Mrs Farrell’s Christmas Cake Redux

Mrs Farrell’s Christmas Cake Redux

I wrote this piece four years ago. It’s become a tradition to repost it at this time of year, so I’m sharing it again with some updates. I hope you enjoy it. When I was a child – without fail – November smelled of cinnamon, nutmeg, jewel-bright candied carbuncles of...
Inspiration, Persperation & Paris

Inspiration, Persperation & Paris

I’m writing this on a train trundling to London to meet up with a couple of police officers (one serving and one newly retired). I’ve started the new book and realised that there are a bunch of things I don’t know that I think I really should. So the plan to ‘pants...

A little of what you fancy does you good.

So last weekend, before I went to visit the Haslemere Charter Fayre my friend Viv of the fannyandjohnnymummyandme blog, who is one of the nicest people you can know – and the best cook I have ever met – gifted me two jars of marmalade: A Black Cherry one,...

Mrs Farrell’s Christmas Cake

When I was a child – without fail – November smelled of cinnamon, nutmeg, jewel-bright candied carbuncles of citrus peel, and rich, shiny brandy. My mother baked Christmas cakes then for a mid-December delivery. It was a skill she’d acquired at a women’s club in the...

Autumn Salsa

Some debate, recently, around when Autumn starts: Is it immediately after the end of August, or does the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness kick in the September Equinox (23rd, this year)? For me, it feels like it started this week. It’s been the saddest summers...