sausages – derrickjknight

Sunny Afternoon

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This afternoon Jackie and I spent a glorious Sunday afternoon at Cathy and Rob’s barbecue. The weather was perfect, the company delightful, and the food and wine excellent. I imagine most of our fellow guests will be familiar with

The captions to the gallery photographs detail this random selection from the fancy dress party.

We needed no further sustenance when we arrived home.

A Family Event

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This afternoon we attended the third family event in three days. This was Shelly’s birthday party.

Here, Jackie’s sister Helen sits with Shelly’s mother-in-law Daphne.

Father-in-law Ray smiles beside Shelly and Malcolm, probably checking the cricket score on his mobile.

Ron, here taking a break and joining in the conversation,

tended the barbecue, providing flavoursome sausages,

tandoori chicken, and, later, minted lamb kebabs.

His son Anthony distributed hot dogs with onions, while Helen was on hand with mustard and ketchup.

Jane, being Anthony’s sister, is Jackie’s niece.

Reflected in the window behind Helen, is the father of

Immy

whose lithe grandmother, Jackie, is Ron’s sister.

David, son of Helen and Bill, holding the can and Neil, brother of Anthony and Jane, are cousins.

Here, probably wielding the same can, David stands with his wife, Jenny.

Friends Peter and Tess share a reflective moment.

Jackie sports two pairs of glasses and a pearl necklace.

Shelly and Ron’s sons converse with Neil’s partner, Donna;

Jane shares a tale with Immy’s mother, Katie;

Jackie and Jane catch up with each other as Bill makes his way back to his chair;

David and Jenny share a table with his parents, Helen and Bill.

As the sun lowered its way to the horizon the last few guests enjoyed coffee together. Anthony and Neil are always sure to produce a cricket bat and ball on these occasions. They had earlier enjoyed a few overs on the grass behind them.

Chris, with the longer beard, is Jane’s partner. Shelly stands between Tess and Bill.

In addition to the plentiful barbecued meats, various ladies had produced excellent salads, trifles, meringues, and cakes. My choice of beverage was Marston’s Amber Ale. We toasted the birthday girl with champagne.

As can be seen this was an enjoyable close family event.

A Sausage And How To Eat It

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This afternoon we visited Danni and Andy for a housewarming barbecue. First we were given the guided tour of their lovely Victorian semi-detached house.

I couldn’t resist photographing their distant neighbours’ washing.

The contemporaries of my niece and her husband, some with their children, and older relatives like us, all enjoyed the produce of Andy’s barbecue, and salads made by Elizabeth and Helen.

I will mostly let the randomly placed photographs convey the joyful atmosphere.

Danni decided that I should be photographed, and chose to capture me demonstrating how to eat a sausage.

Needless to say, we needed no further sustenance on our return home.

Slightly Better Than Expected

The Canonical Hours are the seven prayer times in the day developed by the Roman Catholic Church. Ritualised offices are said, at three hourly intervals, in private or in groups. In her novel ‘China Court’, which I finished reading today, Rumer Godden has chosen to give each of her seven chapters a name of one of these hours.

Mediaeval books of hours offered hand-written and -illustrated devotional works. They are the most common manuscript works of the period. Each of Godden’s chapters is headed by quotations from two of these.

James Joyce spans just twenty four hours in his rather more lengthy ‘Ulysses’, but Rumer Godden’s tale, a saga of four generations of occupants of ‘China Court’, covers a much greater time span. So why has she chosen to present her work in this way? That, I cannot tell you, for it would reveal too much. It is well worth reading the book to find out.

There is, of course, much more to relish in the novel. Slipping seamlessly backwards and forwards through the years, we learn about those who have lived in ‘China Court’. Opening with the death of a key figure, holding all the tapestry together, it is the story of the house, but far more, of those who have lived in it. We are treated to the author’s trademark beautiful, descriptive, writing and her insightful characterisation. An example, which fits with the time theme, is how seasonable changes in the garden are detailed. Close attention has to be paid to the narrative, for so seamless are her time switches that they are unannounced, so you suddenly find yourself transplanted into the lives of other generations. If, like me, you read in bed, it is not advisable to tackle this one when you are sleepy.

Despite rain falling steadily all morning, Shelley and Ron persevered with their planned barbecue. By mid-afternoon the rain had cleared and the event continued, to be enjoyed by Jackie and me and most of the usual guests. Convivial conversation ensued. The delicious fare was similar to that provided on 9th. I drank Doom Bar and Jackie drank Carlsberg.

Traditionally, English Bank Holiday events are ruined by rain. This one wasn’t, as the weather was slightly better than expected.