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Thanks very much, pigale - not a French sport, I think!

And I of course with my 'knowledge' of cricket (!) also have no idea what you are taking about ! but well done retrospectively anyway, Chris!

sorry, typo, 'talking' about !

Having just shed some tears watching Who Do You Think You Are (obviously my all time favourite program) I've looked in on this thread again.
chrise- Does not the first paragraph of Chapter 70 make it quite clear?
I think the book has been criticised before for loose ends. I'm not defending it! :-)). I just find it an immense tour de force, to be able to create such sadness and joy in a reader. It's the same with "The Boy With No Shoes". I defy anyone to read the end dry-eyed, yet it is with happiness not sadness tears form.
I've read 4 or 5 books a week since I was about 7 years old and no other author has that effect. He also makes me laugh in person (though not cry, I'm pleased to say!)

Hi rosalind
I just re-read the paragraph you suggested. No it doesn't! In fact it implies that the narrator isn't Arthur's grandson, whereas it becomes apparent later on that he is.

Do I assume from some of your comments that you actually know the author?

chris, yes, we've been friends for many years

Good evening everyone,

Rosalind, I have just had my Haddock prepared just as you said and thoroughly enjoyed it ! Only one difference, I did not add any salt, but I use salted butter anyway.

Thanks again!

Well done, pigale.
I remember when "smoked" haddock used to be bright yellow from dye. My mother usually served it with a poached egg or in kedgeree (nearly got expelled for refusing to eat this at school. It was cold and disgusting!), But cooked simply is how I like it.
I've been really wombling today- fallen oak branches and pine cones for the fire and blackberries for jelly. Yum!

Rosalind, my smoked haddock WAS bright yellow !

If you were here, I could supply you with loads of small poplar branches/twigs - very good kindling!

Blackberries, I agree, Yummy Yummy ! What a job picking them up, but we used to freeze them and then around Christmas, we would make a blackberry pie, sometime mixed with some apples ! A luxury to have mid-winter and all the scratches from picking up the fruit was soon forgotten!

Never made jelly but made a lot of plum, apricot and peach jam - so many jars of plum jam in particular that I used to give some away to neighbours; not keen on eating the same jam day on day out.

Smoked haddock here is now only a very pale yellow at the edges! Ah well.
Best kindling I've found is fallen silver birch twigs and pine cones.
I dislike the woody seeds of blackberries in my teeth so I rarely eat them whole. There are masses of rowanberries and sloes this year- I've started two bottles of sloe gin, should be ready for Christmas.