ode to St Delia of Christmas

This year I have moved away from the very trad Christmas cake, and plumped for Delia's Creole Christmas cake, definitely adult only as the fruit soak for a week in rum, brandy, kirsh (didn't have cherry brandy) and port!  And its been regularly doused in more rum!

Its smelling so good ;-)

And today was decorating day

 And I am rather please with it, The glaze is apricot jam and rum, which give a lovely jewel like quality to the brazils, pecans, apricots, hazelnuts, almonds, dates and cherry

Cant wait to tuck in!  Will try and wait to next week.........

Bless you! Slight problem I didn't think of!

Last November I started a simple but big knitting project with some beautiful 

Rowan Angora Haze wool, on 3.25mm needles. 

The plan originally (as I had 10 balls of each colour) was to knit a big shawl/blanket to drape elegantly round me when I was at home stitching and cold.

But it some how ended up a little narrower.

Well after 12 months, its finished, and I personnally think its rather beautiful, 

but theres one problem I discovered while knitting it....

Angora makes me sneeze!

So after a little re think and some brain storming from my knitting group at Creasey's, 

I made it into a short poncho.  

So the fluff is not up round my nose like it was when wrapped round my neck.  

And I love it, its keeping me nice and toasty while I type.

A Co-op with so much history...

Now I may not remember when our market looked like this

 But I do remember when it looked like this!

Then people started getting this weird idea that they wanted to be able to park their car right out side a food shop, and not have any trouble finding a space, how strange!  

So our lovely market building struggled and struggled, then about 10 years ago it got renovated.  

Out went the last of the stall holders and in came shops. Now we may all have our opinions of if that was right or wrong, but what I am more interested in is the fantastic job that was done in making this old building (early 1800's) work in the 21st century.

The co-op is in the west end, and here you can see the beautiful glass roof that I showed you in my last post.

I always need to remind my self when doing my food shopping to look up and admire this amazing skylight!

and no prizes for guessing what section of the market this used to be?

Meat!

And through into the inner street and on the left out side the back entrance to New Look, you can see this plaque...

presented to Guernsey and her cattle from the United States in 1960, 

but I cant work out those 1000th anniversary it is celebrating? 

 Ohh just Googled that, It seems that 960AD was the year that we think the Normans introduced cattle into the island and so started the blood line that became the Guernsey Cow from French breeds. Learn something new every day!

Then at the east end you sink down to HMV,

 these banisters are the one shown in the second photo down.

A very impressive music shop

With stained glass windows and every thing,

including a very grand entrance!

So next time you are in the market, don't just concentrate on your shopping, look up and around you because it really is an amazing building!

Please only go down these!!! Don't say I didn't warn you!!!

If you are wondering around the top of St Peter Port 'New Town' you might stumble across signs to Constitution Steps, and they are definitely worth exploring for their views alone.

You head down the step narrow granite steps and when you get to the first corner you will see this strange bulge in the wall.  Well get this, its to stop men peeing in corners!  That angle causes splash back!!!

Then peak over the wall and enjoy what I think is one of best secret views of St Peter Port and the islands

It especially gives you a fantastic look at the glass roof of the old Market Building 

which is now my local Co-Op

Then keep heading down

(looking back up at the bulge)

As you get to the bottom of these stop and think of the thousands of people through out history have walked this way to curve the granite this way.

Now you could turn left and climb, but don't as its private..... 

Turn right and head down to the market

Now don't say I didn't warn you, if you want to see this view, please go down from the top!

Climbing from the bottom is knackering!!!!!!!

a little lane with a big history

At the end of October a great little book came out, 

'A short history of Guernsey' by Peter Johnston, published by the Guernsey Society.

(You can get it in The Press Shop and the Lexicon)

Its well written and easy to read, and last night it explained a little mystery for me.

Up at the top of town are Havilland and St Johns Street, just off The Grange opposite Elizabeth College.  These two streets are parallel, the same length and both end in Union Street.  They are also short, it only takes a minute, two if you are feeling very lazy to walk them. So why on earth is there a tiny snicket connecting the two?  Ok, there are two small houses on it, so that is probably just the weird way towns evolve ( reason why I love old cities and find cities on grid formations strange).

But the really big question is why has such a tiny lane got such a big name as

 'Battle Lane' or to give its proper name 'La Rue de la Bataille'

So to explain this I am going to quote straight from 'A short history of Guernsey', about an attempted invasion of the island by the French in the middle ages.

'A well-documented invasion took place in May 1372 as told in a ballad entitled

 La Descente des Arougousais.  

Charles V of France sent a force of 4,000 men under the command of Evan or Owen Prince of Wales, and Morelet de Montmaur. Evan had gone over to the French to avenge the beheading of his father by Edward III.  The attacking force landed at Vazon Bay where islanders were awaiting them, having been warned, so the story goes, by Jean Le Tocq, an early riser who had been tending his sheep.  The first battle took place near La Carriere not far from La Houguette, in the Catel.  The invaders proved too strong and the Guernsey men retreated towards Town, making a last stand on the plateau between Clifton and Vauvert then wooded country side.

 Here a bloody battle was fought somewhere near a lane now known

 as La Rue de la Baitaille

 between Havilland and St Johns Streets.  Apparently there were so many dead on the battlefield 

that it was possible to walk over them and blood ran down the valleys into town.

  The islanders lost some 500 men out of 800, before retreating to Castle Cornet. 

 The ballad does not mention French losses but they must have been considerable.'

So next time you walk past, stop and have a think......