The Sturdy Soapbox

Happy New Year

I nearly lost a Dalek

When David and Anita were over, I let Dalek Sam have a bit of a run.  He's the Dalek you can talk to a bit and he has various behavioural habits built in, not all of them good.

If you switch  him on and leave him alone, like mercury, he will find his own level.  He's got heat sensors and stuff and at first, rather took a liking to the gas fire, but then, he took a tour of the lounge and identified my brother and Anita as friends.

My brother really took to Dalek Sam, named after an uncle of ours, who's character (in my opinion) is similar to the unpredictable nature of this bad tempered pepperpot.  Actually, the real Sam was only allowed to be  rumbunctious, if his formidable wife (my aunty Bertha) allowed.

Swapping stories with my brother today, it's clear that the memories of both uncle Sam and Aunt Bertha are as big as they could be in both our imaginations despite the age difference and of course the memories of the likes of "Nin"  "uncle Ken" (One of my favourites) and the black sheep of the family merely for being "foreign" Frank Conroy.

Frank was a tug boat captain on Laney tugs on the Mersey for many years.  Despite his Anglified name, he was Spanish, from Madrid.  He'd obviously married my  "nin" some time after the death of my natural grandfather, who's death I was never allowed to forget by my mother, because it was January 6th, Twelfth Night 1936.  the day you take the Christmas tree down or be stricken with all sorts of crap forever more after and all that...

The rest of the family hated Frank.  I actually liked this man very much.  He took me on his tug and let me steer it.  He took me to Liverpool and told me lots of stuff about art I was too young to take in, but in hindsight, it endeared me to him.  At an early age, I learned about Picasso and (my hero) Dali  So, in my book, Frank Conroy was OK.

We were a funny family (in the odd way of speaking).  Nin used to say we were as close knit as a dishcloth and it's as true today.

What a glamour puss she was.  Always in furs and something I will never forget about her.  She only ever walked on the sunny side of the street.  My memories of her and walking in Birkenhead park with my dad on Christmas day by the Chinese bridge, are almost fifty years old, but are full colour and fresh in my mind.

Walks round the park were easier then.  Ask OBC !

Hard work but worth the reward

Had my brother and Anita over today for a Chinese banquet.  We had:

Spare ribs (c/o Bob the Butcher).  All I did with these was pour over a jar of hoi sin and a bit of stock and cook slow in the oven for 2  hours.  I could not believe the result, but our Bob was the star, because he trimmed all the fat off and left tons of meat.

I also did some steamed wun tun things I bought in Birmingham (a packet of which I just recalled are still in the freezer).  I did my deep fried wun tuns as well.  There was tons cooked, which is why I forgot the packet of dumplings.

Served that up first, then we had an hour's rest, before I served up chicken in honey and lemon sauce, fillet steak sliced and served in oyster sauce with spring onion.  I did do some big prawns, but these were a bit of a disappointment.  I did noodles with spring onions, mange tout, peas etc and rice with egg and prawns in.

Happilly, there was too much - I never want people to leave hungry.

I raved about the steak in oyster sauce, but they loved the lemon chicken.

Opened the big bottle of red wine OBC gave me, it was delicious (OBC doesn't give rubbish wine away).

The sixties came up in conversation and we talked about Janice "I'll give it foive" Nicholls, who I've mentioned here more than once and was a huge star in the sixties (and still is in my book), being local Wednesbury and everything.

My brother had a couple of bones of contention on what Janice did etc, so I just said "let's e mail and ask"...

Unfortunately they'd left before the reply came in, but I am calling bro in a mo and can put him right on the real deal.

For me, it's like being pals with Paul or Ringo - they were there with all those wonderful people from that period and I am well chuffed having sixties pop royalty amongst the soapbox readership (the cheque's in the post Brian OK) ?

Tomorrow, apart from clearing up today's clutter and getting a prescription filled, I am doing NOTHING !

I had a lovely day today, don't have that many of those, so when they occur, they stand out.

Sent a text to the main man Bob the Butcher about the excellent ribs and fillet of beef he sent.  He really knows what he's doing, all I have to do is add a little heat and a sauce !

I'm slobbing out over the new year period.  I'm not a new year person, certainly not into partying on the eve and I've got something on my mind which I will tell you about closer to the time.

All that aside, nice day and I have a BIG glass of wine here at my side.  What are you doing ?

So what did you get ?

Seeing how I was late to bed having tracked Santa around the world, I got up at 9:30.  Spoke to Darlo and she'd opened her presents at 5:30 this morning.

Spoke to the welder and he was off up the pub then returning for lunch with ten at the dining table.

Spoke to Wireless Tone and he was off out to lunch.  I've put the beef in the oven.

The Chalkmaster is round at Darlo's.  Her mother has dressed the dog up in an outfit a bit like they used to dress Eddie in Frasier.  What will they be like after a drink ?

It's usually snooker

You know when you set your video for something you really want to see and then on playback, the previous programme has run over ?

Well, I'm not recording anything and it is late and I'm a tired little teddy bear, but I decided to watch the eucharist from Peterborough cathedral which was rather good, but it was supposed to finish as twenty to one in the morning and it's after ten to and they're still blessing everyone in sight.

Gonna be a big disappointment in the morning for anyone who set their video for topless darts from Roehampton.  I'm glad it was the Bishop of Peterborough on tonight, because if I see the Bishop of Birmingham, it reminds me of a vulgar Limerick entitled "The jolly old Bishop of Birmingham" and I can't tell you the rest because it really is vulgar and this is a religious time !

Fine praise indeed !

This was said about the soapbox by one of Santa's own elves:

Great blog, glad you enjoyed it!

- PamElf

I kid you not ...

He was early

Santa arrived in the UK at 23:51 hours.  I shall break this to the welder gently when I see him, because I know that Pat had bathed him and packed him off up the wooden hill to Bedforshire at half past eight,  with a hot cup of cocoa with the threat that if he wasn't fast asleep, Father Christmas just wouldn't come to their house.

I think her plan was to pour herself a large glass of gin and settle down with the double episode of Eastenders, where Frank finds out that Connie's baby isn't his after all, but actually the product of a wayward thrash amongst the yoghurt cartons with Ranjit the Pakistani milkman...  Tune in tomorrow night after Dr. Who for the fallout and in depth analysis from Peggy Mitchell and Dot Cotton.

Just to make sure her soap watching was not interrupted with "has he bin yet" ? Pat spiked the welder's cocoa with a couple of Temazepam.  Sweet dreams Wally.

Merry Christmas Soapboxers !

Wherever you are, have a peaceful and fun Christmas

Just look where he is now

I've been tracking the progress of Santa Claus all afternoon and he don't half get about.  Even the International Space Station (see picture above) and if you don't believe me, here's video proof Santa in space

Christmas begins

Christmas begins for me, once I sit down to Carols from Kings with a glass of dry vermouth and cola, with ice and a slice of lime (very refreshing drink and amazing for dispersing a hangover).

Bob the Butcher's been, I gave him directions from by Asda and he managed to get lost.  He was bushed, but is glad it's all over now.  He reckons it's a record year for sales of meat for them.  I wonder if it had anything to do with the  3 fold Christmas order flyer I did for them.

Mr. Chalk's spending Christmas day at Darlo's.  She has her mum over and cooks the traditional turkey and stuff.  As usual, I have beef that's been hanging for more than three weeks, a piece of topside this year (I like topside).

I shall store the beef unwrapped, but covered overnight at room temperature.  When you've conditioned beef like this, you don't chuck it in the oven straight from the fridge.  It needs to go into a very hot oven for twenty minutes and then turned down.  I shall have it rare, the only way to serve good beef, with King Edward roasties, mash, Yorkshire pudding, peas and maybe baby new potatoes (SO, I like potatoes) !

Oh, baby sausages too !