Inside the November Issue: p. 1)  They Say It's Your Birthday p. 2)  Testing Your Knowledge p. 3)  Tea News Bits p. 4)  The All-Important Conker p. 5)  British Comedy: Where It's Been and Where It's Going p. 6)  Tea With Jane Austen p. 7)  Tea Advisor p. 8)  Mystery of the Month p. 9)  England's Calendar of Events: November p. 10)  Crossword Puzzle Answers for the MYSTERY! Detectives p. 11)  Glossary of Tea Terms p. 12)  Recipes: Sweet Potato Casserole p. 13)  Afternoon Teaisms  » Editor's Note     Printer-friendly Version

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Editor's Note

"Over the meadow and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go." Yes, it's that time of year again! It's November, the weather is turning crisper, and fires have begun to crackle and glow in our fireplaces. There's no finer way to sit down with your cuppa' and browse through the Tea Times.

The Royals seem to be having a spate of birthdays. Find out who is having one in November.

What is going on in the Brit Com scene? Be sure to read the article that discusses where they've been, where they are, and where they might be going.

We received many e-mails from you telling us how much you enjoyed the pilot of Last of the Summer Wine. We want to know now if you would like to see East Enders or All Creatures Great and Small when Rosemary and Thyme ends its run on Saturday evenings at 7:00 p.m. Please answer the poll below or send an e-mail to tealady@mpt.org to let us know which of these two programs you prefer.

In our recipe section this month, we have Sweet Potato Casserole for that holiday dinner you might be making or for taking an attractive dish to someone's home. Wherever you serve it, it's sure to please the crowd.

All of us at the Tea Times want to take this opportunity to thank you for being loyal viewers of MPT and readers of our newsletter. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

The Tea Times Newsletter Staff

1 

They Say It's Your Birthday!

Do you share a birthday with any of these people?

November 5, 1913 - Vivien Leigh, actress

November 8, 1656 - Edmund Halley, astronomer

November 10, 1925 - Richard Burton, actor

November 14, 1948 - Charles, Prince of Wales

2 

Testing Your Knowledge

Who Is This Famous Actor?

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

This actor has one child.

She loves trivia.

She's a big fan of mythology and incorporates it into her novels.

Her grandmother was music hall singer, Sarah Bonner.

3 

Tea News Bits

We knew you would love it!

Kudos to MPT for scheduling the pilot for Last of the Summer Wine on October 6th!!! I never thought I'd be able to see the episode in this country. I've known about "Of Funerals and Fish" for a long time, and I am ecstatic that I'll be able to see it. I have programmed two VCR's and told fellow addicts of LOTSW to follow suit. This gesture on MPT's part is enough to get me to renew my membership and add a substantial amount. Many thanks to the programmers!
– Paul from Eldersburg

Paul, we are glad that we made you and many others so happy!

November Programming You Won't Want to Miss

Maigret was first introduced to BBC TV in 1960 as part of their Sunday-Night Theatre presentations. And, with pride, MPT will bring you a different episode of Maigret each Sunday from 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. beginning Sunday, Oct 29 through Sunday, November 19.

Masterpiece Theatre will follow Maigret from 9:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 28 and Sunday, November 5, each followed by To the Manor Born from 10:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. On Sunday, November 12 and Sunday, November 19, Masterpiece Theatre will air from 9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Each Sunday of October 28, November 5, 12, and 19, Battlefield Britain will air from 11:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.

Cadfael continues on Friday, November 3 and Friday, November 17 from 9:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Black Leopards Seen Near Shops

Mystery big cats are said to have been spotted prowling around a popular shopping mall. Two species of cat - a black leopard and a puma - have been seen near the Bluewater shopping centre in Kent. There have been 35 sightings in the past three months.

The sightings were reported to Kent Big Cat Research. Neil Arnold founded the group, which studies eyewitness reports of exotic cats, 15 years ago. It aims to make the public aware big cats such as the puma, black leopard and lynx are roaming the county.

www.thisislocallondon.com

Egyptian Discovery

Staff at Forty Hall were astounded to discover they had been sitting on a collection of Egyptian statues of national importance. The four Egyptian shabti, or funerary figures, had been in the museum's collection for many years with no one realizing their worth until a researcher from the British Museum contacted museum manager, Val Munday, with the news they were highly valuable.

"Our overseer figure is from the tomb of a king's daughter, called Nes, and it dates from the 22nd Dynasty, 950-700 BC. It is made of faience, a type of pottery covered with a bright blue glaze and is 12 cm tall."

A shabti is a small figure depicting an adult male or female and inscribed with writings from the Egyptian Book of the Dead. They would have been placed in the tombs of pharaohs and other important dignitaries, so that they might perform duties in the afterlife.

www.thisislocallondon.com

Debate Over Cow Moo Accents

Doubt has been cast over claims that Essex cows moo with distinctive accents. The West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers Group sparked debate in rural circles across the country when it claimed to be able to discern clear differences between the accents of herds from the Midlands, Essex, Norfolk and Lancashire.

Lloyd Green, a Somerset dairy farmer and group member, said: "I spend a lot of time with my Friesians and they definitely moo with a Somerset drawl. I've spoken to other farmers in the West Country and they've noticed a similar development. I think it works the same as with dogs - the closer a farmer's bond is with his animals, the easier they pick up his accent."

But Stapleford Tawney dairy farmer John Torrance was far more skeptical. He said: "You must be pulling my leg. I've seen cows from all over the country and I think it's a load of hogwash."

www.thisislocallondon.com

4 

The All-Important Conker

by Jon Coe

Next to my growing fireworks collection for Guy Fawkes Day, which I spoke of last year, lay a growing heap of conkers. These are shiny, mahogany brown objects that look like large chestnuts. In fact, they are from the Horse Chestnut tree. Conkers are eaten by deer and cattle, and in the past were sometimes ground up as meal to fatten sheep.

Conker is the name used in Britain, Ireland and some former British colonies for the nuts of the common Horse Chestnut tree when used in a game traditionally played by children, Conkers. The name comes from the nineteenth-century dialectical word conker meaning snail shell, which is related to the French word congue meaning conch, as the game was originally played using snail shells. The name may also be influenced by the verb conquer, as the game was also called conquerors. Conkers are also known regionally as obblyonkers, cork nuts or cheesers.

I remember waking up on crisp, frosty November mornings and eating my huge breakfast of two eggs, bacon, tomatoes and a doorstep of toast. Nearby the woods would beckon me because I loved looking for conkers. I'd put on my Wellington boots and set off into the damp, leaf-ridden darkness that the towering trees provided. Many of the trees were Sycamore and Oak. Deeper into the woods I'd venture looking for that one tree, the Horse Chestnut!

The wet ground looked like the inside of a pirate's cave and soon I would stumble upon the treasure. Sure enough, the Oak and Sycamore trees thinned and there in front of me stood the great Horse Chestnut tree, its large leaves bearing down on me and its ripe, prickly fruit hanging just out of reach.

Conkers can't be picked from the tree; they aren't ready or ripe enough. I had to look on the ground. This late in the year, providing no other children had been there first, I was in for a treat of a lifetime. In front of me lay the crisp, prickly casings of the bright green cocoons broken from the fall with the dark brown conkers inside now visible. It was magnificent!

Looking for conkers was a Sunday afternoon activity for me. So after I gathered up all my findings and with pockets bulging, I'd head home to prepare my conkers for school the next day.

I would get a skewer from my Mother's pantry and drive a hole right through the middle of the conkers. Next a shoe lace was passed through the hole of one. I'd tie a double knot in one end and slide the conker down until it rested securely upon it.

In those days it didn't matter to me if I had a math exam first thing on Monday morning. The most important thing to me was that my conker was ready for the first recess. While taking our exams we would drink half-frozen milk that had partially thawed on the radiators after having been delivered in crates by the milkman and left outside the school gates early in the morning. The third-pint bottles of milk were sealed with thin, tin caps and some of them would be pecked through by birds trying to get at the cream that sat atop the milk.

Finally, the exam was over and it was conker time! The boys would gather in the freezing school playground holding their shoelaces up in their blue, clenched fists with conkers dangling, waiting for a match. I would stand still and then strike out against my opponent, swinging the first blow. If you missed, you swung again until you hit the opposing conker. Sometimes your own conker would split to smithereens, other times it would be your opponent's. Sometimes you would miss altogether and hit your opponent's blue-with-cold knuckles, turning them to purple.

The point of the game is to destroy the other person's conker. Once you had done that, you would then inherit the other conker's conquests. If one conker had beaten another that had beaten ten others and yours had beaten say, twelve, then your conker would become a "twenty-two-er." When you bring a new conker into play, it's called a "none-er."

You could carry this on and on until you had a conker that was a "three hundred-er," or in some cases a "thousand-er." The importance is that you have a conker that can survive and there are many ways to do this.

Some boys would soak their conkers in vinegar; others would bake them in the oven as my Mother allowed me to do. There seemed to be no rules to this serious game. I heard of a case where one boy's Father had stripped all the insides out of the conker and poured molten lead inside.

Anyway, my memories of my conker days are happily behind me. However, I once had a conker that was unbeatable. I had it for years and years. I think it was a one hundred and thirteen thousand-er.

5 

British Comedy: Where It's Been and Where It's Going

By Michelle Street

A Bit of Background

The history of British comedy has been distinctly cyclical. The 60s was a turbulent era of social upheaval that fostered some incredible political satire, led in part by late, great Peter Cook and his colleagues in the Beyond the Fringe gang. The publishing world also had a satirical outlet with Private Eye magazine, which began widespread publication in 1961 and is still on newsstands today.

Perhaps the high note of the 60s satire boom was That Was The Week That Was, a loosely-knit collection of sketches, musical numbers and monologues linked together by David Frost. The show's attacks on politicians and public figures proved so effective that it was kept off the air during the 1964 general election because the BBC (which is supposed to be non-political) was afraid of swaying public opinion. The program never returned.

This golden age of satire was followed by something completely different. Monty Python's Flying Circus made its debut in 1969 and though it lampooned civil servants and ministers, Python had no political agenda and was more grounded in flat-out silliness, verbal acuity, physical gags and the surreal cartoons of Terry Gilliam.

A year later, the viewing public began its long infatuation with the inspired visual antics of The Goodies. This program followed the cartoonish adventures of a trio who would do anything at any time. They'd get an assignment, take off on their three-seater bike (which they usually ended up falling off of) and go off to do good deeds.

The 70s should be cherished for the sheer perfection of Fawlty Towers, but along with FT's portrayal of a not-so-blissful marriage there were a number of comedies that could be considered more comfortable and middle-class. This trend was epitomized by The Good Life, known in the States as Good Neighbors, which first aired in 1974. Penelope Keith's star-making turn as Margo on Good Neighbors led to her starring role as Audrey fforbes-Hamilton on To The Manor Born, which began airing in 1979. The 70s also saw the debut of two long-running favorites: Are You Being Served? and Last of the Summer Wine. The latter is still in production and is the longest-running sitcom in television history.

The 80s proved that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The gentler age of Good Neighbors was followed in the early 80s by the rise of the angry, punk-influenced, politically conscious alternative comedy movement. The Young Ones, a surreal look at the life of four trendy students living in squalor, was alternative comedy's television breakthrough. The energetic scripts combined digs against Mrs. Thatcher with slapstick humor, surreal cutaway gags and a musical guest.

Another groundbreaking program was Spitting Image, which used puppets and impressionists to lampoon politicians, the Royal Family and other celebrities. Politics was even more effectively skewered when Jonathan Lynn and Antony Jay provided a searing look at the political machinations inside Whitehall with Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister.

However, the 80s weren't all about politics. David Croft and Jimmy Perry took viewers on a nostalgic journey to a holiday camp in Hi-de-Hi. Only a couple of years later Croft and Jeremy Lloyd teamed up for the long-running farce 'Allo 'Allo. Dame Judi Dench and her husband Michael Williams starred in Bob Larbey's A Fine Romance. Richard Briers created another memorably eccentric character in Ever Decreasing Circles, playing perfectionist Martin Bryce. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy transferred to television while another sci-fi comedy, Red Dwarf, began the first of eight seasons.

When Mrs. Thatcher left office in 1990 left-wing alternative comedians had no focal point for their anger and drifted towards the mainstream. There was the predictable backlash against their political correctness and one of alternative's own - Jennifer Saunders - bit the hand that fed her when she created and starred in the staunchly non-PC Absolutely Fabulous. This story of two women indulging in outrageous behavior was equaled by Men Behaving Badly, a long-running sitcom that laid waste to the 80s concept of the sensitive "new" man.

There was much more to the 90s. The subject of aging was cleverly and wittily addressed in Waiting for God, One Foot In The Grave, and when Geoffrey Palmer and Dame Judi Dench teamed up for the hit As Time Goes By. Patricia Routledge proved yet again what a masterful comic actress she is in Keeping Up Appearances. Rowan Atkinson left behind the sarcasm and verbal pyrotechnics of Edmund Blackadder to become the almost silent Mr. Bean. Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry paid homage to one of their mutual favorites P.G. Wodehouse by playing his famous characters Jeeves and Wooster. Chef!, Absolutely Fabulous, The Vicar of Dibley, Father Ted, The Thin Blue Line and May to December were also products of this fertile decade.

That, in a nutshell, is where British comedy has been. Now the question becomes:

Has the Britcom changed?

Definitely. Why? There are numerous reasons for this shift, some of which have to do with societal transformations. First is the change in what has always been a Britcom staple: the class system.

Until the "Thatcher Revolution," the notion of class was not necessarily about money; you could be an aristocrat and almost flat broke. Class was all about breeding, education, taste, using the proper words pronounced with the correct accent, participating in certain sports and other affectations. Think back to the first episode of Fawlty Towers, when all it took to make Basil go all gooey was a man carrying himself in a certain manner and introducing himself as "Lord" Melbury. In fact, the man was a confidence trickster and he tricked Basil. Another great example is To The Manor Born, when the haughty Audrey fforbes-Hamilton suddenly becomes penniless and tries to teach the notion of class to the gauche, nouveau riche Richard DeVere.

The barriers began to break down when the era of greed, as exemplified by Michael Douglas's character Gordon Gekko in the movie Wall Street, arrived in Britain. Class became less about ancestry and more about money, occupation and accomplishment. After all, could anyone have ever conceived of a day when rock singer/legendary bad boy Mick Jagger would become Sir Mick Jagger, member of the aristocracy? The stars of social events such as the Henley Royal Regatta and the Royal Ascot horse races are now more likely to be CEOs of large corporations rather than Viscounts and Baronesses.

So take away the tension between the classes as a relevant premise and you lose what fueled some of America's favorite Britcoms.

Britcoms have also relied heavily on innuendo. From Benny Hill to the long-running Carry On series, there was a "seaside postcard" or "end of the pier" type of humor that used scantily clad women and lewd overtones to get chuckles. In Are You Being Served? Mrs. Slocombe's pussy got a laugh no matter how many times poor Tiddles was brought up. Mr. Humphries playing the camp game and making coy references to his sexuality was another guaranteed laugh-getter.

This school of humor began to go out of favor when political correctness took over during the 80s. Comics frowned upon old school "mother-in-law" humor or any jokes based on race or sex - though for some odd reason toilet gags were acceptable. Although innuendo isn't completely dead today, it isn't as much of a staple as it was back in the era when David Croft ruled the airwaves.

Finally, the Britcom has changed due to a lack of trained actors. Adam Tandy, who has produced shows such as One Foot in the Grave, recently sparked controversy when in an interview he questioned television's over-reliance on stand-up comedians. "We look back at programs such as Yes, Minister with great admiration," he said. "The reason we are finding it so hard to come up with such things now is that we don't have that wealth of acting talent to deliver."

He has a point. Who are the stars of our favorite Britcoms? Actors such as Patricia Routledge, Clive Swift and Dame Judi Dench, all of whom bring years of theatrical training and experience to television. They are true actors who can do comedy, drama or whatever the role requires. These days, producers are more likely to give a show to a young performer they saw at a comedy club. And how many stand-ups have spent years studying their craft and performing Shakespeare? I would say not many.

Those influences have changed what Americans have normally referred to as the Britcom. Now the question becomes:

Where is the Britcom headed?

It's easy to spot a few developments:

1) The continued popularity of the mockumentary, a genre that is in my opinion the most creatively satisfying of the recent trends. The multi-award winning hit The Office is a sterling example of this. It follows the daily exploits of employees at Wernham Hogg, a paper distribution company in the rather depressing industrial city of Slough. The boss, David Brent, cares more about being an entertainer and friend to his employees rather than dealing with the business at hand. It is also a story of the day-to-day tedium faced by the workers and the seeming hopelessness of their lives. Interestingly enough, the American version of this show is one of the rare examples of a Britcom being successfully translated to American television.

The mockumentary may be difficult for Americans to get accustomed to because as a general rule they contain no laugh track. There is also more subtlety and less of a reliance on one-liners as the scripts are often highly improvised to give a more realistic feel.

Plus, the mockumentary contains what might be termed the cringe factor. Many of these characters are meant to be an embarrassment and viewers often wind up wondering whether to laugh at them or feel sorry for them. Sometimes the line is blurred and you wonder whether or not the characters are actually real or fictitious.

2) UK television has also started skewing more towards the youth market. Recent hits like Coupling (which deals with the lives and loves of six friends) and Spaced (chronicling the lives of two flatmates) might be hard to understand when you're in a "certain" age group. (And before anyone complains, I'm in that group as well.) : )

This is why programs like As Time Goes By and Last of the Summer Wine are still wildly popular in the U.S. Notwithstanding the quality of both shows in terms of writing and acting; it is nice to see gentle shows that don't have scripts laced with profanity. It's also a treat to see main characters who aren't twenty-somethings living in a glamorous apartment.

3) Britcoms have also taken a turn towards darker humor. The League of Gentlemen takes place in the village of Royston Vasey, a creepy northern town that is about as far away from Last of the Summer Wine's Holmfirth as you can get. Nighty Night has one of the most despicable characters ever in the form of Jill Tyrell, played by series writer Julia Davis. Jill is an incredibly self-absorbed, manipulative woman whose husband is diagnosed with cancer and before he even starts treatment she's at a dating agency and setting her eye on her neighbor's husband.

4) As the UK becomes increasingly multicultural other ethnic groups are stepping in to put their own stamp on British comedy. Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars at Number 42 are both delightful shows with an Indian flavor. Another success story is Anglo-Iranian comic Omid Djalili, who parlayed his act as Britain's only Iranian stand-up into a co-starring role in Whoopi Goldberg's last sitcom Whoopi as well as his own HBO special and film work. Djalili recently signed an agreement to do a comedy series for BBC 1 and will appear in the third installment of Pirates of the Caribbean.

5) There seems to be an increasing reliance on gross-out, shock humor. One of the most popular shows of the last few years, Little Britain, revels in such things as people throwing up and an obese character who parades around in the nude. Of course, all you need to do is look back at Monty Python and see that this type of thing isn't entirely new to British comedy.

6) Finally, you also can't discount the decreased attention span of the younger viewer, who likes a quick edit and a quick catchphrase to throw around at work the next day. This has led to the popularity of such programs as The Fast Show and Little Britain.

So that's where the Britcom appears to be at the moment. The last question then becomes:

Will the old-fashioned "Britcoms" return?

That remains to be seen, but I have to say yes, mainly because the nature of British comedy is cyclical and what goes around comes around. Recent Britcoms have pushed the envelope pretty far so chances are good that the tide will eventually swing back the other way. That statement is not, however, a license to be dismissive of newer Britcoms. Keep an open mind, and you just might find something great.

The Insider, August 2006

6 

Tea With Jane Austen
by Kim Wilson

7 

Tea Advisor

Essential Components of Tea

Over the centuries, tea has been considered a healthy beverage as well as a pleasurable one. Its therapeutic powers have long been glorified by scholars, scientists, and journalists. Lu Yu, the Chinese tea scholar, described tea in A.D. 780 as a cure for headaches, aching limbs, constipation, and depression. Today, medical journals throughout the world report that tea, especially green tea, stimulates mental clarity, reduces the risk of certain cancers and heart disease, lowers blood sugar levels, and helps to prevent viral infections, bad breath, and tooth decay.

The New Tea Book | By Sara Perry

Lu Yu, Chinese Tea Authorities

The final great changes in the brewing of tea in China came in the Ming Dynasty. The Mings ruled from 1368 to 1644, and were the emperors when Chinese tea first came to the West. During the Ming era great developments took place in ceramic for domestic use. The Mings began to drink their tea from fine porcelain rather than from stoneware, and this became the norm, both in China, and later in the West. Huge quantities of Chinese porcelain accompanied the tea shipped to the West. At first, as a new fashion, it was highly priced. Later, as the price fell, it became commonplace. It cost little to ship, for it was treated as ballast, which was necessary to keep the centre of gravity of the ship low in the water. (Copper, one of the few materials that the Chinese lacked, was a common ballast for the journey to China.) Wooden ships always leak, and tea is sensitive to damp. Porcelain was the ideal commodity to line the bottom of the holds, and it was almost always used as a platform for cargoes of silk and tea.

Tea | By Roy Moxham

8 

Mystery of the Month

What Is Your Guess? Mystery Trivia

Case One

Jason feels perfectly fit. He has no symptoms of any disease and feels no pain. After a brief exam with a doctor, Jason is told that he needs surgery. Jason has the operation and goes home bleeding profusely and in excruciating pain. The doctor declares the operation a success and tells Jason to go to work as soon as possible.

The Mystery
What kind of degree does the doctor have and what did the surgery accomplish?

Clues

• The doctor studies for many years to earn her degree.
• Jason won't be bothered by this problem again.
• The doctor is not a MD.
• The surgery is often performed on people under 30.
• Jason lost four body parts during the surgery.
• Surprisingly, Jason was just as smart after the operation.

Case Two

A young woman is found dead with a large lump on the front right side of her skull. Detective Cracraft brings in nine suspects for questioning, all of whose fingerprints appear on the bloody murder weapon. He asks each suspect to fill out a number of documents. Detective Cracraft identifies the prime suspect before they complete filling out the paperwork.

The Mystery
What is the murder weapon and what did Detective Cracraft notice?

Clues

• The suspects are men who know each other will.
• The weapon is very popular in the U.S.
• There were splinters in the dead girl's head.
• All nine suspects are all in uniform and work as a team.
• The detective deserves a hand for his keen observation.

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

Answers to October Mysteries:

Case One: The crowd is watching Apolo Anton Ohno win the silver medal in the 1000-meter speed skating race at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Park City, Utah.
Case Two: The bet took place in the late 19th century and led to the invention of the first motion picture.

30 Second Mysteries, © University Games

9 

England's Calendar of Events | November

Bridgewater Guy Fawkes Carnival

November 4, 2006

The tradition of a winter carnival in Bridgewater dates back more than 100 years. This year's event features a spectacular, illuminated carnival parade through the centre of town, street entertainment galore, live bands, stalls, crafts, antiques and kids' entertainment.

The parade itself consists of over 75 floats, takes two hours to pass the entire route and is an unforgettable display that has taken a year to plan. Once it has finished, there is a "squibbing" display that is unique to the town - the small fireworks are set off on the high street to much excitement.

www.whatsonwhen.com

Burning Barrels

November 5, 2006

A tradition which evolved in the 17th century to rid the streets of evil spirits is revived once more as children, then women, then generations of men run through the streets of Ottery St Mary carrying barrels which have been soaked in tar and set ablaze.

Flames ten feet high lick the sky as sweating locals stagger beneath their weight. As one man tires, his brother, father or even grandfather steps in and takes over the burning load. And so it continues until past midnight.

This is a truly exhilarating event - running away requires considerable mobility and provides a thrill unlike any other, as a seemingly impenetrable sea of people miraculously parts to allow the burning barrels through. The streets of the village are completely overrun for the event and flames can be terrifying to young children, so it is definitely a bad idea to take any pushchairs/strollers or people in wheelchairs along.

One can only wonder how this spectacular festival must have caught the imagination of poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who was born in the town in October 1772. Perhaps it was a nascent memory of the great poet's which led him to write this refrain in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner:

About, about, in reel and rout
The death-fires danced at night;
The water, like a witch's oils,
Burnt green, and blue and white.

www.whatsonwhen.com

Southport Weekender

November 3-5, 2006

One of the UK's longest-running music extravaganzas, the Southport Weekender attracts a 5000 capacity crowd to the Pontins holiday complex in Southport, north-west England.

The Southport Weekenders have their roots back in October 1987, before the start of the current House scene and before the "Superclub" had been invented. Moving with the times, the Weekenders have set trends in fashion, showcased new and up-and-coming music and proved their staying power. With the emphasis on quality music, these events have always attracted a crowd who not only want to party hard for a whole weekend in a holiday camp, but who really care about what they are dancing to.

The holiday centre has excellent facilities including a go-cart track, restaurant, shops, heated indoor swimming pool, basketball courts, games rooms and, of course, fully-licensed bars serving the best booze 24 hours a day. Accommodation is in modern self-catering apartments, which are likely to host various alternative gatherings, parties and general tomfoolery. The entry price includes all accommodation and entertainment.

Music ranges from R&B, soul and hip-hop in The Funkbase and floor-filling dance sounds in The Powerhouse to the soul aficionado's Connoisseur's Corner and the eclectic styles of the B-Bar. The Southport crew treat you to a feast of world class DJ talent.

You might have grown up with the Weekenders, or this could be your first time. Either way you're sure to have an excellent time - and one that's far removed from the traditional Pontins experience.

www.whatsonwhen.com

November Dates of Note

November, 1969 - First colour TV advertisement aired in the UK for Birds Eye.

November 1 - All Saints Day

November 2 - All Souls Day

November 2, 1896 - First motor insurance policies were issued in Britain. They excluded damage caused by frightened horses.

November 4, 1922 - English explorers Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter discovered the Tomb of King Tutankhamen in Egypt.

November 5 - Guy Fawkes Day

November 6, 1942 - The Church of England relaxes its rule that women must wear hats in church.

November 7, 1783 - Last public hanging in England - forger John Austin is hanged at Tyburn.

November 8, 1974 - The world famous fruit and vegetable market at Covent Garden in London closes after existing for more than 300 years.

November 11 - Martinmas

November 13, 1896 - The speed limit for horseless carriages in Britain was raised from 4 m.p.h. to 14 m.p.h.

November 20, 1992 - Windsor Castle is badly damaged by fire.

November 27, 1914 - Britain's first policewoman goes on duty at Gratham in Lincolnshire.

November 30 - St. Andrew's Day. Patron Saint of Scotland.

www.woodlands-juniot.kent.sch.uk

ANSWER!
Who Is This Famous Actor from Page 2?:
Judy Cornwell

10 

Answers for the MYSTERY! Detectives

How did you fare working this crossword puzzle? We heard from several of you telling us how much you enjoyed figuring out the answers to the puzzle. Here are the answers. We bet many of you got all of them correct! Thanks again, Desiree!

ACROSS

1. "The most famous detective who never lived." (2 words)

3. Your favorite TV station. (initials)

4. He enters the world 50 pages into P.D. James' 1962 novel Cover Her Face when he is sent out by Scotland Yards. (2 words)

6. MPT's Primary Location. (2 words)

8. "I'm a quite different kettle of fish." (2 words)

9. This detective functions principally as a medicine man.

11. A detective with moral certitude, salt-of-the-earth candor and, when necessary, fully-loaded handbag.

12. Inspector Lewis' lengthy assignment was where prior to returning. (3 words)

13. Ross Tanner's father's career.

14. Sunday night program. (including punctuation)

DOWN

1. Dave Creegan narrowly escaped death and now has this reminder.

2. Based on Sir John Mortimer's best-selling books. (4 words)

3. Pictured.

5. Miss Marple was introduced by which author in that rather offhand fashion in a 1930 novel The Murder at the Vicarage. (2 words)
7. Hercule Poirot is a legendary detective from where?

10. Gray's loyal, if overprotective, office assistant, Sparshott.

11 

Glossary of Tea Terms

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

K - L Keemun - A fine grade of black tea from central China, often imitated with considerable success. Keemun is a fine quality China Black, hand rolled and basket fired in contrast to the common types that are machine rolled and machine fired. Lapsang Souchong - A fine grade of China Black tea with a smokey or tarry flavour. Purposely introduced by firing over pine needles. Leafy - Whole leaves found in broken grades.

Lie Tea - A Chinese mixture of willow and other spurious leaf with genuine tea leaf, fraudulently sold as tea. Adulteration of tea was a problem when it was heavily taxed in previous centuries. Light - Liquor lacking body or thickness. Liquor - The liquid that results from infusing the leaves with hot water. www.nbtea.co.uk

Did you miss H-J? Take a look at last month's edition.

12 

Sweet Potato Casserole

In keeping with the season, why not try this casserole on your holiday table. It tastes great and it will look great too!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups warm mashed sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces
• 1/4 cup flour
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• Dash salt

Preparation:

Combine mashed sweet potatoes, sugar, butter, egg, coconut, milk and vanilla; mix well. Pour into a buttered 1 - 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Mix light brown sugar, pecans, flour, melted butter or margarine, and salt. Pour over top of potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.
Serves 4.

www.southernfood.about.com

13 

Afternoon Teaisms

Rhymes and Wits

Fire Dreams
(Written to be read aloud, if so be, Thanksgiving Day)

I REMEMBER here by the fire,
In the flickering reds and saffrons,
They came in a ramshackle tub,
Pilgrims in tall hats,
Pilgrims of iron jaws,
Drifting by weeks on beaten seas,
And the random chapters say
They were glad and sang to God.

And so
Since the iron-jawed men sat down
And said, "Thanks, O God,"
For life and soup and a little less
Than a hobo handout to-day,
Since gray winds blew gray patterns of sleet on Plymouth Rock,
Since the iron-jawed men sang, "Thanks, O God,"
You and I, O Child of the West,
Remember more than ever
November and the hunter's moon,
November and the yellow-spotted hills.

And so,
In the name of the iron-jawed men
I will stand up and say yes till the finish is come and gone.
God of all broken hearts, empty hands, sleeping soldiers,
God of all star-flung beaches of night sky,
I and my love-child stand up together to-day and sing: "Thanks, O God."

---

He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much; who has enjoyed the trust of pure women, the respect of intelligent men, and the love of small children; who has filled his niche, and accomplished his task; who has left the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who has never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty, or failed to express it; who has always looked for the best in others, and given them the best he had; whose life was an inspiration; whose memory a benediction.

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