Off to the land of the piskie!

It's a small lepracaun type thing - the piskie! Mr M and I are off to Cornwall for a few days and I am really looking forward to it. We were really surprised that since the arrival of some rather high quality seafood restaurants the area we are going to seems to have the poshest B and B's ever known to man! He has promised that at least one way we don't have to use the Sat Nav - map reading arguments have definitely been taken over by the sat nav annoying voice!
So have a great weekend and I look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday!


Join us on BBC Radio Solent 96.1/103.8FM weekdays 1-4pm or on the BBC iPlayer anytime at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d7rv

Jade

Well she died on Mother's Day which strangely seemed to be the right time. So very sad, and I am glad we could reflect on her passing by talking about how to help a bereaved child and then to Jo's Trust a cervical cancer charity. I have made a donation via the Cancer Research site in her memory, and know that others will be doing the same. It was sad that she couldn't be with her boys on Mother's Day. I held my girls extra tight yesterday as I am sure all Mums did throughout the country. God Bless.



Join us on BBC Radio Solent 96.1/103.8FM weekdays 1-4pm or on the BBC iPlayer anytime at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d7rv

Mothering Sunday

is this weekend. On the show today we spoke about what it is like for a five year old to lose their Mum, and how they would reflect on this special day. It is important for them to be able to remember and talk about their Mum whenever they want to, and to continue their memory with love. Even though it is 26 years since I lost my lovely Mum, there isn't a day goes by when I don;'t think of her, and I will be again on Sunday, joined by my lovely daughter, and grand daughter. So to all Mums, Mums no longer with us, women who hope to be a Mum, I am sending love.

Can I just say if in doubt about the cupboard clearing that I am now saving about 10 minutes every morning because I am not searching through a load of clothes that I never wore. It has revolutionised me! I am going to do some more!



Join us on BBC Radio Solent 96.1/103.8FM weekdays 1-4pm or on the BBC iPlayer anytime at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d7rv

Perchance to dream ...

We went to watch Mr M's nephew in his school production of Midsummer's Night Dream. Is it only me that only understands every eighth word of Shakespeare? I felt totally dumb and wondered whether my previous thought that I am at least good at English Literature is in fact a false one!
On Saturday we cleared the garden at my house in Sussex ready for new tenants. 10 car loads to the tip and lots of laughter as my daughter's boyfriend demolished the shed! I wish we had videoed the moment when his leg appeared through the wood! What we are left with is a space double the size it was before, but the fence needs replacing as I think the battered old shed was holding that up!
On Sunday we took a walk up St Catherine's Hilloverlooking Winchester - what a spectacular view! Mr M's parent walked up there and had their first kiss many years ago, so we did the same at the top! They then named their first-born Catherine - all very romantic! There are 331 steps up to to the top and I felt very pleased with myself until my producer Vicky said that she regularly RUNS up them!




Join us on BBC Radio Solent 96.1/103.8FM weekdays 1-4pm or on the BBC iPlayer anytime at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d7rv

Balaclava or a greek cake???

I loved chatting to Steve today about the favourite recipes he finds on the internet - Greek being the best he thinks, which made me say balaclava when I knew I meant a cake made with with honey! Steve said that his Mum had knitted him one of theose, the hat, not the cake,( keep up in the back there!) One of the eyeholes was in the right place, the other decidedly nostril -placed! Made me think of all those things that people knitted for you and you were forced to wear. Marilyn then text me to say that she hoped that buttons were all right on the cardigan that she has just finished for her ' nearly here ' Grandson as she has just sewn them all on and had heard me speak with Susan, my button guest today saying I thought you weren't allowed to put them on babies' cardigans any more!
Last night Mr M and I had a night in for the first time in ages and relaxed with a movie called The Shawshank Redemption - I know it's been out for ages but it was worth the wait - fantastic!
I won't spoil the plot if you haven't seen it, but good prevails and it made me cry at the end - perfect ! Thoroughly recommend it.


Join us on BBC Radio Solent 96.1/103.8FM weekdays 1-4pm or on the BBC iPlayer anytime at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d7rv

Spring cleaning

I've started - hoorah! The sping cleaning that is. I have done several boxes and even thrown stuff away! I have another huge bag for the charity shop and am looking to pare down my wardrobe even more. We have a big leak in the wardrobe in the spare bedroom at the moment so I am worried that my clothes hanging there will get musty so whilst we wait for the plumber to repair it I am making more roomin the other wardrobe by getting rid of that top that 'might fit if I pull my tummy in and don't bend down'. Bet you've got the exact same one in your closet!



Join us on BBC Radio Solent 96.1/103.8FM weekdays 1-4pm or on the BBC iPlayer anytime at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d7rv

Facebook!

Because you're all a bit brilliant, I am now up to 200 listeners on the Charlie Crocker show Facebook page! Thankyou.
The weekend looks to be almost Spring- like so I am looking forward to Mr M and I taking a trip up to London. It will be nice when we don't have to pack a whole load of thermal stuff every time we go away. This time last year I was in the West Indies and I think the difference in temperature is quite marked!
India my grand daughter came on the phone yesterday to tell me for supper she had had pizza potatoes, bread tomatoes and a whole list of things, when I spoke to her Mum she said she hadn't had any of those things! Reminded me of when my mum used to ask what I had had for school dinner and I would always just say 'custard'.
Have a great weekend.



Join us on BBC Radio Solent 96.1/103.8FM weekdays 1-4pm or on the BBC iPlayer anytime at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d7rv

To be or not to be

We went to stay with some friends in Warwick and a visit to Stratford on Sunday. My friend and I were proper tourists and posed with a very large teddy bear dressed as the bard much to the embrarrassment of our partners!
On the morning of our trip out another friend of ours had a flat tyre, so, buoyed by the fact that I had had our lovely female mechanic on the show last week, I barked orders to the men about taking off the wheel. They pulled and they pushed, and then they sprayed WD40 over it to make sure it slid off - it didn't and then they read the manual that said 'under no cicrcumstances should WD40 be put on' so then we washed the wheel with hot soapy water, and still it stayed on. So we pulled a bit more, and kicked and thumped. Finally the mechanic arrived and with a rubber mallet and ONE thud off it came! Of course the men were all left saying 'of course we loosened that for him..........'!


Join us on BBC Radio Solent 96.1/103.8FM weekdays 1-4pm or on the BBC iPlayer anytime at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d7rv