Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

I didn't, geting, but I did play rugby for their Old Boys' club after it went open!

Well well We almost met once upon a time. They forced me to play because I was twice as strong as most of them; but I was also half their size and hated it, so gave it up as soon as sport was no longer obligatory

Three times in the last couple of days I have seen "fine tooth-comb" rather than "fine-tooth comb". What do these people think a "tooth-comb" is?

geting @812
I was introduced to the Askeans club by a teaching colleague at the time, Keith Churchman. He had been to Haberdashers Aske's, Hatcham. Perhaps you knew him?

Chrise

Not a name I recall, certainly not in my form (whose surnames, in alphabetical order, I can still recite. That's why I wondered whether you might have been the Chris E in my class when you mentioned Camberwell)

Malone
I decided to take your advice and order a coffee at the market café this morning. I have mentioned that they do espresso, Americano and cappuccino, but you only get instant: black, white or white vigorously stirred.

I thought I would ask for one of those speciality coffees that you have mentioned, so I handed Cassie a bar of Dairy Milk.

“What’s this, a Christmas present?” she asked.

“No, it’s a bit early for that” I replied. “I was wondering if you could make me a mocha. It’s a chocolate-flavoured coffee, I believe.”

She looked puzzled but said she would try. When it arrived, I was rather surprised to see the bar of chocolate upright in the coffee. At least she had had the decency to take the wrapper off.

Jigjag, thanks - I loved that! Your cafe trips are always entertaining, this possibly makes up for the sometimes limited choice in the place. I quite like the idea of a bar of chocolate sitting/standing in my cup of coffee- I'd enjoy taking it out and having a gooey bit at one end.

My mention of 'Millionaire's Shortbread' was new to you. It's a much loved treat in Scotland - shortbread, then a layer of soft caramel, then the whole thing gets a chocolate topping. It's been around for a while, which is maybe why we now get desserts that have upped the stakes a bit. Marks and Spencer did a Billionaire's Shortbread Dessert, for example. That one came with a gold triangle (made of chocolate). Other versions include salted caramel ... very on trend last year, but a little passe now.
I was given some very posh chocolates this week - individual 'Trillionaire's Shortbread'. The packet says 'Richer than our Billionaire's...' and the chocolates have hazelnut praline and butter caramel. It's a bit of a swizz, though, there's no shortbread - just a tiny sprinkling of 'shortcake biscuits'. I feel 'shortbread' should have protected status, like Stilton cheese and Stornaway black pudding.

Malone
Thanks. I have seen people dunking biscuits, which has never made sense to me, so I am glad you would do it with chocolate.

I have had the shortbread you describe, but didnt know it was "miilionaires". I have never had the billionaire's or trillionaire's items. I agree that shortbread chocolates should contain shortbread, and would be very disappointed to receive those. I have never heard of Stornaway black pudding. The cafe uses Bury black pudding which is fine, but is Stornaway special? Stilton is my favourite cheese.

Hello again, Jigjag. I've just finished dinner - Stornoway black pudding and Cumberland sausage (with a crafty little chaser of a Melton Mowbray pork pie).I'd have liked a few Jersey Royals, but it's the wrong time of year for those. I didn't have room for Stilton or Dorset Blue... another time.
The Bury black pudding doesn't have protected status, unlike those foodstuffs listed above. The cafe's 'Bury' black pudding could be from ... anywhere, but if you've done a taste-test and it passed, that's good.

I used to like dunking biscuits, but I was a dismal failure - I could never get the degree of dunkiness (the angle or the moistness) right and nine times out of ten, my biscuits somehow ended up in the cup. I gave up the habit then, and have never returned to it. In the spirit of adventure, I will try out the Cassie version, a chocolate bar in a cup of instant.

The classic Dorset cheese was Blue Vinny, but it is no longer widely available as a crucial stage in its manufacture was dunking a particular mouldy boot in the milk!