have available ashore.

Of course you can always participate in one of your Ferry companies planned excursions when visiting Santorini by cruise ship if you like to be looked after and are nervous doing your own thing. That’s the beauty of a cruise holiday – it caters for all tastes!

If you’ve visited Santorini or taken a cruise holiday I’d love to hear your highlights.

Thank you for reading today, if you like my blog please subscribe to see more of my ramblings

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Port of Piraeus and Athens via P&O Oceana

Piraeus the port to dock at to visit The Acropolis Athens

Piraeus for Athens was the first port day on our first ever cruise holiday in September 2018. We sailed aboard P&O Oceana – you can read about Day 1 – Embarkation at Malta here and my review of our sea days too.

Port of Piraeus

The Port of Piraeus has a big modern cruise terminal. We awoke on Day 3 to find we were docked right next to the Terminal building. Chatting to some of the crew we discovered that this is one of their favourite stops. The terminal includes telephones, a bar and cafeteria, an air-conditioned lounge and free WiFi. The crew all try and hop off and take advantage of these.

Also after a short walk through the terminal you can find regular Hop on Hop off buses that take you into Athens for the Parthenon and The Acropolis.

Mr Fitz and I did not book any of the organised shore excursions. We were happy just to find our own way around and experience a taster of the ports we were visiting.

I mentioned the daily cruise bulletin Horizon. In here it informed us that tickets for the buses could be bought in The Atrium of Oceana on the day of the visit. This is what we did and used this method of travel to take us around.

Atrium of P&O Oceana

Tickets for Piraeus Hop on Hop Off buses could be bought in the Atrium

The bus ride into Athens is quite scenic. We were given new sealed headphones to listen to a guided tour of the route. The dialogue pointed out many interesting landmarks which we would not have spotted or recognised. For a football fan like myself it passed the home Stadium of Olympiakos, one of Greece’s largest teams. I love a good football stadium!

Olympiakos football stadium on bus tour from Piraeus Port

Drive from Piraeus passes Olympiakos Football Stadium

The Acropolis and Parthenon

When the bus arrived at the Acropolis is was around 11 AM, however it was already busy and extremely hot. The Parthenon stands proudly atop the Acropolis with a steady stream of visitors snaking their way up. As it was very high and extremely hot – well over 30 degrees even at that time of the day we decided not to climb up. Mr Fitz could manage it easily but I’m not sure I could anyway! We enjoyed a nice stroll round the perimeter of the base and admired the views down in to the City of Athens. One highlight was enjoying a pleasant sit in the shade listening to a gentleman in Greek attire singing and playing an accordion.

Looking up to summit of Acropolis and The Parthenon

Athens landscape after bus tour from Piraeus

The view from the base of the Acropolis down into Athens

After a short stay of around an hour we hopped back on the bus and returned to the port of Piraeus and our wonderful cruise ship. The image of her as you approach never failed to impress us.

There were quite a few other passengers doing the same.

On our return we enjoyed more time on deck with a lunchtime snack from the Horizon Grill. It really is wall to wall food and all great quality.

Then I was able to watch my football team Manchester City play their game screened live on the TV in the sports bar – Winners Bar. This was an unexpected surprise for us.

Select Dining

In the evening we discovered that there was a Tropical themed evening. All other passengers seemed to know this before boarding. We didn’t however, really unsure why. Luckily though we did have suitable clothing. Mr Fitz had a linen shirt with a subtle flamingo print that I had purchased for him and I had a dress with a large floral tropical print.

man and women on deck of cruise ship

Tropical themed evening

For our evening meal we had made a booking at The Beach House which has a slight cover charge. The food again was lovely. From the menu Ichose Coconut Crumb Tiger Prawns followed by a Tex Mex Ribs platter. Mr Fitz had a crispy bacon caesar salad and a hanging kebab. It was all delicious.

collage of food

Our choices for dinner at The Beach House P&O Oceana

After dinner we enjoyed a balmy evening on deck with entertainment and music. The Entertainment team had a dance off, making the passengers sat on Port and Starboard compete against each other. All quite cheesy but surprisingly entertaining. The sight of passengers who work in Executive roles by day marching around to Tony Christie’s Amarillo, would bring a smile to anyone’s face.

A thoroughly enjoyable day. Our destination for Day 4 was Santorini. Please come back to read my review of our visit in a future blog post. I would love you to subscribe to my blog do that you don’t miss it.

Thanks for dropping in to read today – I really appreciate it.

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