Where are you going tonight?

[Annoyed Grunt]

"Could you sign my rolling pin?"

I actually applied for the Bake Off.....but due to a funeral, I kept missing their call and they missed my return call

Jesus. I'd forgotten that question.

Are you going to apply again? You really should. We could have a 'watch with the forum' every week. I tried to talk Mrs BP into applying, but she won't. I even thought about applying on her behalf and hoping that she'd run with it. She'd probably have hit me with her rolling pin though!

Hmmm, not too sure......may do, we'll see. You should do, see what happens.

[Burnden Paddock]

I went with jerk chicken and curried goat. Haven't tried goat before, but it was excellent.

I bought a goat curry off of a stall from somewhere near Darwen at last year's do. Goat's meat's lovely. Very disappointed with the curry I bought though due to lack of goat.

I was at a mates party a few years ago where there were a lot of Nigerians and someone had done a goat curry. Was lovely but I had a bit of a shock when I tried to take a bite out of the pasta tubes they'd put in. Nearly broke mi teeth. Didn't realise they cooked it with the bones in

The goat was great and very tender, until the last piece which was 90% bone. I'll forgive them that, as the rest was excellent. Chicken was average at best. Rice and peas were great tbf.

[bobo the clown]

Yesterday afternoon amid blistering sun (honest) which flipped to teeming rain in the second act I watched a 3hr+ production of the York Mystery Plays. Presented in the open, though the 3 stands are covered & I was far enough back not to get wet as the heavens opened sadly some time after the scenes about the flood.

The plays follow the story of both old & new testaments. With only two professionals in the cast, Jesus and Satan, every other member from musicians, choirs & actors were locals who have rehearsed for months.

The staging, sound, lights (hardly necessary in our matinee performance but the cast of 100's were to perform again 90m after our show finished) and the fantastic stage management was tremendously impressive.

1,400 people watched the sell out show which has run across August & ends next week. Well worth trying to see if you get a chance.

I did have to smirk however when the miracle of Jesus curing the lame was carried out, as two of the cast were wheelchair bound & he didn't sort them out but hey ...

[Always hopeful]

Whilst in London primarily to see the Paralympics, we went to watch "Spamalot" in the West End. It was very Pythonesque, very silly and very enjoyable. The whole family enjoyed it, including our teenage sons. Not your usual West End offering. For me, the show was stolen by a very funny performance by Bonnie Langford, who basically took the p**s out of every female lead performance in every musical, including herself. Great stuff. Thoroughly recommend it to anyone who likes Python and in particular "The Holy Grail".

[General Mannerheim]

Python-esque, i thought it was officially Python? been meaning to go and see a show while im here, thats always been top of my list.

[bobo the clown]

I saw in Lerpool last October, in the Empire, which is vast ... and it was barely 1/4 full, so I did wonder if it was on it's last legs.

It had Todd Carty as parts various, including the Patsy, the horse ... some bint from Blackpool Jodi something as the lead female and Marcus Brigstock as Arthur, King of the Britons ("King of the 'oo ??"). I bet William never voted for him, put it that way.

As a mahoosive fan of the Grail film I enjoyed it, but felt it lacked a bit of the speed, but it was, nonetheless, a good evening out.

[Always hopeful]

I saw in Lerpool last October, in the Empire, which is vast ... and it was barely 1/4 full, so I did wonder if it was on it's last legs.

It had Todd Carty as parts various, including the Patsy, the horse ... some bint from Blackpool Jodi something as the lead female and Marcus Brigstock as Arthur, King of the Britons ("King of the 'oo ??"). I bet William never voted for him, put it that way.

As a mahoosive fan of the Grail film I enjoyed it, but felt it lacked a bit of the speed, but it was, nonetheless, a good evening out.

Todd Carty was also in the show we saw. I used to like him as "Tucker" in Grange Hill, but his performance in "Dancing on Ice" (Mrs Hopeful's programme of choice), made me think he was a bit of a tosser. To be fair, his role as a gaumless side-kick to King Arthur (Jon Culshaw in this case, not Marcus Brigstock (who incidentally I had a p*ss next to in a French service station a few years ago)) was quite good.

The theatre was about 90% full, but it was a Thursday eve.

A good laugh was had by all.

[William the White]

Tonight - to the Octagon, start of the new season. A new production of Our Country's Good by the wonderfully named Timberlake Wertenbaker.

It's a fab play - I've seen it twice before - will report on the production.

Hooray, th'Octagon open again.

[clapton is god]

^ No season tickets this year for the first time in five years but we will pick off productions to attend so would appreciate your recommendations.

[William the White]

^ No season tickets this year for the first time in five years but we will pick off productions to attend so would appreciate your recommendations.

What a great night!

Do not miss this one, clapton. It is so very good. Great acting, esp from the women, though the men are pretty good also, and a major play, with cruelty, pity, laughter and redemption.

Really - the theatre goers on this forum - I know there are several - should not, in any circumstances, miss this...

Great, great start to the season...

[thebish]

today I have been to Brixham FishStock - a heady mixture of fish, music and alcohol!!

Fish: (included fish cooking demonstrations)



music:



and alcohol..




oh... and a bemused-looking woman dressed as a crab!

[bobo the clown]

My goodness I'd have liked to have been there.

Mind you, that lady looks a bit crabby.

[thebish]

My goodness I'd have liked to have been there.

Mind you, that lady looks a bit crabby.

that was a "how to dress a crab" stall - which wasn't what I envisaged!

you paid a fiver and were given a big silver tray with a crab on it and a collection of hammers and picks - and a bloke told you how to pull all the bits off and then smash them all and stuff the pits you had picked out back in the shell - you could then take it home with you (just the crab - not the tray and tools!)

it was fun to watch those who had paid!

[Il Pirate]

today I have been to Brixham FishStock - a heady mixture of fish, music and alcohol!!

Fish: (included fish cooking demonstrations)



music:



and alcohol..




oh... and a bemused-looking woman dressed as a crab!

Beats London eh Bish? There's something slighty mad about the people from coastal villages in Britain. Could be the fish, could be the drink. Maybe it's just the sea air.

[Prufrock]

It's all villages!

[Bruce Rioja]

you paid a fiver and were given a big silver tray with a crab on it and a collection of hammers and picks - and a bloke told you how to pull all the bits off and then smash them all and stuff the pits you had picked out back in the shell - you could then take it home with you (just the crab - not the tray and tools!)

it was fun to watch those who had paid!

Were the crabs alive at the start or had they already been killed, Bish?

[thebish]

you paid a fiver and were given a big silver tray with a crab on it and a collection of hammers and picks - and a bloke told you how to pull all the bits off and then smash them all and stuff the pits you had picked out back in the shell - you could then take it home with you (just the crab - not the tray and tools!)

it was fun to watch those who had paid!

Were the crabs alive at the start or had they already been killed, Bish?

I don't know - as i didn't see the start of the session! I am presuming they were ready-killed as they had (presumably) already been cooked...

[Bruce Rioja]

Ah yes, of course. Reason I ask though is that I'd love to know how to stuff a crab, but to the best of my knowledge this would involve me buying a live one and, well, I just couldn't.

[thebish]

Ah yes, of course. Reason I ask though is that I'd love to know how to stuff a crab, but to the best of my knowledge this would involve me buying a live one and, well, I just couldn't.

i wasn't paying that much attention - but it seemed to involve dismantling the entire thing and smashing all the legs and bits with a hammer and then picking all the tiny bits of crabmeat out with thin implements... it looked mighty fiddly...

[bobo the clown]

Ah yes, of course. Reason I ask though is that I'd love to know how to stuff a crab, but to the best of my knowledge this would involve me buying a live one and, well, I just couldn't.

You can readily get a crab in shell (already deaded, possibly frozen initially) at decent fishmongers.

It's not too hard ... unless you want the picturesque versions you see in books or top restaurants.