4. Learn to cook a Sunday dinner

As a woman in my mid twenties I feel that I should know how to do this. Not that I like to conform to the female stereotype but one day I may have a husband, possibly two children and I will want to whip them up a roast dinner on a Sunday from time to time. Now this won't be happening for a long while yet so if I start perfecting my technique now then I can enjoy the outcomes of my cooking attempts with myself and my friends in the process.

I asked my three BFF's who I was sharing a post Christmas hot tub and cabin in the woods break with if they minded being taste testers for my first ever roast dinner; they were very obliging! I can categorically say that the only help I got from them was instructions on how to make cheesy leeks and a little help setting the table. The rest of the time they were enjoyed drinks and snacks in the hot tub. However I documented their post dinner feedback in my phone while we were sprawled on the sofa (which is a good job because I proceeded to get pretty merry to celebrate the success.) The food tasters were pretty wrecked at this point too but their feedback was as follows:

Laura (a seasoned chicken connoisseur)
Comments: "is this what food tastes like in heaven because if it is kill me now"
Improvements: "more leeks and a bigger chicken" - there will never be a bird big enough

Lyndsay (a notoriously picky eater)
Comments: "I wish my boyfriend could do to me what this dinner has"
Improvements: "Thicker gravy" - this was down to the lack of gravy granules and corn flour!

Buttness (a sausage fiend)
Comments: "Holey hell life will never been the same again"
Improvements: "Sausages" - someone should set up a sausages anonymous group

So readers if you would like to get these kind of results follow my methodology below:

Step 1
Preparation.
Read Delia Smith's roast dinner recipe and compose a shopping list and instructions for cooking a roast.

Step 2
Go shopping for your ingredients (I don't have a photo of this step because apparently you get kicked out of supermarkets for taking photos. . .

Step 3
Prep the chicken by massaging butter under and over the skin.



Step 4
Chuck the bird in the oven on top of some veg.



Step 5
Have a drink to take the edge off. My chosen drink of choice Cava and Disoranno.



Step 6
Par boil the veg and chuck in in a pre oiled roasting try, whip up some cheesy smoked bacon leeks, make the Yorkshire's and check the chicken!

Step 7
Take the bird out the oven to 'rest' and make the gravy 

Step 8
Carve the bird

Step 9
Plate up



Step 10
Eat





Here's to the next one *raises glass*

x

15. Paint a canvas

I'm writing this blog entry at 3.00pm on Thursday 27 December 2012 with a glass of wine in my hand (there are few exceptions apart from Christmas time when you get away with cracking open a bottle this early!)

I have a very creative personality and I've always been partial to a bit of artwork – though this was not always encouraged by my art teachers at sixth form (I won't name names but they know who they are), so having never painted a canvas I thought I would add it too my list.

I knew I wanted to paint a landscape to reflect my love for the outdoors but I wasn't sure about how to present it, so I visited a few galleries in the Toon and was finally inspired by an exhibition at the Biscuit Factory in Newcastle upon Tyne by Julie Dumbarton (http://www.juliedumbarton.com/) - at this point if anyone would like to buy me one of her prints then I'd be a very happy person. Although trained as a fine art painter the exhibition could be described as a series of abstract landscapes, I was particularly attracted to her use of bright colours. I do like traditional landscape artists such as Turner and Constable but I don't think my talent is up to scratch yet to try and replicate the style in their paintings. 

I used acrylic paint to make sure I got vibrant colours and the thickness of the paint allows the addition of texture to the canvas. As far as technique is concerned there was none. I just whipped my brushed out, squeezed some paint onto a plate, started mixing and slapping it onto the canvas (and not necessarily thinking about what the picture would turn out like.) After a series of painting sessions, normally on a Sunday afternoon when you don't have the work demands of a weekday or the stresses of sorting your life out on a Saturday (or having to be a bouncer for Santa!) I finally finished and decided to give the title of “the path of dreams” to the painting - as a testament to my friend who will hopefully always follow her dreams.

Now at this point I would love to say that the canvas is no hanging up pride of place in my house but its not. I really appreciated receiving a painting from my friend Laura Wilson for my birthday about three years ago so I wanted to give my painting to a very important person in my life. Now there are three very important people in my life who I do secret Santa with each year therefore this year I decided my lucky secret Santa would receive a Kathryn Wilson original – I think all three of them would appreciate the gesture (or they would at least have the courtesy to at least pretend to like it in my presence, the test will be when I turn up unexpected on her doorstep one day to make sure its hanging on her wall!) This is the moment she opened the painting.

Anyways watch this space, you never know it might be a series of my paintings hanging up in The Biscuit Factory one day and yes I am available with very reasonable rates for commissions if you would like some of my work in your life.

x

22. See a ballet

What – Swan Lake performed by the Birmingham Royal Ballet company

When – Thursday 18^th October 2012 at 7.30 pm

Where – Sunderland Empire Theatre

Who with – Myself (what can I say I like my own company)

I’m not sure why I added seeing a ballet to my list, it was possibly as an attempt to add a bit of class to my life but also I had the curiosity to see whether a production without any spoken dialogue could hold my attention for 3 hours. . .And do you know what? It did. It was bloody brilliant!

The Russian gentleman Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikousky originally composed the ballet in 1876 and has been performed across the world ever since. Even if you don’t know the full story of Swan Lake the music is instantly recognisable. Without a live orchestra then I don’t think they would have been able to do the score justice. It was superb! I remember in primary school being introduced to Tchaikousky in assembly. I think we even had ‘Tchaikousky’ on our spellings list one week – to any teacher’s reading this, please don’t follow in my teachers footsteps and do this; it’s a really hard word to spell!

Not to give too much of the plot away it is a classic good versus evil story with the hero Prince Siegfried being a typical bloke and seeing some hot woman that he wants to make his wife but screws it all up when he falls under the spell of an evil magician (though having no dialogue then that could be open to interpretation, I personally think he was thinking with his pants and not his head. . .) There are a few parallel’s with Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet so it would be interesting to know if Tchaikousky was influenced by his work. You can find more in depth information about the plot line from the company’s website 

I thought I would get a bit bored by the constant dancing but I could not take me eyes of the dancer’s feet and legs! The way the women can dance on their tippy toes and the way they can extend their limbs and the flexibility in their bodies are incredible – this did surprise me considering how tight the male dances trousers were (it left little to the imagination!) As a complete ballet novice I could appreciate the dedication, athletic ability and endurance these dancers must need to sustain the level of dance throughout the whole show. I don’t think there was one inch of fat on any of the performers! What Birmingham Royal ballet had also done (which I’m not sure whether other company’s do) is that they added a degree of theatrics running through the production that helped to hold your attention.

For me the person that stole the show was a character called Benno, Prince Siegfried’s best mate danced by Tzu-Chao Chou. The way he was flinging himself around that stage with the biggest grin I have ever seen on his face that did not falter once was so impressive.

The scene that stole the show was the opening to Act IV, the final act. The curtain opened to the lake scene with fog completely covering the ground. As the orchestra started to play the swans dramatically emerged from the sea of fog and started to dance. It was a spine tingling moment, the crowd, which had been pretty reserved up until that point went wild, thundering applause rang out throughout the theatre – a more than deserved reaction to the opening of the final act. If I could describe it in one word it would be 'stunning'. 

All in all absolutely loved it and will definitely be going to see another ballet (I can't believe it took my 26 years to see my first one!). I think top of the list is The Nutcracker. The only thing that I was a bit unsure about was the Sunderland audiences reaction to the 'baddie' with their booing - may I just remind everyone that this is a high quality ballet production and not the Christmas panto, ha ha

I think what this post highlights is that one of the fantastic things about my tea cup list is that it is opening the doors to new experiences that don't have to be a one time only affair but they are experiences that are igniting new interests in me and ones that I can share with my friends and family. On that note bring on the next experience!

x

12. Travel first class

This needed to be done. I don’t like trains (the fact that I work in a train museum is irrelevant) and if I’m going to travel on the last day of term after a week at work then why not book a first class ticket to rock up to Laura’s in style?  On my next list I’m going to include travelling first class on an aeroplane!

So. . .my first experience of first class is that PEOPLE ARE RUDE! – No one (and there were at least 5 ‘men’ sat in that carriage helped me to get my case up onto the luggage rack. Normally I wouldn’t have minded but it was really heavy (probably from the two bottle of Champagne in there?! At least those won’t be carried back up to the Toon) Oh and my sportswear Laura Wilson requested us to bring – God knows what she has planned but you know it’s gonna be filth! (It turns out that it was a boxing bootcamp session. In the words of Lyndsay Airey “I have never been so ravaged by a man. I’m hot, sweaty, covered in mud and gagging for more” or words to that effect.

Anyway back to my first class experience, not only would no man, woman or child come and help a damsel in distress with her bag the ‘man’ I was sat opposite (I didn’t think I’d have to look at someone else’s ugly mug the whole journey) said to me in ‘oh no there is a pole up my arse so I need to talk like a tit ’ English “Oh I think I’ll just move over here to give us a bit more room” – you know the type., you just do that sweet cakes and get out or my way. Because I have no intention of moving. Those of you that know me well know how I refuse to sit on a train than in the seat I have booked in advance.

I’ve just been brought a complimentary tea – alright then!

I’ve just been brought a complimentary cider (I had to ask for ice though) wahh!

I just looked up from my book, looked out the window and saw a field full of sheep prancing around in the evening sun – now that’s what I’m talking about.

“Would you like another drink madam?” – attendant “Hmm, yeah why not. Another cider would go down a treat, thank you.” – me AND it is not some cheapo Strongbow cider its Rekorderlig, Sweden’s finest.

Now people can I just ask, at what age is it acceptable for someone to refer to a woman as ‘Madam’? I personally don’t mind it. It makes me feel respectable and sophisticated than old and past it. But maybe it is just a polite way of calling someone an old bag, wahh.

“Would you like something to eat madam?”

Onion tartlet, side salad, rosemary and sunblush tomato roll and a slice of ginger cake, washed down with another Rekorderlig.

“Would you like another drink?”

Well after 2 hours 28 minutes of pure naughtiness I rock up to King’s Cross half cut, in need of a wee and on a mission to find St Pancras and locate the train to St Alban’s. 

Onwards and Upwards!

I did eventually find the train btw.

2. Have something published

Right. Now I know that this is no Harry Potter novel or an academic paper appearing in the British Journal or Archaeology but I don't care. It is in print, in the public domain, available for people to read therefore it counts as published in my eyes. Maybe instead of 'have something published' it should have been 'have my name in print' instead? 

If you'd like to hear more about my exciting scouting activities then just ask. And you never know this maybe the start of a string of publications - I am intending to write a book called 'A crash course to being a scout leader, surviving and not having a nervous breakdown' just in case you get dropped in it like I have, lol. Oh and also when I visit Lord Baden-Powell's grave in Kenya I will be recounting my experiences to the readers of Scouting magazine. . .


x

7. Learn to knit

Kitted up!

I'm going to see the knitting guru on Saturday that is my Nana (legend!) to get down with the basics, casting on, casting off, turning corners (does that have a special name?) 


I'm thinking that there are going to be a lot of naked sheep around with the number of times I cock it up (sorry sheep!)


My Nana live in Yorkshire so I can't just pop round when I go wrong so if you are reading this and can knit, or knows someone that can and would like to do their good deed for the year then make yourselves known and we can organise a knitting afternoon with coffee and cake!

Maybe I'm being over ambitious but I'm hoping to get really good so I can start making these by Christmas (courtesy of Lyndsay Airey) so if you haven't got your requests in yet then let me know what kind of Meerkat you'd like.


It's me if I were a Meerkat!

Raaaaaaarrrr


x

9. Raise £1000 for charity

I thought I would start off with something easy(ish) to get the fundraising ball rolling and then work my way up to a more strenuous sporting activity to try and raise my target (The Great North Run?! Biking the Coast to Coast?!) 

I got a flyer through my door for the St Oswald's Hospices 5th midnight walk (http://www.stoswaldsuk.org/support/midnight%20walk/) and it sounded like fun - I may have also been encouraged to join in with the promise of a cuppa and bacon sarnie at the finish line! St Oswald's provides specialist care for local adults, young people, children and their families. They do some amazing work across the region and have helped a tremendous amount of families through difficult and challenging periods in their lives. 

I know money's tight at the moment for most people and you'll have other friends and family asking for sponsorship so I'm not asking for a big donation but how about the price you'd pay for a pint or a glass of vino? - so next time you go out have one less drink so then technically you won't be out of pocket?

https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/willythe1st

So hit the link and get donating. . .If I reach my target of £333.33 then I will do the walk in this! (now there is an incentive!)

Bring on 7th July 2012!

Hello everyone

You all be glad to know that I've completed the walk, firstly a massive THANK YOU to everyone that sponsored me - you are all awesome. I didn't reach my target (which I am glad of because wearing that hat would have been ridiculous!) but I did make an amazing £279!

It wasn't a race but 12th out of 1000 ain't bad! It was an awesome event to take part in, spirits were high and everyone was ready to go. I  made the mistake though of cycling to the event - didn't think through having to cycle the two miles back at 2.30am! Didn't have to dodge too many drunk people.

                                                             That's a lot of pink!

                                                                         Action shot!


Feel free to make some suggestion on how to raise the other £721 (and no I am not doing the Great north Run) but I like the idea of cycling the C2C. . . 

x

New entry - Wednesday 3 September 2014

Just a quick post to say that I have joined the masses and been nominated (by Laura Fenwick) and completed the ALS ice bucket challenge. This is a really good article from the BBC highlighting the positive effects of this so called 'fad' by some critics http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-29013707

Even if the ice bucket challenge now fades into memory it has still raised millions of pounds for charity and has raised an unmeasurable amount of awareness for motor neuron disease. My video is at this link http://youtu.be/oQtehDuh_cc another thing that it has highlighted is that I need to lay off the biscuits and up my exercise regime!

x