Jessica Blair

Sticking My Neck Out — An Evening Meal (2)

I stuck my neck out but I’ve still got my head on !

Following my last Post (Aug 4th) the meal was a success, yes, but I was not pleased with the Sweet course. It did not turn out to my liking but my disapointment was mellowed by my two friends each having two helpings !! So it can’t have been too bad, but I think I could do a better one another time.

For those who would like to know, the recipes came from two new books that now have places on my BOOKSHELVES

THE AGA YEAR by Louise Walker (Absolute Press) It has a recipe for each day of the year. (No, I’m not working through it! That would be a challenge). My main course was from 3 September, Roast Gammon with Plums and Redcurrant Glaze. The gammon came out succulent and moist. This book was a present from my grandson (Paul) and his wife (Kerry)

COOK UP A FEAST by Mary Berry & Lucy Young (Dorling Kindersley) My starter of French Onion Soup  with mustard Gruyere croutons, and my sweet of  Apricot and almond Galette came from this. This book was a review copy (I run a review column in the Yorkshire Gazette and Herald, our local weekly paper). It is a beautifully presented book. My disappointment in the sweet was no fault of the recipe but in my execution. My guests proved that.

Sticking My Neck Out – An Evening Meal.

I’m sticking my neck out tomorrow (Thursday).  Two friends coming to an evening meal and the menu I’ve planned I have never done before !!  Will I face total disaster or huge success? Look a fool in front of my guests?

Starter – Onion Soup — well that should be easy enough, I’ve done it before, ah, but this is a different recipe.

Main Course - Hot Gammon with plums and redcurrant glaze

Sweet Course – Apricot and Almond Galette

It might be making your mouth water but it’s making me shake with apprehension. Wish me luck.

If you want to know the outcome watch this space

Lost 15 miles from home — impossible?

Has anybody else got lost only 15 miles from home? I did last weekend. All because of these silly diversion signs that lead you nowhere or suddenly disappear from the route you were diverted to.  Road closed – I followed diversion expecting it to be just round a block of houses but then there were no more signs. After five miles and by now into an unfamiliar part of the Yorkshire Wolds, I was lost – well I knew the general direction I wanted to be so kept on going. Sign posts indicated villages I had never heard of  but eventually a familiar name came up and some kind person had put it on every signpost thereafter. If he or she hadn’t, Hi, that raises an interesting question – who paints the names on signposts? Well if he or she hadn’t I might have been still motoring round the Yorkshire Wolds. No I couldn’t — I’d have run out of petrol by now. Never saw a petrol station. Once upon a time in the distance past there were petrol stations in most villages; now you have to find Tesco or Asda or something similar and they don’t exist in our country lanes – thank goodness.  Ah well enough of that – I had a lovely ride through country I had never been in ( only 15 miles from home) and I lived to tell the tale as is evidenced by this ‘ere blog. 

WESTERN

Trail of Revenge

Cover of Western just published in Large Print by Magna Books in their Dales Large Print imprint. It was first published in hardback in 1964 by Robert Hale. Cover by Gordon Crabb

When the body of Kathy Rockhill is found in Mick Hawksley’s hotel room in Red Springs he is arrested on a murder charge. The two families are thrown into conflict and Dan McCoy, Sheriff of Red Springs has a problem on his hands. Gun-smoke and bullets fly as Dan rides the trail of revenge that could lead to the killer.

Jessica Blair novels reissue.

Coming   NOVEMBER  TENTH

6 JESSICA BLAIR  novels re-issued in paperback with new covers 

THE RED SHAWL,    A DISTANT HARBOUR,    STORM BAY,    THE RESTLESS SPIRIT, 

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER,   THE SEAWEED GATHERERS.

Historical sagas of adventure and romance.

Published by Piatkus an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group

Discover more on Jessica Blair’s website  www.jessicablair.co.uk

Ferry Delight

Ferry for Unst, Shetland 1977

Our ferry for Tiree arriving at Oban 2010

The old and the new 1977 Scalloway Shetland

 I read an article about the delight of using ferries around the British coast as part of a holiday plan. It brought back wonderful memories because I’ve done this as part of  several holidays.  In Shetland to see the most northerly point in Britain we crossed from  Yell to Unst – a small car ferry for a  short crossing. We arrived for the crossing, after a few minutes the skipper came to the car and told us the ferry wasn’t scheduled to leave for 40 minutes, then he added, ‘Bring your car on, I’ll take you over now. Plenty of time to be back for the scheduled sailing.’        That’s kindness and service for you!

I recently took an ‘evening cruise’ out of Oban to Coll and Tiree. It was a scheduled ferry service  to the islands. As round trip passengers we were not allowed ashore but that wasn’t the point of the trip - it was to relax in the sea air while sailing among magnificent scenery for seven hours. For this ‘evening cruise ’  there was no need to book so you could dertermine when to go by the state of the weather. The fare also included a main course meal and a coffee.

Years ago I took the  ferry that sailed from Oban round Mull, calling at Iona, Staffa and Tobermory. That was a truly wonderful trip, allowing us to go ashore at Iona and Tobermory, Staffa too if the swell had not prevented a landing. Sadly this round Mull ferry no longer operates.   

Ferries dot the long Scottish coastline and with planning a great holiday can be made by island hopping.   And of course there ferry services in other places around Britain that can add much to make a holiday memeorable and get to places you would otherwise have missed.

Happy sailing.

Weekend Visits

Had a great weekend.  Saturday:Took a friend to lunch at the Buck Inn, Thornton Watlass between Masham and Bedale in North Yorkshire. Excellent meal in a friendly pub. Pretty village. Its cricket field is the village green ! Yes it’s big enough.  Pleasant attractive cottages and houses surround it. It’s not too far from me but I’d never been before but I’ll certainly go again. Probably pay the Theakston brewery a visit on the way home!

Sunday: Met my eldest daughter, her eldest son and his girl friend at Sledmere House in the Yorkshire Wolds. Great place. A medium sized stately home (I like ‘em that size) and lived in. Beautiful grounds – park land, walled garden. Much of interest in the house in the way of  paintings, furniture. An electric organ was played beautifully all afternoon in a way that carressed the music with new life and added an  atmosphere to the house, that is missing in many stately homes. Well worth a visit and you will not be disappointed by the menu available in the tea room.

Blog Neglect and My Writing World

Blog neglect, we all have our own reasons for this ailment. Some are genuine some mere excuses to not get down to putting words on the computer – well in this respect. I have been putting words down – answering emails, writing letters to still keep the postal service ticking over, and words to progress my novel further. It is going well at the moment. I’m up to 50,00 words ( half way to my goal) 

Things have been happening in my writing world. Visited Magna Large Print publisher in Long Preston North Yotkshire, a two hour drive for me. I sold large print rights in 12 of my Western novels, written in the 60s and 70s, so that was good. Also got treated to a very nice lunch by very nice people. 

I attended by inviation a Crime Writers’  lunch in Borobridge. Nice company who always make me welcome even though I’m not a crime writer. It’s always great to mingle with other writers.

Early this week I gave a talk at the Middlesbrough Literature Festival. I shared the platform with the charming Benita Brown another saga writer who came from Newcastle. We had not met before so the evening was spontaneous. We both talked about how we came to be writers, how we worked and what drove us. Then it was question time.  They flowed at us and we played off each other with the answers, so much so that we were told afterwards, ‘You made a good double act.’      Praise indeed !! It was great fun and a great evening. Made even more pleasurable for me because the weather was fine and I had a lovely ride through beautiful Bilsdale through the North York Moors.

The novel is crying out for words,

Bye

Independent Booksellers

Visited White Rose Books whenI was  in nearby Thirsk. Good to be in an independent bookshop with its own style of presentation. No dictating from head office !  Sue Lake, the owner, has gathered a pleasant, helpful staff interested in the customer and has developed the shop along interesting lines with the community of the surrounding area in mind but with books at the hub of the enterprise. Her efforts have been rewarded with a prestigious award in the Bookseller Industry Awards this year.  Well done Sue.   And may we never see the eclipse of the Independent booksellers. They are vital to the trade and our love of books.

Middlesbrough LitFest – Radio Interview

Interviewed today for radio in connection with my talk at Middlesbrough LitFest on 29June, 6- 8pm. The interview has been put on the internet. If you want to hear it go to  http://southsidebroadcasting.podbean.com/ The interviewer, Alex Lewczuk and Gill Appleton were in the studio whereas I was on the phone at home so I’m not quite as sharp but it fitted well.