Spring Fayres, Below Stairs, a Spinner and a Fabulous Dinner

Golly, I love rhymes. That title just appeared as I typed it without even thinking about rhyming. Love it!

Yesterday, Saturday, a gorgeous warm spring day...chilly again today but the heat appears to be off in the Stables and I find it mighty chilly. Soon time to go down to the Snug.

 Lucky for lovely weather; much going on hereabouts that depended on good weather.

The day started with a walk into Alton; saw another dog poo related sign that made me laugh out loud again...closed circuit TV evidence of not picking up poo??? Seriously?

There was Alton History Days at the Assembly Rooms. Local history clubs had extremely well organized presentations and binders of historical material about local towns and villages; I was happy to get into the Assembly Room main hall, former site of country dances, etc. The Town Crier was out and about crying out announcements. Hear ye hear ye, etc. I visited five charity shops on the High Street (although I don't think it is called that), ever on the lookout for vintage linens, and found a 1951 biography of Florence Nightingale [started reading it this morning - excellent story, highly recommended...I had to tear myself away to write this].

Assembly Rooms Alton

Interior - Alton Assembly Rooms

After shopping for the Global Food Revolution meal at the Stables (more to come on that), popped into the Chawton Fayre and bought two things; a pot of rhubarb-fig jam (yum!), and a book of Harry Potter themed cross stitch patterns en francais. Now, I am not an HP fan, nor do I do cross stitch BUT when something makes you laugh and you can take it home for 30p, then get it. That should be a rule.

On the way home, stopped into the Jane Austen House Museum gift shop. While there, a woman (Jacqui) came in to ask about the spinning wheel to come to the house, and could she do a demonstration. Well....I sidled on up, introduced myself, told her I was also a spinner and weaver, told her about my textile cataloguing at the JAHM, and asked where I could source some local fleece. "From me!", was her answer...much to my astonishment. The upshot is, I am invited for tea this afternoon to pick up some fleece with the promise I shall send her some from Canada. Textilians...gotta love 'em!

The staff in front of Chawton House

In the attic (where maids lived)

Then...(thank goodness for days off) to an open museums event (part of a national event held yesterday, of which the event in Alton was also part) at Chawton House Library on the theme of  'Life Below Stairs at CHL'. Excellent. Staff were in Edwardian dress playing roles (convincingly) of scullery maid, parlour maid, and footmen...poor fellas in their wool suits on a hot day...other volunteers offered explanation of various rooms and daily life as it would have been in that particular room (e.g., the dining room, the servants' hall, etc.), still others ran a tearoom. It was all wonderful. I estimate about 300 folks or so attended. Fantastic event!


And finally, to wrap up the day, I had invited housemates, Lori and Marilyn, to celebrate Food Revolution Day. I made a dinner (pretty darned good it was too!) of foods produced in England (except I used Alaskan salmon as I couldn't find any other sort of wild salmon, and one red pepper from Holland). Greek-themed. Yogurt marinated chicken, salmon, baby roast potatoes, beets, carrots, roasted red peppers, and tzatziki (cucumber, yogurt and dill). Marilyn and Lori had bought 'tubs' of local ice cream from a local dairy at Cassandra's Cup (the local tearoom) so that finished off our meal. A 'tub' here holds 119 ml (just shy of 1/2 cup). Happy I was to have an occasion to contribute to the food revolution!


Here's the link to Jamie Oliver's lovely film to promote the event:
http://foodrevolutionday.com/about-the-day.html

Go Jamie! Go, all of us!