CrackaSnax

Hot, spicy snack to rejuvinate your spirits during a cold and lonely winter. Bristol has been sent torrential rain in the form of a fine drizzle today, and this has helped me recover.

• Toast two slices of bread as you like it. I recommend white 'City' bread from the magnificent Bishopston Breadstore on Gloucester Road, Bristol.
• Butter the toast.
• Spread with a thin layer of Encona Hot Pepper sauce. Go easy, this stuff delivers a severe, but much appreciated kick.
  
• Chop a generous pinch of fresh coriander (about 15 leaves) and sprinkle over the toast.
• Drizzle about 10 drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice over each slice.
• Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt, freshly crushed pimento and coriander seed over each slice.
  

Respraying Bennett's Van

Bennett's van is a Commer Walkthrough, originally used as a delivery van. Since he bought it ten years ago he's converted it to run on either vegetable oil or diesel. But it has never been properly painted and has spent the last 5 years covered in red primer paint. Last night Sarah, Katy, Bennett and I went down to his warehouse to respray it and to bolt on some bling. And have a barbeque. And drink beer. And get really high on spraycan vapour.

We started by sanding it down and then rinsed off the dust. It's 9:20pm.

10:10pm : And after it dried, Katy and Sarah started masking the windows. This took ages...

10:30pm : Meanwhile Bennett and I rivetted on some stainless steel chequer-plate along the side. Lots of drilling holes and playing with a rivet gun.

Midnight : There's still one more panel to attach on this side. Three more still to do...

It's 2:00am before we start painting.

4:45am : As the sun rises, we're nearly finished. The paint's not looking patchy any more and there's still 4 can to spare. We were planning to lacquer the paint, but the pollen in the air was being attracted to the surface. Darker than Bennett expected, and he's not convinced - but everyone else really likes it. We're all now very tired.

5:20am : Moment of truth. We peel of the masking.

5:30am : Bennett doesn't like it and wants to paint the chequer-plate black. We all think it looks amazing.

PIcture Postcard Butcher

Katy and Steve

Tramp-Bot @ Walcot Street Party, Bath, 2005

 

Boring

Eryngium popular

And lots of other varieties of Eucalyptus. This one's called 'Baby Blue'

Lots of this Black Eucalyptus going round.

Nundina Domestica - I like the foliage.

Columbia Flower Market

Susannah standing on the Meridian.

... on a boat.

We're on our way to the Greenwich Meridian...

Showing off new shades outside 'the office'

Far superior

Susannah making me 'Eggs en Cocotte' which I've decided must be French for 'Eggs in Hats'.

S

Lesbians in kilts with frightening children

On a bus.

With Susannah. And a copy of Grow your Own Vegetables by Joy Larkcom

Me and Susannah.

This is my mother. Not to be trifled with. She's the only person I've ever met to own a fly swat, a perforated spade designed to kill flies. Why? Discuss.

From Left to Right Dad, Shaun, Rosie, Me and Susannah. That's Coq au Vin I think. To quote the famous food critic and writer, Elizabeth David, it was 'very tasty'.

Mum cut my hair. From Hobo to Hero. With my sister.

On Boxing Day, my Aunt's man taught me how to prune an apple tree. My apple tree. Which I planted from a pip when I was twelve. It now bears superb fruit each year. I'm going at it with a pruning saw (which John (left) gave me) snipping branches from the middle to give it more air and light. I'm also looking like a tramp fighting for the last can of Special Brew.

Bits of tree. What's left is in the background.

Salisbury Plain in the background.

I look like a hobo in this photo. Believe me, it's no trick of the light. I like this photo because I know my mother won't.

My Father and I on a hill. We are discussing how surprised and delighted we are that a major family row hasn't erupted yet even though it's only just gone lunchtime.This time three years ago I'd reduced my sister to tears by getting drunk and pursuing a Radiohead vs. Toploader musical merit debate. My mother and I then had a fight about me fighting with my sister, and after that my father had a row with me about fighting with my mother. Then I had a cigarette and my mother ranted at me about not smoking etc etc.