11th November - Fieldfares

Home made 'Rocket Stove'

Approaching mid-November, I would expect to wake up to frost having fallen asleep under such clear skies but the cloud has returned and below it a heavy drifting mist. This morning saturated air covered everything with a film of moisture, the muffled patter of water drops falling on leaf litter emanated from the gloomy coppice and cob webs about the door hung gaudy with tiny white pearls. The damp seemed capable of penetrating everywhere - even the post felt slightly limp having been in the covered post-box for only 20 minutes.

The first fieldfares came to the area almost a month ago but until today I had seen little of them. Once cold weather arrives, the Bramley orchards will swarm with the migrant thrushes and on Bunny Lane this afternoon I saw the first small bunch flighting from the woods to the orchard over the hedge. Around this time last year the ground was blanketed with a foot of snow and fieldfares were joined by red wings, starlings, blackbirds and pigeons to gorge on the fallen fruit. Hundreds upon hundreds of beaks made short work of the big apples and when the snow receded nothing remained of the autumnal feast save for a few hollowed out skins lying like cups in the grass.

I always drive along Bunny Lane on Friday afternoon, then on past the prison to the school with its big white windows, which stare across some of Kent's finest countryside.  I used to cycle the route years ago, noting the same birds and wayside plants as I do now though these days I go to teach rather than learn.  The term ‘teacher’ is perhaps a little grand for my employment, as I only run an activities group but it was still very unsettling to find myself on the other side of the fence when I first started.  Suddenly I was desperately trying to prevent the cheeky misbehaviour which six years previous I had bought to an art form, much to the amusement of the staff who knew me of old.  I even wonder at times if the most spirited boys are hand selected to torment me during my weekly sessions.  Today in 'Country Club' I demonstrated charcoal burning by turning peeled hazel sticks into artist’s charcoal using a biscuit tin over a wood-fired camping stove (known as a Rocket Stove). As usual the boys looked on with disinterest as I pointed out the white steam coming off first but became far more animated as I set fire to the alcohol and tars which burn like candle flames above the holes punched in the tin lid. Within 15 minutes the process was complete.  Everything except pure carbon had been driven from the wood and on opening the 'kiln' the kids seemed mildly impressed at its transformation to black brittle charcoal. Handing out the sticks I allowed the boys, as I always do, to go and create some artwork on the fallen trees and dead stumps which litter the wood, a task which they set about with an uncustomary willingness. Under no illusion I gave them 10 minutes before wandering over to admire their handiwork. As predicted every surface which would take a black line from the charcoal sticks was plastered in phalluses of every conceivable shape and size - another reminder that very little has changed since I left.

Dinner

Beef and mushroom pie with carrots, cabbage and gravy.

I still had a few field mushrooms left from the last picking and the meal turned out brilliantly, like a proper pub pie.

Beef and Mushroom Pie

Ingredients

Shortcrust pastry

Cubed beef

Mushrooms

Onion

Fresh thyme

Tomato purée

Plain flour

Seasoning

Method

• Line pie dish with pastry.
• Combine all other ingredients in a bowl, adding enough flour to make the mixture stick together slightly
• Press filling into pastry case, put on lid and glaze with egg.
• Bake for three hours in a medium oven.