Heston Blumenthal's Waitrose Mince Pies

If you wonder why the pies don't smell of Christmas Trees and taste of Christmas as promised, it's because you haven't read the instructions properly and you will later discover the sachet of pine sugar in the box where you have left it.
Oh well, I suppose I now have twice as much "Christmas Taste" for the next batch of pies we get!

Ocado - didn't you read my mushroom post?

Had an Ocado delivery last night and was tempted by their Mumbai Spice Banquet Box (Yes, being lazy). Unfortunately they chose to substitute this with their Punjabi Thali which contains Mushroom Rice! I would normally pick out the bits of mushroom but this contained mushroom paste which made that a little difficult. So, no rice for me. I could easily have cooked some but as the box came with two naan breads, I decided I didn't really need rice. The Mumbai box is apparently available even now, so I don't know what happened.
The 'couldn't deliver an alternative' section was quite unbelievable. I ordered Hovis white sliced bread and they reckoned they didn't have any other white (sliced?) bread to replace it with. I ordered double cream and they had no alternative - what about single cream or a second long-life double cream which I had ordered and received anyway?
Needless to say (you know me) they have received an email and I will let you know what their response is.

Shaggy Parasol mushrooms - or are they?

These mushrooms suddenly sprouted (as they do) in our garden.
They were very spectacular, and the flat version in the bottom photo was the size of a small dinner plate.
SWMBO got the books out and identified it as a Shaggy Parasol which was confirmed(?) when it bruised orange/red when cut.
The book advised trying a small amount (which must be cooked) first, so I fried up a couple of pieces and stood by the phone "999 ready" as she tried it.
All was fine and she will probably have a larger amount this evening.
Unlike me, SWMBO likes and can eat mushrooms.
If I even have a button mushroom, there are dire consequences involving toilet roll...
Nuff said!

River Weaver 2

Huge salt works near Northwich with lorries endlessly entering and leaving the site - possibly 24 hours a day?

Back at the lift to travel back up to the Trent & Mersey canal

River Weaver

Being released on to the River Weaver

Waiting to enter Hunt's Lock No.2

Ramblers rambling over Hunt's Lock

Leaving Hunt's Lock and heading for Winsford

Anderton Lift 3

Man taking photo of man taking photo as he goes up, and we go down.

Caisson going up on hydraulic ram.

Down at River Weaver level.

We have booked our passage back up for tomorrow.

Anderton Lift 2

We were confused when viewing the lift from 'the top' as it appeared that both of the caissons (tanks) were in the 'up' position which wasn't how we thought it worked.
In fact, the bit you can see from the top is the connecting channel to the lift itself - see below.

Here we are crossing the connecting channel.

And into the lift itself.

Anderton Lift 1

You may remember some time ago that we went past the Anderton Boat Lift when we were last on narrowboat Stella?
We said we were hoping to travel on it next time - well. we've done it!
Here's the lift before the first 'trip' of the day.
 

Here are the first two boats of the day having come up from the River Weaver to the Trent & Mersey Canal.

First one out.

Second one out - now it's our turn to go down.

Gazania

This is our Gazania, still flowering on Guy Fawkes Night (Day).

Pidley-cum-Fenton

Hopefully posts will now return to what I call "normal" following Mum's funeral.
Things have to return to normal sometime.
A couple of months ago we visited our friends in Cambridgeshire and went to a flower festival at All Saints' Church in Pidley-cum-Fenton.
A really good effort by a fairly small church.