From 9th to 17th September, in an experience like no other, more than 130 events will take place across the country to show the public what life as a racehorse is really like.
Racehorse training yards, studs and retraining centres will open their doors and invite everyone to get up close to the equine stars of horseracing, providing family-friendly demonstrations, exciting displays, and a unique day out with something for everyone. Most events are free of charge, with more than 13,500 spaces available.
TV personality Chris Hughes, who is a racehorse owner and ambassador for National Racehorse Week said: “The impact of getting up close to a horse cannot be underestimated. And racing has created a unique opportunity through National Racehorse Week to help people meet these incredible animals, experience the life of a thoroughbred and talk to the dedicated teams who care for them 365 days a year. There is nothing quite like this is any other sport. It is fantastic that the events are free to attend with everyone welcome to join.”
Eve Johnson Houghton is a leading racehorse trainer, based high on the Berkshire Downs – a perfect setting for training thoroughbred horses. Alongside a hosted yard tour and chance to meet the racehorses at Woodway there will be a charity raffle, cake sale and guess the winner competition with proceeds going to Racing Welfare and Air Ambulance.
Kim Bailey has trained over 1400 winners and is lucky enough to have achieved the magical “Big Three”, The Grand National (Mr Frisk), The Cheltenham Gold Cup (Master Oats) and The Champion Hurdle (Alderbrook). He will welcome visitors to meet the stars of his yards and see horses exercising.
Run by Great British Racing, with principal funding from The Racing Foundation and The Horserace Betting Levy Board, National Racehorse Week is the sport’s biggest campaign to bring people across Britain behind the scenes of racing to show the incredible work that goes into the care of thoroughbreds, and give real-life insights into the lives racehorses lead.
Our wine columnist Giles Luckett explores the harvest of a magical region of Australia
Hello. A few years ago I was fortunate enough to go on a press trip to Australia. Over the course of three weeks, we toured many of this amazing wine country’s regions, visited some extraordinary wineries and met some of the most passionate, innovative, and creative winemakers I’ve ever encountered.
While I discovered the weird (Lucy Margaux’s ‘natural’ wines) and the wonderful (BK Wines’ Savagnin, one of my abiding memories was our trip to Yalumba. This historic, family-owned producer is Australian wine royalty and our extensive tasting was fantastic, revealing a winery that did things its way and one that wasn’t afraid to take risks in the pursuit of excellence.
I recently had the opportunity to taste a range of Yalumba’s wines again (highlights below), some of which I knew and some of which were new to me. I was delighted to see their innovative spirit continue – the Roussanne was a lovely surprise – and I asked Yalumba’s winemaker Louisa Rose to tell me a little more about their wines…
Louisa Rose – head of winemaking at Yalumba
Q. You make a wide range of wines – from unoaked dry whites to fortified wines – what’s the uniting philosophy behind them?
“We seek to sustainably craft wines that reflect a thoughtful interpretation of grape, terroir and house style. Wines of individuality that are both timeless and contemporary. Wines of conviction and provenance. This philosophy spans our full offering, but there is a tailored approach to meet market requirements. We focus on natural appellation, a long view of the wine-style evolution, akin to a slow wine philosophy. At the same time, we are responsive to market opportunities by way of ‘new’ varieties, styles and fashions, whilst still holding true to our legacy and beliefs, raising the bar, and building value.”
Q. Your wines span the classics – Shiraz, Cabernet, Grenache etc. – but I’ve seen new Mediterranean varieties coming through such as Tempranillo and Pinot Grigio. Are you producing these as you have the right sites for them or is there another reason?
“Shiraz, Cabernet and Grenache are varieties that came to Australia early in the history of white settlement. The Barossa is home to the oldest vineyards of all three of these varieties in the world – still growing and producing wines, (Shiraz planted 1843, Grenache 1848, Cabernet 1888). This says something about the suitability of the sites we have to those varieties. At the same time Australian winemakers like to trial new things and experiment. Much of this work does not result in new wines necessarily, but it all helps influence our thoughts and practices. At Yalumba we are fortunate to have a wonderful nursery; a world-class nursery that grows healthy vines for vineyard expansions and is set up to propagate ‘new’ varieties when they come out of quarantine. We have trialled many varieties over the years, and some we like enough to take to the next stage after experimentation. Viognier, Pinot Grigio and Tempranillo are examples of this. Ultimately, they do well as they are suited to the sites we plant them, but the only way to find out what the right sites are is trial and error. It’s probably not surprising that many of the varieties we are looking at in the nursery are particularly suited to warm climates.”
Q. The recent vintage was one of the most challenging of recent years for many. How did you find it and aside from being of high quality, how would you describe the vintage’s character?
“2023 was challenging in the Barossa due to the wetter-than-usual spring conditions, which resulted in a later-than-usual start to the season, and ultimately a later-than-usual vintage. As the ripening gets later in the season, the days get shorter, and the ripening slows down even more. This can be a challenge then to get the grapes growing in the later ripening sites fully ripe. Luckily the season was kind to us and we had good warm weather into Autumn that got most of the grapes to their ideal place. We are very happy with the quality, across the varieties and styles. The whites loved the cooler season retaining good acidity and aromatics, and the reds had plenty of stress-free ‘hang time’ to get flavour and tannin ripeness.”
Q. Are there any vines you’re thinking of adding or would like to add? I had some excellent Pinot Nero, Nero d’Avola, and Arneis the last time I was in Australia.
“We are always thinking! There are a few things in our minds and vineyards, but from thinking about importing a new variety to having something ready to drink is at least a 10-year process… so patience really is a virtue.”
Q. How are you dealing with climate change? Some of the winemakers I’ve spoken to have expressed concerns about conditions becoming more difficult and growing seasons significantly shorter. Are you ‘going up or going south’ or are you trying to deal with the changing conditions with things like more canopy management and other vineyard techniques?
“Australia and the Barossa is used to extremes of climate, and we have many management techniques in our vineyards to mitigate, particularly against heat. Not that we are not concerned about climate change, particularly when it comes to water availability, but we know that we can make wines that are great expression of our region(s) in the cooler (like 23) and warmer seasons.
“Some of the things we do in the vineyards to buffer them against temperature changes include, using mulches under vine, growing grasses between the rows to keep the environment cooler and stop reflection of heat, increasing biodiversity in the vineyard, changes in trellis design and canopy management to keep grapes shaded by the leaves, and even using ‘sunscreen’. The sunscreen is kaolin clay, mixed in water and sprayed on the leaves. It is very effective in stopping burning of the leaf tissue in heat waves. Our old vines, which have so much of their biomass under the ground, are also buffered against day-to-day weather events more than younger vines maybe. Increasing biodiversity in vineyards and surrounds, and increasing soil carbon and microflora should also help the vines increase their natural resilience.
“One of the very tangible things we are doing to combat climate change is actively measuring and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions as Silver Members of the International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) is a collaborative working group of wineries committed to reducing carbon emissions across the wine industry. Currently over 40 wineries from nine countries are working together on this, in partnership with the United Nations Race to Zero campaign.”
Q. You still make a range of of fortified. Is this a heritage thing or do they find a ready market?
“We do still make a little bit of fortified wine. There is certainly a market for it, but it is also a heritage thing.”
Q. If you had to pick one of your wines to drink which would you choose and why?
“This is an impossible question without context… where am I… who am I with… what am I eating… how do I feel? Maybe I will just have a glass of our Tricentenary (planted 1889) Grenache while I wait for the answer!
GL: Thanks, Louisa. On the basis of my recent tasting, I’m with you on the Tricentenary.
Yalumba wines you must try
While I’ve never had a bad wine from Yalumba, there are some that have consistently stood out for me, or, in the case of the Roussanne, which were new and head-turning. So, here are my current loves from an impressive Yalumba’s range.
I’ll start my recommendations with the Y Series Chardonnay (winedirect £11.30). I always think it’s a bold move to make an unoaked Chardonnay. Partly as I think most consumers expect Chardonnay to be wooded – especially when it comes to New World examples – and because you need to be sure your fruit’s got the character to pull off a solo performance. The Y Series pulls it off in style. The nose combines freshness with tropical fruit and a subtle touch of vanilla, while on the palate the flavours of red apple, peach, pear and grapefruit are lively, intense, and mask of oak, seem more focused, and pure. Try this with oily fish, pork and seafood.
Yalumba have a reputation for creating great wines from Rhône varieties, and while their Viognier and Grenache garner much of the critics’ applause they have other wines that are equally exciting. Their Eden Valley Roussanne (winedirect £15.75) is a fascinating wine. Straw green-gold, the bouquet offers camomile, rose petals, herbs and (to me at, least) green wood. The palate is fresh and clean, but has an underlying richness as flavours as diverse as white peach, vanilla, orange peel, citrus and almonds come together to give an intriguing whole. This is a wine for the mind, one to sip and savour either on its own or with mushroom risotto, baked white fish or roasted artichokes.
The Virgilius Viognier (London End Wines £36) is acknowledged as a bright star in Yalumba’s firmament. The 2018 is a jaw-droppingly good wine, one that’s fit to rank with the Rhône’s finest Condrieu. Pale gold, the nose is a riot spiced apricots, cardamom, ginger, lychees and nose-tingling kumquats. This mighty mouthful’s creamy, unctuous body delivers wave after wave of apricot and dried pear fruit, mixed spice, orange peel, and honey, balanced and restrained by a fine, cleansing acidity. It’s big, bold, and beautiful, and has a long, golden future ahead of it.
And so to the reds. Australia makes some of the greatest varietal Cabernet Sauvignon in the world, with its Coonawarra wines being perhaps its finest of all. The Cigar Cabernet 2018 (Laithwaites £25) is certainly one of the best Cabernets I’ve had this year. Inky and brooding, the nose is piercing, full of fresh blackcurrants, green peppers, spices, cigar box, and raspberries but, as in the mouth, the more you investigate, the more you discover. Tones of the undergrowth, stewed plums, blackcurrant conserve, mint, bitter chocolate, earth and redcurrants all emerge. This powerful wine is lithe and elegant and is a must for red meats, sheep’s cheese, tomato-based dishes or on its own with good friends.
I couldn’t talk about Yalumba’s wines and not mention Grenache. For many years Grenache has been spoken of as having the potential to make Australia’s greatest reds. Alas, as in so many places, this vine’s natural generosity has been exploited leading to the productions of lakes of moderately coloured, moderately flavoured, massively alcoholic quaffing wines. Yalumba clearly respects it, and the Samuel’s Collection Barossa Bush Vine Grenache 2019 (Sarah’s Cellar £20) shows what it can do in the right hands. Mid-red, the aroma is a cheerful, inviting blend of cherries, raspberries and pomegranates, with floral and vanilla touches. The palate is juicy, plump, with all the hard edges of a ball pit. There’s weight to the cherry, strawberry, and blackberry fruit, and freshness is leant by a delicate red berry acidity. I’d serve this with roasted guinea fowl or gammon.
My penultimate choice reflects Australia’s brilliance at blends. Legend has it that winemakers put Cabernet with Shiraz as they had no Merlot, Australian Merlot being in the words of one famous Aussie winemaker, ‘a nice idea’. The Samuel’s Collection Barossa Grenache Shiraz Mataro 2018 (Vinum £16.70) is a Rhône blend (Mataro being France’s Mourvèdre) that delivers a wine with a lightness of touch that you’re unlikely to find in say, Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Peppered black and red fruits dominate the nose, while on the palate black cherries, prunes, raspberries, cranberries and spiced almonds come together to produce a wine of harmonious complexity. This is a wine I’ve always enjoyed with lamb and pheasant – the juicy, peppery tone just seems to go perfectly, but it’s great with barbecued foods and Hong Kong-style spare ribs.
I’ll finish on a high with a wine that’s produced from vines that date back to 1889. The Tri-Centenary Grenache (Vinum £40) is a wine like no other, and not just because of the 100-day post-fermentation maceration which (so I’m told) explains its extraordinary fine, velvety mouthfeel. This is undoubtedly one of the world’s great wine experiences. The aged, low-yielding Grenache vines give a super concentrated glassful of red and black cherries, prunes, chocolate, mint, dried strawberries and a lovely, mellow herb butter tone to the finish. Powerful enough to stand up to well-flavoured red meats and herby, softly spiced vegetarian dishes, this should be on every serious wine lover’s must-taste list.
Well, that’s it for now. Next time out I’ll run down my top ten Chilean wines.
Independent music photographer Peter Nicholson shares his pictures of Southsea favourite Victorious last weekend
With many festivals in 2023 having to endure unseasonably bad weather, Victorious enjoyed a small window of summer over the final weekend of August. With an enviable line-up, and its position on Southsea seafront, the festival promised to be a seaside musical spectacle.
The weekend certainly lived up to that promise. This year’s festival was the biggest in its history. The area on Southsea common had been opened up even further, and all the stages were open for all three days. With up to 70,000 people attending each day of the weekend, it has certainly become one of the region’s biggest and most anticipated music events.
The headliner on each of the three days, could have graced any stage in the world and not been out of place. Jamiroquai, Kasabian, The Kaiser Chiefs, Mumford and Sons, Pete Tong, Alt-J, Ellie Goulding and Blossoms among the biggest names on the line-up.
Jamiroquai closed the main stage on Friday evening with a superb nostalgic trip through his 30 plus years of touring. Now in his fifties, and joking with the crown that he was heavier than he was in the 1990s, the feather headdress – wearing front man, showed no sign of wanting to slow down. His energy and stage presence were as evident as ever.
The Kaiser Chiefs, Kasabian and Mumford & Sons were the headliners on Saturday and Sunday. All of which received a fantastic welcome from the huge crowds. The light shows, sound systems were as impressive as the performances.
One of the other things the Victorious team seem to get right every year is how they support smaller and local artists. With a collection of stages across the site, the biggest challenge for any attendee is planning a route so as not to miss any of the acts they came to see! This challenge was mitigated by the excellent app that was available for the event. It allowed you to plan where to be and when. However, being late for a stage time, probably meant you were side-tracked by one of the on the other stages on your route! The World Music stage was one of the busiest areas, as was the acoustic stage. Both of which boasted a line-up that had talent enough for the main stages.
The whole weekend was a credit to the organisers and to the city of Portsmouth.
Popular cross country horse ride returns at Windsor Great Park
Windsor Lions are delighted their popular cross country horse ride in Windsor Great Park will be taking place this year on the weekend of 9th and 10th September.
Very sadly the event had to be cancelled last year due to the death of our much-loved queen, but such is the popularity of the ride that entries have now closed: the weekend is fully booked with riders numbering a fantastic 750 plus!
The ride, which is in its fifth decade, allows riders of all ages and mixed abilities to enjoy the nine-mile course around beautiful parkland otherwise inaccessible to many riders.
Event Organiser Richard Vaughan is very happy with the support for the ride: “We are so pleased that we can welcome riders back after the sad cancellation last year, and even more so as we have a number of new and exciting jumps which we are sure many will enjoy.
“The event takes place at the kind permission of the authorities in Windsor Great Park for which we are always very grateful. And of course, all the entry fees and sponsorship money from our wonderful riders and our generous commercial sponsor The Shanly Foundation, enables us to fund the great work that Windsor Lions Club carries out in the Community – such as Prostate Cancer Screening event earlier this year and our Santa Sleigh which will be back on the streets of Windsor in December.”
Dan Doyle of Stokenchurch tells us about his great new board game Matchday Mayhem which is due to kick off soon, thanks to a Kickstarter campaign. Can you help him reach his goal and share the love?
Football has provided plenty of fun over the summer & another season has begun. But one football fan has also spent the summer honing his own fun strategy card game to enjoy off the pitch.
Matchday Mayhem is a three or four-player game starring a cast of cool characters from the mind of Dan Doyle, including elegant passmaster Egor Monchellet, clinical target man Mo Slider and cast-iron defender Donni Repsteel.
“I have a deep-routed necessity to have creative, personal projects going on to enrich my spare time,” says the Man United fan who grew up locally and went to Gillots school. “In the past, and still sometimes now, it’s been music production and DJing. But I wanted to explore a game that invoked my artistic side, even though I didn’t know I had one!
“I’ve always loved card and board games; as a child, Cluedo was my favourite and I became quite a good chess player. I have two little sisters and I often made up games for them which they enjoyed. As I grew up, the friends I surrounded myself with also enjoyed games – we’d often stay in and compete rather than go out, like true-blooded geeks! So I always knew I had the ability and just tapped into my passion for football to push it forward.”
Once Dan had picked football as the theme, he knew an original concept was vital to set Matchday Mayhem apart from the many tabletop football games on the market. “Traditional football is of course played on a rectangle pitch with two teams head-to-head. Down at Mayhem Meadows, we play on a square pitch with a goal on each side, all doing battle for the ball at once. You use attack and defend cards to play actions and the first player to an allotted number of goals wins. This is the game’s true USP: being able to play three or four-player matches. There are also 36 originally designed players all with unique strengths, weaknesses, style and star quality.”
Dan played homemade versions, with eight & four-sided dice, with friends. “I covered playing cards with stickers and wrote on them,” he adds. “This was a fun, creative part of the project, coming up with rules and solving problems of game mechanics. My friends might tell you I’d bend and change the rules to ensure my victories, although surely this is a perk of being a game creator! The most surprising thing for me was I found out that I could draw. I always thought it was something I wasn’t any good at, but it was important to me that the players were all designed by me, so I just started practising every day and I managed to come up with some brilliant characters that I’m really delighted with.”
Once he knew Matchday Mayhem had legs, Dan invested in a prototype and is looking for support on Kickstarter: see the Insta page for info. “Any venture of this nature is about taking pride in creating joyous experiences, so primarily, I want to share it with as many people as possible. But I hope it could be a success! Perhaps I could look into the possibility of creating a phone app version, but not getting too carried away with that idea just yet. I’m just hoping I can recoup what I’ve invested and then anything after that would be a bonus.
You can pre-order your Matchday Mayhem game which will be available on Kickstarter in the next couple of months. Follow the game’s progress on Instagram @matchdaymayhemgame where details of the Kickstarter link will be posted very soon!
Book tells history of school’s foundation in 1930 to its evolution into a sixth form college in 1978
The Old Godhelmian Association, the alumni group of Godalming County Grammar School, is delighted to announce the publication of Godalming Country Grammar School – The School on the Hill – a 274 page history from its foundation in 1930 to its evolution into a Sixth Form College in 1978.
Comedian, actor and writer, Ben Elton, a pupil at the school in the 70s, and Louis De Bernières, author of the best-selling novel, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, have contributed to the book.
The book’s wide subject matter with history, anecdotes, photos and illustrations is of interest not only to past pupils of the School and present students of the College, but also to the general public. Fascinating personal stories and memories have been included and the chapters draw on information in newspapers, School magazines and documents in history archives and museums.
A chapter on the years of the Second World War details the journey of more than 400 pupils from Sir Walter St John’s Grammar School, Battersea – the Sinjuns – who were billeted in various places around Godalming and shared school facilities with GCGS and the Charterhouse School. Rod Weale has written a piece about the GCGS alumni who were killed in the Second World War.
The book (ISBN: 978-1-3999-4732-9) will be available from September 2023, price £20 plus postage and packing £5. The book is a complement to the website of the Old Godhelmian Association: The Old Godhelmian Association. The Biennial Reunion of the Old Godhelmian Association will take place on 14th October 2023 at Godalming College, Tuesley Lane, Godalming GU7 1RS from 11.00 to 4.00.
If you are interested in purchasing the book or attending the Reunion, please contact the OGA at [email protected].
Another September beckons and we hope our education special will help you, whether you’re a parent to a SEN child, would like advice about bursaries, want to make maths fun or continue learning whatever your age
Worried about a child’s progress in school? Learning differences consultant, former head teacher & SEN editor Mary Mountstephen offers parents some tips on being proactive
There’s always that moment when, as a parent, those doubts in the back of your mind start to assert themselves more loudly. Or perhaps a well-meaning family member or friend might make comments that add to your anxiety levels.
These might include: “Why isn’t he doing as well as his brother?”, “She should have started talking by now, surely?”, “That’s just not right, he needs to stop having tantrums”. Sound familiar?
Each child is unique. They often develop faster in some areas than in others and comparison with their brothers, sisters, cousins or classmates can be unhelpful and unwelcome. Depending on the type of concern and the child’s age, there are organisations and professionals to support you, such as your GP, your child’s setting (early years/ primary etc). The following information is intended to provide you with some basic tips, plus information about other sources of support and advice which are cost-effective or free.
Types of SEN
There are four types of SEN: communication and interaction needs, cognition and learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health difficulties and sensory and physical needs. Some children and young people may have SEN in more than one of these areas, but for most children with SEN, they will attend their local, mainstream school.
Don’t delay if you have concerns
There is a significant body of research that confirms the importance of early intervention when a child’s progress is causing concern. Looking back some years, school often operated a ‘wait and see’ protocol when being asked about delays in progress. Children with a dyslexic profile, for example, would possibly only be monitored until the age of seven, as it was a prevailing belief that they could not be identified before then, whereas current research indicates that this is possible from a much earlier age.
Be persistent but polite when communicating with the setting/ school
Parents and carers are not always confident in advocating for their child and in being able to communicate their concerns articulately. They may have had difficulties themselves at school, and this can translate into feeling nervous or hesitant in expressing their ‘gut feelings’, have known parents, on occasion, to become quite emotional or even aggressive if they feel they are not being listened to. So it’s a good idea to be prepared in advance.
Gather evidence using checklists
There are many checklists of child development, depending on where the concern(s) lie. If your child is in a school or early years setting, advice about this may be available. If not, carry on reading!
Check out national charities & organisations
A quick internet search will produce a long list of organisations and many of these can offer free support and resources. The difficulty here, as with self-diagnosis of symptoms, that you may become convinced your child has more complex needs than they might have. For that reason, it’s a good idea to communicate your concerns with the school at an early stage and be-guided by them.
Contact trusted sources
Finding trustworthy online support can be confusing for parents; the sheer volume of advice can be overwhelming and knowing who to trust can be daunting. For the last two years I’ve been working with SENDStation. I provide training about dyslexia and auditory processing difficulties. The company’s mission has always been to provide great quality learning that’s affordable and accessible. Their online courses are live and cost less than £15, including hand-out and certificate. The team cover 40 different sessions from dyslexia to toilet training. Visit SEND-Station. I’d also like to recommend a free newsletter from SEN magazine. You could also point both of these resources in the direction of the school! Please visit Mailing List Subscription – SEN Magazine to sign up.
Mary Mountstephen is a learning differences specialist with a background of working in a range of school settings, including roles as headteacher of two primary schools, and as an SEND specialist in the independent sector. She provides school training, individual assessments and online training. Find out more at Learning Differences| Mary Mountstephen and follow @M_Mountstephen on Twitter.
Chef Emily Roux and Lexus have rustled up some posh packed lunches to enjoy in the car or on your next road trip!
Typical packed lunch fare such as pasties, soggy sandwiches and packets of crisps, can be bland and unappetising, so Lexus has teamed up with renowned chef Emily Roux to create some gourmet recipes that are perfect to eat in the car. Emily’s carefully crafted, delicious creations are easy to prepare and perfect if your picnic has been rained off, or if you’re waiting for a ferry or Eurotunnel.
Emily has honed her culinary skills in some of Europe’s most acclaimed restaurants and today is the co-owner of Caractère restaurant in London’s Notting Hill. She has used her expertise to create simple recipes that can add an element of delicacy and luxury to your packed lunch.
Wasabi crab tartlets
Ingredients: • 250g double cream • 70g milk • 5g wasabi powder or paste • 4g salt • Two egg yolks • One whole egg
Other ingredients: • 270g pack of ready-made filo pastry • 20g melted butter (for brushing) • 100g picked crab (white, brown, or mixed according to preference) • Zest of one lemon • Fresh chives, mint leaves, coriander, or other herbs to suit personal taste • Salt, pepper, olive oil
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 165°C fan (325°F/gas mark 4). 2. Brush each layer of filo with melted butter, stacking at least four sheets on top of each other. 3. Press and cut to the dimensions of your tart moulds. 4. Bake each filo stack in the moulds, with pressure on top, for between seven and 10 minutes (or until crispy and golden). To create the weighted pressure, ideally use the same-sized mould inserted one into the other; alternatively, baking beans will do the trick. 5. Leave to cool and lower the oven temperature to 165°C fan (325°F/gas mark 4). 6. Meanwhile, use a handheld blender to blitz all the wasabi cream ingredients together. Pass the mixture through a sieve for a smooth finish. 7. Once the tartlets have completely cooled, pour in the cream mix, filling to halfway. 8. Bake in the oven for a further 15 minutes until the mixture has cooked through and solidified. 9. Leave to cool – the tartlets are designed to be eaten at room temperature. 10. Season the crab to your taste and add any chopped fresh herbs that take your fancy. 11. Top tartlets with seasoned crab.
For a vegetarian alternative, replace the crab with mushrooms or courgette shavings and fresh herbs.
Dark chocolate crinkle cookies
Temperature and timing are very important with this recipe, so it is best to have all the ingredients weighed out before you start.
1. Line two baking trays with baking paper and preheat the oven to 175°C, fan oven (350°F/gas mark 4). 2. Place the butter and chocolate in a basin over a bain marie or a saucepan of gently boiling water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir occasionally until the mixture is fully melted. 3. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the eggs and sugars on medium-high speed, for five minutes. 4. Once the eggs and sugar have been mixing for exactly five minutes, pour in the chocolate mixture and mix for a further minute or so to combine. 5. Meanwhile, mix together the dry ingredients, then add to the mixer bowl, mixing briefly until just combined. 6. Use an ice cream scoop to form the cookies. The batter will be a little on the wet side. Make sure to leave plenty to space between each cookie on the baking tray, as they will spread as they cook. 7. Sprinkle each cookie with a little flaked sea salt before placing into the oven and baking for 12 minutes. The cookies will come out of the oven with a wonderful, crinkled look and a slightly domed shape. They will collapse a little as they cool but this helps form that perfect fudgy centre. 8. Sprinkle on a little sea salt to taste and let the cookies cool for at least 20-30 minutes.
Oxford University offers short and part-time courses for adult learners, in person and online
Start of further your learning journey at any time of life with Oxford University’s Department of Continuing Education. You’ll join a highly diverse and vibrant learning community embedded in a world-class university, formed of students of all ages, from all backgrounds and from all over the world.
Courses designed for you
Explore the curious, mysterious or perplexing! Whether you wish to learn for personal interest or professional development, have previous experience or are a complete beginner, we have a course for you.
“Explore the curious, mysterious or perplexing!”
Short courses include day schools, weekend events and weekly learning programmes and run in person or online, with some offered in both formats so you can choose how to join. Part-time undergraduate and postgraduate programmes are delivered in a range of formats including mostly or fully online, blending learning (a mix of online and in-person) or through regular in-person meetings.
Our courses are all designed for adult learners and are offered in subject areas including creative writing, literature, history, philosophy, technology, sustainability, economics, languages and more.
Learn from experts in their field
Learn, explore and debate with our highly skilled tutors and expert speakers, who all have a deep passion for their subject and a depth of knowledge in their field.
Many of our tutors and speakers are working professionals, providing real-time practical insight and case studies, others are world-renowned for their research and contribution to developing knowledge and improvements in a particular area.
photo (c) John Cairns
Celebrating 145 years of adult learning
This year, Oxford Continuing Education will celebrate its 145th anniversary. Since our inception in 1878, the Department has offered a unique route into an Oxford education for adult learners. What we share with the rest of the University is a commitment to excellence, to supporting every student to learn and grow, and to nurturing intellectual curiosity and self-confidence.
Junaid Mubeen from Oxfordshire is a mathematician turned educator, who is also a series winner of Countdown, and expert advisor to non-profit children’s free online game Teach Your Monster Number Skills. He shares some tips to make numbers add up to fun
For adults and children alike, maths can sometimes be daunting. Yet when explored the right way, the subject can be fun and accessible for everyone.
The key is to embed strong foundations from a young age. The skills and confidence that we acquire as children can have a lasting, positive impact on our relationship with mathematics. A good command of numbers depends far less on rote learning the times tables and far more on exploring their patterns and structure. Numbers are all around us, and so too are opportunities to interact with them in a playful way.
Here are some quick, easy and playful tips on how to develop children’s core number skills such as arithmetic, estimation and comparison, without any of the dread. They’ll have so much fun they won’t even realise they are learning!
At the shops: Shops are a playground for numbers. Compare the cost of different brands of the same item: which is cheaper? Grab a bag of apples and a bag of carrots – which one feels the heaviest?
“Shops are a playground for numbers.”
At dinner time: From the prep, to the cooking, eating and clearing away, numbers are entwined into all aspects of mealtimes. Ask your child how long they think it will take to cook dinner. Or how much cutlery is needed. Or who can look forward to the most items of food on their plate.
On a day trip: Whether on foot, wheels or public transport, a trip out is an opportunity to search for numbers. Are there more cars or lorries? What numbers can you spot on the licence plates? How many people, roughly, are travelling on the train?
At the park: A playground is an oasis of numbers! Count how many steps it takes to climb up to the top of the play structure. Now make the climb – how close was the prediction? Are they tired as a result of underestimating or raring to go for more?
Tidy up time: For the ultimate win-win, get kids involved in the household chores. How many pairs of socks can they match from the clean washing pile? How many items can they pick up off the floor? Can they arrange the collected items in size order? How long does it take to put them all away?
Free digital games: There are many learning apps – try the free online game Teach Your Monster Number Skills for 3+ year olds. Set in a maths theme park, with friendly monsters roaming around, it has multiple activities that bring each number to life through puzzles and activities. There are eight mini maths games, each with 10 levels. The game is so effective at boosting kids’ confidence with numbers and at making maths fun. My daughter loves it!
