Inside the September Issue: p. 1)  They Say It's Your Birthday p. 2)  Testing Your Knowledge p. 3)  Tea News Bits p. 4)  As Summer Fades into Fall, by Jon Coe p. 5)  Meet the Cast Members of...As Time Goes By p. 6)  Guide to Popular Tea Blends p. 7)  Tea Advisor p. 8)  Mystery of the Month p. 9)  England's Calendar of Events: September p. 10)  Tea Times Travel Tips p. 11)  Glossary of Tea Terms p. 12)  A Recipe for Shepherd's Pie p. 13)  Afternoon Teaisms p. 14)  Q&A with Philip Bretherton: "Alistair Deacon" of As Time Goes By  » Editor's Note     Printer-friendly Version

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Editor's Note

It's hard to imagine that summer has come to a close and the children are all getting ready to go back to school, if they haven't already started. All of us at the Tea Times hope you had wonderful summer vacations and shared fun times with your family and friends.

To kick off the beginning of the Fall season, the Tea Times brings you "Meet the cast members of As Time Goes By." We know this is a favorite program for many, if not most, of you. We've had numerous emails asking us to find out what Moira Brooker is doing and we must say this has been difficult to find out. So be sure to read this article because Moira is indeed included!

Also to complement the "Meet the cast" article, we received permission from The Erickson Tribune to reprint their interview with Philip Bretherton that was done when he visited Charlestown, one of Erickson's retirement communities. We imagine the residents had a wonderful time during that visit!

Be sure to check out the Tea News Bits so you don't miss out on some changes to the program schedule and to learn about some fine programming that will be broadcast this month.

Also, to kick off the Fall season, our recipe offers some real comfort food – Shepherd's Pie. We've had requests for this recipe and thought now is the time to share it with you, given cooler weather is on its way.

Monsoons, Indian Summers and witches raiding blackberries – sound enticing? Our friend Jon Coe tells us about these events this month.

And, it's another Royal's birthday! Read further to find out who is celebrating this month.

Welcome back everyone!

The Tea Times Newsletter Staff

1 

They Say It's Your Birthday!

Do you share a birthday with any of these people?

September 1, 1946 - Barry Gibb, singer songwriter,
member of the "Bee Gees"

September 6, 1766 - John Dalton, chemist, physicist,
formulated atomic theory

September 13, 1944 - Jacqueline Bisset, actress

September 15, 1984 - Prince Harry, Prince of England

2 

Testing Your Knowledge

Who Is This Famous Actress?

Let's see if you can figure out who this famous actress is. Read further through the newsletter to see if you are right!

This actress declined an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for "services to comedy drama" in 2001 and is the comedy partner of Jennifer Saunders.

She adopted a daughter named Billie.

This actress also has a deep and abiding interest in helping women of size find attractive clothing and co-authored two books on knitting - Big Knits and Great Big Knits.

3 

Tea News Bits

Changes to the weekday lineup

From September 1 through September 11, To The Manor Born will air weekdays at 3:30 p.m. followed by Waiting for God at 4:00 p.m.

Your BritComs will be preempted from September 12 through September 15 so MPT can bring you special programming.

Beginning on September 18, Born and Bred will air weekdays from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Programs you want to know about

On Thursday, September 7 at 9:00 p.m., don't miss Chihuly at the Royal Botanic Gardens. This is a can't miss program. For his first botanical exhibition outside of the United States, Dale Chihuly, famous glass blower, indulges his perpetual fascination with glass houses by installing an elaborate collection of glass at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, located in Surry and Wakehurst Place in West Sussex.

Foyle's War will air on Friday evening, September 1 from 9:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and again on Friday, September 29 from 9:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. MPT will also air Mystery with Inspector Lynley on Friday, September 22 from 9:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Mystery also airs on Sunday, September 3rd 8:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m.

Keeping Up Appearances makes a quick appearance on Friday evening, September 1 at 10:30.

The weekday BBC News has ceased to air. MPT determined that the news you are receiving in the evening is "old news" since it is received at MPT in the early morning of that day. The BBC News has been replaced with World Business, Foreign Exchange, McLauglin Group, Air: America's Investigative Reports and White House Chronicles.

After 40 years' burrowing, Mole Man of Hackney is ordered to stop

From the outside, the house that stands at 121 Mortimer Road in Hackney, east London, looks no different than the thousands of other decrepit old buildings scattered across the country. The roof has caved in. Three of the windows are boarded up and cracked paint peels from the wrinkled walls.

But this is no ordinary house. Since the early 1960s, the man who owns and lives inside the $1m Victorian property has been digging. No one knows how far the network of burrows underneath 75-year-old William Lyttle's house stretch. But according to the council, which used ultrasound scanners to ascertain the extent of the problem, almost half a century of nibbling dirt with a shovel and homemade pulley has hollowed out a web of tunnels and caverns, some 8m (26 ft) deep, spreading up to 20m (66 ft.) in every direction from his house.

Surveyors estimate that the resident known locally as the Mole Man has scooped 100 cubic metres (3,531 cubic feet) of earth from beneath the roads and houses that surround his 20-room property.

Now after 40 years of complaints, the council has admitted Mr. Lyttle's quarrying has put the neighbourhood at risk. Last week it obtained a court order to temporarily evict him in order to enable engineers to fill the holes with cement, at an estimated cost of £100,000 ($190,000) - for which Mr. Lyttle will be billed.

www.guardian.co.uk

4 

As Summer Fades into Fall

by Jon Coe

Monsoon Season

My six week holiday (as we say), was over and it was time to return to school. With the joys of my summer holiday grinding rapidly to an end, so the temperate weather did the same. As soon as September appeared on the calendar, the rain and the gales began. It was always a very abrupt end for me.

I always thought that it would be nice to ease into the new school year but that never seemed to happen. The new math and science teachers would tower above my desk and the weather raged behind them. My friendly summer holiday had been hijacked by people and weather alike, I thought!

The rain would pour and wash the leaves from their trees. The temperatures would plummet and all of a sudden autumn took residence. "Please, please, bring the summer back, just for one more week!" I would say to myself. It seemed like robbery!

Indian Summer

Sure enough, as September was under way, the weather would take a change of course. The rain would stop, the temperature would rise and the beautiful weekends were back. Sail boats were on the horizon again, people were back on the beaches. A final chance to catch the one that got away! We called this an Indian Summer. It was as if the planet said, "Alright! I was just introducing you to winter but I didn't want you to suffer so quickly, so here is another chance to appreciate everything all over again."

Mid-September was nice. Cornwall, being a holiday getaway for a vast amount of people living in England's larger cities, was not as crowded in September as in the months before. Even though I had made many new friends from many parts of Great Britain, it was good to revisit the places that I had gone alone or with my parents without the hoards of vacationers or holiday makers as we call them.

The beaches were not as crowded but the ice cream parlors and restaurants were closing. But it was still one last chance to take in the season.

Witches Sabotage

All of this was taking place back in the sixties and early seventies. My parents loved to picnic and my Mother loved her little picnic hamper made of cane. The utensils were like regular knives, forks and spoons but the plates and cups were plastic. A flask of hot tea, with milk and sugar, was packed into this Aladdin's smorgasbord and off we went.

Since we never owned a car, I would traipse behind my parents for about two miles. Finally we would arrive at our spot in the middle of a huge field. Sometimes cows would be there, sometimes they would be in the next field. Cows always bothered my Mother. She had a secret worry about them especially if they were in herds.

We'd sit down on the traditional checkered table cloth and begin to divide out the rations -- sandwiches and biscuits with plastic cups of hot tea. We'd watch the puffy white clouds in the sky while we listened to the sound of the sea splattering against the rocks near by. This area was called a headland. The farm land met the water here but with rocks and trees separating the two.

The Cornish Gorse bushes, still slightly yellow, dominated the green fields. Isolated oak trees dominated the hills. Some of the old oak trees dated back three or four hundred years. I always thought that if I could talk to a tree of that age I would ask it what it had seen.

Finally, our focus fell upon the huge hedges of bramble bushes. Rising ten feet tall and dividing the field from the next. My Father and Mother with glints of knowledge in their eyes would walk over and stare like little children, as if at a circus. These bramble bushes were called Blackberry bushes and they held the recipe to October's feasting.

The blackberries seemed ripe! There would be literally millions of them, some ripe and some not. I would lean forward to pick them, but my Father would hold me back. He said, "No Son! You can't touch the Blackberries in September"! With a big fat, ripe blackberry just a moment from my fingers, I exclaimed, "Why not Dad!!" and he said....."Because the witches pee on them in September."

It was a superstition upheld by centuries of blackberry pickers. I would question, but soon accept, that in October we would have to return and pick them. I thought about the ripe blackberries that we would miss and wondered whether they would still be there, but most of all, I envisioned hoards of witches flying around on broom sticks performing unsightly actions so that I could not eat a blackberry in September.

5 

Meet the Cast Members of...As Time Goes By

Charming, funny, moving, warm...all are appropriate adjectives to describe this charming series that is as much about mature relationships as it is traditional British comedy. Dench and Palmer are key elements of one of the most successful and long-running comedies from the BBC.

Dame Judi Dench as "Jean"

Dame Judith Olivia Dench, CH, DBE (born 9 December 1934), known as Dame Judi Dench, is an Academy Award-winning English actor born in North Yorkshire.

In her native country, Dame Judi has developed a reputation as arguably the greatest actress in post-World War II history, primarily through her work in theatre, which has been her main forte throughout her career. She has more than once come first in polls to find Britain's best actress.

She received her professional training at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London and made her professional debut as Ophelia in Hamlet in Liverpool in 1957. She subsequently spent several seasons in repertory in Oxford and Nottingham. In 1961, she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and made numerous appearances with the company in Stratford and London over the next two decades, winning several best actress awards.

Dench has also made numerous appearances in the West End and with the National Theatre in London. She is a multiple winner of the main awards for performances on the London stage, including a record six Laurence Olivier Awards. She has also appeared with success on Broadway in Amy's Room.

As she enters her seventies, Dame Judi remains probably the biggest draw on the London stage. She is often compared to Dame Maggie Smith, another British actress of the same generation, with whom she has appeared in several movies and on stage in David Hare's two-hander Breath of Life.

Her many television appearances include the series As Time Goes By and A Fine Romance. She has also occasionally directed plays. She returned to the West End stage in April 2006 in Hay Fever alongside Peter Bowles, Belinda Lang and Kim Medcalf. Judi Dench was created an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) in 1970, and raised to Dame Commander (DBE) in 1998. She was made a Companion of Honour (CH) in 2005.

In 1971 she married British actor Michael Williams and they had their only child, Tara Cressida Williams (aka "Finty Williams"), on 24 September 1972. Their daughter later became an actor like her parents. Dame Judi starred with her husband in the 1980s British sitcom, A Fine Romance. Michael Williams died of lung cancer, aged 65, in 2001.

Her notable relatives include Emma Dench, eminent Roman historian at Birkbeck College, London. Today, she is a patron of Friends' School Saffron Walden.

Geoffrey Palmer as "Lionel"

Born in London, England, 4 June 1927. Married: Sally; children: Charles and Harriet. Began career as unpaid trainee assistant stage manager at the Q Theatre, London; subsequently became popular star of situation comedies; has also appeared on stage, in films and on the radio.

Geoffrey Palmer is one of British television's most reliable actors, appearing in several of the most popular situation comedies of the last 20 years or so and on occasion taking the lead role himself.

With his bloodhound features and lugubrious voice and manner, Palmer is instantly familiar in whatever role he plays. Not only is his face at once recognizable from the situation comedies he has appeared in, but his voice is doubly well known from his frequent employment as a voice-over artist for television commercials (notably for Audi cars). After serving his apprenticeship as an actor in the theater, Palmer emerged as an accomplished and individual performer in television situation comedy through his casting as the absent-minded eccentric Jimmy, brother-in-law to Leonard Rossiter's Perrin in The Rise and Fall of Reginald Perrin. Forever apologizing for turning up at the Perrin household in search of a meal after yet another "cock-up on the catering front," Palmer's Jimmy was manifestly appealing, though divorced from reality and pathetically woebegone. These qualities were clearly ideal for situation comedy and, soon after the end of the Perrin series, Palmer was back on the screen on a regular basis playing Wendy Craig's other half in Carla Lane's hit series Butterflies. As manic-depressive dentist Ben Parkinson, Palmer provided extremely sturdy support to Craig herself, alternately bewildered at his wife's outbursts and endearingly patient and clumsy in his efforts to understand her frustrations--though he could also be stubborn, tactless and impervious to suggestion when he chose.

Palmer returned to the dottiness of Jimmy in the Perrin series when he went on to play the comically unhinged Major Harry Kitchener Wellington Truscott, the central character in Fairly Secret Army. Convinced that the country was on the brink of chaos due to the machinations of the political left, Truscott was committed to forming his own army to counter the revolution that he feared was just around the corner. Thanks largely to Palmer's performance as Truscott, this seemingly unpromising scenario fared reasonably well, with the dotty major proving surprisingly lovable in his futile attempts to muster a competent force, despite his reactionary views and rabidly bigoted attitude towards those of differing political opinions.

His subsequent series, Executive Stress and As Time Goes By, both saw Palmer back in more familiar sitcom territory, playing belligerently adorable partners in support of strong female stars, in the first instance Penelope Keith (in the role of her husband, Donald Fairchild) and in the latter case Judi Dench (in the role of her old flame, Lionel Hardcastle). Executive Stress proved a mixed success, though Palmer gave good value as always, but As Time Goes By settled in well as the plot traced the reunion of the two erstwhile lovers. Palmer played a retired colonial planning to write his memoirs, to be typed up by Dench's secretarial agency. This led to the gradual rebirth of their romance, culminating in their marriage in the 1995 series.

Palmer has occasionally ventured out of the sitcom territory with which he is usually associated. Notable examples of experiments in other fields of comedy have included guest appearances in such acclaimed shows as Fawlty Towers and Blackadder Goes Forth, in which he played Field Marshall Haig.

Moira Brooker as "Judy"

In addition to various cameo appearances in television series, Moira Brooker currently serves with two other colleagues providing presentation skills training for corporations through workshops and individual training programs.

Brooker is most famous in her role as Judith Hanson in the BBC romantic comedy series As Time Goes By (1992-2005). This program lasted eleven seasons and was popular in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the United States, where it was broadcast on public television stations.

Brooker's character is the daughter of Jean Pargetter, who was played by Judi Dench, Brooker's idol. Her romantic interest and ultimately her husband in the series, the multi-millionaire publisher Alistair Deacon, is played by Philip Bretherton. Her best friend and co-worker Sandy is played by Jenny Funnell.

Brooker is married to actor Anthony Milner and has two children. She and her family reside in Brighton.

Philip Bretherton as "Alistair"

Philip was born in Preston, Lancashire (North England) in 1956. He studied Drama at Manchester University in 1973. Philip's first professional stage appearance was at The 1975 Edinburgh Festival in Golden Oldie, returning in 1979 in Once Upon A Crime. Philip's hobbies are swimming, horse riding, cricket and he holds a jet ski license.

His TV credits include Ian Davenport (the flash car dealer and love-rat!) in Coronation Street (Granada), New Tricks (BBC), Alistair Deacon in As Time Goes By (BBC) opposite Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer, and Stefan Hauser in Footballers' Wives. His other TV work includes Doctors (BBC), Swallow (BBC), Casualty (BBC), Real Women (BBC), Eric 'Rico' Finnigan in Hollyoaks (Mersey TV), Wing & A Prayer (Thames), Gordon Struan in Holding On (BBC), Sharman, The Paradise Club, Inspector Morse and Rumpole Of The Bailey.

On the stage he also has a long list of credits including Flanders Kitteridge in Six Degrees Of Separation (Royal Exchange Manchester), Charles in Blithe Spirit (Theatre Clywd), Elyot in Private Lives (Glasgow Citizens Theatre), Warwick in St Joan (Birmingham Repertory Theatre), Jack in The Importance Of Being Ernest (Theatre Clwyd / Birmingham Rep / Toronto) and Stephen Fauldgate in Beethoven's Tenth (Watford Palace Theatre).

Philip's voice work is equally varied. In radio drama his credits include As Time Goes By (2 series on BBC Radio 2), Anthony & Cleopatra (Penguin Shakespeare Series), Coriolanus (Penguin Shakespeare Series), and The Jury (25 episodes BBC Radio 4).

Jenny Funnell as "Sandy"

Biographical information is scarce. Here are some of her television, radio and stage credits:

2005, Television, Sandy, AS TIME GOES BY (SERIES 1-10 1991-2005), BBC Television, Sydney Lotterby

2004, Stage, Linda, TOM DICK AND HARRY, Theatre Royal Windsor, Ray and Michael Cooney

1999, Television, Linda Dodds, MONSTER TELEVISION (26 EPISODES), BBC Children's Television, Jeremy Swan

1997, Stage, Polly, FAMILY CIRCLES, Richmond Orange Tree Theatre, Sam Walters

1997, Stage, Siobhan, LOVE ME SLENDER, Scarborough/Orange Tree Theatre, Auriol Smith

1996, Radio, Anya, THE CHERRY ORCHARD, BBC World Service, David Hitchinson

1995, Stage, Elvira, BLITHE SPIRIT, Derek Nimmo Productions, John David

The Insider, May 2006

6 

An introductory guide to the world's finest and most popular tea blends

This final month we take a look at black teas

7 

Tea Advisor

Essential Components of Tea

A tea's color, pungency, and body come from polyphenols, also referred to as tannins. These components are present in every leaf, but the tender new growth, consisting of two leaves and a bud, is almost three times richer in polyphenols than the older leaves.

The New Tea Book | By Sara Perry

Lu Yu, Chinese Tea Authorities

The Tang Dynasty was followed by the Sun (960-1279). It was a time of great literary achievement, and many stories and poems were written about tea and tea tasting. In 1107 the Emperor Hui Tsung wrote a treatise on tea. This went into great detail about the harvesting of tea, its preparation, and the spiritual benefits of drinking the infusion. It also documented a major change in the brewing of tea. Previously most tea had been boiled together with the water - although some early accounts are ambiguous about this - but now the water was boiled and then poured on to the powdered tea and left to brew. Before serving into bowls it was briskly whisked.

Tea | By Roy Moxham

8 

Mystery of the Month

What Is Your Guess? Mystery Trivia

Case One

It's a holiday. Moss hops into his car and begins to drive. He drives for hours in one direction and covers hundreds of miles. When Moss stops the car and gets out, he's in the same place that he started.

The Mystery
In what state and in what month did Moss drive.

Clues

• Moss drives a lot and has never had a speeding ticket.
• Moss planned his trip carefully.
• Moss drove in this state last year at the same time.
• Moss is in the Midwest.
• Moss drove during spring.
• Moss is a professional and drives more than 100 miles per hour without getting pulled over.

Case Two

In 1947, a man breaks something in California that cannot be repaired. He continues to break the thing on a regular basis, as do others. The world finds out what he has done, but takes no action against him.

The Mystery
What did the man break and what type of machine did he use to break it?

Clues

• The type of machine had been around for more than 40 years when the break occurred.
• The man had sound reasons for doing what he did.
• The man was a captain in the Air Force.
• The man passed an important barrier.
• The break caused a loud explosion.
• The machine traveled at a speed of 670 miles per hour.

Be sure to check the October 2006 edition of the Tea Times for the answers

Answers to August Mysteries:

Case One: The masked man is a hockey goalie who is attacked for 20 minutes in the first period.
Case Two: The man always wears yellow; the animal's name is Curious George.

30 Second Mysteries, © University Games

9 

England's Calendar of Events | September

More Riparian Entertainment

The Thames Festival celebrates the mighty river, with giant illuminated floats. For more information, call 020/7401-2255. Mid-September.

England for Dummies, by Donald Olson

Moreton Show
September 2, 2006
(1st Saturday in September)
Moreton-in-Marsh

Moreton-in-Marsh's annual show takes place on the northern edge of the picturesque Cotswold town. On the first Saturday in September each year, hundreds of people convene to enjoy an exciting family day out.

www.whatsonwhen.com

International Bognor Birdman
September 9-10, 2006
Bognor Regis

Despite man's bipedal state, stubborn flights with gravity have proliferated throughout history. The International Bognor Birdman is a splendid example of human beings defying their natural state by swooping off Bognor Pier and crashing inelegantly into the sea.

www.whatsonwhen.com

Painswick Ancient Clypping Ceremony
September 25, 2005
Painswick

Every September an ancient ceremony takes place in Painswick's St. Mary's churchyard. The Clypping Ceremony involves local people joining hands around the church to form an unbroken chain, singing the Clypping Hymn as part of an open-air service. This custom, which literally embraces the church and the faith it stands for, dates back to 1321 and originally formed a part of the annual village fair.

www.whatsonwhen.com

September Dates of Note

September 1, 1951 - Britain's first supermarket opens at Earl's Court in London

September 1, 1971 - The penny and the thrupenny piece coins cease to be legal tender as Britain continues the changeover to decimal coinage.

September 2-6, 1666 - The Great Fire of London raged for four days - destroying more than 13,000 houses and almost 100 churches - including St. Paul's Cathedral. A total of 6 people were killed.

September 2, 1752 - Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar.

September 3, 1939 - August 15, 1945 - The Second World War. Great Britain, France, New Zealand and Australia declare war on Germany after Adolf Hitler refuses to withdraw his troops from Poland.

September 6, 1852 - The first free public lending library opened.

September 7, 1533 - Queen Elizabeth I was born.

September 9, 1836 - The "sport" of bear baiting was banned by Parliament.

September 9, 1835 - Local government constituted in the UK.

September 9, 1950 - Soap rationing ended in Britain - introduced in 1942. (The oils and fats were used for food.)

September 9, 1087 - William the Conqueror died.

September 18, 1839 - George Cadbury was born (of Cadbury Chocolate fame).

September 19, 1960 - First parking tickets issued in London.

September 22, 1955 - Sir Robert Walpole becomes the first prime minister to move into 10 Downing Street in London which has since become the official home of the British Prime Minister.

September 23, 1940 - The George Cross instituted. This is the highest Commonwealth decoration awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry not in the face of an enemy.

September 26, 1955 - Bird's Eye fish fingers first went on sale. They were invented in Bird's Eye's old factory in Great Yarmouth.

September 26, 1580 - English seaman Francis Drake returns to Plymouth in the Golden Hind, becoming the first British navigator to sail the earth.

September 27, 1825 - The world's first public passenger rail service begins - between Stockton and Darlington in the north of England.

September 28, 1745 - First singing of Britain's national anthem.

www.woodlands-juniot.kent.sch.uk

ANSWER!
Who Is This Famous Actor from Page 2?: Dawn French

10 

Tea Times Travel Tips

September Weather

The average temperature in London in September is 59 degrees Fahrenheit with an average rainfall of 1.9 inches.
England for Dummies | By Donald Olson

Waddesdon Manor

Burgh Island Hotel
Bigbury-on-Sea, Devon, England

11 

Glossary of Tea Terms

Keep reading future editions of the Tea Times to learn about more tea terms!

G Garden - Used interchangeably with "plantation" in some tea countries (India and Sri Lanka particularly), but usually referring to an estate unit. Garden Mark - The mark put on the tea chest by the estate to identify its particular product, for example "Margaret's Hope." Golden Tip - Golden coloured tip. Visible buds in the made tea, coloured golden with dried tea juice. Gone Off - A tea that is moulded, tainted, out of condition or old. Grainy - Term applied to well-made fannings and dust.

Green - Colour of infused leaf which has undergone poor withering or rolling, or is underfermented. Green Tea - Tea leaves that have been processed in live steam, hot air or hot pans, whereby fermentation is prevented, and then rolled and dried. Grey - An unattractive colour characteristic of black leaf that has undergone too much rubbing during sorting and cutting. Gunpowder - A make of green tea, each leaf of which has been rolled into a pellet. The pellets resemble old fashioned gunpowder cartridges. www.nbtea.co.uk

Did you miss F? Take a look at last month's edition.

12 

British Shepherd's Pie

Debra S. wrote to Afternoon Tea in March asking for the definitive Shepherd's Pie recipe. There are many variations but this one seems to be a recurring favorite.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds ground beef (other recipes call for left over roast, cut into bite size pieces)
• ½ cup onion, diced
• 1 cup carrots, diced
• 1 cup of corn (other recipes call for mushrooms and peas, it's a matter of taste)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cup beef stock
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tablespoons steak sauce
• ½ cup dry, brown gravy mix
• 2 lbs potatoes, mashed
• 1 cup water

Directions

Brown ground beef with onions. In a skillet on medium high heat, add garlic, beef stock, Worcestershire Sauce, steak sauce and vegetables. Simmer until vegetables are tender.

Add salt and pepper.

Cook potatoes in water with a dash of salt. Mash cooked potatoes and set aside.

Pour the dry gravy mix into a bowl and mix with 1 cup of cold water. Mix gravy mix back into pan containing beef and vegetables, stirring continuously till thickened.

Pour mixture into a baking dish and allow to cool. When cool, spoon mashed potatoes over mixture. Bake in oven until potatoes are golden brown - 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serving ideas: Serve with peas (if not already in casserole) and crusty bread. You can also finish the casserole off by topping with grated cheddar cheese and sliced tomatoes.

Serves 4.

www.fooddownunder.com

13 

Afternoon Teaisms

Rhymes and Wits

If your tongue trips over "oolong" and there's no place for your spoon
If you end up with your cookie on your knee
If dainty conversation leaves you speechless far too soon
You need some help surviving Ladies' tea.

Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company.

Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.

14 

Tea Reading Room

British Sitcom Star Sighted at Erickson Communities

Philip Bretherton, aka "Alistair Deacon" of As Time Goes By, Speaks to Fans

By Keith Gamboa, The Erickson Tribune

Photograph by Peter Searle

Saturday, October 29, 2005 was a special day at Charlestown and Oak Crest.

The two Erickson campuses were abuzz with excitement, as fans were treated to a personal visit by Philip Bretherton, who plays the charming, cheeky, eternally optimistic Alistair Deacon on As Time Goes By, the popular, long-running "Britcom."

The visits, co-sponsored by Maryland Public Television, drew about 50 people to a morning Q & A in the studios of Charlestown's TV channel, with Charlestown's Madelon Hudson playing host. Many more admirers of the show watched the presentation in the library and in the apartment homes.

The afternoon session at Oak Crest attracted around 400 men and women, including staff, and priority list members, to Crest View Hall. Nancy Barzczak, director of resident life, introduced Philip, who fielded questions from the audience.

Philip, who comes across with much of the boyish charm as the character he plays, was a delightful guest and only too ready to answer queries about himself, the show, and his alter ego, Alistair.

Here's what he had to say:

Q: Why do you think As Time Goes By is so popular at Erickson communities like Charlestown and Oak Crest?
A: "Because I think it's about two older people finding happiness together. A lot of television is youth-oriented, but there's a huge audience of people out there who aren't catered to. This is a program that does speak to their sense of humor, to their sensibilities, to their experiences."

Q: Do you have a favorite American TV show?
A: "American comedy is very popular in England, and I like a lot of American shows. I enjoy The Sopranos very much. I enjoy Seinfeld and Frasier. Friends is immensely popular in England. And I'm enjoying Lost at the moment."

Q: Would you consider a role in an American show?
A: "Oh, yes, without a doubt. I'd like to spend a little more time here."

Q: What kind of role would you most like to play?
A: "Every role is a new challenge, a new departure. I don't really set my heart on anything. I've always thought of this job as one of discovery. That's always been something I've looked forward to. You have no idea where you'll be in six months. That's always been part of the joy of the job for me - finding out what's around the corner. I look forward to the next surprise."

Q: What differences do you see between American audiences and British audiences?
A: "I don't think the differences are as big as people make out. They're certainly not as big now as they used to be. Maybe that's because English people have become more demonstrative and more vociferous over the years.

"It used to be the case where English audiences weren't as forthcoming as American audiences. They didn't show their emotions as much. But I think that's less so than it used to be. And American audiences are a broader cross-section than English audiences are. In terms of age, and - for want of a better word - class. There's a broader cross-section in American television audiences and theater audiences than there is in England."

Q: What are you involved in now?
A: "I'm going on to do some theater this year. Over Christmas, I'll be working at a theater in Liverpool."

Q: Why did you get into acting?
A: "I decided that what I was doing on a casual basis was fun. I got pleasure out of it, and I wanted to see if I could do it professionally, see if I could make everybody like it. Because I always felt that that's the most privileged position to be in: to take something you love, that gives you satisfaction, and make a living out of it as well. To get joy out of your work."

Q: What other roles have you played?
A: I've also played on British television a German football manager and a second-hand car dealership phony on Coronation Street - that's the last thing I did. Now people think of me as a sort of n'er do well lothario."

Q: What was your favorite role?
A: "I always enjoyed Noel Coward, and I played the role of Charles in Blithe Spirit. Great fun!"

Q: Will there be more As Time Goes By?
A: "They're having another meeting in December [2005], and if Dame Judi Dench turns up and says, 'I think we can do one more,' then I think they'll go ahead and write it."

Q: If you met Alistair at a party, would you like him?
A: "I'd probably want to give him a good slap, actually! I think he'd probably annoy me. He's one of those people who's always on the bright side. There's not a cynical part of him. He's always this bright-eyed, bushy-tailed guy, and that can get a bit irritating."

Q: What's it like working with a theatrical icon like Dame Judi Dench?
A: "Well, she was always the icon of the theater. But, she hadn't done any film at all when I first started to work with her, yet she was still pretty intimidating. She's always come across - whenever I see her - as being just a wonderful person. What you see is what you get. She doesn't let you down - she's generous, she's genuinely funny, and she's very, very good company."

And to a comment from an audience member that "Everybody needs an Alistair in their life," the man who has made the remarkable Mr. Deacon so much a part of our lives replied, "I wish I had one!"

Reprinted with the permission of The Erickson Tribune (www.EricksonTribune.com)

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