Oshea and Ogilvie

We needed a laugh - and we think the Sloaney humour of Oshea and Ogilvie will raise your spirits, too.





The duo OSHEA and OGILVIE, http://www.osheaogilvie.co.uk/ based in Exeter, write and perform their own material - sketches, songs, dances and mockumentaries. Their aim is to raise a laugh amongst the nation with their original new show and generally make the country a brighter, happier place; as they say, if you can't laugh in the middle of a double dip recession, when can you. They are available for festivals and other comedy or music events around the country.

Launch Night! is on the 15th Of December...and catch them on radio online ...
http://www.phonic.fm/2011/dynamic-duo-oshea-and-ogilvie-speak-to-paul-gallagher-on-phonic-fm

"Drink up thy Zyder"

We love the smell of simmering mulled cider - a traditional British and American drink - during the Christmas holidays, and offer guests hot mulled cider throughout the cold winter months.


Cider making in Somerset - video at link
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/video/2010/dec/06/cider-making-somerset

UKCider - the real cider website and directory anyone can edit
http://www.cideruk.com/
http://www.ukcider.co.uk/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

Mulled Cider
Recipe courtesy Nigella Lawson from Nigella's Christmas Kitchen, 2007

Prep Time:30 minInactive Prep Time:--Cook Time:30 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
6 servings

Ingredients
1 pint (16 fluid ounces) cider
2 fluid ounces dark rum
9 fluid ounces apple and ginger tea, from herbal teabag
1 1/2 ounces soft dark brown sugar
2 clementines
4 cloves
2 sticks cinnamon
2 fresh bay leaves
2 cardamom pods
Directions
Pour the cider, rum and herbal tea into a wide saucepan. Add the sugar and place the saucepan over a low heat. Slice the clementines in half and stick a clove into each half. Add the clementines to the pan. Break the cinnamon sticks in half. Add the cinnamon, bay leaves and cardamom pods to the saucepan. Heat the saucepan until the mixture is almost boiling. Turn down the heat once the pan is near to boiling.

To serve, ladle the mulled cider into heatproof glasses with handles.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/mulled-cider-recipe/index.html




From Jamie Oliver -
Incredible mulled cider
drinks | serves 15
It wouldn’t be Christmas without mulled something, whether I make wine or cider, its just one of those things that tells me I’m home and it’s Christmas. I know there are loads of packaged mulled wine and cider flavourings in the shops these days but honestly, it’s not hard to make this from scratch so please don’t cheat! Just pick up a few bottles of decent Scrumpy and give this a try. You’ll be simmering away most of the alcohol so if the kids want a taste, it’s ok to give them a little glass.

Ingredients
• 2 litres good cider, such as Scrumpy
• 6 cloves
• 3 or 4 star anise
• ¼ nutmeg, finely grated into the pan
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 vanilla pod, halved
• juice of 1 orange
• juice of 2 clementines
• juice and seeds from 1 pomegranate
• 4 or 5 tablespoons of caster sugar, to taste

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fruit-recipes/incredible-mulled-cider

The Camomile Lawn - Ravel's Music

Ravel's String Quartet in F Major - music from the beloved CAMOMILE LAWN series in two different versions. Listen...
you'll find it after some delightful Indian music, here, about 29 minutes in...
and another version is here.

Tarka the Opera

Yes, it's true! The little water wanderer's opera is at the Two Moors Festival. Read the synopsis here.
Otter sanctuaries are listed here.
Everything Exmoor is a lovely site, here.

Moby Busks at Sloane Square Tube Stop

This charming portrait of Moby seems to have been made centuries ago.

Not long ago, music god MOBY tried busking in the tube at Sloane Square. How did he do? Read about it here.

From "If...": Sanctus

The Lark in the Clear Air