Sleath Chutney I put this recipe together by looking at a bunch of existing recipes and tweaking them based on what I like in a chutney. I hope you enjoy too! 250ml cider vinegar 1 red onion, chopped 25g fresh ginger 100g dates 100g sugar 245g rhubarb (I use a tin) 470g apples (I use … Continue reading Chutney & Marmalade Recipes →

I don't watch quite as much kids' TV these days as the sproglets are older and can watch Space Unicorn School Rescue or whatever on their own quite satisfactorily. I enjoyed a bit of banter on twitter the other week about Postman Pat and Fireman Sam, and wanted to note down the bottled-up fury I've … Continue reading Paw Patrol – the Back Story →

Well, what a mission THIS was. Booked back in February, we'd already gone through multiple cycles of we will/we won't be able to go. We'd had to jiggle flights a bit as easyJet changed their schedules (but they were pretty helpful, it has to be said), and had a minor wobble as Indie Campers finally … Continue reading Bordeaux Camperventure →

After my work trip to Mexico, and to coincide with First Born's second week of half-term, we nipped down to Weymouth to Moonfleet Manor for some family time together. Well, "nipped" implies an alacrity that reality determinedly denied us. I'd booked an A3 with Zipcar, to make it easy to pick up with easy admin. … Continue reading Moonfleet Manor →

It was several years of attending events at the Barbican (theatre, and multiple iterations of IAB Engage) before I learned it had a Conservatory. It's only open at the weekends, and even offers Afternoon Tea, if you book ahead. It's not the best afternoon tea in the world, but it's affordable, enjoyable, very suitable for … Continue reading Afternoon Tea at the Barbican →

As usual, Summer saw the annual pilgrimage for the family to spend time with my folks in France. It's a very restful area, with a great beach at a nearby lake which the kids are now getting old enough to enjoy.

It's a bit overblown to invoke this line from St Paul's letter to the Corinthians about my old piggy banks, but I certainly wanted to mark this moment. The piggy banks in question date from the first opening of my Natwest account, and are a set of five which you received as you achieved increased … Continue reading Time to put childish things away →

While I was doing my Ancestry-powered research into the Sleath family tree, I learned that the Sleaths spent several generations in the town of Gilmorton. The wiki page for Gilmorton mentioned a book, "A History of the Parish of Gilmorton in the County of Leicester" published in 1918. I found I could buy this via … Continue reading History of Gilmorton →

It's not quite 6YO's last day at Les Petits Lutins, but it was the end of year performance and "graduation" for the pre-schoolers, of which she is one. We haven't quite unlocked the secret to 6YO being in front of a crowd of near-strangers. It's not so much confidence, but control, I'm convinced. So while … Continue reading First Born’s Graduation →

Some local friends suggested we meet them at the Open Gardens locally. I've always had the intention of visiting this London-wide event, but have never got round to it. It was a bit of an accelerated version anyway, as we had to start after 2YO's nap, but still really enjoyable, and definitely in the calendar … Continue reading Open Gardens Day →