I don't often write my blog immediately after a great event but I've got a busy weekend and really do want to write this up whilst it's fresh in my mind.

I'm ashamed to say that for seven years I've lived within easy walking distance of Walmer Castle and have never visited it.  My excuse is that I don't like visiting places tout seul. 

Friends invited me to a picnic on the beach and then to attend A Concert at the Castle - they had no information about the Concert but the tickets were a ridiculously low 5 so what did it matter. 

The Lydian String Quartet were absolutely fabulous.  I'm rather a plebian when it comes to Classical Music - am not deeply entrenched in it but certainly have very catholic taste.  However I do love hearing relatively popular music played by a string quartet - and tonight was exceptional. 

Firstly, the grounds of Walmer Castle are absolutely delightful and I shall certainly be visiting again.  It is owned by English Heritage and I cannot begin to comprehend why they don't advertise their functions more fully.  I can think of half a dozen friends who would have been delighted to attend the concert tonight.

There was no programme, but the mix was, to my taste, absolutely superb.  Let me give you an idea - there was some Vivaldi, Puccini, Handel and at the other end of the scale the theme music from 'Dr. Zhivago', two numbers from 'Fiddler on the Roof', Hoagey Carmichael's 'Stardust' - Edith Piaf's 'La Vie on Rose'; Blue Tango by Leroy Anderson; some Nat King Cole;  Pachelbel's Canon and on and on it went - I was totally enraptured.

Stuart (who designed my website) doesn't like me putting in links to other websites because it takes them away from me - but sorry Stu these guys and girls are so good - and they have raised around 90,000 for Macmillan nurses, so I'm more than happy to give them a plug.  I suppose you would call them a Co-operative of musicians who can be called upon to perform at all sorts of different venues and in differing groups.  Tonight we had a quartet - tomorrow you might just require one musician.  It is always a source of mystery to me (not playing an instrument and unable to read music) how these disparate people come together and meld into a cohesive whole to play the most wonderful music.  Tonight they were deciding as they went along what they would play and at a nod from the lead violin, they were all there playing in unison.

I thought they were wonderful - and apart from the midges who plagued me constantly -the whole setting and ambience were superb.

I really think English Heritage are missing a trick in not better publicising concerts like this one.

If you want to know more about The Lydian String - go to their website - thelydianstring.com

Must go to bed - off early in the morning to watch the Re-enactment lads at Capel and then opening the Tilmanstone Village Fete!!!

Arrivederci,  Jan

I must also catch up with photographs in the Gallery.  They have to be entered one at a time and it is quite a lengthy process.

I'm still very curious about how people from all over the world end up on my site - I know it's keywords but last week 35 people from China looked at my Website and I can't think what might have drawn them in.  Stuart - my lovely Website designer - has now added an email link for me so feel free to use it.  I will try to deal with queries etc. but can't always promise a reply.  Even the Blogs are taking me longer and longer - I actually enjoy writing and do try to make the Blogs interesting.

All the best,  Jan

I had to go to London yesterday for a meeting with a producer at Channel 4 and my friend/agent Simon asked if I would stay on to attend the Press Launch of the Ch. 4 Paralympics.  I was down to attend a Gala Night of the Sandwich Tech production of Les Miserables - produced and choreographed by my friend Josephine Buchan which has had rave reviews and was so good it transferred from Sandwich Tech for a season at the Gulbenkian Theatre in Canterbury. 

I chose to go to the Press Night, and though sad to miss Josephine's production, am so glad I was able to experience the excitement and joy at the Press Launch.

Simon has become involved in PR for the Wheelchair Rugby Team who recently played a match on the Woolwich Ferry as it passed under Tower Bridge.  I was introduced to two of the players - both charming and good looking young men, Steve Brown and Mandip Sehmi  - who, through totally freak accidents are paralized from the upper chest down.  You should see them move in their wheelchairs!  And I'm now told that Steve went off to a nightclub in Soho - despite having to film early in the morning - what a guy! Unfortunately I'm not able to bring you the Publicity photographs of these two lovely guys - they are embargoed.  Probably just as well, they'd have a fan club queuing up.

Channel 4 are going to be the Total Paralympic Channel and must have put in a superb bid out-doing the BBC.

The Channel 4 'Café' was last night cleared of everything except throngs of people - some in wheelchairs, some with guide dogs and many with no obvious outward signs of disability.  David Abrahams gave us an outline of how they will be approaching their coverage and there was a brief address by the Minister for Sport. We were shown a short and succinct video of some of the aspects of the Paralympics (there was a short clip of our Rugby players) and then were invited to watch an abbreviated Basketball match.  Those of you who might have been reading my blogs for the last few years will know that I'm lousy at all sport and really have no interest in much other than ski-ing.  Well, all that changed last night.  I would never even think of watching a Basketball match - American anyway!  But watching them play in their wheelchairs was nothing short of miraculous.  One chap was constantly tipping over his chair and righting it again with consummate ease.  It was so exciting, I found myself cheering and thoroughly enjoying the whole event.  I have never ever watched the Olympics but I will be glued to the set in 2012 for the Paralympics.

We've come a long way since 1993 when I was asked by the British Legion if I would do the narration for Challenge 93 - The First International Ex-Service Wheelchair Games. (ITV and the BBC were not interested in doing a full documentary)  The event was held in the grounds of Stoke Mandeville Hospital.  187 Athletes attended from 21 countries.

When I arrived, someone in charge commented on the fact that I wasn't wearing a hat and gloves - I'd come to work for heaven's sake!  What none of us knew was that the late King Hussein of Jordan was coming to present the awards.  (As I was hatless, I was put in the back row for the presentations,  but felt a certain one upmanship when Queen Noor shook my hand and commented on how wise I was not to wear a hat on such a windy day.)

I remember being very moved by the whole event and very impressed that King Hussein gave the same time, care and attention to the Israeli team as he did to the Jordanians and all the other participants.)

It was only a short Video - which I found the other day.  I watched it and had the same feeling of wonderment for those people so badly afflicted by war and yet so positive and courageous. 

It's great that Bejing did so much for the disabled cause and I can't wait for 2012 - when I will be routing for all but particularly for our Wheelchair Rugby team. 

Having had a full, eventful and enjoyable day, it was made for me by meeting Jon Snow as I exited. I don't watch much news but when I do it's usually Channel 4 - I find it one of the best and I really admire Jon as a presenter.   I've met him before at Charity events and I'm not sure if he knew who I was last night but I asked him if I could have a photo taken with him.  I'd not thought to bring my camera and Simon only had his mobile.  I don't yet have any photos of Steve and Mandeep (the Rugby wheelchair players) so for the time being you can look at Jon and myself. (Not the most flattering of either of us)

What a fabulous couple of days I've just had with the Sacla people in Liguria and I am a total convert to Italian food.  I don't think I've ever really had “Good and authentic” Italian food.  In the UK one expects the ubiquitous pizza and then there are the meat dishes but rarely fish (mind you I don't usually eat fish if I'm too far from the sea as it cannot possibly be fresh and unless you eat frozen fish quite soon after freezing there is always a slightly oily taste and smell to it).

The party comprised Clare Blampied, the delightful MD of Sacla UK Ltd.; her equally lovely PR Sue Wilkins and Marketing controller Katherine Carter.  From the Press were the Editors of Delicious Magazine (Karen Barnes) as well as the publisher (Seamus Geohegan) ; the Editor of the Grocer (Anna-Marie Julyan) and Food Writer and Deputy Editor of Spectator/Scoff Magazine (Tilly Culme-Seymour); and Aggie Mackenzie of TV Fame.

We landed in Genoa and hit the ground running.  Our first trip was to some Basil Fields and a late al fresco lunch where I saw the largest chunk of Parmesan I've ever clapped eyes on and learned that there is Eating Parmesan and Grating Parmesan - so don't be a snob over the length of maturation of the cheese - 9 months leads to a good Eater and 20 months gives you the harder Grating variety.

I love Basil (the herb !)!  I make my own Pesto and I love to see it growing  in a pot on my windowsill.  Now I no longer have a garden, there's a limit to what I can grow and Basil is a pleasure to have in the kitchen.  I've often wondered why it is that the Basil plants I buy in the Spring and Summer will grow again if cut correctly, yet the Winter purchases rarely re-grow - well the answer is that Basil is seasonal and it needs the warmth and sunshine to encourage re-growth.

The Basil fields (grown in rotation with Corn and Wheat) are cropped several times and as I stood surveying Basil as far as the eye could see, I did a mental tot-up of how many 2.59 pots of Waitrose Basil could be gleaned from the crop.  I was looking at a field worth millions - but it doesn't work like that!  The Basil in the fields has tougher leaves than those on the plant you purchase in the supermarket and they are cropped in rotation.

Below I'll post a picture of me surrounded by Basil.

I won't get technical but they harvest 300 tons of Basil per year!!!  No that is not a typing error.

After we'd savoured the aroma of the Basil and ooh'd and aah'd at the peaches and nectarines growing on the trees near the farm, we were treated to our Al fresco lunch of Parmesan, tomatoes, melon, peaches and nectarines and cold meats - delicious.

Back into the coach and transfer to our hotel Locando del Sant'Uffizio - and as the name suggests it was an old monastery beautifully converted into a luxury hotel.  Unfortunately there was hardly time to enjoy the very large swimming pool because of our Dinner Date with Lorenzo Ercole, son of the founders and President of Sacla along with his daughter Chiara and his niece Lucia and the Chairman and MD of La Cucina Italiana Magazine.

It was a superb meal at Il Cascinale Nuovo in Asti -  splendidly prepared by the chef  Roberto Ferretto.  Course after course arrived - but all small and wonderfully tasty portions.  I like it when someone else chooses the menu - can't bear wading through a huge Carte and changing my mind several times over.  I thoroughly enjoyed the meal and Mr. Ferretto kindly sent me a run down of what we'd eaten.  Sadly I discovered that what I'd been told was Beef was actually Veal - a meat I haven't wittingly eaten in 40 years.  In Australia it was one of my favourites but, on arriving back in the UK, the RSPCA were conducting a campaign against the way Veal Calves were raised and that put me off for life.  I'm not a great meat eater but I like to think that what I am eating had a life - and Veal Calves do not unless they've changed the method.  I won't go into it.  But it was a superb meal and the Risotto course was out of this world - I'd love the recipe.  In fact at the Airport, instead of buying perfume, I bought bags of prepared Risotto and some Trofiette - a pasta I'd never experienced before.  You can probably purchase it in London and big cities but I've never seen it in my part of Kent.  So guess what Leeming is going to be eating for the forseeable future?

The next morning we were taken to Asti and the Sacla factory.  This is where it all began and a very large proportion of the Asti population works at Sacla (similar to Phizer at Sandwich which is a town in its own right)  The original home of the Ercole family is now being refurbished and will be turned into a Museum.

We were garbed in special shoes with steel caps, heads covered in the most unflattering white caps (you know the sort of thing I mean - you see staff wearing them in supermarket deli, meat and fish counters) and white cover-alls.   We had to take off all jewellery and then proceeded to the factory. 

Pesto is only mixed - there is no cooking involved - and it comes out a vivid Hunter's Green colour which then changes slightly after sterilization.  There are no short cuts taken in the making of the Sacla Pesto - in addition to the Basil they use genuine pine nuts and parmesan.

Our guide then told us he would take us to the kitchen to show us where other sauces were prepared.  I stupidly expected a huge kitchen with Tubs of Ingredients rather than saucepans and actual people doing the mixing.  Wrong - The 'Kitchen' looked like the pristine boiler room of a ship! - all pipes and Vats.

Our next stop was to be a drive to a little port and then a Rubber dinghy ride to the cove of San Fruttuoso for lunch.  Unfortunately the drive which should have taken an hour and a half took three hours.  There is only one way in and out of Genoa and it was absolutely solid with traffic.  (They have no way of expanding the road being squeezed between the mountains and the sea).  However, despite being out of schedule Clare decided that we would still make our trip to San Fruttuoso and we were all so glad that she did.  The Dinghy ride was wonderfully exhilarating as we skimmed over the surface of the sea.  Again the hub of the tiny cove was the de-commissioned Monastery - well the monks certainly got away from it all at San Fruttuoso because the only way to it was by sea and in the old days, that journey must have taken a couple of hours.  We didn't see it but there is a huge crucifix 17 metres down in the sea to the right of the cove (as you approach from the sea) fishermen and others (with good lungs)  dive down and  kiss Il Christo degli Abissi.  The Crucifix is 2.5 metres high and was placed in the sea in 1954.

We had a splendid seafood lunch at Da Giorgio.  I love mussels but am very wary of them as I've had food poisoning so often - but as we were literally on the ocean I reckoned that I'd be OK and I was.  The setting was lovely, the company great and bonding further.

Our hotel for that night was the Excelsior in Rapallo - a lovely hotel in a superb location.  I was a trifle curious as to the name of the dining room - The Lord Byron.  We were not dining in though and after a very quick shower and change, we were back in the bus and on to Portofino - how stunning a place that is.  It reminded me of Honfleur in France - except that Portofino is even more picturesque.  There was a concert in progress in the square and people were perambulating  - as one does in the Mediterranean with the lovely weather and the gentle sea breeze.  As someone who doesn't eat great quantities of food, I wondered how I was going to make my way through another 3 - 4 course meal at the O Magazin Restaurant.   But I have to say every course was light and delicious and I so love seafood.  There was a castle on the hills above the little Port and we were told it had belonged to Lord Byron - but I've been unable to substantiate this claim.  I think he may have visited it but he does not appear to have been an owner.  However, as the light faded and the castle was lit up, it fed my romantic nature to believe that indeed it had belonged to Byron - especially as I'm currently reading a book about Lady Caroline Lamb with whom he had a brief affair - the effect of which lasted Lady Caroline a lifetime albeit a brief one.

I can't think when I've enjoyed a couple of days as much as my brief visit to Italy.  It was educational and fun - we saw beautiful scenery and ate delicious food - so, once again, many many thanks to Clare for an exceptional experience.  I can well understand why Sacla is so successful with the longevity and experience of the Ercole family and the dedication and drive of Clare Blampied in the UK who says she 'just happened to be in the right place at the right time'.  Lucky for both of them.

I am getting heartily sick of unsolicited phone calls, particularly as my phone number is Ex-directory.  Today I received an automated call offering to sort out my Debt (I have none thank Goodness) and  then a real person  offering to sell me a hearing aid and yet another offering to make a Will for me.  I don't need a hearing aid and I made a Will years ago!!  When I ask with exasperation why I am being called on an Ex-directory number, I am told that my number has been gained from a Data Marketing Agency or that it is because I have made an online purchase.

We are being pushed more and more to online purchasing which I don't like but sometimes am forced to use BUT I always tick the box to say I DO NOT WANT any produce literature or any sales literature.  THIS IS OBVIOUSLY NOT ENOUGH as the calls continue.

This is an intrusion on my Privacy.  I have taken to screening my calls which is a bind because sometimes my friends think I am out and do not leave a message.

Today I went 'Online” to find out how I could block these calls only to be met by a proliferation of different options - and even those made me feel uneasy.  I opted in to one site but when it started asking for all sorts of information, I pulled out of it.

SO IF ANYONE KNOWS OF A LEGITIMATE SITE TO WHICH ONE CAN SIGN UP WHICH WILL DEFINITELY BLOCK THESE DAMNED CALLS PLEASE LET ME KNOW - MY CONTACT IS ON MY WEBSITE.  AND I WILL BE GREATLY IN YOUR DEBT.  

I was invited to attend this function which will be shown as a TV programme probably in the Autumn.

The venue was the Great Hall at Lincoln's Inn - a staggeringly beautiful place.  The Hall was originally built in 1489 but has been extensively renovated in 1625, 1652, 1706 and 1819.  (It is well worth Googling Lincoln's Inn - quite fascinating)

We entered this illustrious building to be confronted by banks of shiny dustbins with food spilling out of them.

The purpose of the 'Banquet' was to highlight the waste of food from our supermarkets - 30% of Supermarket Food ends up in Bins and the chefs for the day had 'raided the bins' full of perfectly edible food and their task was to concoct a three course meal from what they found.

There were about 60 guests - a mix of MP's, Supermarket bosses, worthies and 'Us' - some people from the world of TV.

I happened to be seated at what I think must have been the most interesting table in the entire room - well even if it weren't, we all got on like a house on fire and had a very interesting afternoon.  I was sitting opposite the delightful David Lindo - from the One Show - what a lovely guy - pity he wasn't 20 years older and single!! (Only joking) PICTURE below.

Next to me was a delightful Norwegian Artist who, bless her, has finally sent me the recipe for the cake for which my son would kill - the one which cost us an arm and a leg when we were in an Oslo Coffee house during our Baltic Cruise last year.  The cake happened to be Cathrine Kramer's Father's favourite cake and she was as good as her word and sent the recipe to me immediately.  I'm going to try it out on some friends at the weekend.

We were welcomed with samosa canapés - of which I didn't partake as I do find it so difficult to juggle a drink, eat and hold a conversation.  On entering I'd met an absolutely delightful lady, Laura Sandys, who turned out to be the MP for Ramsgate and Margate just up the road from where I live. 

Matt Tebbutt concocted the Starter which was billed as

“British Beef with a Beef Consomme and Summer Vegetables” made from meat and vegetables that were going to be thrown away.

For some strange reason, I really didn't like it and actually left the dish.  Later I was informed that rather than beef - the meat comprised ox tongue, ox cheek and something else from the offal family.  Any of you who've seen the Come Dine with Me in which I took part will know that I didn't eat Donal McIntyre's Ox Cheek Casserole.  There's something slimy in it's consistency and that's why I can't eat it.  I loathe Frankfurters and the French delicacy Andouillettes.

The Main Course was by Richard Corrigan

“Fresh Kent Fish Wrapped in Courgette with a Pork Ratatouille” made from fish and vegetables that were going to be thrown away.

As I love fish, this was more to my liking although again I don't know why it is so fashionable to almost kill the delicate taste of fish with meat.  Again at Donal's dinner he combined Scallops which I love with Chorizo which I don't - so I ate the scallops and left the rest.

Angela Hartnett made the Dessert

“Ginger Floating Island with British Summer Fruits”

made with strawberries and eggs that were going to be thrown away.

The Floating Island was definitely the rather bland French Ile Flottante but the overall taste was pleasing and I love Summer Fruits.

It is obscene when you think that half the world is starving and our dinner was made from food which had been thrown away.

It was a very long afternoon and very hot - the Great Hall is a lovely old building which, of course, has no air conditioning.

The chefs were judged by a panel led by Prue Leith and the Dustbin Award went to Richard Corrigan, although Prue did add that, had the canapés been part of the competition, then Simon Rimmer might have won.

I think the programme will be transmitting in the Autumn and it should make for very interesting viewing. 

Apart from the waste caused by 'Sell-by' Dates etc. I had a complaint about all these so called 'Offers' - you know what I mean - Buy One, Get One Free - Buy Two and get one for half price.  As a singleton with a small fridge and even smaller freezer, I simply cannot accommodate large amounts of food and have to grit my teeth to pay 1.99 for a pack of salad when for an extra 1p (yes 1p) I could have two packets - but what do I do with the second one except throw it away.

Who do the supermarkets think they are kidding.  If they can afford to give these 'Offers', why can't they sell the damn stuff at the correct price. I think it is the Walmart Ethos - pile 'em high and sell 'em cheap.

Cathrine told me that she tried putting the unwanted produce in a box outside her flat with the offer to just 'Help Yourself'.  It worked in Shoreditch but I don't think it would work where I live!!  They'd probably think it was a set up for a programme like the old 'Candid Camera'.

The lovely Stuart (don't know his surname as he had no cards and hasn't yet emailed me) suggested our table went for a drink after the recording.  I don't like Pubs but I did like the company and only had a train journey and an evening with the cat to look forward to, so went along for a while.  Someone else joined our party and I thought he looked familiar but wasn't absolutely sure.  We had a very animated conversation and then I checked out that it was Lembit Opic - previous incumbent of the Lib Dem seat in Montgomeryshire from 1997 until this year.  He was actually a very interesting and personable gentleman.  I'd only read in the press about his amorous exploits - but then the press love to get a handle on you and then you can rarely shake it off - like me and my marriages.  I was amazed to read that he nearly died in a paragliding accident in 1998 - broke his back in twelve places along with his ribs, sternum and jaw.  He is now a keen supporter of the Spinal Injuries Association - Good for him.

Anyway, I'm so glad I made the effort to go in to London.  And I'm sorry I keep breaking my promise to write up my Florence trip - but it's a heck of a lot of work and I do have other things to do.  I must also tell you about my visit to Rye a few weeks ago.  Been there before but this time it was a beautiful day and wasn't teeming with tourists.

A bientot.  Jan

P.S.  Just a little aside.  I'm an ardent reader of Historical Novels.  I love history but don't want to read a dry book of dates.  At the moment I'm making my way through a tome - just under a 1,000 pages entitled The Autobiography of Henry V111.  The author - Margaret George - spent 15 years researching and reading over 300 books on the subject of Henry V111 - the result is quite gripping.  Well, of course Sir or St. Thomas More featured heavily in Henry's reign and it was lovely to spot  in the Great Hall a copy of the Holbein portrait of Sir Thomas.

The photo is of David Lindo, Cathrine and me.

Sorry I've been off the radar for a while but had a small operation and have been hors de combat for over a week.  Anyway here goes -

Catching up on the weekend papers (last weekend 26/27^th June)  I was interested but not surprised to read that Sir Mike Rake, Chairman of Bt, called much of British schooling a disgrace.  BT had to discard nearly a quarter of job applications because the applicants were unable to fill in the forms correctly.  Why has it taken almost half a century to realise that the basis of any good education is literacy and the ability to perform the three R's (Reading, Writing and arithmetic).

When my son attended university, one of the first tasks was a 'Module' to be completed by three boys and two girls.  Having chastised me and regarded me as 'old fashioned'  for my insistence on correct punctuation and spelling, he phoned me and expressed his absolute dismay that the other students needing to contribute to the module were barely literate and it was left to him to collate and write down the information they had gathered.

What is the point of Mr. Blair's target of 50% of young people attending University when literacy standards are so woeful, and many degrees useless?

Today - July 5^th I read an article by the excellent journalist Melanie Phillips.  The  gist of the article was the fact that we've probably got as many as 17,000 sub- standard teachers in our schools - instead of being sacked for incompetence, they are often given falsely glowing references so that they are able to seek employment elsewhere and their incompetence does not reflect badly on the school.  I suggest you read her article - Daily Mail July 5^th -  for me to précis it accurately would take time and I could not express the points as succinctly as she has done.

Why is it that ordinary folk with a modicom of Common Sense recognized the problem years ago - yet nothing was done about it.  Illiteracy can blight a life forever.

I was extremely fortunate to be born when I was.  So much of what was best in England was also the best in the world - Education, Law, Hospitals and as it developed we had the best Television on offer.  My father was born and brought up in India and received a superb education.  When he returned to this country (his forbears went out to India at the time of Clive in 1750) he was determined that I should have the best education he could afford - and on an ordinary soldier's pay he managed 4 a term to send me to a Convent School from which, at the age of 11, I won a scholarship to a Girls' Public School - Christ's Hospital.  We lived in Woolwich which was a LCC (Labour controlled) borough and it was deemed that as my father had paid for my education, I could have no help with the fees at the Bluecoat School.  So I went to a Convent Grammar instead.  I cannot say that School Days were the happiest of my life but by heaven the teaching was superb and the teachers so dedicated.  About ten years ago I went to one of the very few school reunions - just before our Convent was turned into Flats - and met some of the girls who still talk about the fact that they all passed their O level English because of the wonderful nun we had teaching us.  Mother Mary David did eventually leave the order - reverted to her name of Evelyn Magold and lived a very ordinary life in Canterbury - but she went on helping people and cats right up until her death.

I would like to have gone to University but my parents simply couldn't afford it - back in the late 50's only about 3% of girls went to University.  So instead of having a life in which I probably would have become a teacher of English and Drama, I went on to have a Dramatic life of my own - meant to be a pun!

In my day we had three tiers of education - Grammar School, Technical School and Secondary Modern.  But they all equipped us  with regard to our best ability and played on our strengths - why push people into University to come out with a useless degree in order to say you've been to 'Uni' and become part of Mr. Blair's favoured Target.  (I must tell you that at my school, St. Joseph's we girls came from all walks of life - I remember a girl whose father had a market stall and another whose father was a docker - it wasn't an elitist school - didn't have grand facilities, but we were definitely taught the 3 R's superbly.  We also had sessions on Public Speaking - I suppose today it might be seen as elitist but you had to write a piece and then get up in front of your peers and deliver it - how often today do I meet young people who are bubbling over with ideas and enthusiasm but do not have the means to express themselves) ( My thanks to Andrew Sinclair who wrote a letter pointing out that I'd made an error - a total aberration on my part - I'd put who's father instead of whose - and I should have known better.)

I hope that the new Government will realise the value of Apprenticeships and give them the respect which is their due.  Frankly, I bet there are many plumbers, electricians and builders who are earning far more than those who attended University and came out with a half-baked degree.

When I was young we all aspired to rise to the Highest Common Denominator and not to dumb down to the Lowest.  I find the sloppy speech and even sloppier grammar of today's youth quite unacceptable.  Speech is 'communication'.  Accents add colour to speech but if an accent is virtually incomprehensible to the majority then there's no excuse for majoring in that direction. 

THIS IS AN ADDITION ON 6TH JULY.  Honestly I had not read the article by Roger Moore in the Daily Mail when I wrote my few words above.  I have to be careful what I say in case I get accused of elitism but Mr. Moore can get away with it and he wrote an excellent article - putting matters more lengthily and succinctly than I had.  Now that he's opened up the subject, I will stick my neck out and say that when it is acceptable for our young royals to speak ungramatically, what can you expect from the rest of the population.     And just about everyone gets it wrong with 'We was .....' which makes my toes curl.  The -correct  declension is   -I was, you were, he/she/it was, we were, you were, they were. If you have the time, look up both Melanie Phillips and Roger Moore's articles in the Daily Mail for 5th July (alright, I know you will say it is a right wing paper but to my mind proper speech and grammar should not be a hostage to politics).              

I don't watch much television but being housebound I watched more than usual.  Recently there was a change to the advertised programme and the film made in 1982 on 'Bloody Sunday'  was shown.  In view of the Enquiry, I felt it encumbent upon me to watch it.  I so wish there had been sub-titles as I must have missed out on at least 50% of what was being said because of the extremely strong Northern Ireland Accent. I don't know if it was hugely biased but it was very interesting.  However, as there has been such an extensive and expensive enquiry into the roll of the Military who were found guilty, why oh why has there been no reciprocal enquiry into the role of the IRA - how many people did they maim and murder?

Mind you, if you look at history, many terrorists end up in positions of power and as heads of Government - look at Begin in Israel, Mandela in South Africa and Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams to mention but a few.

Well I'd better climb down off my soapbox because I've got so much more about which to tell you and these Blogs take me so much longer to write than I ever anticipate.

I just wanted to share a small moment with you.  My son Jonathan is leaving the UK and taking a sort of delayed Adult  Gap Year - visiting America, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia.  In one way I'm very happy for him but in another I shall miss him like crazy.  He lives in London and I live in Kent and, though we don't see each other often, when we do we have great times together.  He has accompanied me to First Nights, on Cruises and other functions where I needed a partner and what a wonderful partner he has been.

He came down yesterday evening so that we could have dinner and say our Au Revoirs.  I met him off the train and he came towards me with a fabulous bouquet in one hand and in the other a plastic bag full of his dirty laundry - so nothing ever really changes does it!

The laundry  is all washed and ironed and on its way back to London but I shall enjoy this gorgeous bouquet for many days.

Bye for now,  Jan 

I am absolutely sick and tired of unsolicited calls from people trying to sell me something especially as I have an Ex-Directory number with BT.  I have just received yet another offering me a Deaf Aid (what's that you say!!!) and when I asked how they got my number was given some Data address with whom I have never had dealings.  We are forced more and more to undertake transactions On-line and I ALWAYS tick the box which says I do not wish to receive any advertising etc. nor do I want my number shared with other organizations.

The other one is these Automated calls where you pick up - usually mid to late evening - and there is just a recorded message offering you credit or to sort out your debts etc.  Even when you punch Key Nine to stop the calls, they keep  on coming.  I've reached the stage where I rarely pick up the phone in the evening which means I sometimes miss out on calls from friends.  And even when I don't pick up, the jerks  have the cheek to leave messages on my Answer Machine.

How on earth does one stop these things - I think they should be made ILLEGAL.  It is an infringement of my rights that people should be given access to my telephone number.  I also get many calls for someone who has never lived at my address but obviously I was given a previously used number which is still registered to someone else.  In my last home for years  I was inundated with calls from Anglia Double Glazing because the previous owner had once asked for a quote.  No amount of pleading, threatening, begging could induce them to delete me from their Call list.  The calls only ceased when I left that address and I never asked the next owners if they too had been bombarded.

Sorry to be a grumble-guts but there's so much that angers me  about the intrusions of modern day living.  I remember the first time that I was shocked when I gave my name and was asked for my Postcode and up came my full address in a shop where I was purchasing a Washing Machine.  I've got used to that now but only because it goes on all the time.  You kind-of get worn down into accepting it all.  I reckon we must be the most spied upon country in Europe with far too many organizations having our personal details and passing them on.

 Alright, so I've found time to have a grumble, so why aren't I writing about Florence - I will, I will, I will ......................

OK OK - I know I promised you the run down on Florence but I've been busy and it really does take me ages to write the blog.

I've just downsized - for the umpteenth time - my books.  I've also been trying to put my remaining books in some kind of order.  I have a very old - falling apart - copy of Mrs. Beeton's  Everyday Cookery.  I bought it second hand, complete with the speckles of age and a spine falling apart.  It's now an antique because it was published in 1909.  So why am I excited - Well I was trying to repair the spine when I looked through and found some old newspaper cuttings - one of them had on the one side a photo of a woman in a Cloche hat (noting that the book was published in 1909 and seeing the title of the recipe on the other side of the cutting, I've placed the recipe at a time during the first World War)

So - I came across ECONOMY CAKE - A Much Prized Recipe!  I don't think I've baked a cake for over 30 years.  Don't think I even baked cakes for my treasured son maintaining that sweet things were not good for him and if I made them, I would eat them too and that was taboo.

I've lived in my flat here for 7 years and the other day my stepfather announced that he was going to bring my mother down for a visit.  They both like biscuits and sweet things so I decided to give the recipe a go!  It was heralded as a cross between a Victoria Sandwich and a sponge cake and apart from the fact that the mixture most definitely would not have spread to two tins it came out as a rather delicious offering.  I'm giving you the cutting below and the only ingredient I altered was the margarine (plastic by any other name) replacing it with unsalted butter.  I threw the whole lot into my Thermomix and then into the oven. The recipe calls for a quick oven - well mine is firmly anchored down and I don't know what is a quick oven so I cooked at 180 for about 15 minutes and it was delicious.  I served it with whipped cream and damson jam spread on top - only had one cake so couldn't make a sandwich but I'm chuffed to bits that I've made a cake from such an old recipe and I doubt it could be bettered today.

Happy Cooking!  Promise I'll get back to Florence and Rye soon.

I hope you will agree that It's such fun to see this old bit of newspaper.

How did I come to get invited.  Well, last year when I took part in Celebrity Masterchef, I was totally foxed by the Mystery Box and then saw the ingredients to make Pesto - one of my specialities which I often give to friends in lieu of a Bottle of Wine.  The MD of Sacla saw me on the programme - got in touch with my agent and a box of goodies winged their way to me.  I do virtually all my cooking from scratch and am not one to buy sauces but the Sacla range is superb.

So that is how I got the invite.  However I nearly didn't go - thinking with dread yet again of the awful journey in to London.  I've virtually given up taking the car as traffic is appalling.  It takes just over an hour to get to the outskirts of London and anything from an hour to two to get into Central London.  Anyway, it was a gloriously sunny day and I decided to try the High Speed Train route.  Unfortunately the nearest station to me is Dover Priory where I got my car vandalised a few months ago so I decided to drive to Folkestone West and park there.  The High Speed Train was a delight - much cleaner than the normal trains and, of course, fast.  We were at St. Pancras in under an hour.  Mind you there was a ten minute walk to get on the underground and it was spiflicatingly hot.

Got to the Italian Cultural Institute in Belgrave Square and couldn't have received a warmer welcome.  I was greeted like a member of the family and the evening just got better and better.  My hosts were brilliant in that they kept introducing me to other guests.  I'm afraid, despite my career in broadcasting, I've never been very good at 'networking or doing a room as they say'. I've spent my professional life interviewing people and on a one-to-one basis, I'm totally happy but I can't walk up to someone, cold, and introduce myself. There were many interesting folk from all different walks of life, among them the father of Laurence Dallaglio - Vincenzo - a total Italian charmer.  He and his son are working with the Sacla family developing new products - both being passionate about food.

The Canapés were the best I've ever had - really bite-size and absolutely delicious.  How often have I stood at a Cocktail Party refusing the huge canapés because they don't go into the mouth in one and you're sure to be caught with half a mouthful when someone wants to talk to you.  The Sacla canapés were a gastronomic delight and as for the Rose Prosecco - delicious. 

Jonathan arrived much later and also commented on the wonderful food.  I have to congratulate the serving girls and boys - they were constantly circulating and made sure no one missed out on anything.  Again how often does one stand and see the last 'nibble' disappear along with the server and that's it - they never come back. 

Although Jonathan didn't play Rugby at school, he has become a devoted fan of the game.  I'd forgotten the fact and omitted to tell him that Dallaglio would be at the function.  He was bowled over at being introduced to him.  I must have been somewhere else and didn't meet the 'great man'.

We must have done something right for our hosts invited us to go on with them to Little Italy in Soho.  We had a fabulous time with loads of dancing and then to cap it all the lovely Dionne (P.A. to the very glamorous MD - Clare Blampied) organized a car to bring me all the way back to Kent.  Didn't get to bed till 4.00 - but that kind of wild night is a rarity these days, so it was trebly enjoyed.

I'm now fired up to continue my Blog on the Florence trip.  Meanwhile I leave you with this photo of Clare, Vincenzo Dallaglio and me taken by the delightful photographer - Matt Harrison

P.S.  The story of SACLA is fascinating - why don't you Google it and click on Sacla 1939 where you'll see the full story.

To my amazement, this week the 'hits' were phenomenal (relatively) but I think that might have been because Come Dine With Me was shown for the umpteenth time - it's very flattering but I wish we got repeat fees!!

So, encouraged by the thousands who tuned in this week, I promise I will resume the Florence Epic by midweek.  Can't do it earlier.

It's such a strange feeling - looking at the weekly analysis and seeing people tuning in from all over the world and not knowing who they are.

Take care - A bientot.  Jan

A lady in Capetown has been extremely helpful to me over the last fortnight.  I've never met her but wanted to thank her for all her efforts on my behalf.  So I placed an order (not insignificant) for an arrangement to be delivered to her on Tuesday 18^th May. 2010.

As I heard nothing from her, I made the decision to email and ask if she had received anything (always slightly embarrassing if a recipient hasn't acknowledged a gift).  Well I'm very pleased that I asked.  No, she has not received her gift.  I've had two long phone calls today to Interflora (calls at my expense) and nothing has been resolved - not even a call to let me know how or whether the investigation was getting anywhere.

This is not the first time that I've been let down by Interflora.  It is always worth checking what kind of flowers were actually delivered.  I think the florists work on the presumption that you won't check up and very often just send any old things they've got left in the shop.  Sorry if I'm being very unkind but I'm furious that my gift was not delivered on Tuesday and here we are at the end of the week and nothing has been resolved.

Many years ago my father sent a bouquet to a titled lady.  He heard nothing and thought it odd but didn't have my nerve and never asked if she had actually received the gift.  Many years later, it transpired that indeed she had not received the flowers. 

So, BE WARNED, if you've sent flowers by INTERFLORA either within the UK or overseas, check that the recipient has actually received your gift.

UPDATE

The order was eventually sorted.  My order had not been transmitted!!!!  Interflora were duly apologetic and re-sent the order whilst offering me an Apology Bouquet or a refund of half my payment.  The recipient of my gift received it almost a week late - by the time all the ways and wherefores were investigated.  In this instance the late delivery was not too damaging but had it been for a Birthday or a special occasion, then no amount of apology could have made up for the disappointment.  SO IN CONCLUSION - Interflora have acted honourably - yet, in future, I would ALWAYS phone the recipient of a gift to ensure that they had received it.  Actually, I think Interflora would be doing themselves a favour if they despatched a confirmation to the purchaser indicating that the order had been sent and delivered.  I had to make two lengthy phone calls and then engage in some emails before the mistake was rectified.

Promise I will write fully within the next week.  Have to go to London on Tuesday to celebrate my son's 29th Birthday (seems like yesterday that he was a mere baby and now he's a strapping 6ft 3inches) I can still remember his birth and what a gorgeous sunny day it was on May 18th 1981.   I also have to go and see my Mother who celebrates her 90th Birthday on Wednesday.  What with her being 90 and my Father in his 95th year, I only hope I don't go on so long.  I really don't like the idea of being ancient and helpless - OK if you are fit both mentally and physically but my Mother is slowly going down the Dementia path and my Father is blind.  I have no desire to go on forever and wouldn't want to even if someone discovered the Elixir of Youth.  I think we are all living too long and we in the Western World have lost the comfort of the extended family where we would be guaranteed a 'place at the hearth'.  Transport has split us up and thrown us down all over the place.  My son is taking a rather late Gap Year and I shall miss him terribly.  He got caught in the Volcanic Ash business and stayed in Thailand for an extra three weeks and now is stating that he might eventually go and live there.  If he does, I shall miss him ridiculously.

Will write up the rest of my Florentine adventure and upload more photos for you - most of them will have to go into the Gallery and it will be difficult to choose as I've come back with so many.

Just to be going on with, here I am at the top of the Duomo in Florence - 439 steps - a steep and hard slog.  I reckoned that if I ever visit Florence again (would love to but it is phenomenally expensive) I'll probably be past being able to climb the steps so I DID IT.

There are times when it really is worth the money to book a guided tour and I'd booked for both the Academia and the Uffizi.

We were extremely lucky that we had the guide to ourselves - a very rare occurrence as one is usually tagging along in a group of at least 25 - 30.  We had the undivided attention of Sami Bin Ali  - born in Florence to a Florentine Mother and passionate about his work.

I remember well in the 70's wondering why everyone made such a fuss about Michelangelo's 'David'.  I'd only ever seen pictures in books.  It was quite a different story seeing it in the flesh and I must have spent at least twenty minutes just walking around and staring at the sculpture.  I was so impressed that I actually bought a very heavy copy (8kgs) standing about two feet high and trusted to the honesty of the shop that it would be delivered to my home in Bristol.  It was and I am still it's proud owner.  I remember being told that the copy was done by some sort of electronic process whereby the statue was totally accurate even down to the slight nick in David's sling.  I hadn't looked at the signature in years - Dal Torrione. Have just found the name on the Internet but cannot find out much more.  The statue is a kind of compressed marble and has gone a bit yellow over the years but it is a thing of beauty and my copy still has the toes intact on the left foot (some mindless vandal hacked at them some years ago)

Sami, our guide, was very informative about the 'Prisoners' - not a name given them by Michelangelo - but by future generations because they are unfinished and look as though they are trying to fight their way out of the marble.

Sami was also very knowledgeable about Giambologna whom I seem to remember was almost dismissed by our lecturer back in the 70's as being 'heavy and full blown'.  Sami put a totally different perspective on The Rape of the Sabine Women and I began to accord Giambologna the respect which is his due.  Also, in the 70's The Rape was to the left of The David and really shouldn't have been in the same area.  Now the work is housed in a separate room and one can accord it it's  true value.  I think I remember that Sami told us The Rape is actually the model for the original work which is in the Loggia of the Piazza della Signoria whereas the David in the Piazza is a copy and the real work is in the Academia.

There are not that many artefacts to view in the Academia (as compared with the Uffizi or the Bargello) so the fact that Sami held us in thrall for two hours is due respect for his knowledge and enthusiasm.

I'm not an Art Critic, merely an enthusiastic amateur, so I can only give you a very brief overview of the wonders of Florence.

This is the Copy David in the Piazza della Signoria (not allowed to take photos in the Academia)

General Walkaround and the only sunny day we had in a week.

I had booked two guided tours for the Uffizi and the Academia so we decided to spend our first day just wandering and familiarizing  ourselves with the city and all the wonders on offer.  We weren't to know that it would rain for the remainder of the week so I'm glad I took many photos.  I still felt the wonder that I'd experienced in the 70's when I looked at the Duomo, Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistry Doors and the Ponte Vechio which, when viewed from a distance,  gives you the feeling of being back in the Middle Ages.  Today the bridge is entirely given over to jewellers displaying the most fabulous wares.  Along the top of the shops is Vasari's Corridor (difficult to book a visit) which was designed and built so that the Medicis could walk from one palace, across the bridge to another of their palaces without having to mix with the 'common herd'.  The bridge used to be inhabited by butchers but the smell from the buchery was unpleasing to the Medicis so they were got rid of and instead jewellers were allowed to inhabit the houses/shops.

It is so difficult choosing just one photo out of the thousand or more that I took but I shall show you one of the most visited artefacts in the city - Il Porcellino (Italian 'piglet') is the local Florentine nickname for the bronze fountain of a boar found to the side of the Leather market very close to the Piazza della Signoria.  He is actually a copy - the real one sculpted by Pietro Tacca (1577 - 1640) being in the Uffizi. 

The legend goes that if you drop a coin down his snout into the grating and rub his nose - you will return to Florence.  Consequently his snout is burnished gold whilst the rest of his body is a dull patinated bronze.  I like him very much and went back several times to try and get a photo when there weren't dozens of people around him.  Finally  managed it so here goes.

The Florentine Boar and yours truly.

I've just returned from an eight day trip to the wonderful city of Florence (and only just in time to miss the Airport closures due to Volcanic Ash).

I made a brief visit about 25 years ago and a longer one in the 70's when I was studying with the Open University and a 5 day trip to Florence was on offer.  I remember certain highlights of that 70's trip and also remembered being 'frescoed-out'.  I'd forgotten that they had a terrible flood in November 1966 and so many beautiful artefacts were destroyed.

On this visit I had a list of 'Must sees' and had learned by past mistakes that you simply cannot take in more than a fraction of the treasures that Florence has to offer. If you try to do too much, you simply go into overload.

The visit was a delight spoiled only by the appalling weather (it rained almost non stop for a week) and the shock of seeing an incredible amount of Graffiti on the buildings in the Old and Historic part of Florence.  (Graffito is an Italian word!!)  It's bad enough seeing Graffiti anywhere but in such a fantastic city, it made me want to cry.  How can these vandals desecrate their city so rich in art and history?  Mind you Graffiti is not new - there's even some on the wonderful statue of Michelangelo's David - done before the Statue was moved from the Piazza della Signoria to the Academia.

We stayed in a lovely hotel in the old part of Florence - the Monna Lisa (no, I haven't got the spelling incorrect - I questioned it and was told this was the old spelling). It had been a convent or some such - certainly not a Palace - but I loved the irregularity of the building - all the little stairways and quaint old-fashioned rooms.

Our plane was delayed so we eventually arrived at 1.00 am and even at that late hour our taxi had to duck and dive down endless one way streets.  This circuitous route decided us to cancel our hire car.  We felt we'd be OK on the open road to Sienna etc, but whether we could ever get in or out of the town was another matter.

The porter on duty was so slight, he made me look fat.  We had two flights of stairs to mount to our rooms and he apologised for not taking our bags but he'd had two hernias!  We'd had nothing to eat since lunchtime on the Friday through till breakfast on Saturday as Meridiana served nothing other than water, juice, tea and coffee on the flight.  Wouldn't have minded so much except we had to while away 3 hours at the Airport because our flight was delayed and no one had alerted us to the fact that Meridiana does not serve food - not even a sandwich.

However, we'd arrived and hadn't been impeded by any Volcanic Ash Clouds so we were extremely grateful.

As I can only mount one photo per story in my blog. I shall break the narrative up into different days in order to illustrate each day with a good picture.  And then I shall put many more into the Gallery.  (You can imagine how many photos I took especially as my good old Sony failed me a few days before the trip and I had to buy another camera.  I wanted another Sony but finally swapped allegiance to a Nikon because it had a 26 Optical Zoom and wow was I able to take some amazing photos - well amazing in that I could zoom in from such great distances.)

Tomorrow - general walk around Florence on our only sunny day!

This was the Loggia to the Monna Lisa - stunning ceiling isn't it! 

The one joyful event at the moment is our late Spring.  It's lovely to see so many of our Spring Flowers putting on their displays con-currently.  The Forsythia and the Ornamental Cherry Blossom are stunning.  Sadly I no longer have a garden but I derive joy from seeing all the fabulous Camellias which are in bloom.  It's sad that they have no perfume because they are among my favourite flowers.

I feel so sorry for all the people stranded everywhere because of the Volcanic Ash Saga - my own Son included who is stranded somewhere in Thailand.   What is happening to our world?    So many natural disasters have followed hot on the heels of each other and I do not believe this is down to Global Warming.  We have had tsunamis, earthquakes, wettest summers, coldest winters and now Volcanic Ash.  All these natural phenomena have occurred across the Ages but they all seem to be being kaleidoscoped together.  And don't fall for the Lib-Dems anti Nuclear Power scenario.  Yes, if there is a Nuclear disaster, it is horrendous but for the most part it is the most efficient form of power.  I have a dear friend in Cornwall whom I visit regularly.  There is a wind-farm just off the A30 as you take the turning down to Truro.  I've never counted the ugly giants - probably about 20 - but I have never ever seen any more than half whirling around at any one time.  I'm also told that they need power to charge them up in the first place.  I rather suspect that many lobbying for the wind-farms are those  with a vested interest in the profits.  And they are so ugly.  Putting money into Solar Panels (even in the UK where we don't have an overdose of Sunshine) might make more sense.

I don't take a paper regularly - what I read almost daily about social injustice, dodgy politicians  and welfare spongers just upsets me and makes me angry.  I take The Week regularly and have done for years - it gives a balanced view of both home and world affairs looking at the scenarios from the Left, the Right and the Centre.

I did buy the Mail on Saturday yesterday (17^th April)  because I like the the layout of their Weekend Magazine and can easily pick my way around the generally dismal array of TV programmes.  And now I finally understand about Gordon Brown's plundering of the Private Pensions thanks to an excellent article by Alex Brummer.  Yes, I know that the Mail is very right wing but Mr. Brummer also admits that the Conservatives weren't entirely innocent in that under the Chancellor Norman Lamont, tax credits were reduced on Pension fund dividends, but Brown abolished them entirely.  This was done in secrecy and if Mr. Brummer has his facts correct, even Tony Blair was unaware of the true impact of this 'highway robbery'.

Private Pension schemes were able to plough back their dividends into the Pension funds thus making them more viable especially as the world has changed so dramatically in the last few decades with most of us expecting to live for an average of 20 years after retirement instead of the few years anticipated in the 1950's.

The whole Pensions matter is complex but if you can get hold of Saturday's Mail or even find Alex Brummer's article on line, you will understand it fully.

Let me tell you why I am so interested.  I have to smile when I hear many of today's youth declaring that they want to be 'famous' and many of them equate it with wealth.  Let me tell you there is an upside and a downside to being 'famous' and it doesn't always equate with wealth.  I only wanted to do a job I loved and which paid the mortgage - Fame was a side adjunct I did not expect.

I have loved my working life.  I feel blessed that I have always been pleased to go to work and be paid for something I so enjoyed.  Had my fiancée not died in a car crash I would have remained in Australia and continued working in Theatre - my first love.  However fate decreed otherwise and on returning to the UK my path went in a different direction and that was the 'almost' fledgling television.  I have had great experiences through my life associated with TV.  I've been invited to attend great functions, met and interviewed fascinating people - I've also had the downside of the Press attention which has always attended my unfortunate love life!

But WEALTH - certainly not.  I own a very nice but modest flat in Kent and I don't owe anyone any money.  I actually hope that I do not have the longevity of my family - my father is now 95 and still in relatively good health and with all his mental faculties - my mother is 90 next month and, sadly, is sliding into the twilight world of senile dementia.

I don't want longevity because, unless my beloved son becomes rich (and my family don't seem to have the Midas touch) and can look after me, I would be extremely worried about the long term future.

I didn't choose to be Freelance but the Television Industry does not want Presenters and Front of Camera workers to be on staff.  If they are Freelance then they can be thrown out with the bathwater if the ratings drop or the New Producer wishes to install a Presenter of their own choosing.

For over twenty of my working years I worked on yearly Contracts - this meant that I paid all the PAYE required of me but was not on any Company pension scheme - nor could I claim allowances for genuine working expenses.  I am a cautious Capricornian and knew that I must make allowances for a pension but it wasn't until the early 80's that I actually earned enough to pay the mortgage, the bills and have anything over for putting into a Pension.  Even when I was a National Newsreader for the BBC in 1980 my salary was 10,000 and only rose to 23,500 seven years later.  Hardly a fortune but the big problem was the pension.  I invested in a very nice house in Buckinghamshire and saw my mortgage interest rise to 15% at one stage.  But that house was meant to be a very large chunk of my pension - it had to go when work fell off  in the mid 90's along with the departure of my beloved husband.

However, I did pick up some lucrative Corporate work for several years after leaving the BBC and I saved like mad.   I was persuaded to put my hard-earned savings into the Equitable and over a period of 21 years amassed a 'fortune' of 169,000!  Then in 2001 the Equitable almost collapsed - much of it to do with dear Mr. Brown's abolishing of the tax credits on pensions.  My pension would have been modest in any case but I fought for my rights for seven years and finally my case went to the Ombudsman who ruled in my favour due to mis-selling.  In other words, I didn't understand what I was signing up to nor was the salesman explaining the full implications of everything to do with my pension.   This is all very over-simplified and had I not found a superb Pensions advisor in Nigel Markham in Canterbury, I probably would have given up the fight.  It did cost me and in the end we were both fighting for justice as much as the money. 

And just look at the appalling way in which this Government is dealing with the Equitable Case even though EMAG (the Equitable Members' Action Group) has won in the High Court it's case for compensation.  Even Mr. Cameron has not given his support and an interesting and sad fact is that since the debacle nearly a decade ago approximately 15 would be pensioners have died daily - I was never brilliant at maths but if you take nine years of 365 days and 15 pensioners dying daily, then there are 49,125 people who have never been able to take their full pension rates and what has that saved the Equitable!  (And over the years the Equitable has handed out ridiculously large sums to Non-Executive Directors)

I was finally awarded the maximum sum which the Ombudsman could allow and that was 100,000 which had to go into an Annuity with Canada Life and I now have just over 7,000 a year for life instead of the guaranteed 10 - 12,000 that I should have looked forward to.  I receive a small State Pension and it is far less than many people claim on benefit!!!!

Why am I being so honest with you?  Because I want you not to be swayed by Nick Clegg's apparent charm and vacuous policies, definitely not to vote for the Labour party and to hand the sadly 'poisoned chalice' to the Conservatives. 

I can't wait for next week's instalment from Alex Brummer on the Scandal of the Fat Cat Public Sector Pensions.    No wonder Mr. Brown trebled the number of Public Sector employees - he was engaging the services of yet more people he knows will vote for the Labour Party.  And who is paying for those Public Sector Pensions - you are and I am.

We have a Pensions Time Bomb - I hope I'm not around when it goes off.

Well what a DAMP SQUIB that turned out to be.  I actually nodded off for a few minutes at 9.00 pm - it was all so boring and predictable.  And Alastair Stewart was jumping up and down with the excitement one would associate with a 100,000000 winner in the Lottery.  The whole thing was so contrived.  No-one in the audience was allowed to ask the sort of questions most of us are busting to ask and which are being discussed around dinner tables up and down the land.  Why did this Government bail out the banks and let them off so lightly.  Why are there schools in this country where English is not the prime language.  Why do we reward young women with Council flats and subsidies just for getting pregnant time and time again.  Why did Gordon Brown increase the number of public servants almost threefold.  I'll tell you why - because they will vote for the Labour party, as will the immigrants who get so much for nothing in return, as will so many of the workshy who are happy to live off benefits.  And who was the man who sold off our Gold Reserves when Gold was at an all time low - Mr. Brown.  Who was the man who ruined the private pension schemes (including mine and it was small I can tell you) - Mr. Brown.  And who holds the most Greek Government bonds - we do!!

I have to admit that Nick Clegg did come across as the most likeable of the three participants  - but remember back to 1997 and the good-looking and charming Tony Blair and look what he did for this country - I think DID FOR is the operative phrase. And remember that Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems are rather pro-Europe.  I know the Euro is strong at the moment but many European countries are in a mess financially - so watch this space.  And look what joining the European Union has done for us - we can't make and keep our own laws - we are ruled by a load of Eurocrats with their noses in the trough.  And as for the European Court of Human Rights - don't even get me started.

I would have liked to have taken a swipe at Brown with that smug smirk which kept appearing on his face. I know that there is a whole World Economy problem but Brown was the Chancellor who was in charge of the ship which he sailed onto the rocks - he is unelected, uncharismatic, and fails to see the damage that he has done to our country.  Mind you 'Power corrupts and absolute Power corrupts absolutely' and the Labour Party had such an overwhelming majority that they could do what they damn well liked almost unhindered.  It's just come to my mind what Brown said about an elected House of Lords.  He is the Prime Minister who 'allowed' Gorbals Mick to be elevated to the Lords - now John Prescott is thinking of taking a Peerage in order to repay his wife who stood by him when his affair was brought to light.  And as for the Prince of Darkness - how can you be disgraced time and time again and still be elevated to the Peerage.  I no longer have any respect for the Upper House.  At least many of the Hereditary Peers did the job as a duty and hoped to improve the lot of their fellow men.  I had the honour to know Lord Kings Norton - a totally self-made man who took his duty very seriously right up till the end of his long and productive life.

David Cameron came across very well and with great earnestness and he will get my vote anyway.  It was very good of him to wax lyrical about the wonderful treatment his little son received at the hands of the NHS - but he is the Shadow Prime Minister for heaven's sake - of course he would get the best treatment possible.  What about those who have contracted MRSA in our dirty hospitals, the elderly left to rot ....... , the nurses too highly qualified to do what nurses always did so well in the past - care for their patients.  As a life-long Tory, they would have to put me on the rack to get me to vote otherwise.  To me the Labour Party are just communists in thin disguise.  They take away the money from we hard-working tax payers and hand it out to the profligate and the immigrants who've never done a day's work in this country.  Basically I think they want to see us all reduced to the same level with the notable exception of themselves of course.  Look at any Communist country and those in power have it all, whilst their countrymen have very little.  I am told that the peasant class in Russia are worse off now than they were under Communism - but their leaders and the Mafia are doing very nicely Thank you.

 I just pray that the electorate won't waste their vote on the very amiable Nick Clegg or we could end up with a Hung Parliament and that would not be a good thing.  Clegg banged on about Trident - and much as we don't like Nuclear weapons, we do have to defend ourselves from the ever growing threat in the East.

A long time ago, when I lived in Buckinghamshire, I was asked if I would consider becoming an MP.  I said No because I didn't think I was Academic enough - well that's a joke for a start - what you need is a bucketload of common sense.  I was also well aware of the way the Press would have crucified me - they were even hard on Glenda Jackson and she is one of their own Left-wing elite.  I'm sorry now that I didn't have the courage because today I would be representing the rights of the elderly and I would toady to no-one.  I have no desire for power other than to try and do good for others and I'm too long in the tooth to have high ministerial ambition.

I think it is a great shame that politicians don't actually get out and meet more REAL people and find out what the man/woman in the street really feels and thinks.  When they do go out and about, their visits are sanitized.  I can tell you this now  because, sadly,  my friend died in January but when she was working at a very large and highly criticized hospital, there was a ministerial visit and all the 'trolley patients' from the corridors were shunted into the X-ray Department so that everything looked neat and tidy.  One specialist broke ranks and exposed the sham.  He was disciplined.  He was close to retirement and could take the risk but if he'd been younger, I doubt that he would have had the courage.  That  kind of sanitization is carried out on a regular basis.

When I was a little girl there was much talk of the 'Class System' - the Aristocracy and the rest of us.  There will always be bad apples in any barrel - that is human nature but it seems to me that in the past those born to Affluence and who didn't need the money, would go into politics with more altruistic motives.  Today we have politicians who've never had a 'job' in the real world - they are actually 'career politicians'.  Today we still have a 'Class System' but it is much more one based on pure MONEY.  Those with the money wield the kind of power which used to be the preserve of the 'Aristocracy'.

It seems to me that the Conservatives come to power and put our house in order, then the electorate want a change and vote in Labour who then distribute all our hard earned and stored 'wealth'.  Our country is in a parlous state so whoever wins the election will inherit a 'Poisoned Chalice'.  Cuts will have to be made and tough action will be required to try and get us back on our feet again - so the new Government is not going to enjoy the popularity and euphoria unfairly enjoyed by the Labour Party in 1997.

Well I've had my rant.  Little good it will do this poor benighted country of ours where we are not allowed to be Nationalistic, where some of our towns have more immigrants than natural born citizens, where English is not the prime language in some schools, and so many of those seeking a better life here do not believe in the maxim of 'When in Rome, do as the Romans Do'.

Bye for now. Jan

I'd had confirmation by Email of my Booked Business Class seat on the Virgin Atlantic Flight on Saturday 10^th April leaving Cape Town at 8.45 pm.

So my friend Janet drove me to the Airport, saw me to the check in desk (just to ensure the flight times hadn't changed yet again) and hugged me Goodbye.  I handed over my Documentation and my Passport and waited and waited and waited. The young lady behind the desk was ominously quiet until I politely asked if there were a problem - 'We don't have a seat for you' she said.  WHAT - I couldn't believe it - I'd got the confirmations and everything but somehow 'NO SEAT'.  I spent the next hour in a state of anxiety wondering what on earth would happen.  The ladies at the Virgin Check In and their Supervisor were polite and helpful but they couldn't work miracles.  I was told, after the flight was called,  I would have to go to the final check in desk and WAIT which I did as over 300 passengers filed past me.  They'd given the final call several times and still I had no seat.  Then the supervisor came down the corridor as fast as her legs would carry her and announced that they'd got me the last remaining seat in Premium Economy - I dare say they'd off-loaded a staff member!!  As my Business Seat hadn't materialised I was offered Air Miles in compensation but I've found that they are next to useless unless you know where you want to fly about a year in advance.  I've been offered some financial compensation but I daresay that will be a fight too. 

One of the joys of flight for me is settling into my seat and sorting out the films I want to watch - as I rarely sleep on flights, this is my pleasure.  So what happened - the In-Flight Entertainment went down for the whole journey!  I did have my computer with me but hadn't packed any DVD's - Thank heavens I had a good book.

SO I WILL NEVER HAVE CONFIDENCE AGAIN IN TURNING UP AT AN AIRPORT WITH A BOOKED SEAT (AND ALL CONFIRMATIONS) AND EXPECTING TO ACTUALLY GET THAT SEAT.  IN ALL MY YEARS OF TRAVEL AND MANY GOING TO AND FROM CAPE TOWN, I'VE NEVER HAD SUCH A CATALOGUE OF DISASTERS.

Have you ever had a bad dream where you are desperate to get to a destination but the train/plane/boat has just departed.  Well, for the first time in decades of flying, I arrived at Cape Town Airport at 21.15 on Thursday evening and immediately felt this rather ominous lack of activity.  The porter approached me and when I said - Virgin Airlines - he replied that the flight had GONE.  WHAT!  There I was with my two hours booking-in time and the Flight had gone.  While I'd been having a lovely 'Au Revoir' dinner with my friends at Jakes in Kenilworth, the plane was already in the air.

I must say that Stephanie at the Virgin Atlantic Office couldn't have been more helpful.  She had to deal with a lovely German girl who was in tears - she and her friend were backpackers and they'd no more money and all they wanted was to get home.  I was offered a seat on the flight next day and it went via Jo-burg -  no thank you.  I loathe Jo-burg airport - once missed a connecting flight to Capetown because of the huge distances between International and Domestic - and as a woman on my own it's incredibly difficult to deal with luggage etc.  And a tremendous amount of luggage goes missing at Jo-burg Airport - so all in all that was not an option.

For reasons best known to themselves, Virgin alter their Flight departure times at the end of March and cease their flights to Capetown in mid-April so the last few flights were booked solid.

Fortunately my friends hadn't just dropped me off so at least they were there to drive me back to Capetown.  Needless to say I got very little sleep worrying about the dilemma.

As soon as they opened I was on the phone to Trailfinders in Canterbury.  Initially they insisted that I'd been told of the change of flight times but it transpired they had sent a text to my British mobile phone number and I don't use that in Capetown and had told them so.  Stephen Edwards then went on line and had to admit that all my contact details were there including my email which is the same whether I'm in the UK or Capetown.

To give him his due, he worked like a Trojan and after several hours came back with a booking on the flight tonight - Saturday 10^th.  As the flights were completely full, he had to get an executive decision and they have got me the last seat in Business.  I must admit, I will only breathe easily when I'm sitting in that seat.

I have used Trailfinders many times in the past before I got caught up in the Air Miles trap - most times you can't use them!!  So they've totally redeemed themselves and I'll be using them again.  Also when you book with Trailfinders you get a designated seat No.  I also have to admit that I'd far rather deal with a person than a machine and I'm not good at trying to book on line so for a few pounds more I'd rather talk to a human.

As ever, I'm so sad to be leaving Capetown.  It is in one of the most beautiful locations in the world - the climate is excellent, the people in restaurants and shops so friendly and always prepared to go that extra mile. 

Can't wait to come back.

On the horizon - no work at present but a trip to Florence in the near future.  Went there when I was doing Open University aeons ago and loved it.  I've been back only once since then and can't wait to visit the Uffizi and sit in the square where Savanarola met his end.

Bye for now

I went up to Durban this week to see Kwezi - my friend of long standing whom I've not managed to visit for well over ten years. In fact it was Kwezi about whom I wrote a few weeks ago - she wrote an excellent book called Liar - which you can get off Amazon.  She's in the process of writing another and has promised me a disc so that I can have an advance read.  I so hope she gets it published - she's an interesting writer dealing with unusual subject matter.

So, it was with great excitement that we met at Durban Airport.  We were so busy talking we dropped our guard otherwise I think both of us would have been a little suspicious of how close to us was standing  a certain tall, well-dressed Indian.  We were in the lift to the Car Park and I'd paid for the parking ticket and just tossed my purse back into my rather deep bag.  However when we got to Kwezi's home, my purse had gone.  Usually I don't carry much cash but had done so on this occasion as I wished to treat Kwezi for her imminent birthday.  She insisted on phoning the Airport but was met with total complacency.  'Oh yes - they are all well dressed - they target the well dressed and particularly women engaged in conversation -  and theft is a regular occurrence'.  Of course there is no hope whatsoever of getting the purse and money back. 

So beware fellow Brits if you are coming over for the World Cup - it will be high season for the thieves.  Thank goodness I had my Credit Cards in another wallet.  So I suggest to you ladies - apart from being very careful and cautious- keep your credit cards serparate from your money - don't wear ostentatiously good jewellery and be continually vigilant. Don't go into dodgy areas, especially at night and be particularly careful of those folk who appear to be the most amiable.  And for the gentlemen - for heaven's sake don't stick your wallet in your back pocket - in fact a money belt is a good idea.  Don't carry too much cash and ensure that your credit cards are safe.

I have been visiting Capetown for seven years and staying for long periods and I've never experienced any crime against me personally.  Indeed I find the people incredibly polite, helpful and charming and they usually go the extra mile for you.  The Durban experience was unfortunate but had we not been so busy chatting, I think both of us would have wondered why the man didn't have any luggage and had not been in the small queue to pay for a parking ticket.  May his ill-gotten gains do him no good.

I must add in fairness that I would not go into the centre of many of our towns in the UK and definitely would not venture into many parts of London in the evening if I were unaccompanied.  Sad world, isn't it?

Doreen and I had another lovely evening at Paternoster staying at the Dunes.  We also visited our friend George who runs the Blue Dolphin another lovely B & B in Paternoster.  The Noisy Oyster is a delightful restaurant and we partook of yet another super meal in the most lovely surroundings.  Last time we promised ourselves that we would call in at Khwa ttu and 'do' the tour rather than just having lunch in their lovely restaurant.

On our way up to Paternoster we'd stopped for coffee and enquired about the duration of the tour - well it's obviously Africa time - for we were told anything between half an hour, an hour and two hours.  As it turned out, the tour took over two hours and we were getting frantic.  We had legitimately purchased crayfish in Paternoster (paid for the licence etc.) and invited some friends to a Crayfish dinner.  As it was we didn't leave Khwa ttu until 4.15 and then got caught in rush hour traffic and only arrived back at 5.45.  The girls were coming at 7.00 so we had to cook all the crayfish and dress them etc. in next to no time in smallish saucepans.  However we coped and had a super evening.

On the Khwa ttu tour one is given a comprehensive talk about the different San languages - about 13 and rarely can one tribe talk to another because of the difference in their tongue.  We also had explained the different click sounds in the San language - of which there are five.  As in any language you have to be careful where and how you put your clicks or you can turn a simple word into something more offensive. ( I remember well how when I was touring in Australia, one of our cast, who took potted Shakespeare to the Bush, was terrible at getting up in the morning so one night when we all went off to bed I innocently said I would 'knock him up' in the morning at which the Ozzies fell about laughing.)

We saw some buck - lots of Eland and Springbok, mongooses, zebras etc. but the most fascinating part of the tour was being taken to a little settlement of thatched huts which is where and how the San would have lived. There several aspects of their life were shown us along with a demonstration of how the San women make their Ostrich egg jewellery - it's so time-consuming and painstaking and well worth the very reasonable prices they charge in the Khwa ttu shop.  I find that a great deal of 'native' jewellery one can buy in the Cape looks fine whilst one is luxuriating in the sun but inappropriate back in grey and dreary England.  But the Ostrich egg jewellery would not be out of place in it's simple off-white with the occasional splash of tan and darker brown (achieved by heating the white egg pieces over a fire in animal fat).

I am only able to place one photo per Blog so will have to put more in my Gallery.  I thought this picture would please you - it's of lovely Nunki from the Khwa Ttu restaurant.  Her lovely innocent smile would light up the darkest day.