In my youth, the first weekend in August was the holiday, not the last as it is now. Always my birthday. One of the birthdays that I remember most vividly was in 1964. Another tradition was that this weekend coincided with the touring cricket side playing Glamorgan at the St Helen's ground in Swansea.
As a keen cricket fan, I chose to spend my birthday treat watching the West Indies.field on this lovely ground, where the whole of Swansea Bay could be seen from the grandstand. All I really remember about the cricket was the 6 hit which dropped straight into someone's half empty pint glass in front of the members' pavilion. Four years later, Sir Garfield Sobers hit the first 6 x 6 over against the talented spinner Malcolm Nash. I wish I'd been there......
Nowadays, the holiday means stay at home. North Norfolk's roads and car parks are jam packed. This one coincided with it being the hottest one on record. Temperatures of 28-31C across the south and into the Midlands. Even more reason to stay in with a fan on. Unfortunately, it also meant missing the Pied Flycatcher fall along the coast on Friday night.
We decided to have a barbecue. We still use a charcoal burning, old fashioned machine, as it gives the authentic taste of charred meat ! Gas barbecues are outdoor ovens (and much easier and more efficient).
No instant lighting bags of charcoal in Sainsbury's, back to firelighters it was.
As I sat there, suffering first degree (nearly) burns to my face as the wind blew the out of control flames across the coals, birds fed heedlessly nearby.
Mainly tits and Goldfinches but, a Nuthatch paid a short visit. They've recently returned to the feeders. A pair of Collared Doves fed on drop-out food a mere four feet away - before noticing and startling away across the garden, wings whistling.
Gradually, the flames died down and the briquettes turned grey. Lit, hurrah.
First the raw Burgers and the sausages. Started over the main heat on the left, before moving to the lower heat on the right (fewer briquettes).
Then the partially cooked and well marinaded chicken, no campilar bacter here.
Followed by the sticky marinaded pork ribs, again, partially cooked.
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| The whole barbecue in situ + singed wood 'shelf'. |
Serve with home-made bean salad and tomato salad. Our lip service to diets is no garlic bread slices to-day ! Shame.
Still moth-ing daily with nothing outstanding. Two traps out every night, trapping fewer combined than we were getting with one. The MV Robinson on the patio and the actinic in the orchard near the dyke and deciduous wood.
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| Tawny-speckled Pug |
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Lime-speck Pug.
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