Al-d Advert (Parody) - Britain’s Cheapest Chaos

I promised myself that I would re-visit the new Aldi store that has recently appeared en route to my usual weekly shopping destination of Sainsbury's in Hove.

I did visit once before, but only very briefly, and I wanted to make a more 'detailed investigation'. I don't wish to ignore it without having seen what's on offer.

I got there early; just after opening time. A lot of the shelves were empty, so I began to peruse the aisles; ignoring my strictly detailed shopping list.

It's a strange set-up. They have most things inside cooled cabinets, and a 'Middle Aisle' with all sorts of 'bargains' that you don't want, which apparently change from week to week. Mostly cheap rubbish.

I bought more of the Australian wine that I'd bought previously, they didn't have any Caulis, but I did buy some nice looking Medjool Dates; I haven't tasted one yet, but they are favourites and I'm sure they'll be delicious. I'm still a little dubious about the quality of many items.

At the checkout there was no-one at the only aisle that said 'open'. I had to hail someone who looked as if he worked there. He didn't speak much English, but pointed us to a different row. We all moved and were seen-to. Not very impressed!

I don't think I shall visit again. Verdict: a generous 3/10

Daffs

Down here on The English Riviera (Brighton), we have Daffs.

It warms the cockles. It must be nearing Springtime!

 

House Coats; remember them?

The human mind is a strange thing, I have no idea what made me think of this. I was saying to Lady M recently that 'house coats' must be a thing of the past.

I had an Aunt in Shropshire (she died back in the 80's) who always wore a 'house coat'. She put it on in the morning, over her normal clothes, and wore it all day long. I think at that time most of her neighbours did the same. It was a housewife's uniform.

This lovely looking lady (below) is French, and shows the classic apron previously worn by most French housewives; again it was like a uniform.

Just as a matter of interest I looked on Amazon to see if house coats still existed. I came across plenty of Aprons, and short things called 'tabards', but no actual house coats.

I'm not sorry they have disappeared. They were not something we saw down south; they were more of a northern style, and frankly I found them bizarre.

Under 'house coats' on Amazon were plenty of toweling after bath/shower coats (I even have one myself for post-swimming) but now't else.

Traditions come and go. Where would you go these days to see a housewife scrubbing her front doorstep wearing a house coat?

 

Turner winner.

This is the winner of this year's Turner Prize; Nnena Kalu, a neurodiverse artist from Glasgow. 

In case you didn't know, The Turner Prize is an annual award given to a British Visual Artist.

Her work not only includes scrubbing-brush swirls, but also suspended bundles of old coloured rags.

Was she a worthy winner? I'm not sure; I wouldn't like to judge. What I do know, is that sometimes I feel that my nearly five years spent at Art College, plus my 1st Class Hons degree, were all a bit of a waste of time.

I've had my moments, of course, but a little more recognition would always have been nice.

I don't wish to denigrate Ms Kalu's work, but it all seems a bit 'old hat' to me. A bit like a 1st year Art Student from the 1970's, who was looking to do something 'different'.

The 'runners-up' included Rene Matic, Mohammed Sami, and Zadie Xa.

'Boudang' (Boudin)

 

The accent in my area of France is quite pronounced. Take the word for Black Pudding for example; in French it is Boudin but where I live it is pronounced Boudang. It takes some getting used-to.

I have a love/hate relationship with Black Pudding. Most of that sold in the main stores here in the UK is tasteless, with the texture of cardboard.

Considering that Lancashire is renowned for it's Black Pudding, one would have thought that it would be easy to find a good quality product. But no!

The one above, that I buy in France, is called Boudin Landais (Black Pudding from the Landes area), and comes from my Leclerc supermarket. It is delicious, and I can't understand why I can't buy something as tasty here.

Kimbo knows all about my love of the product, and on a recent trip to a nearby Farm Shop (in Firle nr Lewes), he bought me the home made BP below. I think he was fed-up with all the nasty stuff I keep offering him on Friday mornings.

Well, yesterday I tried it (below), and it was probably the best I've had in Blighty. The egg was a Duck Egg.

I am perfectly aware that Black Pudding is not to everyone's taste, but it is one the oldest forms of charcuteie, and is actually very good for you.

Kitchens

As you might imagine, our bijou Brighton home has a bijou kitchen. But it contains everything that one needs.

Oven, hob, big fridge, washing-up machine, washing machine, microwave, sink, and a reasonable amount of cupboard space. We also have a separate outdoor larder. I'm not complaining.

Some of the nicest kitchens I've known have been small and primitive. A very good friend of ours, who lived in a huge chateau, had a two ring, bottled gas, camping stove, and an old wood-fired oven. She was a superb cook, but her kitchen was from the dark ages. It never held her back!

On a TV country home search programme that I occasionally watch, I am stunned by people who, having been shown a very large and over-equipped modern kitchen, declare it to be too small, not light enough, or doesn't have the right type of island. 

WHO ARE these people? One has to presume they are women who don't cook, but just want a kitchen to flaunt in front of their friends or family. A good cook can always work, and produce gourmet food, in even the tiniest of spaces. Some of the most memorable meals I've ever had have been from outdoor kitchens. Rusty BBQ, old table for preparation, bottle opener, and good company.

Intermittent rain.

One of the most annoying things about wet weather is not being able to dry one's washing outdoors.

We don't have a Tumble Dryer, but we do have a heated indoor rack-dryer, which takes up a lot of space. We also have several radiators that are constantly draped with damp unmentionables.

We have a neighbour in France who hangs out her washing, then simply waits as long as it takes to dry; this can be a week, two weeks, or even more, depending on the weather. I think she has the right idea. No panic!

I miss having our washing line full of flapping sun-dried and warmed clothes. To me it's as much a part of life as eating and sleeping.

I don't like rain. I have plenty of waterproof clothing, and Billy has a towel waiting for him after a wet walk, so we cope with the inconvenience.

It's having that smell of damp washing around the house which is not very nice. Can't Unilever make a washing powder that smells of Apple Pie or Roasting Turkey? It's that 'detergent' pong that I don't like.

Last year we hardly had a drop of rain; this year we're making-up for it.