Golden example

Round & About

Abingdon & Kingston Bagpuize

The Arts Society Abingdon celebrates the golden jubilee of the founding of national organisation The Arts Society, formerly known as NADFAS, with an illustrated lecture

Can we trust the experts on good and bad art..? That’s the question David Phillips will pose on Wednesday, 18th July, at the Amey Theatre at Abingdon School.

David will explore several art controversies and tackle the trickiness of attribution by critics and experts alike. But he claims the minefields facing experts need not deter the rest of us from making artistic judgements based on our own experiences. The talk will start with a reception at 6.30pm in the Jekyll Garden next to the theatre, when celebrated harpist Pervin Shahin will play a programme of music from Baroque to Jazz.

The aim of The Arts Society, which has 90,000 members worldwide, is to ensure the arts are accessible to as wide an audience as possible. Expert lecturers have been assembled whose subjects range from English medieval gardens, to Chinese textiles, Renaissance artists, Staffordshire potters, Middle Eastern carpet-makers, Venetian glass or street art.

Alongside the programme of lectures (on the third Wednesday of every month in Trinity Church, Conduit Road, Abingdon, at 10.30am and again at 2pm), there are regular visits to exhibitions and other places of interest including this year a visit to the Bombay Sapphire Gin Distillery near Winchester.

There is ample free parking for the talk at Amey Theatre at Abingdon School, OX14 1DE, and tickets are £12.50 – to buy yours email [email protected]. For more on the society, visit www.theartssocietyabingdon.org.uk

Christine Wallace: in the mix!

Round & About

Abingdon & Kingston Bagpuize

Hello everyone! Is it just me or is there a feelgood factor in the air recently?

In general people seem to be quite happy and smiley. Just passing someone in the street or at the shops seems to generate a “hello” and my goodness, doesn’t it make you feel good!? I put it down to summer, the weather isn’t bad and holidays are on everyone’s mind so lots to be happy about. There also might be a measure of trying to forget that we live in quite a troubled world and the news can be depressing so let’s just live for the day! Whatever it is, I hope it lasts!

July brings hedgerows heavy with berries, fennel to liven up salads and lots more including aubergines and courgettes. Cherries and peaches are at their best and the glorious gooseberry is here. The poor gooseberry doesn’t get a good press and it’s hard to find them, even in farm shops. But there are wonderful recipes using this vitamin C-rich fruit; poached gooseberries with a creamy vanilla custard, gooseberry compote which is super used in cakes or to top a cheesecake, gooseberry jam or the very delicious gooseberry fool. Take 400g gooseberries and cook with 50g sugar over a low heat for 10-15 minutes until soft. Remove from the heat, crush and cool. Pour two tablespoons of elderflower cordial and 1tbsp lemon juice into 400ml double cream and whisk to medium peaks. Add 4 tablespoons of ready-made custard. Fold half the gooseberries into the mixture. Spoon half into four glasses. Layer the rest of the gooseberries, then top with the rest of the cream mix. Chill until ready to serve. You’ll love it!

Also in shops is new-season lamb (the best is from Kent). Lamb breast is a great make-ahead meal – slow cooking turns a cheap cut into a luxury. Tom Kerridge’s breast of lamb with broccoli, anchovy and caper dressing is lovely!

The Greeks and Romans are returning! Stretch Didcot’s Roman Festival at the Didcot Girls School on Saturday, 7th July (10.30am-5pm) will have more than 20 different experts and events, including me! Tickets are a fantastic £4.

Visit www.christinebakes.co.uk and please get in touch!