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Continue reading →: Replete
I celebrated the Yule with my favourite Welshman this afternoon. We picked our pints with care…his a Shipyard IPA from America, mine a Thatcher’s cider. The conversation flowed and then we headed for Botanic. Boojum does tasty burritos…the Hatfield served good Guinness which we drank next to an open fire. A brisk…
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Continue reading →: Stuff
To stuff the bird or not? This Christmas we are not faced with that dilemma. The Tesco frozen turkey crown will be accompanied by stuffing on the side. Decorum will be observed in the choice of serving vessels. In years past a dreadful faux pas caused a bit of a stir…
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Continue reading →: Miscreant unrepentant
After driving around in a taxi for over an hour and a half, our taxi driver approached a police officer to assist in the search for our son, the miscreant. So it was that at about 5am he returned to the family home and started to give off about how…
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Continue reading →: Miscreant goes awol
It’s 23:00 on a school night and I’m searching for the miscreant in the city centre bars. I thought optimistically that he would be in his usual haunts down town. No such luck. Not answering his mobile, not replying to text messages…same old bollocks.
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Continue reading →: Arabesque
Cosmopolitan Belfast has many restaurants and cafes offering anything from the delights of Katmandu to the haute cuisine of a basement restaurant called la Bastille. Cheap food is rarely delicious, but whilst waiting for a bus I popped into Arabesque, opposite one of Belfast’s best bars, Lavery’s. For £3 I…
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Continue reading →: Subtitles
Watching a film or drama series in a foreign language with subtitles can be pleasing. Tiredness or alcohol can diminish the experience. For the gripping finale I was able to ignore my tired eyes and alcoholic buzz and watch Witnesses, and was glad of the effort. I’m looking forward to…
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Continue reading →: Mince pies mmm
Delia’s recipe for mince pies did not include shop bought pastry, but I don’t think she’d mind too much.
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Continue reading →: The Wetherspoon experience
The foray into the city centre coupled with last night’s overindulgence left me in need of a drink. The bars and cafes were mostly bunged. Wetherspoons was busy, but it was easy getting served. The Thatcher’s cider was tasty and cheap, so I had another pint. Tables were fully occupied,…
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Continue reading →: Justice
I cannot speak about the trial that just finished. Not because I am observing some legal protocol. The reason I cannot voice my opinions is that my opinion did not, and should not, carry any weight in the assessment of innocence or guilt. Gut feelings, suspicions and the like may…
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Continue reading →: Scones vs mince pies
In our kitchen at about 6 am you might find a man kneading dough. That would be me. Delia is still my bible, despite forays into other cookbooks. Her scone recipe delivers a dozen scones with 15 minutes of baking. Shortcrust pastry is a bit more time-consuming. The dough has to…