pumpkinstrokemarrow

Moved into the first bit of brick laying for many years. Had thought to bodge the main man hole in the drive up but on closer inspection the cover surround was in four peices and the top course of bricks had more or less rotted away. So down to Travis and Perkin for twenty bricks, a bag of ready mix and a new drain cover. Special builder's accents for the occasion. The new cover had to be galvanised and plastic rather than cast. So it won't match and maybe it will be more flexible which will do the rather fragile bedding no good. The bedding being fragile because it is rather proud of the sinking drive and does not get the support from its environment that it needs. And maybe I would have done a better job had I not done it in one go. Give one thing time to harden up before moving onto the next. We will see how it copes with the car in a week or so. Maybe we really will have to get a new drive.

On the meat front we have been into South Down cutlets (organic plus) and a new brand of white pudding. This last had good texture but a strong flavour which reminded me of a household product. A cleaner or air freshener or something. But maybe it was just a herbal E number.

And I have bought my Christmas present. A nine litre stock pot for festive occasions. The six litre saucepan I have been using hitherto never seems quite big enough - hard to stir and apt to stick when full. We will see if stews and stocks follow Parkinson's law.