The Straight and Narrow
The Straight and Narrow:
Today is the first Sunday in Advent. The Reverend Rosecombe lit the first candle in the advent ring of 4 symbolising Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. Every year at this time, he expresses his hope that his congregation will stay on the straight and narrow.
History suggests this sermon is an example of the perennial triumph of hope over experience.
Yours unfortunately from the bendy and wide,
Happy Thanksgiving America!
Happy Thanksgiving America!
Sir Plym has been busy organising a Thanksgiving Supper at the Ox and Moose. 2 weeks ago, this invitation appeared in all of our inboxes
Dear Castle Coopians,
It’s time for our Castle Coop Thanksgiving party!
Thursday 28th November in the Ox & Moose
6pm until late.
Help us raise money for the Village Hall upkeep while we party!
Tickets £10 in advance, £15 on the door.
All volunteers for decorating the Ox & Moose and helping serve out, please contact Sir Plym or Lady Egality
A toast to the Pilgrim Fathers & the Sweet Land of Liberty!
Yours hoping no-one noticed me eating an awful lot of brownies,
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What I know
- If Brown Owl organises me, I feel cross. If I organise myself, I feel pleased
- The Agent isn’t fond of stew for supper.
- Watching an episode of Foyles War helps several of us Castle Coopians cope with Brexit distress.
- I feel better when I can touch my toes
- Wearing trousers with elasticated waists makes me feel old.
- Lady Egality wears clothes beautifully.
- My efforts to improve my self-discipline aren’t often successful.
- I like New Year Resolutions and must start thinking of good ones for 2020.
- Living in Castle Coop produces all sorts of unexpected feelings in me. I think I long for the hustle and bustle & anonymity of city life but actually, so long as I’m not being ticked off by Brown Owl, I usually remember that being a little cog in a little wheel has a fair number of plus points to mark up in the ‘pro’ column.
Yours thoughtfully,
Wasps versus Mojitos? No contest!
Wasps versus Mojitos? No contest!
Of late, I have been distracted from doing all sorts of things that I shouldn’t allow myself to be distracted from doing. The summer sun has gone to my head.
Unfortunately, while I’ve been busy making the most of the blissful recent heat wave…just look at what’s been growing in our flower beds.
In my absence the garden has joyfully let rip.
Today I fully intended to spend a virtuous afternoon mowing, digging, cutting & raking…
but then suddenly a vicious wasp flew in out of nowhere and launched an unprovoked attack on my forehead.
Is Discretion the better part of valour?
What would you have done in the circumstances? I made an executive decision to retire gracefully.
making the most of the summer sun with a magazine & a mojito near to hand
IMO, wasps versus mojitos? No contest!
Yours warmly recommending the combination of sun + deck chair + magazine + mojito,
Stir Up Sunday & The Week in Focus
TAH 11/20-16
It has been another busy week here in Castle Coop…
Monday:
The Awesome Hen is proud to report that Castle Coop was well represented at our local Remembrance Ceremony yesterday. Those there all agree that the sight and sound of the Chinook flying over the War Memorial and the length of the Street to mark the end of the 2 Minute Silence was very moving.
The Dickin Medal: They also served…
Lady Egality Maran writes: On behalf of the many dearly loved pets in our village, Castle Coop is proud to remember the many animals who have served their countries.
As of April 2016, the Dickin medal, instituted by Maria Dickin to honour any animal displaying conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty whilst serving with British Empire armed forces or civil emergency services has been awarded 67 times.
Rob the Collie, receiving his medal
Dickin Medal and Certificate for the pigeon Royal Blue
In recognition of all animals who have served in times of conflict, Lady Sebright, Lady Lohmann-Brown, Lady Egality Maran and Lady Liberty Hen put poppies on their dogs’ collars.
Photograph: Martha wearing her poppy proudly ( she is not very brave & likes her home comforts & she is very aware that those who are brave & self-sacrificing should be honoured).
Source: Liberty Hen
Tuesday:
A message from Sir Plymouth Rock:
Dear Castle Coopian,I am writing on behalf of our local Member of Parliament, Sir Hans Welsummer, to invite you to a Public Meeting with him on Friday 18th November at 7pm in the Village Hall. Sir Hans was elected last year to represent the Coop Constituency. He will make a short opening address at which he will talk about life in Westminster as an MP and some of the causes he particularly supports but he wishes specifically to listen to villagers about any concerns that you may have locally or indeed nationally.Best wishes,Sir Plym
Wednesday:
Brown Owl visited several houses in Castle Coop to canvas support for the Advent Church Clean up. She wishes to tell anyone who was out when she came round, that she Will Be Calling Back.
Thursday:
During a spell of bright autumnal sunshine, the Agent and Liberty Hen spent several hours collecting leaves in their garden.
Friday:
TAH Newsletter is pleased to have been asked by our tireless New Year’s Eve Party Committee to reassure all Castle Coopians that plans for the traditional celebratory ceilidh are well underway.
Lady Sebright writes:
A few of us have met to discuss the arrangements already. Our format this year will be very similar to last year but there are slight changes to how jobs will the allocated, the menu & cost per head.
This year we’re suggesting we make a Swaddles Pie for the main course, this is a slightly spicy shepherd’s pie. This will allow us to reduce the cost per head to £6 which is plenty to cover the cost of the hall plus a couple of glasses of prosecco for everyone.
Swaddles shepherd’s pie (Serves 6-8 )
- 1 large onion
- 6 cloves garlic
- Sunflower oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 red chilli, chopped
- 2in fresh grated ginger
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 900g/2 lb minced lamb
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- Fresh coriander
- Mashed potato made with 900g/2 lb potatoes, and extra butter for the top
Preheat oven to 190C/370F/Gas 5. Peel, chop and saute¿ the onion and garlic gently until softened in a couple of tablespoons of sunflower oil, sprinkling a bit of salt on. Add the chopped chilli and ginger and the spices, then add the meat and brown it. Add the tomato pureé, lemon and thyme and simmer gently for about 40 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, throw in a couple of tablespoons of chopped fresh coriander, cover with mounds of mash, dot with butter and bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes. You want a bubbling, crustily browned top. Serve with cumin-spiced carrots.
Source: Tamsin Day Lewis at The Telegraph
TAH Newsletter is also delighted to report that the Public Meeting in which villagers discussed important issues of the day with Sir Hans Welsummer (MP) & aired their concerns in a lively Q&A session, was extremely well attended. All agreed that it was a most interesting opportunity to meet our constituency representative in Parliament & the evening was a great success. TAH has been asked to thank Sir Plym formally on everyone’s behalf for all the hard work he undertook to arrange the event as it is very much appreciated by us all.
Saturday:
Lost Cat: A lost cat has taken up residence in the Ox and Moose. It is black with a white underside. It is being well looked after but if anyone knows where it lives please let the O&M know.
Stir Up Sunday:
Stop Press: A big thank you to our readership from TAH editorial team for all the detective work; the cat has been reunited with its owners & is now safely back home.
Trev the Rev delivered the traditional Stir-Up Sunday Sermon from the pulpit in St. Mary’s Church with his usual vim & vigour.
Having taken note of the date, Liberty Hen has been tackling her Christmas pudding
and is keeping her fingers crossed that, although cooking is not a Liberty Hen strong point, the pudding will turn out to be both edible & festive. The Agent was pleased that quite a bit of brandy was added to help it along.
Yours on behalf of our crack Editorial Team here at The Awesome Hen,
Stop the World: I want to get off!
Yours knowing this time, smelling salts won’t be enough…
Our Anniversary!
Our Anniversary!
Today The Agent & I have been married for 32 years!
Sir Burford Brown came by and seeing our Anniversary cards, kindly wished us a happy celebration. Then he asked if we’d realised that these days, you get less time for murder & roared with laughter.
We were married at 2.30 in the afternoon and The Agent was late as he went to the wrong church first by mistake. Without realising he was at St. Francis’ church instead of St. Michael’s, he walked all the way up the aisle with his Best Man, only to find another Groom in morning dress already seated in the front pew glowering at him.
10 reasons why I’m glad the Agent realised his mistake & didn’t marry the other bride
(who apparently was extremely pretty) instead of me :
- I like remembering him singing ‘Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer’ at our wedding.
- I don’t think my life would be much fun without either him or the Chicks major, minor and minimus in it.
- He always brings me a cup of tea in bed on Saturday & Sunday mornings.
- He doesn’t get cross when I wake him up in the night to tell him something I’ve just thought of.
- He doesn’t mind when I burn the supper. I hope that he doesn’t anyway.
- He makes me laugh.
- He showed me how to use the gears on my bike and then showed me again.
- He gives me flowers.
- He didn’t get cross with me when I pranged his car.
- He shows me where the constellations are in the night sky and tells me what the stars are called.
1 reason why the Agent might be glad he married me:
- There are many, many skills which alas, I don’t possess but I do happen to be an excellent remover of spiders. As it turned out, this has come in very handy during our marriage for while the Agent turns pale if he spots anything moving with more than 4 legs, I remain calm. Isn’t that lucky? And…perhaps the other bride might have hesitated at the altar if asked to sign up to 32 years’ worth of arachnid disposal.
Yours hoping that he really didn’t mind too much when I dented the car,
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#FridayFitness: the Press-up
Castle Coop’s #FridayFitness Class: Exercise of the week:
Exercise and physical activity are a great way to feel better.
Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise and physical activity deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy to go about your daily chores.
(Source: Mayo Clinic )
The Press-up:
Today’s #FridayFitness exercise is the Press-up which is designed to build muscle strength and boost endurance. Apparently of all the exercises one can do, the press-up is one of the most effective: should you wish to improve your pectoralis major, anterior deltoids and triceps, there is nothing that tops it. Those who are skilled at performing press-ups can further improve themselves with a brisk rendition of the Military Press-up.
To do regular pushups, you bend your arms and lower your chest until it breaks the plane of your elbows. Military pushups require a full range of motion: Marines must touch their chests to the floor for every pushup.
Source: www.ehow.com
To enjoy the many benefits of the Press-up however, you may be glad to know that you don’t need to be a Marine or even to join the Army.
Yours imagining Samson’s press-ups were probably a bit more successful than mine, before horrid Delilah went & cut off his hair,
If you would like to become a virtual member of our Castle Coop fitness classes, do sign up in the comment box below – we should all be delighted to welcome you.
So as you know what we are doing, so far we have practiced:
Our class is held at 10.30am in the Village Hall – we all drink coffee together after the class and eat Brownies kindly cooked by Lady Sebright. They are delicious and immediately undo all the good work of our class.
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Caveat Emptor!
Brown Owl’s Rallying Cry – Caveat Emptor!
Good gracious! Look who I have just found in my inbox!
Lord K has been roped in to spearhead a firm email from Brown Owl. Determined not to let any grass grow under our feet, she is clearly wasting no time in mustering the support of The Big Guns.
OPEN IMMEDIATELY: THIS EMAIL MEANS BUSINESS!
To ALL Upper, Lower & Castle Coopians,
With the General Election seemingly in full swing, albeit still many weeks away, I have asked our local candidate for the constituency of which we form a part, to join us in Castle Coop Village Hall at 7pm to listen to me make a short address.
I shall inform our local candidate that the District Council is currently basing its Local Plan on the assumption that over 7,000 new homes will need to be built in the area. I shall then ask our local candidate to mingle with us with us so that we can all discuss before the election everything that makes this constituency tick, what the big issues are and how we should like to be represented.
Please turn out in force.
Ensure our local candidate understands what The Coops stand for.
The doors will open at 6.30pm There will be a cash bar and the Brownies will be handing round refreshments so that they may earn points for their Hostess, Community Spirit and Civic Duty Badges.
Carpe Diem!
Ad Astra per Aspera!
Caveat Emptor!
Rally to the cause!
Caveat emptor? Is Brown Owl getting a little carried away?
Yours, hoping that no disasters (such as nearly happened to the Agent’s birthday raspberry tartlet) occur to the Brownies’ refreshments,
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RIP Foyle’s War
RIP Foyle’s War
Despite 1) Lady Sebright’s sound advice that we should celebrate the pleasure that Foyle’s War has given the Friday Night Club rather than mourn its demise and 2) the absolutely delicious festive fizz which Colonel Pyncheon kindly opened for us to sip while watching ‘Elise’ the final episode of Foyle’s War, I can’t help feeling sad. Tonight as the closing credits went up on the screen, I felt they were marking the end of a most convivial era.
Valedictions:
One of the best ever youtube clips – actually I could put this on a permanent loop; I’ll never get tired of it: www.youtube.com
The Globetrotting Guitarist: The End of an Era
Telegraph: Is this really goodbye?
ITV.com: Final Foyle’s War episode
Digital spy: Foyle’s War to end
What’s on tv.com: Last episode of Foyle’s War
& for a great last look at Foyle walking out of our lives for ever… British Detectives
Message to all Actual and Virtual Members:
As Secretary to The International Friday Night Foyle’s War Club, it is my sad duty to inform you all that owing to the unhappy fact that Foyle’s War is officially a defunct series, our happy meetings are now at an end.
On behalf of the Friday Night Foyle’s War Committee, I should like to take the opportunity of thanking each of you for many happy meetings and your supportive and interesting comments. Here from the sofa in Castle Coop, we have greatly enjoyed watching:
- DCS Christopher Foyle’s sleuthing, hat-wearing and general total fabness skills,
- Sergeant Milner’s unflappable stoicism at (almost) all times
- Sam Stewart’s terrific stiff-upper-lip at all times (presumably honed on the hockey pitch), cut-glass-vowels & unbounding enthusiasm in the face of every sort of looming disaster.
Being able to share our enjoyment not only with each other but with all the Virtual Members of the International Friday Night Foyle’s War Club has made our meetings the icing on the end of the week cake for me!
I should like to invite you to join The Graf (Chairman), Lady Egality (Treasurer), Lady Sebright, Colonel Pyncheon and me in raising a glass to all those involved in the making of every episode in the 9 series which have given us such pleasure.
With a framed Foyle’s War photograph of my 3 favourite TV characters – DCS Foyle, Sergeant Milner & Sam Stewart placed in position for the last time,
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you,
The Hat!
Yours with the ‘Michael Kitchen strumming the Foyle’s War theme’ clip playing us out (& I’ve turned the volume right up high),
P.S. I have received a revivifying suggestion from Miss Peppermint who writes,
‘Why not start a re-run club? It’s always better the second time around…‘
HURRAH!
What a stroke of genius! OR…perhaps we should think of a new series for us to watch?
If you have any ideas, please let me know. The Friday Night Club could rise from the ashes like the Phoenix…!
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The International Friday Night Foyle’s War Club: Elise
The Friday Night Foyle’s War Club: Elise!
Club notes: Tonight The Friday Night Foyle’s War Club will be watching the very last episode in the ‘Foyle’s War, Although actually it was shown on ITV last Sunday, we taped it so that we could hold one last Friday night session.
Tonight therefore marks the permanent suspension of our International Friday Night Foyle’s War Club.
Club Minutes:
Apologies: Digby D. Digby D came over from America to attend the last meeting in person. Unfortunately unforeseen circumstances have intervened which will prevent him from attending tonight as planned. Instead, he watched the last episode as it aired last Sunday with The Agent. Bearing in mind his consistent support for the Club whilst a Virtual Member, and his much appreciated gesture of flying over to join us all in Castle Coop for the final episode (even though we are to be denied the pleasure of his company tonight), the Committee are pleased to grant him Actual Member status in absentia.
Otherwise we are to be a Full House!
Attendees: (Actual): Lady Egality (Club Treasurer), Lady Liberty (Club Secretary) Lady Sebright, Colonel Pyncheon. Incredibly, given the pathos of the occasion, The Agent and Sir Plym have elected to spend tonight at The Ox and Moose. Lady Egality reported that Sir P, like Digby D and The Agent, watched the episode last Sunday.
Venue: Castle Coop.
Announcements:
1. As we shall be watching the last episode of the Foyle’s War, the Committee considered whether or not black armbands would be appropriate. Lady Sebright pointed out that since the series has given us all so many hours of pleasure and interest, a celebratory atmosphere would be far more fitting than a funereal one and we were all delighted to concur. To this end, Colonel Pyncheon will be pouring out the fizz for one last time.
2. Here is our Foyle’s War picture for tonight:
Elise: the last ever episode:
Tonight we shall be watching: Episode 3 , Series 9: ‘Elise’
Plot:
A young man tries to kill Hilda Pierce, saying “This is for Elise.” Visiting her in hospital Foyle meets over-bearing Sir Ian Woodhead, now head of MI6, who, during the war, ran SOE with Hilda, sending undercover agents into occupied France. Foyle learns that Elise was the codename of Sophie Corrigan, an agent killed by the Nazis and that the young man is her brother Miles, out to take revenge on those who sent her to die. At the same time Foyle’s department is investigating high powered black marketer Damian White, who has dealings with a Russian diplomat and has corrupt policemen on his payroll. A recovering Hilda tells Foyle that nine agents died in France and the SOE believed that a spy, code-named Plato, was responsible. There are three suspects – one of whom is being blackmailed by White into giving him government papers that he sells to the Soviets. Together Foyle and Hilda make a terrible discovery – with terrible consequences for two people.
Source: www.imdb.com
As Hilda Pierce is a V.I.P. in this episode, here is a quick low-down on her, (courtesy of www.foyleswar.com)
Hilda Pierce:
Hilda Pierce (Ellie Haddington) makes her first appearance in the Series 2 episode “War Games.” During the war, Pierce ran the Special Operations Executive, where her path crosses with Foyle in Series 3 and 5 in the episodes “The French Drop” and “All Clear.” After the end of the war, Pierce joined MI5. Although officially under the command of Sir Alec Myerson, Pierce wields considerable influence at the agency.
Smart, tough, ambitious, and secretive, Pierce is adept at using backhanded and sometimes amoral means to achieve her ends. She has what Foyle calls “the requisite capacity for deceit” to work for MI5. Although Piece and Foyle use different means, they are on the same side and generally get along. Pierce and Foyle had a disagreement in “Sunflower” (Series 8) regarding a former Nazi officer now working for the British against the Soviets.
Yours sure that a glass of bubbly near to hand will help us all to bear up manfully tonight,
Foyle’s War: Trespass!
The Friday Night Foyle’s War Club: Trespass!
‘Trespass’, the second episode of series 9 was shown on Sunday night, here in the UK. The Friday Night Club (virtual members) met up at Lady Egality and Sir Plym’s house for our Foyle’s War session. However, this particular episode is rather brutal watching. For any virtual member who hasn’t been able to view it, here are 2 of Anthony Horowitz’s tweets which explain why we found it harrowing . While sitting on the sofa cosily looking at a TV drama, suddenly one gets to see what can happen all too easily, when extreme views are taken too far.
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Anthony HorowitzVerified account@AnthonyHorowitz
ITV did consider postponing last night’s Foyle’s War. Brave – and right – of them not to (12/01/15)
Quite shocking – and moving – watching Foyle tonight in the light of events in Paris. (11/01/15)
Series 9, Episode 2
Trespass!
The son of a high-profile Jewish businessman is attacked in the grounds of a university, leaving Foyle to consider the possibility that the attack was racially motivated…
…At one point in this story, Foyle is called on to resign. And being Foyle, he does so with all the pomp and melodrama of someone announcing they’re popping out to buy a pint of milk. It’s a marvellous scene and typical of the show, which every now and then captures a clipped decency and general stiffness of lip that feels thoroughly 1940s.
Then again, decency is in short supply as an assortment of storylines branch off from an attack on a Jewish student. He’s the son of a shipping magnate, who for some reason doesn’t want Foyle to interfere. There’s a slippery fish at the FO (Alex Jennings); a rabble-rousing politician in Peckham whose rallying cry is “Britain for the British!” (Ukip, basically); and Sam takes pity on a sick boy for whom the NHS can’t arrive soon enough. The complex circuitry of the plot needs a bit more voltage early on, but it builds to a tense climax.
Going Out versus Staying In!
Saturday Night Entertainment in Castle Coop!
Going out:
On Saturday nights, the Agent, Sir Plym, the Chairman of the Village Hall, Colonel Pyncheon, the Graf and Sir Burford Brown go out. Propping up the bar at the Ox and Moose, they have weighty discussions & a thoroughly enjoyable evening putting the world to rights.
Staying in:
On Saturday nights, Lady Egality & I stay in.
Playing vingt-et-un in front of a log fire, we have a cozy tête à tête & a thoroughly enjoyable evening putting the world to rights.
Where is your favourite port of call for putting the world to rights? Do you prefer to go out or stay in?
Yours looking for some matches to use as my stake during my Saturday night’s entertainment!
Pedal2Paris Sponsors & Supporters – A Big Thank you!
Pedal2Paris Sponsors & Supporters – A Big Thank you!
Oh wow! Justgiving.com have just sent me this email:
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I am so grateful to everyone who sponsored my Pedal to Paris fundraising efforts.
You helped me raise £6000 for The Royal British Legion in memory of WLS. Hurrah!
Thank you so much!
Kind Graham from The Royal British Legion also emailed me just before Christmas:
Dear Liberty,
We wanted to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the whole team at The Royal British Legion.
We’ve had an incredible year with bike rides raising just under £600,000 to support the charity’s essential welfare work helping Service men and women, veterans, and their families. We wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for all your support in raising this record amount.
Have a wonderful festive season,
Best wishes,
How your sponsorship money is distributed by The Royal British Legion:
Yours wondering if The British Legion will send some families on a good holiday in 2015 or maybe buy some mobility vehicles !
Foyle’s War is Back! Part 2
Foyle’s War is Back! Part 2
Sitting snugly on the sofa last night, reunited with the actual members of the Friday Night Foyle’s War Club (+ the Agent and Sir Plym!!) watching the latest episode of Foyle’s War was just wonderful. We all loved High Castle but we missed all our virtual members (Martha from America, MohairMK, Kitchentease, C. Nelson, Digby D, ayresorchids, Miss Peppermint and British Detectives from America) very much indeed.
If you were unable to watch it in your own countries, you can all breathe easily; Foyle’s War (even without the War) is just as fab as ever.
Unfortunately, this morning I had a bad shock.
Terry Ramsey reviewing for The Telegraph the latest episode of Foyle’s War, gives it the thumbs up. He thinks the newest series is ‘as exciting as ever‘. Hurrah!
N.B. Warning!
Please be careful. Only read this review if you have either
- a stiff whisky or
- some smelling salts
close to hand.
Mr. Ramsey goes on to write…
Foyle is…very near the top of my list of “TV Detectives I Wouldn’t Want to Get Stuck in the Pub With”
Foyle’s War is Back! Part One
Foyle’s War is Back! Part One
It’s true!
Hurrah!
The most fab detective ever will be back on screen tomorrow (Sunday, Jan.4th, 8.00pm ITV) with a brand new series! As our Foyle’s War Friday Night Club Secretary, I am absolutely delighted to announce that there will be a meeting for all club members tomorrow night, 8.00pm here at my house, Castle Coop. Virtual members will of course be most warmly welcomed.
We shall be watching High Castle, the first episode of the new series. A bottle of fizz will definitely be opened to celebrate!
High Castle:
This episode touches on the Nuremberg trials and the lesser known story of thirty executives from IG Farben who built their own concentration camp near Auschwitz called Monowitz.
Foyle is drawn into their world when a London University Professor, William Knowles, is found dead in a park after working as a translator in Germany.
It looks like he may have taken a bribe to carry information back to England for a suspected Nazi war criminal; Herman Linz. When the Nazi war criminal is found dead, Foyle is under no illusion that foul play is behind the academic’s murder.
Sam decides to step up her role at work and volunteers for a risky undercover job and Foyle, unaware of her pregnancy, agrees.
Source: TV Guide.co.uk
Below is a link to the youtube trailer:
In an interview with The Telegraph, Anthony Horowitz says:
…The fact that we have managed to continue so long I put down to the really extraordinary, true stories that we have found, working from the start with the Imperial War Museum. This year, those include the industrialists’ trials in Nuremberg, a secret plot by the British government to limit the number of Jews emigrating to Israel, and a scandal within Churchill’s secret army.
It’s strange that we would never have been able to tell these stories to a mass audience if we were not seen and promoted as a “murder mystery” show. Certainly, I’ve lost count of the number of dead bodies and red herrings that have mounted up over the years. But the greatest pleasure, for me, has been not the crimes but the way we have been able to explore this extraordinary period in British history. These are stories that deserve to be told and I’m proud that we have told so many of them – often for the first time – in Foyle’s War.
Yours thrilled to be reaching for the fedora once again,
Home » Celebrations in Castle Coop! » Dancing The New Year In!
Dancing the New Year in!
An exploratory email was sent around Castle Coop inboxes asking if everyone would like to celebrate the New Year in a sober and sensible fashion.
As there were no responses, Sir Plym quickly posted out a revised email.
Just wanted to reassure you that everything is set for our party tomorrow night. The supper is being prepared, playlists are being fine tuned, fizz is chilling and party poppers are ready……
Dance to our very own Village playlist!
Celebrate the New Year with Fizz!
The Village Hall is decorated!
It took hardly any time at all to set the Village Hall up for the party as all the Christmas decorations already made everything look festive.
Just before everyone started arriving at 9.00p.m. Lady Egality lit the candles:
None of us even attempted to celebrate in a sober and sensible fashion:
Actually, we danced our heads off!
Yours having twisted the night away,
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Reflections and Resolutions!
Reflections and Resolutions!
I do hope you have all had a very Merry Christmas!
There has been such a lot of wining, dining and quaffing that has gone on here in Castle Coop recently that my belt now longer fits comfortably. I need to get a grip.
Luckily I was given a ‘Get a Grip’ FitBit for Christmas – it is awesome!
My one is exactly like this:
The strapline for the fitbit says:
Set a goal and go
Flex allows you to set a goal and uses LED lights to show how you’re stacking up. Each light represents 20% of your goal. You choose which one — steps, calories, or distance. It lights up like a scoreboard, challenging you to be more active day after day.
I love the idea of a scoreboard and look!! As well as all the LED lights which I keep admiring as they sparkle, the kind people at Fitbit have already sent me a badge to cut out and keep!
My Badge!
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The Urban Boot Badge … how exciting is that! I’m totally on board for badges and an urban boot badge sounds pretty edgy. I shall cut my badge out and wear it power walking whilst out and about in Castle Coop.
Resolutions for 2015:
Have you made any? If you have any good ideas, I should be delighted if you’d give me some inspiration as I have been getting depressed considering all the scope for self-improvement. Perhaps I could simply focus on accumulating edgy badges.
Should Hope triumph over Experience?
Should I or should I not put chocolate on the list? To date I haven’t done so as the idea of editing chocolate out of my life isn’t very realistic . On the other hand, there is the belt issue. On reflection, I think chocolate had better go on the list.
Oh no!
Happy New Year!
Yours fatly,
A Christmas Carol Service!
A Christmas Carol Service!
If you had been in Castle Coop tonight, we would have loved it if you could have joined us all as we walked to the Christmas Carol Service down the little lantern-lit path which leads from The Street to St. Mary’s. The church bell was ringing and some tiny pinpricks of light bobbing about in the field meant that Sir Plym, Lady Egality and Sir Burford & Lady Brown, guided by their torches, were taking the shortcut. Reverend Rosecombe stood at the door to welcome us all into St. Mary’s and the Graf showed us all to our pews.
Confession:
(Artistic license (also known as dramatic license, historical license, poetic license, narrative license, licentia poetica, or simply license) is a colloquial term, sometimes euphemism, used to denote the distortion of fact, alteration of the conventions of grammar or language, or rewording of pre-existing text made by an artist in the name of art. (Wikipedia)
(In the above picture, the snowman is ‘licentia poetica‘ as there isn’t a flake of snow in Castle Coop at the moment.)
St Mary’s is decorated ready for Christmas!
St. Mary’s looked so pretty, decorated with holly and red berries.
The rood screen was covered with little fairy lights entwined through silver birch twigs and the ledges under the windows were glowing with tiny tea lights.
The stained glass window above the altar shows the Nativity Christmas scene
& every year during Christmas, a tree is placed just infront of the altar.
If you look carefully, you can see several labels which Trev the Rev has tied onto its branches. They bear the names of those dear to us in Castle Coop, who are no longer with us.
It was lovely to be sitting in our own little church, singing all the old familiar carols.
Christmas is almost here! Hurrah!
Yours humming the descant to ‘Adeste Fideles’ (although the Agent – who is musical – says he doesn’t recognise it as such),
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The Ceramic Poppies have arrived!
The Ceramic Poppies have arrived…
& they’re so beautiful!
The 5 ceramic poppies – bought in honour of the 5 soldiers who enlisted from Castle Coop and who were killed in WW1 – have arrived safely.
Here they all are:
Just as each soldier was an individual so each of the ceramic poppies is different from all the others.
I can’t get my head round holding these poppies here in Castle Coop, knowing that they were part of that incredible display at the Tower of London. It is amazing to think that those poor 5 soldiers who were killed, all have their own poppies now, right here in the village they once lived in…
What a thrill!
Yours feeling rather awestruck,
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Christmas Presents!
Christmas Presents!
Yesterday I went on a Christmas present buying spree…
The shops are absolutely crammed with all sorts of simply gorgeous things at the moment and I think it was an extremely successful day… I hope so anyway. How is your shopping getting on?
It’s a wrap!
As it is so cold, the Agent has lit a fire and I’m ensconced right next to it, armed with sellotape, scissors & enough paper to wrap up Windsor Castle.
Yours sitting in the middle of rather a muddle…
Sofa Cycling !
Sofa Cycling!
For ages now it has been miserable weather here in Castle Coop. Weeks ago, I decided to combat the winter cold by lying on the sofa under several layers of eiderdown with a cup of tea. This strategy has been a great success and is one I can thoroughly recommend. I knew it would make me feel warm & cozy but it has turned out to be educational as well!
The only snag I found was a (very) small worry of mine about not having taken my bike out and about for ages but look! Someone has already thought up the perfect solution…
Sofa Cycling!
video credit: Cornelia IndoorCyclingVideo
Isn’t this a brilliant idea!
It really is the most marvellous feeling being able to put all this dreary weather to good use. Sofa cycling is a simply wonderful discovery. If you watch Cornelia’s fab video, you will be taken on a cycle tour through a beautiful bit of Germany with the added bonus of a wonderful sunrise thrown in for free. Germany looks very scenic and tranquil; viewing it from Cornelia’s bicycle when she is doing all the leg-work while one is actually snuggled up on the sofa with a cup of tea is most enjoyable.
Learning from Cornelia’s film, small, rural villages in Germany seem quite different from Castle Coop; the houses are like mountain chalets and the roads are far emptier than they are in the UK. Fields stretch right up to the roadsides whereas ours are surrounded by hedges which you can’t see over the top of. German wheelie bins however are exactly the same as ours which I didn’t know before.
On You tube, I’ve discovered loads of other cycling videos which have been filmed all over the world. So you see – sofa cycling is excellent for improving both geography and general knowledge.
Isn’t sofa cycling great!
The Agent takes me in hand:
Unfortunately the Agent caught me sofa cycling alongside a beach in Mallorca last week & I failed to convince him of its merits. In no time at all, he’d arranged for an enormous parcel to arrive.
Behold the Beast!
I am now the proud owner of a high-tech dashboard which monitors distance travelled and calories burnt (& not burnt ) and there are also little buttons which flash to remind me to change gear. However, neither eiderdowns nor cups of tea feature in any of its programmes which IMO, is a bit of a downside.
Yours, astonished that the Agent remains impervious to the joys of sofa cycling but getting to grips with all the newly installed flashing technology,
Christmas Crackers at the Ox and Moose!
Christmas Crackers at the Ox and Moose!
Way back in November, Sir Plym emailed all Castle Coopians asking if we’d like to sign up for a Christmas get-together supper at the Ox and Moose.
Dear All,
Egality and I would like to invite you to join us for an early Christmas dinner in the Ox and Moose. We have provisionally reserved the whole of the main dining room and are seeking to attract between 25 (the minimum) and 40 (the maximum) villagers.
Together with St Mary’s and the Village Hall, the O&M is one of Castle Coop’s major plus points; we are keen to support Lady Langshan behind the bar especially as at the same time we can have fun and enjoy some good food and drinkable wine. (Hurrah!)
Lady Langshan from behind the Ox and Moose bar has offered us a special O and M deal on both the food and the wines with a three course Christmas Fayre meal and a small reduction in the normal prices of the listed wines.
We are suggesting dinner on Saturday 6th December at 7.30pm. Please advise us if you’d like to join in by this coming Sunday, 2nd November:
A Box of Crackers!
On Saturday morning, Lady Langshan from behind the Ox and Moose bar, was rushing here, there & everywhere getting everything ready for hosting the Castle Coop Christmas supper. By lunch time she thought she had finished laying up the tables; the Ox and Moose was festooned with ‘Welcome’ bunting and a huge Ox and Moose Christmas Party banner, held up by strategically placed standard lamps was managing to stay put. Completely unexpectedly Sir Burford Brown turned up saying he and Lady Brown wanted their first Christmas in Castle Coop to be “a Cracker”!
Lady Langshan added the crackers to the tables immediately and we all thought the room looked extremely festive – don’t you agree?
Later that night we all had a simply splendid time!
The Graf read his cracker joke out to us
Q. Why is milk fast?
A. because it’s pasturised before you see it!
and then Sir Burford Brown stood up and enacted his joke, walking backwards down the length of the welcome banner saying, “oh, Oh OH!), Apparently he was being Father Christmas on rewind.
We all laughed our heads off (possibly encouraged by the ‘small reduction in the normal prices of the listed wines’).
On finding a whistle in his cracker, Sir Plym immediately brought into play a rule that at every blast of the whistle all the men had to move 2 places clockwise round the tables. Conversation became extremely lively as a result.
Yours beginning to feel swept up by the Christmas spirit,
The Castle Coop Smoke-Off Coup!
The Castle Coop Smoke-Off Coup!
Précis of Events leading up to the Castle Coop Barbecue Smoke-Off:
- Sir Plym organises an Autumn Clear-Up to take place in Castle Coop.
- Apart from Lord and Lady Nudge (absent on a motor -tour in Bavaria), all the villagers promise to help.
N.B. Thanks to Sir Plym’s magnificent organisation co-ordinating rakes, hedge-cutters and wheelbarrows, Castle Coop now looks like a model village.
- Sir Burford Brown & Sir Plym hold forth on the merits of the gas barbecue in the Ox and Moose.
- The Agent and the Chairman of the Village Hall in the Ox and Moose hold forth on the merits of the charcoal barbecue in the Ox and Moose.
- Sir Burford Brown & Sir Plym throw down the gauntlet to the Agent and the Chairman of the Village Hall who pick it up immediately.
- Lady Egality buys a magnificent Smoke-off Trophy to be presented by Trev the Rev to the winning team.
- The Blue team (Sir Burford Brown and Sir Plym) & the Red team (the Agent and the Chairman of the Village Hall) both conduct a fiercely fought campaign publicising the merits of their chosen fuels.
Quiz:
Please read the following questions and tick a) b) or c) to complete this quiz:
The Castle Coop Barbecue Smoke -Off: What Happens Next?
a) In carefully monitored conditions, Sir Burford Brown and Sir Plym cooking on gas in the Blue Corner are voted to have barbecued the most delicious sausages and burgers.
Trev the Rev presesents them with the Castle Coop Smoke -Off Trophy.
b) In carefully monitored conditions, the Agent and the Chairman of the Village Hall cooking on charcoal in the Red Corner are voted to have barbecued the most delicious sausages and burgers.
Trev the Rev presesents them with the Castle Coop Smoke -Off Trophy.
c) Neither of the above.
To all those who are on the verge of ticking either a) or b), here is a clue as to the correct answer:
Brown Owl orchestrated a Barbecue Smoke-Off Coup!
Yes she really did … it was a totally brilliant surprise coup!
Brown Owl’s Wild Card entry – the Brownies toasting marshmallows for us all on a bonfire – made toast of both the Blue team and the Red team.
Declaring the Brownies victorious, Trev the Rev presented them each with a Camp Fire Badge and Brown Owl who was blushing with pride, held the Castle Coop BBQ Smoke-Off Trophy aloft. As our dear vicar pronounced, there are times at a barbecue when nothing ” tastes quite so good as a well toasted marshmallow!”
Mmm, yum – ambrosia!
Yours wondering if any other village has a Brown Owl quite like ours…
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Feeling a bit meh? Is your standard information diet – The Times, Le Figaro, Die Welt, The Washington Post et al… ok for global news but not quite cutting it on those all – important village updates?
Catching up with ‘The Awesome Hen’
Want to join us but not a hen? You’re in luck ! Yay!
Our crack Editorial Team at The Awesome Hen:
News Reporter
Lady Liberty Hen
WW1 Centenary & Barbecue Enthusiast
The Agent Pastoral Guide
The Rev. Rosecomb (aka Trev the Rev) Film and TV Buff
The Graf von Blommehön Gardening Guru
Lady Lohmann-Brown Party giver Extraordinaire
Lady Egality Maran Sporting Correspondent
Sir Plymouth Rock Author of '101 Ways to Organise Everything & Everyone'
Brown Owl Castle Coop Local Celebrity
Lady Eftie Nudge Castle Coop Resident Tourist
Julia. Unfortunately I'm not a hen. However, I'm allowed to be here so long as I sit at the back & colour in quietly. I get no say in anything that goes on. 
Content Copyright 2019
All original content copyright The Awesome Hen 2019.
All rights reserved.
All the villagers you meet in The Awesome Hen live in the virtual village of Castle Coop and nowhere else. They are entirely their own selves and have no alter egos in either the actual or the virtual world.