Autumn in East Susssex 2006

I have been back in the "old country"for two weeks and already have slipped on the comfy cardie that is England. The Brits are still full of irony, Radio 4 and by gosh a decent cup of tea!
Damp days and leaden skies, but the joy of kicking through piles of fallen leaves, collecting blackberries from the hedgerows and going home for hot buttered crumpets for tea.
Sussex is beautiful at this time of the year with the Ashdown forest ablaze with all the burnished russet colours of Autumn. The countryside is winding down. quiet and sleepy, ready for Winter.

Such a contrast to my first week in London with Em and Thom, where all was hustle and bustle and teeming with people.London has this wonderful energy, and I became a tourist and did all the usual things. Took a red doubledecker bus around the City, popped into Buck House for a spot of tea with Queenie (unfortunately she wasn't in but her Gift Shoppe sells nice tea towels) Spent many happy hours wandering along the South Bank and had a futuristic trip on the London Eye. Amazing to see London with a bird's eye. A mind blowing visit to the Dali exhibition. His sculptures were challenging to say the least;a lobster telephone and a sofa made in the shape of Mae West's lips.
The bliss of all those second hand bookshops. I picked up a first edition of poetry by W.H. Auden. (He was my North, my South, my East, my West,.......my working week and my Sunday rest,My noon ,my midnight,my talk, my song.....I thought love would last forever...I was wrong.) A bargain to keep for posterity.I had to be physically restrained from the cookery sections, how can you resist Nigella for 50p?!


Hedgerow Blackberry Jam (for hot toasted crumpets dripping with butter)

Wash and weigh the blackberries you have picked. Take a heavy base pot and put in the same amount of sugar as berries and the finely grated zest and juice of one lemon. Simmer slowly till the sugar melts and then add your berries and stir carefully. Bring to the boil and cook for 8-10 minutes.By now you should have a luscious shiny dark red jam oozing with flavour and the scent of Autumn. Spoon into clean jars when cold. Delicious on crumpets or toast or anything.....hmmmmm.