A Cook's Nostalgia

Among the minor irritants of modern life is the occasional need to free joints of meat from the snare of elasticated string

In bygone days joints were secured by metal skewers. It was very easy to pull them out and, once removed, they could be retained, making handy tools that could be poked into otherwise inaccessible places. For a while the skewers were replaced by ordinary string, less easily removed than a skewer but still fairly manageable, but today's elasticated string poses greater challenges. It resists the carving knife, and when attacked with scissors de-elasticates itself, showering the neighbourhood with gravy droplets.

I mourn the passing of metal skewers!

A Redundant Institution.

Today I received four magazines, all delivered by Royal Mail. Three of them should have arrived at least three days ago. Most of the material that used to be sent by post can now be sent by email. Magazines can often be read over the Internet, and several companies will deliver any material objects that resist digitisation.

Perhaps we no longer need a post office

Frustrated by Almost Impenetrable Wrappings.

Many goods are sold, either completely encased in plastic, or in some combination of cardboard and plastic. In either case I need scissors to get at the goods, and even so equipped I ofen have quite a struggle.

In my fury I often wish that company directors were required to give public demonstrations of their recommended technique for penetrating those frustrating wrappings.

Pears Rehabiitated

Pears are very frustrating fruit, changing from inedible hardness to repulsive mushiness so quickly that one usually misses the intermediate state of delicious edibility. Sainsbury's offers 'ripe and ready' pears nestling coyly in protective wrapping. I had long been suspicious of those, but one day gave in to temptation and was very pleasantly surprised. I don't know what magic they invoke but the recommended pears are indeed delicious, and remain in that state for several days. The simple pleasure of eating a ripe pear has been restored to me.

A Floriferous November

Even in this, the last week of November, there is still an abundance of flowers in the garden. As well as the Winter Jasmine which usually flowers around this time of year, Fuchsias and Mexican daisies are covered in flowers, and blue campanulas and zonal pelargoniums still provide a modest display.

An Honest Interest Rate

Discussion of interest rates almost always concerns the supposed impact on a variety of economic factors, but I've never heard such a discussion mention the importance of repaying our debts.

When prices are rising, as they usually are, the value of money is falling, so to repay a debt requires the payment of more money than was originally borrowed. Interest charged for a loan should include some payment for the convenience of having the loan. Full compensation to the lender would also require something to compensate for the income tax often charged on interest. There is therefore a case for interest rates being substantially higher than the rate of inflation. In practice they are almost always considerably lower.