Fire

This morning I work up before it was properly light to what I thought was someone throwing something about in the street.
I sent Traff to the window to shout at the offending youth only for him to be like "the house over the road is on fire". what we'd actually heard was the windows exploding.
We were really shocked- we both just watched for a while- I mean, for most eventualities someone tells you what is expected of you- but if someones house has become an inferno instructions are thin on the ground- there were flames and smoke coming through the roof.


After some faffing we realised there wasn't a fire engine at the scene. Traff wanted to run over and check- although in hind sight I'm sure the instruction is just to ring even if you think someone already has?
I'm not sure.
Someone told me this stuff in primary school. in assembly. in junior school.
no-one told me I'd ever actually need to use it.


We really felt like we should be doing something- But what I'm not sure.


We just ended up lying awake until the alarm went off wondering if we should be doing something.


this was the report from the Beds on sunday- with a link to a video one of the neighbours has taken:

Image showing fire crews in St Michael's Road, Bedford filmed by a neighbour

Five people - including two children - have been rescued from a three-storey flat fire in Bedford.

Dramatic footage has been published onto YouTube of the blaze in St Michael’s Road which started at 5.20 on Wednesday morning.

The fire started in a flat at the back of the building with the video, filmed by a neighbour, showing a fireman rescuing two children from a first-floor window and a woman being dragged from the fire.

Five fire crews and an aerial platform were in attendance with Bedfordshire and Luton Fire Rescue spokesman, Neil Thompson, confirming that all people had been accounted for.

Around 30 fire fighters were at the scene.

Incident commander, Guy Munno, said: “Crews worked extremely hard. When they arrived there was a severe fire in progress and fire fighters have had to tackle the fire inside the building where they used breathing apparatus.  Fire fighters had to remove roof tiles from the building to expose the fire and so they could tame the flames.”

A video of the rescue can bee seen here http://bit.ly/KuOtlC

Any views expressed by the publisher of the video do not reflect those of Bedfordshire on Sunday or Bedford Midweek.

I'll be honest though- filming it would not have been my first priority.


Traff went to work this evening and it turned out the council had rehoused all the people from the flats there for the time being- so he got all the gossip.
Apparently everyone is fine, except the woman who was taken to hospital but she was breathing when she left the scene of the fire.


I really hope she makes a full recover, and that they get everything sorted out as soon as possible.
It was scary and horrible enough just to be woken up by, let alone if its your house.

Ice cream- from hungryandfrozen.com

Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream

6 egg yolks
50g brown sugar
2 tins coconut milk (not low fat)
2 tablespoons good cocoa
200g dark, dark chocolate, chopped

Gently heat the coconut milk in a wide pan, while mixing the egg yolks and sugar together. Once the coconut milk is good and hot, but not in any danger of boiling, pour it over the bowl of egg yolks and sugar, stirring all the while. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, then pour the egg-coconut milk mixture back into it and keep it on a gentle heat, stirring constantly. It takes a while - at least 10 to 20 minutes - and you need to keep stirring - but it will thicken up into a custard of sorts. Once it is sufficiently thickened, remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa and chocolate, allowing it to melt into the mixture. Let this cool then freeze. Makes around a litre, maybe a little more.



The unfrozen mixture is amazing - the thickest, lightest, softest chocolatey custard ever. Once frozen, it's even more sublime. The coconut flavour isn't actually overly noticeable to if you want to amp it up a bit, stir in some toasted dessicated coconut before freezing. This is magical stuff - don't let the fact that you have to make a custard put you off. I've made custard-based ice creams a billion times before without them turning into scrambled eggs, and if laughably clumsy I can do it, trust me, so can you.

Park Picnic

I'm very spoiled- I got back from my parents house and Traff had made us a rather epic picnic to eat in the park!
:D

He made Salad: with cashew nuts, sweet corn, lettuce and spring onions, Couscous, potato salad, and BBQ chicken pieces.
Which took to the park and ate off real plates with proper cutlery = this made the picnic rather posh.

Super healthy summery food.

Punting in Oxford

For Kirstie's birthday we went punting in oxford- the weather was perfect for a river adventure- oxford was a bit mad because the 2nd year students (white carnation!) had finished their year- so there were students everywhere wearing party hats in various states of undress and inebriation.

We met Lizzy and Aaron at Lizzy's apartment- which has the most amazing view! so jealous!

We went punting, and had a picnic in the boat- we then went to the queen victoria and moored the punt to get ice cream! we then took the punt back to the college (much easier because it was downstream as opposed to fighting the breeze and current). 

We then walked into oxford.

All that exercise helped us work up an appetite for Chain mai thai food and ice cream from george and danvers! yay!

followed by mooching in Christchurch grounds AND cocktails.

Could you have had a more perfect day?

I think not.

I've even decided I kind of like punting.

Didcot- on my way to kirstie's house

Taking the train to oxford- lots of painted nails and caffeine.

Woolfstone college, oxford. and their punt harbour!

Punts! and the thames.

Lizzy demonstrating her expert punting skills- as she is an oxford uni student she gets to use the punts whenever the weather allows! and Aaron eating some of Kirstie's cookies. better than ben's cookies (covered market oxford speciality)

other punters feeding geese.

nosy duck! we did have food on the boat, but we didn't feed the ducks or we would have been overrun.

Aaron teaching Kirstie how to steer. harder than it sounds.

Duck. on the boat. cheeky.

Low bride + pole. 

The Queen Victoria in north oxford- we moored the boat and went for ice cream- too hot for gin..

on our way again- back to the college.

It turned out that the only thing harder than steering a punt is trying to park it nicely. they're not very co-operartive.

Walking into oxford for some food and drinkies. only a 40 min walk along the river- pretty! you wouldn't believe that we were in a major city!

The river- just to prove we were still in Oxford!

Dinner on hight street! Chang mai citchen is an awesome place!

:D

I will deffo be going again!

St Aldates- Christ church college "tom tower" -look at the colour of the sky! not a cloud! amazing!

we follwed dinner with icecream from george and danvers- made in Jericho! awesome! I had creme anglais flavour with hot chocolate fudge sauce! it was heavenly. and it melted all over the table.  

we went and sat in Christ church college grounds for a bit to let our food go down- until we got kicked out at about 9pm. it was still warm and light though- it did not feel late!

Cocktails at "house" on blue board street!

Photos as Cosiners house

On Saturday we arranged for 3 generations of my family to meet with a friend of mine who is doing a photography degree in ealing.
He took some family photos for us on black and white film- between looking good and having sensible photos taken, I also took some photos- hopefully Dave's are LOADS better than mine!

I met one of my 101 in 1001- I wore these bad boys all day! making me about a foot taller than Traff in all the photos! oops.

I brought the photographer a present- its for making your own films from a giant roll of film- brand new! we found it in the dark room at work when we were clearing it out- I saved it from the skip!

The grounds at Cosiners house- and Traff wandering about having run off.

Ray Ray looking pretty. 

Medieval staircase- and my missing wife again...wandering off..

Me and my Nanna :D

My mother and my sisters boyfriend John- Mrs Robinson anyone?

someone needs to tell them they're not in ABBA

My Cousin and his Mrs. 

My very smiley mother.

My sister and I- Just our best bits. this is why we need to hire a photographer.

Traff and I.

John, doing his "catalogue man" pose.

no, Dad, it's not that kid of catalogue.

EVERYONE!

:D

Cosiner's house was beautiful- and the staff put on afternoon tea for us which was delicious! and there were teenyweeny scones and bottomless tea! bliss.

I wanted to take a photograph but everyone else got in there and started eating stuff before I had a chance!

Traff got a bit bored and climbed a tree at one point. he calmed down a bit after we fed him.

O_o

Phillastine!