Remember London Beer Flood

This week is the anniversary of the London Beer Flood. Please bow your heads.

The London Beer Flood occurred on October 17, 1814 in the London parish of St. Giles in the United Kingdom. At the Meux and Company Brewery on Tottenham Court Road, a huge vat containing over 135,000 imperial gallons of beer ruptured, causing other vats in the same building to succumb in a domino effect. As a result, more than 323,000 imperial gallons of beer burst out and gushed into the streets. The wave of beer destroyed two homes and crumbled the wall of the Tavistock Arms Pub, trapping the barmaid under the rubble.

The brewery was located among the poor houses and tenements of the St Giles Rookery, where whole families lived in basement rooms that quickly filled with beer. The wave left nine people dead: eight due to drowning and one from alcohol poisoning.

Whilst we  pause to reflect on this tragic waste of beer, check out this list of unusual deaths.

Hugh Eland & Zeynep Karan

A very good friend from way back in college days, Hugh, got married in Prague this weekend.

Unfortunately we couldn’t go to the wedding but judging by the photos the weather was great and a good time was had by all…

Hugh was the best man at my wedding about 9 years ago and I was shocked by the amount of fantasy he wove into his speech. I can only hope his best man returned the favour on this occasion 🙂

Lucky me

fatJust an average week in the gastronomic heaven of home cooking jeanette style!

Sunday: Went out to Quecumbar for music, wine and song.

Monday: Wat Tan Hor (smokey chinese noodles with prawns).

Tuesday: Steamed salmon with purple sprouting broccoli and potato salad.

Wednesday: Kerala fish curry.

Thursday: Jeanette out so had to fend for myself with a mushroom sauce on toast

Friday: Chicken goujons stuffed with cream cheese

When I left home for uni at the age of 18 I ‘learned’ to cook – pasta and a jar of sauce was about the best I ever got. I hope my kids appreciate what fantastic variety and expertise they’re tucking into. I know I do!

St John’s Hill Festival

We helped out at the St John’s Hill Festival in Clapham Junction this weekend. Well I say we, I looked after the boys, Jeanette set up her face-painting stand and helped our good friends Sim & Robin out on their cake stand.4

Although it wasn’t a particularly nice day, there was a good turn out and all in all it seemed to be a better event than the Lavender Hill Street Party that took place in June. That was more of a pavement party, due to the busy traffic cutting off one side of the road from the other.

I took the opportunity to check out the office of our old client Image Wizard television, but it seems they’ve moved on.

Steamed up about Freecycle

Rex Steams to the Rescue
Rex Steams to the Rescue

Freecycle‘s a great idea – give away the things you don’t need anymore so anyone willing to make the effort to come and collect them. There’s a kind of community noticeboard where you put up what you’ve got to get rid of, and people can also request items they need.

But surely, surely, it is taking it to extremes to ask for “Wanted: Working moped – any as long as it works, will pass MOT” and “Wanted – Car – Family car would be good, it would be nice to have something for just to go around shopping go see family with Children”?

I don’t mind that people ask for things, I saw one today asking for a Unicyle, and fair enough it might be something you have in the attic, not used for years and a request like that prompts you to get it down and give it a good home. But sometimes the Wanted requests make me mad! I’m waiting for the day I see “Wanted: Money, must be valid tender” next?