GBBO 2016: Volume Six (28.09.16)

There's something about the autumn that finds me constantly tweeting along to the TV.

It probably looks like I’ve nothing better to do with my time, though in a way, it’s a time-saver, as it indirectly gives me a bit of a break from finding things to discuss here; I’ll often abandon my usual prose-based blogs, in favour of a summary of my Twitter ramblings on whichever show was on that night; it’s not my fault that University Challenge, Strictly Come Dancing and The Great British Bake Off all air at once.

Tonight’s Bake Off was a pastry-case in point. See below for what came to mind whilst watching this evening's show. At the risk of a spoiler, it was a shame to see Rav go. Did you also know that Bruce Willis was dead in Sixth Sense? When it comes to spoiling people’s fun, I’m the best.

8:02pm: I'll probably tweet along with #GBBO for a bit; apologies to the uninterested.

8:04pm: Just a few minutes in, and I miss Val's unique brand of confused insanity already.

8:05pm: "This cake's systematic...(STING)...aromatic...(STING)..."

8:06pm: "The bakers can use anything that grows"; INSERT EUPHEMISM HERE.

8:08pm: Paul and Selasi wrestling. PICTURE IT.

8:08pm: I dumped a meringue once. I don't want to talk about it.

8:09pm: Andrew loves ginger; too easy.

8:12pm: Paul and Selasi, trimming each other's beards. Erotic.

8:12pm: I'll paint the inside of YOUR bag.

8:14pm: My favourite curd is Sharaf Khan Bidlisi.

8:16pm: I'm drowning in a sea of euphemisms.

8:20pm: So much fury over meringues.

8:21pm: There was no need for Candice to call Mary a tart. No need.

8:22pm: Only Selasi could look so manly in a floral t-shirt.

8:25pm: Looking forward to someone making a slip-up saying "fougasse".

8:29pm: Is Tom wearing that blue glove so they can CGI his right hand in later?

8:31pm: Bake your fougasse at fougasse-mark two.

8:32pm: Fougasse: because I like bread with a letterbox in it.

8:35pm: Say what you like, but #GBBO has done wonders for the glockenspiel underscoring industry.

8:37pm: Thanks to #GBBO, glockenspiel-playing session musicians are quids-in.

8:39pm: To give myself a taste of this week's #GBBO, showstopper, I'm sucking on an old lady's bar of soap.

8:45pm: To add to the poppy-seed theme, Benjamina should throw in a little Heroin.

8:46pm: I wish someone would pipe my buttercream flowers.

8:48pm: *Visions of Mary Berry post-hash-cake.*

8:50pm: Top marks to Candice for the look of her four-tier cake

8:52pm: It's shame Val's not still in this week: she was a fruitcake.

8:54pm: Watching #GBBO, eating pot pourri.

8:58pm: Not only does Selasi's showstopper look sensational, it also matches his outfit.

9:00pm: This week's decision was difficult. It was "lemon lemon difficult"

Not The Bayeux One.

The Carole King album Tapestry has been my 'getting-ready-in-the-morning' soundtrack for the past few weeks. It's been a favourite album ever since I was a student, which makes for a pleasantly gentle way to usher in the start of a day. I've always been a fan of a well-crafted song, which is something of a Carole King hallmark, ever since she started writing with her first husband in the early Sixties. Tapestry may be an unimaginative choice for a favourite LP, as it suggests I haven't delved that far into her career, but it's still an undoubted classic; anything with '(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman', 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?' and 'You've Got A Friend' on it can't really fail; if nothing else, it proves she likes writing songs with long titles. Next month, she's set to perform the album live in its entirety for the first time at a gig in Hyde Park, which I would have loved to have gone to, if it weren...

Hitchin is Mine.

As of six o’clock tonight, I take over the Hitchin is Yours Twitter account for a week; a stewardship I’m anxious to get right. I’m proud of my hometown. It’s a great place to live, with so much going for it. I've always sold it to my non-Hitchinite friends; so much so, that a lot have gone on to move here. Any town expansion plans are partly my fault. Feel free to picket outside my house. I love its history and architecture. Take St Mary’s Church, for example. The building is beautiful inside and out, and huge for a town of our size. There has been a place of worship on site since the 7 th Century. Much of the present building dates from the 1300s. You wouldn't get that in America. (Don't forget the British Schools Museum too.) Hitchin is a hive for creative people and a hub for the arts. It boast two theatres, two comedy clubs, a couple of art galleries, a festival for world music and a thriving music scene. This drew...

'Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream..."

While I’ve been practising meditation for quite some time now, I’ve recently taken to using the mindfulness app 'Headspace' . If you’ve never meditated before, or you’re an old hand at it, it’s a great resource, offering daily ten-minute guided meditations that create a sense of progress, rather than stagnating and going through the same process every day. Until I started using the app, I’d often listen to a handful of audio guided meditations I have on my phone in case of a brain emergency. If you see me with my eyes closed and my earphones in on public transport, I’m probably doing this (unless I’m sleeping and using this blog as an elaborate alibi). While the tracks on my phone are great, they can get a little repetitive as I become too familiar with them and start to anticipate everything the person on the recording will say. This is where Headspace is great, as it offers you a daily course with a different focus each day, as well as pl...

mostly david ephgrave

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