Big Event Summer is Here...

The Euros are here! It's a summer of sport! Get the beers and BBQs in for the lads! *sarcastic tone and obvious side-eye* 

I'm so very VERY happy for you, if a summer of sport floats your boat. And I admit, I will watch the England matches and cross my fingers that there'll be plenty more right up to the final. But the Olympics and Wimbledon? Nah, not my thing, ta. And that's a perfectly acceptable response. What I think is exciting, however, is the big event-ness of it all. Making an evening of a particular match (I used to watch in the pub, now I'll make dips!) or sectioning out a whole fortnight for your tennis fix. I get it. (It's how I roll during Eurovision.) But even if, like me, you're not that fussed about sport, we've got the ultimate big event coming up. The General Election. 

I'm assuming July 4th is in your diary too? At least for UK readers. This election is expected to be a BIG EVENT. Potentially as seismic as the one in 1997 - you know, the one where Labour swept to power. That was my first election. I was nineteen and living in Tory Northampton. Sally Keeble, the Labour candidate, had spread her campaign leaflets everywhere. They were all over my halls of residence and I can still picture them now. But what I most remember about that election is that I took it for granted. I didn't know that the feeling of hope on election night, was going to be a once-in-a-generation experience. This time, if the polls are to be believed, I might experience that again. If you're a fan of the Tory party, I imagine it's not going to be much fun. The 10pm exit poll on 12th December 2019 was a pretty low point for me, so I do get it. But as someone who's been wanting to sensibly and calmly see the back of the Tory government since 2010, and who's been wanting to vehemently, passionately, and with every fibre of my being, see the back of the Tory government since 2016, I'm going to consider July 4th a potentially big event. If you don't agree, then fair play. There's plenty of sport to see you through.

I do have a key. It isn't
just a pretty pattern.

Writing News

My new planner arrived. Hurrah and huzzah! I've now got a colour-coded schedule from mid-July 2024-June 2025. That takes me up to the middle of the editing process of the new book. Just typing that is terrifying. At the moment, I've got a few bullet points stuck on a cork board, so being mid-edit in a year's time feels ridiculous. But that's the plan. 

Despite this being my fifth book, I've never before planned so strict a schedule. I usually take my merry time when writing the first drafts. Even while I'm editing, I pay no attention to the days. It's only when I start the technical publishing stuff that I think about publication dates. Well, this time I'm going to try and be disciplined. I'm determined to be more efficient with my time. Now I've got my colour-coded planner, the world's my oyster.

Bel and Freddie - bezzie mates
AND responsible for the news.

Culture

Did you ever watch The Hour? It was a BBC drama back in 2011, set in the fifties and based around the team of a fictional nightly news programme. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Well I did. And apart from one mate that I remember chatting about it with at the time, no one else seemed to. This was a shame because it was BRILLIANT. Please note the capitalisation that denotes my strength of feeling. It was classy, intriguing, well written, and full of excellent characters getting up to all sorts of Cold War skullduggery. It was axed - inexplicably - after two series and I'm still cross about that. But never fear! It's just rocked up on Netflix. I'm one series down and loving reliving the shenanigans. Oh, and Anna Chancellor's character of Lix is my absolute style icon. I want to wear high-waited, wide legged trousers whilst chain-smoking in an office. Sigh. 

Food and Drink

Smushed sardines. The
taste of my childhood.

When I was a  kid, Sunday night teas kept the
same format, week in, week out. Cheese on toast cut into squares, and sardines on toast cut into triangles. These were piled up on to two large plates and placed in the middle of the kitchen table. Then an absolute free-for-all commenced. Seven kids being urged by two adults not to snatch as much as possible, but to eat one thing at a time. Lolz. It was dog-eat-dog and there were usually tears. Anyway, it must have been around 1996 that I last had sardines. It was a childhood staple and then something I've never bothered with since leaving home. Until now! Yep, it's that pesky Instagram's fault. A few weeks ago, I happened to linger over a timeline recipe involving a tin of sardines. The algorithm smelt blood. Ever since then, I've been bombarded with recipe after recipe involving the humble sardine. It was only a matter of time until I cracked. 

I started simple. Smushed sardines on toast. Always the ones in tomato sauce. After that, I started to get imaginative. Sardines stirred through pasta. Sardines smushed with anchovies and garlic. And then I made this...

My sardiney, beany,
tasty dish of loveliness.
Serves two.

In a frying pan, add...

• olive oil
• lemon juice
• capers
• pepper
• garlic
• anchovies
• tinned sardines (I use two)
• mini shrimp
• a can of cannellini beans

That's it. Heat it up, stir it through, and let the sardines break up a bit. All or none of the ingredients are changeable. I happen to love mini shrimp and put them in everything. You do you. You could add halved tomatoes, or herbs. Parsley would work beautifully. Or spinach. Make it your own. Then, and most importantly, eat with a big hunk of crusty bread. 

Clockface Country Park

Out and About

I don't want to sound like a wanker, but I'm really enjoying my daily walks. Setting my alarm an hour earlier, throwing on my scruffs, and driving to a park, is such a good start to the day. Even when I end up sitting for hours after that, at least I've had a bit of fresh air and a stretch first thing. Lordy, who even am I? Anyway, I've discovered another local gem. Clockface Country Park is a short drive away, and covers the surface of one of the many closed collieries round my way. If nothing else, my recent walking habit has made me explore some of the green bits on Google maps. 

Whatever big events you're planning to watch, cheer on, or stay up all night for, enjoy them! Communal viewing is loads of fun, regardless of whether it's someone competing in an obscure Olympic sport you've suddenly become obsessed with, or a particularly egregious MP losing their seat in the early hours of the morning. This is the stuff of life. Happy Big Event Summer, everyone!

Have a lovely week, folks.