Village Life + Quince Chronicles Part I

A blaze of autumn colour trails along the side wall of the village hall.     Our small village hall used to be a Wesleyan Chapel, and was built around 1800.      When the 'new' chapel was built in 1895, the old chapel became a store shed for a horse and cart.

This old photograph shows you that it was a two-storey building, quite a commodious shed, then!   The building was given to the Parish Council in 1911, for public entertainment.   By the 1920's/30's it was heavily used for plays, dancing, meetings and even 'Smoking Concerts', so named because free cigarettes were distributed during the interval, along with the refreshments.   They were very popular!

It was a much used and busy venue right the way up until the late 1980's when it was decided to to remove the old chapel gallery and windows (the upper floor was removed) and add a new kitchen and toilet facilities. 

It gave the building a new lease of life and once again the building buzzed with village gatherings, plays, concerts, fairs and fun.    Not so these days!

I continued my walk up the road and headed for the mobile library van. 

They used to park right outside the village hall but these days they park up near the junction, the change being made so that a disabled resident would have a shorter distance to travel.    She paid one visit to the van, then decided it wasn't for her.    The van continues to park there, in hope.

Meanwhile I am normally the only person to use the service, which means that whether I want to take out a pile or books or not, I feel that I have a duty to do so.    Of course, normally that isn't a problem, but right now I am so busy with one thing and another that it was an effort I could have done without making. 

Wouldn't you just know it though, the shelves were groaning with tempting volumes, I staggered home (the far side of the village) with a dozen books which had waved at me from the shelves.

Two old books on local history, a book about embroidery, crime novels, and best of all, 'The Secret Life of Cows'.     It is a book about cows, surprise, surprise.     It is a fascinating read and confirms what I have long observed, that a cow is not 'just' a cow, but more of that another time.

I have watched this handsome bull grow larger all through the summer.   He, and just one cow, have spent the summer in a field in a nearby village.     He is interested in everything, but most of all he loves his food.   When I took this he was waiting for his morning rations to be dropped off.

I disappointed him, but he posed anyway.

I managed to squeeze in a quick visit to watch my grandchildren decorate 'their' windowsill for the harvest festival.    The cheesy grin tells you how chuffed my granddaughter was with what they achieved.     They were being photographed by one of their Sunday School teachers, so I thought I would get in on the act and photograph her, too.

My baking adventures with quince continue.   

A few days ago I made a Ginger and Quince Cake.  It was described as part afternoon tea, part pudding, and suitable to be served warm with custard, or on a pretty plate with tea and scones at teatime.    It stores well, keeps nice and moist.

I have tried a slice and found it to be moist, thanks to the chunks of quince, with a little bite because it also contains whole pecans, and flavoursome because of the diced chunks of ginger - recipe called for preserved ginger but I used crystallised ginger because that was all I had in the pantry.


The photographs are terrible, but the cake is delicious.  I will post the recipe over on my kitchen blog later in the week.  It can be found in the 'Quinces' book shown in the photograph.

The next dish I try from it will be a savoury one.   

I quite like the sound of 'Hot Lightning'...