'From our Forums'

If we were in the A stream which did Latin, we only had to do Domestic Science (as it was then called) - sewing, cooking and laundry - for two years. Loathed them and the teachers, so was glad to drop them. My mum taught me to cook, bake, and make my own dresses. Mums had the time and skills to do that in those days.

Yes, Latin or cookery - that makes sense!

As a schoolgirl I got chucked out of home economy class on account of my rock cakes being a total disaster. Had to take Latin instead! Art, which I wanted to do, was reserved for the least academically able, and cooking for the ~practical homely types~ .

jeni that's so funny.

I cracked a terrazzo floor by dropping mine once. I haven't tried baking since. I was 14.

My mother's rock cakes were prize winners. We always dunked them in a glass of milk [for some minutes] before taking a bite...

I didn't mean that Geraldine!!!!

Rock cakes hopefully.

What kind of cake, by the way?

Rubbish. It was delicious.

And without the cashews...

Geraldine, I agree. There's a case for both. If I was pretending to be jolly when I wasn't, I would be displaying forced jollity, but if I felt under pressure by others to be jolly and succumbed, it would have been enforced on me, I suppose.....hard work being a pedant, isn't it?

It might have been alright with loads of tomato ketchup I suppose.

Sorree!

retch

I did a fry up the other day based on a tin of tuna and some sprouts. Also added cashew nuts, tomatoes, chopped green pepper and, when it was ready, some quartered hard-boiled eggs. It was good.

Um... I think I should have written "glut of cake" [pedant's blush]

Crying because of a lack of sprouts - that's a contradiction in terms. We always have sprouts because we always have sprouts although no-one likes them! You do need them for bubble and squeak though - it's the law.

Glut of cakes at HQ, then? Or do you always get the stale leftovers that they throw at you?

Quite sure you're right Bags.

Must go. Got a paper chain to make.

I meant no one was dreading any enforced jollity because they were all sure there wasn't going to be any.

Nothing wrong with the thread itself. If anyone wants to moan, not my business.

But the line in the 'from our forums' was not relevant to the content of the thread.

That's the point of the thread, though. Jollity, forced or enforced, is what people on that thread don't want!!

I think there is a feeling on that thread that christmas has to be special (even "a little bit magical"). I think that's the problem. If you look at the mid-winter festival as simply the time on the calendar when it becomes obvious that the shortest day is past, it saves a lot of bother. At least, I find it does. Yes, we celebrate the 'turn of the year', but we recognise that that's all it is.

That's what I just said.

There wasn't any on that thread. That's the point....