Boxing Day

Today, we drove home from New Glasgow to Middleton; clear blue sky and a carpet of white snow on the fields.

This week, I was reading the short essays from Tim Dee’s (Ed.) Ground Work: Writings on Places and People. The contribution by David Matless’ “Seaview: the Anthroposcenic” caught my attention. In particular, this description.

“Holidays at East Runton; forty years ago, with predictions of a new Ice Age, and in newer hotting times. A beach mile from Cromer, rock pools and sand, the wave cut platform and forest bed. A minute from door to paddle, cliff’s topping to North Sea summer icing, always a chill” p.187.

Our family lived in Whitton, Middlesex. I recall in the early 1950’s, when Dad purchased our first car. We called her ‘Aggy’ because of the license plate. In the Summer, we would head to the East coast, driving around London on the North Circular. We would rent a caravan at East Runton. This gave us easy access to the beach.

Christmas would not be the same without watching Mr. Bean. Likewise, it would not be the same, without making an English trifle. This necessitated a trip to Sobeys for jelly roll, Bird’s Custard powder and a bottle of Bristol Cream Sherry. This year, I had to go online to make sure that I had all the ingredients, including the whipping cream, glacé cherries and peach halves.

P.S. David Matless, Professor of Cultural Geography at the University of Nottingham, is author of ‘Landscape and Englishness’. (2016).

Reference

Acknowledgements

My brother, Peter, will likely recall both Aggy (AGI) and SeaPeeO (CPO).

Tim Dee (ed.), 2018, Ground Work: Writings on Place and People, Penguin Books

We have passed the trifle recipe on to the next generation.