I am writing to you outside on October 1st. enjoying the balmy breeze and golden light that has been absent for most of the summer. What a wonderful late burst of warmth to cheer us up.
The hedgerows are stuffed with ripening fruit and, now that the leaves are turning, the colours are spectacular. Ruby reds with acid yellow, purple with burnt orange. It is a feast for the eye as well as the appetite. Last week I went sloe picking with my daughter-in-law hot off the East Coast line from London and we struck lucky with a perfect day. The bushes are just dripping with sloes that have that amazing bloom over their indigo skin. Armed with giant kilner jars from Wilkinson we collected 6kg. of sloes and finished off with a memorable lunch at the Chequers in Woolsthorpe. Tracking down a reliable recipe has been tricky but we are going for:
a proportion of 200g. caster sugar to each 500gm of sloes filling the kilner jars 3/4 full and topping up with gin. Shake every day for a week until the sugar has dissolved and then once a week for 8 - 10 weeks. Strain through a fine mesh and bottle in smart jars. Any other recipes or tips?
October is Breast Awareness Month and the whole village is involved in helping to raise money for a Faxitron machine at the Breast Care Centre at the City Hospital. This is a heat seeking machine which can identify abnormal cells during surgery and give our surgeons more accuracy in leaving a healthy margin when removing the cancer. It costs £45,000 and we are half way there! Colston Bassett Store and Garden Cafe are having a PINK WEEKEND on Friday 21st, Saturday 22nd. and Sunday 23rd. October. The theme will be pink with all the staff in pink (including Martin), pink cakes and pink drinks. White wine and Cassis is a winner! There will be a bucket collection and a raffle with a Day Spa at Eden Hall and Set Lunch at World Service as two of the top prizes and cards, tags and gifts for sale in the Store in aid of the fund. Do come and support us. There aren't many people who haven't been touched by cancer be it themselves or a relative or friend so give generously. You never know it may help someone close to you. Other fundraising events in the village are:
Friday 7th. October 12.30 Vale of Belvoir Charity Lunch with Ann Davies of the BBC as guest speaker (tickets Gilly Cross 01949 81532)
Sat. 19th. November 7.30pm A Musical Extravaganza presented by the Variety Club of Colston Bassett (tickets Bunty Fletcher 01949 81594)
I want to scotch rumours that have been going around that the Store has been sold. We have indeed had the property and business up for sale and have been in negotiations with Ian and Nicola Hartland of Mrs. King's Pork Pies for several months. However sufficient finance could not be raised by them and because there is global financial uncertainty at the moment we have taken the business off the market for the time being. So don't despair that you won't be able to enjoy Martin's freshly made scones any more or come and browse round the cards and gifts in the Store. You will and lots more besides! We are busy making changes to the layout of the Store and have started by bringing the cards which were in the hallway into the main part of the shop and moving the wines onto the dresser. Come and see what we've done. It's fresh and different.
Finally, by popular demand we will be OPEN ON SUNDAY again as from 2nd. October 10.30 till 4.30 (last orders in the cafe at 4.10pm.) Do come and support us.
See you soon
Jan
