Hindu-Stone

Tonight I walked from my house to my brother's flat, a 700 yard journey from Barton Hill to posh Redfield. 

On the way I noticed the fine result behind weeks of recent scaffolding, now removed.This is a faith building on Church Road that used to be Christain (I presume) but is now Hindu. All doors to the same room, and as usefully faith based now as before (if it's your thing) , but the point is more about the aesthetic.

Check this out for bright and shining, and for the artistry that achieved it, restoring the glory of a century ago. Top bit of restoration.

Saturday cycling!

Fifteen miles and a pint out with my brother today.

I set myself up with a breakfast of champions -  last night's curry, cold with some bread and butter and a mug of tea.

We cycled the Bristol-Bath cycle path (I renewed my acquaintance with it a fortnight ago) from just near my house to  a spot between Warmley station and Bitton.

We doubled back to Warmley and found our way to The Griffin pub, with a pint of Bath Ales Gem to see us right.  No hectic pace , although both of us chose to cane it a little bit when the path suited it.

Two gangly dudes of six feet four belting along, slightly out of control.

Great stuff.


Here are some of the things we encountered:

The result!

Here it is in its last three stages.

Coriander:

Cooked off a bit:

Plate up for scoff (in front of the screen) !

Anatomy of a Saturday curry in BS5.

This evening I am cooking a curry. I really like chopping and prepping first, then tidying that up and then putting it all together (at which point I add in a beer for the chef).

Rick Stein's India is a fine series for curry inspiration, likewise the accompanying book which I received (very gratefully) for Christmas.

Here's the lowdown:

Prepping onions

Prepping veg'

Hot oil to split mustard seeds

Ten minutes at this

Chicken  

Chicken in and browned, then a little more water and turmeric stirred together for a base thickening sauce. Paste too (bought in today). Add cumin here too

Adding veg', adding tomato

And finally the chopped coriander to add late on, plus the naan to go with it

The whole thing is coming together nice and slowly as I upload this post: results to follow in another post!

Cycling for trains!

This morning I left the house at 08.45 for some sunny exercise. Terrific sunshine and lovely, bright, warm potential for something to do.

I decided to eschew my run and take a ride on my bike instead; my only recent bike trips have been to the pub with my brother but today I headed out on the Bristol Bath cycle path. It pretty much runs right past BS5, so I hopped on just near the house. It is the old railway line between the two cities so the gradient is an easy 1 in 120 for most of it.

I hadn't ridden any distance for a year , so just a gentle nine miles today. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Ambled along some parts, went full whack on others and stopped for the view when the mood suited. Laundry all done when I returned and now some breakfast to follow!

Paddington Sardines.

Out of delightful Paddington , 18.00 on a hot May Thursday. Usual caper of the train platform called late and a heaving mass of travellers boarding it with urgency. I bagged a roomy seat and I have a bottle of beer. And I'm heading home. 

I do enjoy this line and these trains very much. 

Hoofing!

Stag do at Twickenham

My brother is marrying Anna in June. 

This weekend was his stag do. He is four years older than me, so with all three brothers in our forties it was not too basic.

Our day started off with the train into London . 17 of us met up from all over the place  at The Holiday Inn Kensington. A sharpener at a pub and then to Twickenham to watch a day of International Sevens. Pints flowed .

Things became hazy after about the tenth pint but  all was in good order. No one got lost and no one was taken into custody. I had a second wind at 6pm and pushed through until 10pm.

Fantastic day.

Air Filter. Almost.

A bank holiday weekend full of sunshine. I am at my folks' house for my Dad's birthday and there's time enough for the next stage of the some vehicle fettling.

Having changed the oil filter last week (with Les, my parents' neighbour) , today we tackled the air filter. Much easier to take off the bits and pieces to reveal the filter housing , and much less messing about. Filter successfully out, but alas none of the three parts suppliers within a short drive had the part in stock today, so far now we banged a vast amount of cak out of the current filter and rehoused it. Correct part should land by Tuesday.

Here's the dissasembly in pictures: