'Damn His Blood!' by Peter Moore

A Real Life Murder Mystery

....    The scent of garlic filled the air adding authenticity to a popular Italian Restaurant in  Corbridge, namely, Il Picolo. This quaint Northumbrian village features regularly in the lives of the Hadrians Hussies as, not only does it share our Roman roots,  but it also offers numerous quality restaurants and pubs for our monthly meetings. One great strength of this venue was that, for once in Corbridge, parking was easy.

....    We opted for starters and mains as the menu offered a wide variety of mouth watering dishes.

The portions were so generous that no one could find room for a pudding.  There are also half portions available for the smaller appetites!  The food was of a high standard and everyone enjoyed their meal. The final bill came to £25 per Hussie including tip, only slightly cheaper than Matfen Hall. The waitresses were friendly and attentive but in no way intrusive, leaving us with plenty of time to discuss last months book, 'Damn His Blood by Peter Moore.

...    This is Peter Moore's first novel, in which he recounts the dreadful events that occurred in the small village of Oddingley on midsummers day in 1806. It was chosen by a Hussie who spent many happy weekends in the village during her childhood, listening to  ghost stories about the poor deceased vicar. Now the story has been fleshed out, the vicar, namely Reverend George Parker so enraged the local farmers by demanding tithes that he met with  a violent and untimely death in his own glebe field. The author provides a rather extensive comprehensive picture of what rural life in late 18th and early 19th century England was like, offering interesting facts on local industry as well 

as law and order. It is quite a slow read and demands a lot of concentration to get to grips with the different characters as there are quite a few. This is more of a history textbook than a crime thriller, but its an interesting and informative read and lays to rest the myth of the village parson bricked up in the walls of the vicarage. A myth which entertained and enriched the formative years of many a child in 1970's Oddingley.

....  A little light relief is very welcome for next months read.  Join us early October and share our views on:

INSTRUCTIONS FOR A HEATWAVE  by  MAGGIE O'FARRELL





                                                                                                                              12th September 2013

The 5:2 Diet & The Confessions of Catherine De Medici

 

     Talking about diets beats doing them!

 

 

 

 

....   Having dedicated the last month to an in-depth study of the 5:2 diet, the Hussies felt they deserved the luxury of an up-market Country House Hotel in which to discuss the merits of  'The Fast Diet'  by Dr Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer. Matfen Hall Hotel also offers spa facilities but exercise and dieting seemed a step too far for the ladies of Border Bookworms; something for the future, perhaps!

 

....    We all agreed that the Library Restaurant in the hotel offered luxurious surroundings in keeping with the history of the 19th century Country Mansion. Unfortunately our overall verdict 3:1 was that the food was over priced and under represented! We all chose the crab salad which was beautifully presented but rather small! The verdict on the main courses varied depending on the selection, the risotto failed to impress but the chicken was very tasty and quite  generous in size, good enough to tempt this Hussie back for more. We all decided to have a pudding which again were all very well presented and quite tasty. Coffee followed and rounded off the meal nicely, this may account for the hefty price tag as we don't usually have three courses and coffee.

 

                                           Crème Brulee Shown above, especially good!

                                               Crab Salad!  Zoom in to see Salad!!
 

....    And now to the book.  Interesting science; easy to follow; dramatic results.

If you want to go on a weight loss diet this is quite a good plan to follow however the draw backs are that for busy people fasting can be quite dangerous. Trying to drive whilst feeling light headed from hunger is not good!. Some of us felt that fasting led to feeling extremely ill whilst others clung to their long held belief that weight loss can only be achieved with strong will power and patience.  Mind you, one of the Hussies has lost 12 pounds which also proves all diets work when followed. 

 

 



 

 

 

 ....    As we were reviewing a diet book over the summer holidays we felt we needed some literary stimulation to go along side and so 'The Confessions of Catherine de Medici' by C.W. Gortner was chosen. This book fictionalises the life of one of histories most powerful women. Born into the powerful Medici family in Florence during the Renaissance she married  King Henry II of France in 1533, taking over the reigns of  power after his sudden death in 1559. The author offers us an alternative view of a character who is often seen as one of histories villans. The book is well written and informative, although it glosses over some interesting points in her life such as the reason for the royal couples infertility in the first ten years of their marriage. There are parallels between this book and the televised drama the White Queen, both telling the story of strong royal women embroiled in the struggle for power at court. It was agreed that reading this book expanded our knowledge of the period and prompted further study. One Hussie was so inspired by Catherine that she set off on her own voyage of discovery to the protagonists birth place in Florence.

 

....    Our next book continues in a historical vein :

 

                                       'DAMN HIS BLOOD by PETER MOORE

 



 

 

 



 

 

 

....    Join us next time for, what should be, a learned discussion!

 

 

 

                                                                                                                         12th September 2013 

 



The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

Third Time Lucky

 

 

....  On a sultry Sunday evening in Corbridge, the Hussies reconvened at ... Artisam.  "Haven't you  been there before?" I hear you ask.
 

....  Indeed we have, in fact, our last three meetings have taken place in this quaint back street Chinese Restaurant. Not because we lack imagination, but because it proved extremely difficult, if not impossible, to find somewhere in the Tyne Valley that serves food on a Sunday night! Your suggestions welcomed.

....  Our third time was not particularly lucky but equally it was not unlucky , the food and service was up to its usual standard and left little to complain about. The toilets are, however, almost inaccessible to those with limited mobility. 

....  Our conversation was dominated by diets, perhaps because we are all feeling the after effects of our last meeting, an evening with Mary Berry. Her recipes are just too good to resist. As the waitress took our orders we tried to choose sensibly but without the aid of a calorie counting app its hard to know what your eating. Prawns seemed a good choice as did chicken and soup , although the salt and pepper spare ribs probably wouldn't feature very highly on a dieters guide to Chinese food.

....  As the food came and went we got down to discussing our last book.
 

....  Overall, a resounding success, although one of our group gave up two pages in because it was too dull!.  However after some gentle persuasion, she has agreed to give it another go. Rachel Joyce gives a well written account of a 45 year marriage on the brink of destruction. Two people trying to come to terms with a shared tragedy, each cocooned by their own grief, unable to reach out to each other. A voice from the painful past jolts the eponymous Mr Fry out of his cocoon and sets him on a journey, both physical and emotional. The author carries the reader with Harold on each step of his long, long walk to Berwick. In parts the story is deeply depressing but told in a simple light hearted way that really involves you in the lives of  this elderly married couple. The authors style is reminiscent of  David Nobbs. At times funny, very entertaining and always thought provoking, a worthwhile read that we would definitely recommend. 

....  As the evening drew to close the title of our next book was revealed.................

....  Arrgh  ....  It's a diet book!, 

....  "The Fast Diet" by Dr Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer 

....  Join us at the local health spa to hear how we got on with this book.

 

 

 

....  With the addition of another book to keep our mind off the hunger!!!

 

 

 

 

....  This book is rather topical in view of everyone enjoying The White Queen on TV at the moment!

 

 



 

 



 

 

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At Home by Mary Berry & Lucy Young

One Cookbook : Four Intrepid Cooks : Several Taster Courses : Nothing Left!

 

 

 

 

 

....  Well!   Where do we begin.  They say, 'A change is as good as a rest'.  Well there was no rest this month for the Hussies!  They also say, 'Variety is the spice of life'.  Which is why, this month, we ditched the theory and introduced our first practical read.

 

 

....  It was decided that we would test out the book on our families and after a few practise sessions choose two recipes to bring to a tasting session hosted by one of the Hussies.  The Hussies or should we say, the self raising flour, certainly rose to the ocassion.  To say a competitive element arose from the cooking frenzy which followed was an understatement!

 

.... The supermarket tills were a ringing and the pans were a rattling.  Masterpieces were emerging from the oven and the  proud moment captured on film were being texted with gusto - it's just like the picture in the book - echoing! 

 

....  To take things a step further we also decided to cost our dishes which proved to be a real eye-opener.  Many dishes coming out at under £2.00 per portion.  A well timed exercise in view of the recent horse meat scandal and with many celebrity chefs promoting home cooking over processed ready meals.  The whole evenings dishes of which there were many showed you could eat well for half the price of many of our venues. 

 

....  Listed below are a few of our photos for prosperity.  We wanted to show other bloggers that Mary Berry is truly a National Treasure.  The recipes were easy to follow.  Good tasty results can be achieved from relatively few ingredients and very little stress.  It makes us realise there's a bit of Mary Berry in all of us.  Everyday uncomplicated cooking which really hit the spot.

 

 

Banana & Choc Chip Cupcakes

 

Italian Black Olive & Cheese Rolls

Chicken in Tarragon Sauce

Apricot & Almond Torte

Quick Chicken Curry 

The Best Fish Bake

Raspberry Jelly & Yoghurt Brulee

 

Paprika Chicken

Pissaladiere

Red Pepper Soup

Bruschetta Marinara

Mosaic of Salmon en Croute

Pear & Lemon Curd Tart

Tomato, Avocado & Parma Ham Platter

Simple Lemon Traybake

Smoked Salmon, Prawn & Dill Canapes

Spinach & Three Cheese Bake

Spicy Mexican Salad

Spicy Meatballs

 

 

....  Sorry to bore you with our selected photographs, but, we honestly enjoyed our cooking experience.  All the dishes were so quick and easy to prepare, we just kept on turning the pages.  So you could say this was also a page turner!

 

....  There was some constructive critisim, however, mainly pointing out that the book did lack the wow factor.  Although everyone agreed that's not what this book was about.  We all enjoyed the cooking experience and agreed it would be an excellent choice for inexperienced and young first time cooks - pretty fool proof!

 

Hopefully everyone will enjoy incorporating Mary Berry into their everyday cooking.  This one should not be left on the shelf!

 

....  Due to our impromptu meeting and straying from our usual schedule we are popping in a recommended title for a quick read to get us back on track.  We will be meeting very soon at a chosen venue to discuss ....

 

THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY  by  RACHEL JOYCE

 

  

 

 

Please join us with your views and don't forget to blog your cooking endeavours!!!



                                                                                                                                   11th April 2013

 

 

 

 

 



The Host at The Qube, Metrocentre, Gateshead

'Our Urban Adventure Fell Flat' 

 

....  Seeing The Host entailed going beyond our Tynedale comfort zone and the vintage charm of  The Forum, to drive East for a taste of urban culture.

....  The Odeon cinema at the Gateshead Metro Centre Qube is a far cry from our usual cinematic haunt and whilst it can boast 12 screens, an Imax screen and Premier seating,  it is impersonal and lacks character.   Lucky for us then that The Forum, is quaint, friendly, oozes personality and is right on our leafy doorstep!  Unluckily though, there is no indication that The Host will be showing there in the near future - hence our urban adventure.   Our daughters were delighted to come along and behave like normal teenagers, in normal surroundings with normal refreshments.
 

Normal? refreshments!

....  But our metropolitan safari did not live up to expectations.  The Host movie was not a patch on The Host book.  Even those of us who enjoyed Stephenie Meyer's science fiction romance on paper, found that it did not translate well to the screen.  Whilst The Host pages effectively transported us to a new and different earth, the screen version failed to take us beyond The Qube.  Meyer's prose conjured up intense passion, longing, suspense and excitement but the screenplay was flat and unconvincing.  Her internal dialogue between Melanie and Wanda worked well on paper but just seemed ridiculous when portrayed on the big screen.

....  We could not criticise the cast.  Melanie / Wanda (Saoirse Ronan) did as much as she could with the script and the direction although Wanda's monotone voice grated after a while.  Fortunately Jared provided a pleasant diversion as Max Irons is easy on the eye.   The seeker 's (Diane Kruger) character was least credible.  The music seemed lack lustre, anti-climactic, dull.

....  We initially gave the book mixed reviews - a marmite story, with strong love it or hate it viewpoints.  The views on the film were more unanimous and less passionate.   A miss not a hit.   Even the soundtrack fell flat.  

....  Unlike The Twilight series, The Host was initially published as an adult science fiction story.  Interestingly, however, The Host movie went down better with our daughters who, in typical teen understatements, indicated that it had been OK.   Quite good. Whatever!   

....  If you like pink drinks, an anonymous auditorium, speak in monotones and are prepared to suspend belief for the sake of appreciating Max Irons then you might enjoy The Host movie; but if you prefer less colourful drinks and venues with character, then save your cinema money (£18.30 for one adult and one teen including £1.50 booking fee) and just read The Host.  You will find your imagination can conjure up something far more amazing than this manufactured flop.

....  No wonder it's not showing at The Forum! 

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

'4 Hussies.  4 Seasons.  1 Popular Page Turner'

 

 

 

 

 

 

....  For the first time ever, the hussies returned to the same restaurant two meetings in a row.  This unprecedented event enabled the absent hussie from last month to savour the Four Seasons Dish enjoyed by the other hussies at the previous visit.  We recommend it to our readers as one of the best value dishes on the menu (£13 - rice or noodles is extra).

 

 

 

 

....    As ever, the service was efficient, the food tasty and well presented.  We arrived at 7.15pm and the place was already busy -  unusually so for a Tuesday evening during the recession.  This Chinese restaurant is extremely popular so you will need to book.  The bendy forks are worth sampling but, it may be as well to pack an extra layer as this restaurant is more airy than cosy.  We were never rushed despite being the last to leave. 

 

 

.....  For once, there were NO COMPLAINTS about the choice of book.  Gone girl was a HIT. A definite  page turner.  There was a combined sense of anti-climactic frustration at the probably inevitable ending.   The changing characterisation was impressively effective although on close analysis we did think the characters were implausible. It was extremely well plotted and a refreshing change from some of the heavy literary fiction we occasionally review.  After the hard work involved in reading The Accidental, we all found ourselves totally immersed in the story whilst racing to the end.   It was only on reflection we began to see some holes.

So read it and enjoy it but don't spend too long reflecting on it or dissecting it!! 



....   Next month we are reviewing our first ever cook book: Mary Berry At Home! We are all committed to preparing and sharing our culinary creations when we meet next time.  As a taste of things to come,  why don't you join in  - maybe, give the almond and apricot tart a go?

MARY BERRY AT HOME by MARRY BERRY & LUCY YOUNG

 

                                                                                                                                       12 March 2013

The Accidental by Ali Smith

'1 Book, 2 Courses, 3 Hussies'

 

 

 

What? only 1 Hussy read the whole book ???

....  This month the book group met in +Artisam, a small Chinese restaurant centrally located in the busy village of +Corbridge.  Our number depleted by circumstances beyond our control, we enjoyed a well chosen two course meal. We ordered a starter followed by a main course called 'four seasons' which was like having your own mini banquet!  Generous tasty portions, although quite expensive at £25 a head ( no wine this time!). The service was, on the whole, good. We didn't complain when the waiter forgot the soup, ignored a request for water and prematurely turned the heating off! After all we were enjoying ourselves! 

 

                                                                        
....  Only of the group actually read  +Ali Smith's  'The Accidental' to the end, although one read all but the last chapter. The other two bailed out in the early stages, so  discussions were slighty limited. The book introduces us to a family on holiday in Norfolk who find a stranger in their midst. Smith's depiction of the Smarts caused some discussion on what constitutes a 'normal family'.  Were the Smarts normal or dysfunctional? The teenage children were struggling with the effects of bullying, one, Astrid, having been bullied, the other, Magnus (previously perfect) having become a bully, with dire consequences. Their mother Eve is a writer with writers block who seems disconnected from the world around her. She is aware of her husband Michaels' repeated infidelities but doesn't seem to care. Michael is the children's stepfather and is portrayed as a sexaholic. Amber a mysterious stranger appears at their holiday cottage and doesn't leave. The whole family fall under her spell, never questioning why she is there. Its an interesting read although not a page turner. Smiths later work +'There But For The..' is very good and covers a similar theme of an uninvited guest. 'The Accidental' leaves the reader wondering what happened? might be worth re- reading as it is multi-layered. Readers of a certain age will relate to Smith's lists of music, movies and world events.

....  Our next book is a crime thriller from America

 

 

GONE GIRL by GILLIAN FLYNN

 

 

 

 

Join us next time for reviews of this 'said to be' Outstanding Thriller!

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                        February 2013