You've Come A Long Way Baby!

Ho Ho Ho....Merry Christmas!

Well who'd have believed that.....a year of blogging and still going....what were the chances of that happening eh?
We've come a long way from the first tentative post last Christmas eve (back on the old Yahoo 360 blog) ....then the move to Blogger and 130 posts later here we are at Christmas 2007 with several thousand views of the blog, a map showing where you all are and a bumper collection of images, a large chunk of which are viewable at the Flickr page.

First of all I'd like to say a big THANK YOU to all of you that have been following along over the last year and I'll also extend that and say thanks from Robert for all of you that have looked at our pictures over at the Flickr site.....I know that having an audience for his pictures has re-vitalised him and his photography so I'm looking forward to seeing lots more in the next year.

What a year it's been as well.......there have been highs.......lows......and a handful or two of smut........which as it happens generated the most interest that the blog had all year!!...........shame on you ;-) All of this was documented in pictures and put on Flickr for all to see, but I still feel that a retrospective look is in order so have a butchers at what we did this year...

and the last of the year before the Christmas cookery begins again.

PHEW!! having just looked back through all the Flickr images......we did quite a bit last year and I only posted a fraction of the pictures that we all took.

Then there was the book, which while not exactly a top seller, is ticking along nicely......and 2008 should see another 1 or 2 joining it (a Georgian recipe book first then a Stuart period one) plus who knows what else??

Now on to more pressing business.....the Christmas cookery event at Hampton Court from 27th December to 1st January inclusive.
Unbelievably all the deliveries turned up relatively on time yesterday and all of them were correct....nothing missing, no substitutions and no errors.......quite unexpected really. The office had it's final tidy up ready for the onslaught, the last load of Christmas cards were collected from the post room and put up on the mantle piece and final Christmas wishes were said to the Howard and Warren that work the fire in the kitchen. All that's left now is for the guys to turn up on Boxing day, set the kitchen up then crack on with the cookery on the 27th....but what are they going to be doing?
Well the plan for the cookery is as follows:

Day 1

roast beef
buknade
custade lumbarde
tarte of benes
perre

Day 2

roast venison
beef y-stwyd
buttyrd wortys
hen in clene brot
egges in moneshine
ryse of genoa
chawettys

Day 3

Roast pork
Tarts owte of lente.
Fylettys en Galentyne.
Oyle Soppys.
Applade Ryalle.
Wardons in syryp.


The plan was to then repeat this for day 4,5 and 6 but I'm thinking now that although this will form the basis of those days menus, we'll probably wing it and cook a few other recipes....possibly a trayne roste, some different pies, who knows.....but I aim to let you all know just as soon as I do!
Fingers crossed that technology will allow regular posting over the week and I'm hoping that we'll be able to upload pictures and video as well....but there's no guarantee of that.

All that's left is to wish you all a Happy Christmas....New Years salutations will come nearer to the time.....and to hope that you all keep on following the work that we do.
As always, if any of you visit the kitchens over the course of the cookery this Christmas then do say hello.

TTFN