CELEBRATE SOMERSET

Article as seen in Somerset Living, May 2021 issue

Linda Vijeh tells us all about her favourite local tipples and how

we should support and celebrate our local producers

Despite the success of the vaccination programme, it looks as if we will be largely confined to the home front for a little while longer yet, so we may as well enjoy what our own county has in abundance.

May 11 is Somerset Day, and we are all being urged to get out the bunting, fly the flag and celebrate the fact that we live in one of the most beautiful and diverse counties in the UK. 

We have much to celebrate and, now more than ever, we should all do our bit to support local businesses, which have much to offer, often winning well deserved world-wide recognition. 

Cider is, of course, what most readily comes to mind when we think of Somerset produce but in recent years there has been considerable diversification. 

I am a particular fan of Somerset Cider Brandy, produced at Burrow Hill, close to Martock. They have some excellent gift packages, but I am very fond of their five-year-old cider brandy, 42% abv., and recently available at Waitrose for a bargain £17 (50cl.) – although inaccurately described as ‘imported whiskey’ in style. Matured in oak barrels, it is complex with a fruity, sweet and floral character on the nose, a smooth palate and a spicy aftertaste. Full of apple flavours, with a long finish. 

Gin lovers will enjoy discovering Bath Gin, 40%abv. at £36. 

Offered by The Bath Distillery, the first in the city for over 250 years, this is an elegant, aromatic gin distilled using eleven of the finest botanicals from across the world, including bitter orange, kaffir lime leaf and English coriander. 

Mildly sweet, it is a pleasant blend of floral, exotic citrus and deep spice notes, creating a light well balanced gin. The picture of Jane Austen on the label is a bonus for her fans. Somerset is a county not readily associated with wine production, but we do have a number of producers across the county. 

Although at the time of writing personal visits are not possible for all places, some are open by appointment, and most wines are available by mail order, often with free delivery, and local discounts. As a bubbly fan, I am partial to the Smith & Evans Higher Plot sparkling wine. The 2015 vintage is currently available at £29 (11.5% abv.) 

Made from a blend of the traditional Champagne grapes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, it has ripe aromas of lemon, spice and toasted nuts, and on the palate shows an elegant balance between freshness and minerality.

Smith & Evans, Aller Road Higher Plot Farm, Langport TA10 0QL, smithandevans. co.uk.  

Also worth tasting are wines from these popular vineyards:

• Avalon Vineyard/Pennard Organic Wines, Little House The Drove East Pennard, Shepton Mallet BA4 6UA, pennardorganicwines.co.uk.

• Oatley Vineyard, Oatley Lane, Cannington, Bridgwater TA5 2NL, oatleyvineyard.co.uk.

• Fenny Castle Vineyard, Castle Lane Panniers Farm, Wookey BA5 1NL, fennycastlevineyard.co.uk.

• Wraxall Vineyard, Wraxall Rd, Wraxall, Shepton Mallet BA4 6RQ, wraxallvineyard. co.uk.

• Mumfords Vineyard, Shockerwick Ln, Bannerdown, Bath BA1 7LQ, mumfordsvineyard.co.uk.

Naturally, all of this booze will need a delicious morsel or two to soak it up. 

I shall be treating myself to some scrumptious treats from Brown & Forrest Smokery, Bowdens Farm, Hambridge Rd, Langport TA10 0BP, brownandforrest.co.uk. This smokery offers excellent smoked eel, trout and salmon, as well as a whole range of other smoked foods.  Under ordinary circumstances the shop is well worth a visit and the restaurant is always full of diners.

My Favourite Books For Lockdown

 

Originally posted on: January 17, 2021 on 

Sedgemoor Apple

IT is over nine months now since the arrival of Covid-19 caused disruption to all of our lives, writes Linda Vijeh.

As a keen traveller I had, like many others, planned several trips abroad this last year, only to have my best laid plans thwarted.

But no matter, with a good deal of time and effort I was largely able to recoup the cost of flights, hotels etc., and being in a ‘vulnerable’ group settled down to a life confined to the four walls of my apartment, a glass of wine, or two, and a pile of books.

My total literary consumption for the duration now numbers in excess of 130 books.

I have a number of favourite authors and nowadays I tend to steer clear of what might be termed ‘chic lit’ as I find them generally rather formulaic.

High on my list of desirable reads are biographies, as I like to find out what lies behind the public face; what makes people tick.

As a rule though, I feel that autobiographies, particularly those written by ‘celebrities’, tend to be rather self-indulgent.

Quite my favourite literary genres are anything to do with food and wine, and not far behind in the pecking order, travel.

Largely reduced to ordering books online, I have had to come to terms with the fact that, as my eyesight deteriorates, I am now becoming very conscious of the style and font size.

As I mostly read in bed, finding it impossible to drop off without doing so, I also try to avoid weighty tomes, as they are far too heavy to handle comfortably.

There are those addicted to Kindles and their ilk but for me there is nothing quite like holding a book in your hand and physically turning the pages.

During Lockdown I have enjoyed reading the following and, in the absence of actual travel I can thoroughly recommend them for a little adventurous escapism as an armchair traveller.

Slow Trains to Venice: A 4,000-Mile Adventure Across Europe (Tom Chesshyre) 

Described a love letter to Europe, escaping the rat race for a few weeks, Tom indulges in the freedom of the tracks. Travelling from France (rail worker strikes permitting), through Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland, he eventually finds himself in Odessa by the Black Sea in Ukraine, returning home via Hungary, the Balkans and Austria.

Around the World in 80 Trains: A 45,000-Mile Adventure (Monisha Rajesh)

 Recommended by the ultimate traveller himself, Michael Palin, Monisha Rajesh gets right to the heart of things. The journey is one of constant mayhem, as she strikes up friendships with fellow travellers.

From the dizzy heights of Tibet’s Qinghai railway to the luxurious splendour on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, this is a celebration of the glory of train travel and a comical, irreverent, look at the world, taking in some breath-taking views.

The author’s unforgettable adventure takes her from London’s St Pancras station to the open plains of Russia and Mongolia, North Korea, Canada, Kazakhstan, and beyond.

Don’t Go There: From Chernobyl to North Korea—one man’s quest to lose himself and find everyone else in the world’s strangest places (Adam Fletcher)

In this unusual, amusing travel memoir, award-winning travel writer Adam visits some of the strangest travel destinations on earth.

He enters a blizzard in China armed with only a pack of biscuits, ponders the destruction in Chernobyl, is chased by Croatian police on his way to Liberland (the world’s newest country) and comes face-to-face with two (dead) dictators in North Korea.

Full of interesting characters, and quirky British humour, this is a personal quest to understand the world and himself.

India(ish) (Mark Walters)

The author’s journey begins with an ill-fated attempt to walk across India in flip-flops, and failing.

Instead, we are treated to an account of buttock-bruising buses and chock-a-block trains for a farcical journey across the Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, through Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu; to super-cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, and the sacred spots of Amritsar, Varanasi and Rishikesh.

Along the way, Mark encounters the horrors and riches of India, a country of extreme contrasts that he struggles to survive. He has to laugh; it was either that or cry.

He meets randy perverts and mystic madmen and goes insane when he drinks bhang lassi. This is a travel book like no other, about a country like no other.

I Was a Potato Oligarch: Travels and Travails in the New Russia (John Mole) 

This is a hilarious true story of John’s travels and travails in the New Russia. Sometimes sinister, often hilarious, and always entertaining, this is a Russian feast from caviar to samovar.

The Soviet Union has disappeared, and oligarchs pillage the nation’s wealth. It seems that Russia will either become a liberated democracy or plunge into chaos. With his 15 years in international banking and a few novels under his belt, John finds that he has few useful skills, until inspiration strikes, in the form of British fast food. Nobody is doing jacket baked potatoes! He gets to work with British technical advice and finance, and a partnership with the Russian Farmers’ Union.

Then, he is summoned to breakfast with the mafia…

One More Croissant for the Road (Felicity Cloake) 

This book offers my ideal combination, travel, and food. The author takes us on 2,300 km cycling tour across France seeking out the bakeries that appear on every corner in search of the perfect croissant and the definitive versions of classic French dishes, from Tarte Tatin to Cassoulet via Poule au Pot, and Tartiflette,

She goes from beach to mountain, Atlantic to Mediterranean, in 21 ‘stages’ to put her new-found knowledge to good use in compiling the ultimate recipe for each dish.

 Just Passing Through: A nomadic life afloat in France (Mary-Jane Houlton) 

Living the dream, the author and her husband sold their house, bought a boat called Olivia Rose, and set off with their two dogs to travel the length and breadth of France.

Along the way they come to terms with what it really means to live life in a confined space with few possessions, always on the move, far from friends and family.

As they explore the landscape, on this journey through bustling cities and isolated villages, they find that the world looks and feels very different from the water.

Anyone who dreams of making a life on a boat, will find that there is also a wealth of information and advice to help you on your way.

Footloose: Sydney To London Without Flying (Mark Walters) 

Mark travels from Sydney to London, across three continents, by bus, train, and boat, passing through more than a dozen countries.

He catches a cargo ship across the Indian Ocean, faces up to terrorists and Chinese tanks, has beers with a naked ex-Soviet officer in Kazakhstan, breakfasts on hallucinogenic mushrooms in Amsterdam. Wearing flip-flops the whole time, just because he can.

He tells it like it is with a typically warped sense of humour; a laugh a minute.

 Tuk-Tuk for Two: Escape to India with two strangers, in the unforgettable race of a lifetime (Adam Fletcher)

Despite his fear of driving, yet unable to resist the offer of racing a tuk-tuk 1000km through India with a woman he had only just met in a bar in Berlin, Adam decides that immersion therapy is the best solution.

In his quest to spend ten days in her company, and complete the five-day race, he takes the reader through all of the trials and tribulations of getting to grips with this primitive three-wheeled mode of transport.

The Gran Tour: Travels with my Elders (Ben Aitken) 

I first heard of this book when the author was interviewed on Radio 4. When Ben Aitken learnt that his gran had enjoyed a four-night holiday including four three-course dinners, four cooked breakfasts, four games of bingo, a pair of excursions, 16 pints of lager and luxury return coach travel, all for £100, he thought, that’s the life, and signed himself up. Six times over.

A Chip Shop in Poznań: My Unlikely Year in Poland (Ben Aitken) 

Not many Brits move to Poland to work in a fish and chip shop, and fewer still come back wanting to be a Member of the European Parliament. In 2016 Ben Aitken moved to Poland, while he still could, if only to satisfy his curiosity. He wanted to know what the Poles in the UK had left behind and flew to a place he’d never heard of and then accepted a job in a chip shop on the minimum wage.

To Oldly Go: Tales of Intrepid Travel by the Over-60s (Hilary Bradt et al.)

In this collection of travel tales from ‘Silver Travellers’ we read about Dervla Murphy (one of my favourite travel writers) travelling in Cuba at the age of 74 and Matthew Parris swimming the Thames at 60.

As this group of intrepid writers recount their adventures, we witness them stepping outside their comfort zone to reinforce their independence, despite their advancing years. Be prepared to be entertained and amused.

LOOKING BEYOND THE LABEL

 

Despite many attempts by others over the years, I refuse to be ‘labelled’. To succumb to this would, for me, mean that I have become identified with a particular group or belief.

This desire, and the ability, to label people has become one of the root causes of many of the problems we face within society. By virtue of the fact that labels have a meaning, they are dangerous.

We all know of someone who is obsessed with labels; they build their own sense of self-worth on what is perceived to be the best wine, clothes, car, neighbourhood, school. This is what the marketeers bank on when tempting us to make decisions about how we go about our lives. In the relatively affluent western-world we are fortunate to have that choice. The vast majority of the world, where their daily existence is at best tenuous, is not blessed with such an option.

Labels also enable us to make judgements about others, both good and bad, and this in turn invariably impacts on how we behave towards them, often unfairly. It is much easier to complain about what we do not like, than to appreciate what we do like.

Human behaviour is significantly influenced by the way others label them. Studies have shown that there is a link between a person’s experience of being labelled and how they perceive themselves, so much so that negative labelling can be connected to subsequent deviant criminal behaviour; everyone thinks I am a bad person, so I may as well behave badly.

Where our preponderance towards attaching labels goes awry it is that it encourages the tendency to lump diverse groups of people together, effectively taking away any sense of individual identity. From this we experience the beginnings of discrimination, which is evident in the language used; words such as terrorist, fat, ugly, druggie, slut, all immediately conjure up a negative bias towards that person and can impact on how we react towards them. Often such labels are based on little more than hearsay, or another person’s prejudice.

When someone is labelled a racist for example, we must consider what is really meant by that. Is it that they are demonstrating a negative attitude or behaviour towards someone because of their race, or are they expressing a view about a situation which others perceive to be racist because of their own bias?

Conversely, use of words such as genius, clever, smart, attractive, educated, make us less likely to think badly of that person. But, not all criminals are ill-educated, dirty and poorly turned out.

A person’s self-image is strongly tied to the words and labels they use. Words are powerful, and the pressure of living up to other people’s expectations can cause severe mental stress. Labelling tells us as much about those being labelled, as well as those doing the labelling.

As a Samaritans listening volunteer, all too often callers talk to me about feeling a failure or not being good enough. This is invariably because that is what they have been told by others. Hear something often enough and you start to believe it. Hitler is proof of that.

One you start to believe the truth of the labels that have been assigned to you by others and begin to believe that you are not capable of change, you start to reinforce the assumption that you cannot achieve or do certain things.

Whilst labelling is a useful tool to enable us to catalogue information and experiences, human beings are not items on a supermarket shelf that need to be labelled.

DESPERATE TIMES, DESPERATE MEASURES

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Locally this has never been more true than at the moment, as the debate over the future of local government reaches boiling point.

Whether I like it or not, and I do not, as a locally elected district and county councillor, with the Conservative banner over my head (not always a good thing), I am by default a politician.

Amid accusations of the Secretary of State indulging in bully-boy tactics, the general feeling amongst the local population, if my inbox is anything to go by, is that our elected members should get off their soap boxes and get on with the day job of representing the people who put them there, and those who did not.

What politicians at both local and national level seem to find it difficult to comprehend is just how destructive negative comments are, often having the opposite effect in relation to their intended target. This is especially true for those who choose to post their views on social media sites.

I have been reminded recently that, yes, we do all have a right to freedom of speech but it is so easy to submit a sarcastic throw away one-liner at the touch of a button. This does no-one any favours, least of all those who are guilty of putting such comments in the public domain.

Constructive criticism and challenge are healthy, but I believe that unless it is made clear that statements and observations are merely someone’s opinion then remarks claiming to be true should be backed up by factual evidence.

In recent weeks there has been considerable furore over our future, and whether or not we should leave things as they are at present. This has been deemed by all sides to be a poor option. It is clear that our local government in its present form leaves much to be desired.

This leaves us with the two options submitted to the Secretary of State – Stronger Somerset (an East/West split of the county and some services separated), or One Somerset, where all services will be under one umbrella.

With both sides at odds the battle lines are drawn. Both maintain that this exercise in local government transformation is not about cost-cutting or savings, yet they throw brickbats at each other over the accuracy of the stated figures. I have my own very strong views on this. For what it is worth, I believe we need to decide what level of service we want to provide, and then pay for it. For every pound saved in service provision there can be a knock-on effect if this results in a failure to support our communities; for example, keeping our roads in good repair, ensuring high educational standards, access to health provision, or granting permission for the right kind of housing in the right location.

What we need to do, as residents and electors, is to keep an open mind, be willing to review our opinions, ignore the rhetoric and, most importantly, ask the right questions to hold our leaders to account.

Words come cheap but the cost making the wrong decision for our county will haunt us for a long time.

STOICISM IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY

 

As the sad death of The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh has dominated the headlines this last week I confess to being rather surprised at the extent of the news coverage. 

He was without doubt a stellar national figure who made a significant and lasting positive impact on the lives of many. This includes my own niece who, having had a rocky start in life, after completing her Duke of Edinburgh gold award became a spokesperson for the charity. 

What worries me though, and we went through this when Princess Diana died, which attracted significant opprobrium at the time, is the public outpouring of grief from those who had neither known him, nor had met him. 

It is natural to be sad at the death of someone, but at the age of 99, and in poor health for some time, it was not unexpected.

Whilst it is right that we should show our respects, in the course of the last week I will have attended no less than a dozen meetings in which proceedings were halted for two minutes silence. In some cases, it has been suggested that we don formal attire for our virtual meeting.

Notwithstanding the recent behaviour of some members of the royal family, I have always been a staunch royalist. What I have been giving consideration to is the feelings of the Queen, and not because of her royal title. I can only begin to imagine how devastating it must be after 73 years to wake up one day to find that someone who you had relied upon for emotional and practical support for that length of time is no longer there. It does not bear thinking about. 

What has impressed me is that just a few days after her husband’s death she has taken the ‘life must go on’ approach and despite her own advancing years has picked up where she left off, continuing to carry out her public duties.

We are all different, as are our individual circumstances, and how we handle grief cannot be fitted into a ‘one size fits all’ approach. As a nation we are not as robust as we once were, and at times can be inclined to self-pity, but this level of stoicism in the face of adversity demonstrated so ably by the head of our nation is truly admirable and to be applauded.

WHEN THE CAP FITS, WHY WEAR IT?

 

We have all heard of the phrase, ‘When the caps fits…’, used to suggest that someone should accept a generalised remark, or criticism, made by another person.

But, if we are on the receiving end of such comments and feel that they are unjustified and without foundation, should we accept this attempt to label us. I believe not.

We are now firmly rooted in a social era where it seems that at every turn someone, somewhere, is attempting to pigeon-hole us into a certain category, whether based on our physical appearance, education, sex, race, behaviour or beliefs.

This labelling can be socially restrictive, particularly where, as is often the case, it is linked to negative connotations. We hear time and again of those who were called names as a child and have reached adulthood with the stigma still there in the shadows, causing lasting damage to their relationships with others.

Buzz words relating to equality and diversity have quickly been adopted to become the norm, but for many of us this has opened up a minefield of political correctness. Fearful of doing or saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, it has in effect suppressed the expression of any view or opinion that may not find favour with the majority.

This is particularly true when it comes to issues relating to race or sexual preference; do we refer to someone as black, or as a person of colour? Who knows?! We are always at risk of offending someone. Whilst it is right that at long last minority groups are finding a voice that can positively influence the way we shape our future society, we must be careful of succumbing to the pervasive bullying tactics that often accompanies this societal adjustment.

In correcting the balance of society to give voice to our minority groups we must not lose sight of the fact that the rest of us also have the right to express a view as long as its intention is not to discriminate or cause offence. However, some people, often with large chips weighing heavily on their shoulders, will always take offence in an attempt to stifle proper debate.

We all have a right to be heard, and whilst it is right to take someone to task and challenge their behaviour, we must guard against those who, quick to take offence, will raise a hue and cry, escalating a situation beyond what is reasonable in the circumstances.

In a civilised society courtesy, respect and tolerance is what we should all be aiming for.

CELEBRATE WITH CAKE

 

As seen in Somerset Living - Linda's Column - Celebrate with Cake - April 2021

Easter is the holiest time in the Christian calendar, and many of us choose to give up something for Lent – in my case, chocolate or wine. Apart from enjoying the pleasures of Easter eggs, it is a time of year when families share a meal. This year, it seems more appropriate to consider traditional teatime fare to accompany a cup of tea across the garden fence.

Whilst the cake most associated with Easter is simnel cake, topped with marzipan balls representing the twelve apostles, minus Judas, I am a fan of Bible (or Scripture) cake.

Recipes for such cakes made appearances in Victorian publications, often a source of raising money in support of church funds, as well as teaching young Sunday School girls baking skills and familiarity with Bible verses. The recipe for a Bible cake requires the cook to have their Bible to hand to identify the ingredients, almost like a crossword puzzle.

Prompted by the book Divine Vintage, I have been considering the origins of some our historic vineyards which have strong religious connections.

Catholicism, dominant in Europe during the Middle Ages, needed wine for its liturgy and is an integral part of communion with Jesus by drinking wine, the Blood of Christ.

Wine is also common in Christian symbolism, with many references in the Bible. Jesus turned water into wine during the wedding at Cana and prays over a glass of wine at the Last Supper.

From early Christianity onwards, abbots of monasteries and bishops throughout Europe became wine growers and cultivated vineyards. Wine formed part of the daily monastic diet and was used for the care of the sick and elderly. This interest in wine was economic. Wine surpluses were sold, and the profits used to maintain the monasteries.

Long before the wines of Champagne were famous, monks from the abbey of Saint Remi acknowledged the quality of the vineyards in the area. Champagne Dom Pérignon, Moët et Chandon’s top cuvée, is named after the 17th Century Benedictine Monk, arguably said to have discovered Champagne, exclaiming: ‘Come quickly, I am drinking the stars!’ Dom Pérignon is only produced in exceptional vintage years from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes picked from only the best crus of the region. Prices start from around £120.

The famous walled Clos de Vougeot vineyard was created by the Cistercian monks of Cîteaux Abbey. By 1336 it had become their flagship vineyard. These Burgundian wines produced from Pinot Noir – not cheap at £120 – have a fragrant, perfumed nose with red cherry, raspberry, rose petals and violets, and a plump, ripe palate.