Sports Day and Wet n' Wild

Scarlett had her very first school sports day yesterday. She missed out on it in her Kindergarten year at Annandale Public because we were on holiday in England, and again in the first year because we moved back here. Now in year two she finally got to know the thrill of waiting around on a hot sports field for ages until your event is called. Having got the timing all wrong, I had to race home after dropping off Scarlett and then Flo, to grab my camera and zoom back to school in time for the first race, which I missed. I did manage to see her in the relay, the spud and spoon race (less messy than eggs apparently) and the 100 metres. She came 2nd in two of them and wasn't bothered at all not to place in the third. She's like that and I was very proud because several other kids were in tears when they didn't win a sticker. It was a stinking hot day so they all did well to sit it out all morning.

Today, after dropping the girls at school on another hot day,  I bought some coolio water pistols and a brilliant wet slide game thingy for the garden. You attach the hose to it (no hosepipe bans here, Aussie friends) and it shoots jets of water out through tiny holes the length of the slide. Flo declared it "the best day of my life" after repeatedly skidding in the wet, down the plastic sheet to the end, followed by a lively water pistol fight, that I easily won because she's so short. Fun.

Dougal and the Blue Cat: Florence's housework song

They came from the north...

We had a great Saturday afternoon at Scarlett's school 'fayre' (they were called fetes in my day). Scarlett was in a cheerleading demo and Flo rode her first (and last if Rob has his way)  pony. To quote Rob - "two words - Christopher Reeve"). With the weather clouding over and the burgers all sold out, we zoomed home to receive our London guests Ruth and Pete. While we were raring to go (even me despite getting up at 5.30am for work), the Londoners needed a pre-dinner sleep for an hour, while we prepared dinner. I've become obsessed with a new dish of par-boiled new potatoes roasted with rosemary sprigs, cherry toms, red peppers, red onions, garlic and half a bottle of balsamic. The jammy result is outstanding. I served this with pork and asparagus and then we had a cheese board in front of the fire - the fire!! In June!!

This seemed ridiculous on Sunday when it hit 30 degrees here in sunny Hastings and we hosted lunch on the deck for Ruth and Pete and the Harrisons, who drove down from Surrey. We had the hammock up, sunlounger out, rugs and newspapers on the lawn, sunshades up and my newest bunting on display.  Rob's eclairs made an appearance which closed the conversation down for several minutes as they were shovelled in. A triumph. Today it's even hotter - 32 degrees and with both children at school and Rob at work until 12, I have my eye on that sunlounger and the papers. 

One year on...

We arrived in the UK exactly one year ago. Sometimes it feels as if it has dragged and at other times as if it has rushed by. It has been more stressful at times than I could ever have imagined and at other times just perfect. We are still unsure whether or not this is where The Duthies belong, but we have had more ups than downs and more fun than not. Here are some new shots of our garden which has gone nuts due to the recent rain, after weeks and weeks of dry weather. My new hammock looks perfect in the bottom corner of the garden and ticks all the boxes that  a hammock should.

 My tomato plants and lettuce are going great guns (above) and I'm very happy with my pots (below) and hanging baskets. We'd made lovely new friends, but still think of our old ones in Sydney often, and have loved being regularly reacquainted with our old, old friends from London and beyond. 

 Today was Father's Day in the UK. A Hallmark card event, if ever there was one, but the girls made Rob a plate, a tie and bought him a t-shirt and chocolate and we let him have a whole 2 hours to himself by heading off to the woods without him. We finished the day with  a lovely late lunch with Janice and Roger, while Mathilde played with the girls. Perfecto.

How to make jam

1. Take one project-driven husband and one young daughter with nothing to do one rainy afternoon. Allow access to internet to find local PYO farm. Let the picking commence.

 2. Praise rather than mock the way said husband manages to make a load of jam jars, lemons, sugar and strawberries look photogenic.

3. Boil  equal amounts of sugar and fruit...

4. ..until it looks glossy and sleek, like this.

5. Transfer into previously sterilized jars, with Cath Kidston-style lids.

6. Store in dank, dark cupboard under stairs in preparation to spring on unsuspecting guests as a way of moving it on.

Nightrider 2011

Last night I continued my David Hasslehoff appreciation by taking part in Nightrider, the overnight sponsored bike event around London. I drove up to Crystal Palace with my bike in the boot, and snaffled loads of the free chocolate bars and bananas at the start line ready for my midnight kick off. The route took in south east London, including Blackheath and Greenwich, the east end and Canary Wharf, before turning back into the city, then north up through Hackney, Islington, Highbury and Finsbury Park before that bugger of a hill leading up to Ally Pally in time for sunrise. But what goes up must come down and I was thrilled to be on the downhill run, forgetting that other bugger of a hill up to Hampstead Heath. From there it really was all downhill through Belsize Park, Camden, Regent's Park and into the west end for a jaunt through Soho and Covent Garden. After the Strand we crossed the river again seemingly going in circles around Vauxhall before re-crossing the Thames and heading along Pall Mall and through Mayfair to Knightsbridge. Then it was along Cromwell Road, past the museums, before finally crossing Chelsea Bridge and making our way south through Battersea and Clapham before making the final ascent to the top Gypsy Hill and onto Crystal Palace.
I noticed several things. London is incredibly beautiful. I don't think it gets enough credit for its fantastic architecture. Not just the grand old streets like Regent Street and Portman Place but the brilliantly inventive new buildings that have popped up all over the City and Canary Wharf. Something else,  people in London NEVER go to bed, and man can they drink. Even at 4, 5 and 6 in the morning we were still encountering people smashed out of their gourds outside pubs and clubs, fighting in taxi and kebab queues, or cluttering park benches smoking jazz cigarettes.
I found the ride incredibly nostalgic in places, particularly cycling through Hackney, along Ridley Road market, passing the Empire, and up through Highbury and Islington. At the finish I got a medal, a bacon sandwich and a cuppa. Anyhoo, apart from a sore bottom and very sore palms, I am unscathed and happy.

Half term

The girls were off school this week on half term which also included yet another Bank Holiday Monday. We spent the Monday having lunch at Maria and Lol's celebrating the American holiday, Memorial Day, with a Spanish-themed lunch. Dad and Alexandra came, alongwith Maria's neighbours Tina and Dick and an afternoon of fine food and wine ensued. During the week we met up with another family from school, for a barbecue on the beach. The weather continued to be very warm all week - reaching a dizzy 25 degrees most days - and we had a really lovely evening eating honey soy chicken, burgers and a tricolor salad. We hardly saw the girls, who were all racing along the beach looking for crabs at low tide and chasing the horses being ridden along the beach. Smashing. I endured 3 very hot days in the bakery this week as there isn't any air-conditioning and the ovens were going all day. On Saturday Rob and the girls picked me up straight from my shift - covered in the chocolate brownie mixture I had made that morning - and we drove straight up to Surrey for lunch at Helen and George's to see Rob's Uncle Barrie, and his partner Glennie, who were on holiday from Melbourne. I was struck how much he is like Rob's mum Barb, down to the smallest mannerisms. George's parents came too and we had a really lovely family  lunch of barbecued fillet steak and chicken, rounded off with Rob's (now signature) eclairs. They were given a special twist with fresh raspberries. Here are a few pics of the day showing Princess Flo in all her glory, a group shot and a pic of Barrie with his niece and nephew, inspired by the comment "Ooh look there's George Clooney!"

Nice buns

This week I started my first job since leaving Marie Claire on June 1 2010, and I must say it was about 1,000 times more fun.  In spite of all the years I've written and edited copy about restaurants and food, I've never worked in a professional kitchen (apart from one hilarious day on breakfast service in Glenys's restaurant kitchen in Wellington) so it was a completely new experience. It was very busy, fast, hot and tiring with the whole shift spent on my feet, but everyone was really friendly and fun and most importantly patient. Poor Walter, the supremo pastry chef, must have been biting his tongue as he repeatedly showed me how to make his amazing meringue pigs. More than once he scraped my attempts off the baking tray and back into the mix to be redone.  My explanation that mine were not pigs but mythical creatures didn't little to change the fact that they were supposed to be pigs, not unicorns. I also got to glaze bakewell tarts, ice cup cakes, make brownies, bake cookies, ice lemon drizzle cakes, finish bread puddings and best of all - put jam in 150 doughnuts. I spent the second day in the shop kitchen making savoury stuff for the lunchtime rush including scotch eggs (it's all in the wrist), a huge pot of spicy lentil soup and sandwich fillings. I was back in the bakery at 6.30am on Saturday helping Walter finish and ice more cakes and biscuits and got to make macaroons. The smell of all the pastries, croissants and brownies coming out of the oven is almost irresistible so I've discovered it's important for me to remain calm and not stuff everything in my mouth at once if I want to avoid turning into Jabba the Hut. We are allowed to help ourselves to anything for lunch, so I was astonishingly sensible and turned my back on some warm Chelsea buns and instead had a bowl of roast vegetable soup. Such restraint. Here's a small display of some of my wares brought home for afternoon tea. See if you can spot the unicorn.

Let's go Starlets, let's go!

Scarlett's cheerleading team, the South East Allstars, performed at the local shopping centre this evening. They were a vision in pink as they balanced and danced about for 2 hours. We were as proud as can be of our little athlete as she cartwheeled across the floor. My genes I suspect.

Buggy and baking

On Monday I had my first shift as volunteer buggy driver at the nearby National Trust property Bodiam Castle.   It was just as hilarious as it sounds and I loved it. Basically I drive my buggy, with my walkie talkie - oh yes - and ferry old, lazy or disabled people up and down the hill between the car park and the visitors' centre. After a lesson of a full 30 seconds, on how to operate the buggy, I was left with the key and a puzzled expression on my face in regards to the application of the handbrake. But with 150 children on their way, Caroline, my boss, had to rush away to dress in full medieval garb before taking the kids on a castle tour.  I had sooooo much fun, doing wheelies, spinning doughnuts in the car park, occasionally stopping to allow people on board, as I zoomed back and forth. Everyone was incredibly friendly and lovely as they were so thrilled  to get a lift. I can't wait until my next shift.  I also found out this week I have finally got a local job. From Thursday I'll be working part-time at the fantastic Judges. This organic bakery and deli is a bit of a Hastings institution, founded by the owners of Green and Blacks. It turns out bread, cakes, cheese, wine, fruit and veg, and I'm going to be helping in the kitchen and bakery icing cupcakes and gingerbread men, making sausages rolls and generally having a brilliant time. As you know, while I love to cook, I do not enjoy baking, so I'm looking forward to the decorating part plus learning more about how to make bread. Huzzah.
http://www.judgesbakery.com/home.php

 This morning I photographed the rare event of Flo and Scarlett hugging each other while watching a movie on the imac. While they do play together  much better than before, it can sometimes be the smallest thing that kicks off a massive fight when moments before they were totally loved up.

 Finally, in other news, Rob continues with his home baking phase and has today baked a batch of chocolate eclairs for the barbecue we went  to this arvo at Cathy and Doms'. I may add, they were delicious.

Here are our adorable girls, dressed and freshly made up in self-applied make up, finally answering the question "What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?".

Dead fish

Feel slightly guilty about not naming that fish as it is now lying dead  among the ocean floor-effect gravel, with an ominous chunk missing from its torso. Suicide?  (because he was nameless). I think not - rather  it (for it has no name) has been the victim of a brutal carnivorous attack by another fish. RIP little fishy.

Scones and fish and friends

I had a lot of trouble motivating my family on Saturday. With another day of sun I was keen to get them out the door for a walk or bike rideas I'm all too aware this weather, glorious as it has been for the last several weeks, will not last forever. Just as the wardrobes of Britain rearrange themselves into colour co-ordinated sundresses and kaftans, it will start to rain, the wind will blow and it won't stop until one Wednesday in August before resuming until next April. However, Rob, Scarlett and Flo decided it would be more fun lolling about in bed giggling. I left them to it and headed out with my sister, so we could fully embrace middle age. We were both giddy with excitement at the mention of a garden centre neither of us had yet explored. As we strolled  around the vine section of the centre, aglow with the pleasure of the purchase of fresh produce from the adjacent farm shop, and with a freshly baked sausage roll in hand, we commented that we had now fully morphed into our Mum and Aunty Elieen. It would only be a matter of time before we contemplated a week together in Majorca, sans husbands and children, just as our ancestors had done.

On Sunday we were much more motivated, transferring my newly purchased fish into their new larger home. As well as the teeny, tiny minnows the girls gave me for my birthday we added a big black fish with googly eyes, we have named Moira, a goldfish, called Goldfinger and a zebra and leopard print fish we can't be bothered to name.

Then it was all hands on deck prepping lunch and the garden for lunch with Maggie, Popi and peggy and Christin and Ruby, a barbecue followed by a fresh batch of scones.

Sydney

Two friends recently sent me this. You've may have already seen it , but I thought it was excruciatingly true. As a proud inner westie, I was more than happy about the labels attributed to me and my kind.

Kendall!!

Following the larks of my birthday party, as if the fun never ends, Kendall arrived for 2 nights. He was in Spain on a press trip and managed to slip away to visit us, unfortunately coming the long way by flying to Luton instead of Gatwick. We waved him off this morning and it felt very weird a) having him visit us in England rather than Sydney and b) having him go back to Oz without us.  Although Flo and I were sick and knackered for his whole stay - her a vomiting/ear infection inducing virus with alarming temperature that caused hallucinations ("Mummy, what are those animals doing with Daddy's clothes.? Get them out of our house!") and me with a rotten cold, we had a brilliant time with him and spent yesterday lying in the grass at Bodiam castle having a picnic before a barbecue at home in the evening, followed by a bout of vigorous gymnastics. The weather continues to doa pretty good impersonation of summer, although last night some rain clouds gathered at sunset creating this incredible rainbow. It was huge spreading from the hill behind the house out to sea.