1934

My dad turned 80 this weekend.
He doesn't do cake, never eats puddings, thinks fudge is just awful (I must get the sweet tooth from the other side of the family).
He does, however, like red wine.
Since I don't believe one should have a birthday without cake I made a red wine cake.
I used cream cheese instead of mascarpone and a mix of ground almonds and 
gluten free flour so that my son could eat it. 
It worked.
Even my dad had a slice.

It's a wrap.

So that's it for season five.
It's been a lovely, mainly dry seven months - so different from 2012. The garden really came into its own after so much work was done (not by me) throughout last winter. There are still flowers in bloom as visitors enter the gate and more work is planned for the garden.

We'll reopen on 27th March 2015 which is less than five months away and I have a long list of things to do before then.
Better get started.

Not a piece of cake.

November. Bright, sunny November.
Who'd have thought?
We've defrosted the ice cream freezer and one other ahead of tomorrow's final day of the season and we're well on the way to selling out of all sorts of menu items. Great news for us, not so great for tomorrow's late arrivals.
I spent most of the afternoon at Clifton Village Hall judging the local baking competition - Swiss rolls, Victoria Sponges, Halloween themed showstoppers and fairy cakes, bread and canapés.
I thought it would be easy.
I was so wrong.
I hope I am not volunteered again.