Recent Reading
I always enjoy the Mitchell and Markby books.
The next in the Wesley Peterson series. Hopefully there are still a few more left to read.
I discovered there was a new Vera Stanhope book to read. Its ages since I read one and I had forgotten what a good writer Ann Cleeves is. Strangely much as I love the books I couldn't get on with the tv series at all!
Garden Produce
D grew some chilli peppers for the first time this year and did very well with them. The last few he used to make this sauce.
The pumpkins we bought from Stoneleigh - the large one was carved and with the others I made Turk's Turban soup and Wizard Hat Pasties and D made a Pumpkin Stir Fry and there is enough left combined with a butternut squash I have to make a pumpkin pie.
Hallowe'en Evening we were all booked to go on a Ghost Walk in Lichfield. The weather forecast was dire and in the end only D and I went. It was dry when we arrived but for most of the walk it just teemed down with very heavy rain. Luckily we had a golf umbrella so apart from wet feet and lower trousers we managed to keep fairly dry.
Due to the weather I didn't take my camera so all these were taken by D. The Ghost Walk was very good and full of ghostly tales with some history thrown in. Unfortunately I couldn't hear the most interesting parts by the Cathedral as it was Bell Ringing Practice night! Even D struggled to hear and the poor guide almost lost her voice from trying to talk so loud. There were tales though of Lichfield being a site visited by pilgrims and about lots of bodies near the cathedral being unearthed from shallow graves. Lichfield was besieged during the Civil War. I really must try and buy a book on the history of Lichfield as it is such an interesting place.
The walk started at St Mary's in the city centre with ghostly tales of how bodies from a local family were put silently in a crypt late at night.
We were told about the possibility that the name Lichfield means "field of the dead" as it is told that a thousand Christians were martyred here in AD300.
After tales of haunted pubs and other buildings in the centre and tales of the ghost of a prior we walked up to Erasmus Darwin's house and the Cathedral.
Lichfield is a very lovely city as the tour reminded me. D and I have been a few times as there is a lot to see there and I certainly need to revisit the Cathedral as I've never had a good look around.
I hope everyone is staying safe and well.
Photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera and by D with the Canon SX50HS bridge camera (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone ever wishes to use one or more I would be grateful please for an email first - thanks).
