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Oh my goodness - half a century since the dawn of The Two Ronnies! I can hardly believe that it's been fifty years since The Two Ronnies was first seen on British TV back in the spring of 1971. Whatever the expectations may have been from that first episode, I wonder if anyone could have guessed what an absolute institution this comedy sketch show was to become featuring some iconic and much-talked about sketches with Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett going on to become two of Britain's best-loved entertainers. Four candles, anyone? I often say this here but comedy really was a big deal in our house. My mum loved her soaps, my sis and I loved everything as long as it was on the telly (but not sport!) and if there was any comedy on, you could bet your life my dad would be watching it! And boy did he love The Two Ronnies. I can still see him lounging about on the floor in front of the TV, absolutely howling with laughter and thumping the floor. Goodness knows what the neighbours made of all that but The Two Ronnies was definitely essential viewing in our house. You knew you were in for a fun evening when Mr. Barker and Mr. Corbett were on the box! Like most people, I had my favourite and not-so-favourite parts of this iconic comedy sketch show. I loved the spoof serials such as The Phantom Raspberry Blower and The Worm That Turned but I really didn't like 'Ronnie Corbett in the chair' (as I called it!) segment. I thought it was very boring having Ronnie just sitting on a chair talking to the audience. But it was only as I got older that I got to appreciate these monologues, Ronnie's stories, and his witty delivery much more than I had done. But my favourite ever sketch ever has to be the sheikh in the grocery store. I remember the first time I saw that and I thought it was hilarious (Chocolate mouse, steak and kidney pee!) Fast forward many years later, and as an EFL teacher, I've encountered many similar situations due to students mispronouncing words which has provided many moments of hilarity. And my years in retail have meant that over the years, I've met my fair share of Mr. Four Candles and Ronnie Corbett's Pink Gobstopper man! Check out our post about these two bespectacled comedy legends and their amazing show. Did anyone know that there was a National Chocolate Mouse Day? Neither did I but it was on 3rd April. Why there wasn't more fanfare about this day, I don't know. But in an ode to my favourite Two Ronnies' sketch, our Comfort Food feature is all about the sublime chocolate mouse, I mean - mousse! This deliciously light and airy dessert is one of my absolute favourites. In fact, I'd like to think I was something of a chocolate mousse connoisseur - I'm not sure if there's a chocolate mousse or variation I haven't tried. And for me, this dinner party classic really was comfort food. I used to turn to the chiller cabinet in the supermarket for chocolate mousse during exam time when I was stressed out or if I just needed a bit of cheering up. Women's magazines in the eighties and nineties always featured recipes for some kind of variation on this dessert. And I remember when my tinier-than-I-am-now self was watching BBC's Breakfast Time while getting ready for school, and I saw Frank Bough and Debbie Greenwood tucking into a delicious chocolate mousse made with rosewater - how amazing does that sound??? Oh by the way, The Breakfast Time crew were deep in chocolate mousse because the cooking segment had just finished and they were sampling the end result - not because they were feeling a bit peckish while on air. So is it any surprise that our chocolate mousse recipe has taken inspiration from Breakfast Time and is made with rosewater for that subtle, sweet flavour and aroma I'm a big fan of. Have a go at making it and tell us what you think. These last few days have been marred with sadness as a few people in the public eye have passed away. Actor Paul Ritter; Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh; rapper DMX, and Big Brother's Nikki Grahame are all no longer with us. I sincerely hope there wil be no more bad news. May they rest in eternal peace x Photos: YouTube Word Cloud: Angel Noire

The second part of our look at seventies' BBC drama series Accident. Episode three - The Figures Man (Ray Jenkins) In this episode we see that Edmunds is still on the run and has resorted to stealing food, and even more worryingly has seen a little girl playing on the swings by herself. Will she be safe? But this episode really centres around stockbroker Andrew Buchan and his chauffer Lionel Megson, who takes it upon himself to act as Buchan's faithful man servant rather than just his driver. The two served in the war and were in the same regiment. When they left the army, Buchan offered Megson an employment position with him, and Megson eventually agreed to be his chauffer, working for Buchan for twenty two years. On the morning of the accident however, it was Buchan who had been driving while Megson reluctantly sat in the back after his boss insisted on getting behind the wheel, despite Megson believing him to be an erratic driver. The accident occurred while Buchan and Megson were on their way to meet a very important client, David Walker. There is a great deal of mystery surrounding this client and why this deal is practically life or death to Buchan. Even while Buchan - who was badly injured in the crash while Megson escaped fairly unscathed - was being carried into the ambulance on a stretcher, he was still relaying instructions to Megson with regards to the client as Buchan was desperate not to miss out on this deal. Although Buchan hadn't confided in his friend, Megson knew that Buchan's company was in financial trouble and he had resorted to some underhand tactics in order to keep the company afloat. If this deal with Walker didn't go ahead, the company would go under and Buchan would lose his job - possibly even face jail. So while Buchan's life may have been hanging in the balance, both he and Megson knew that safeguarding the future of the company was also just as vital. As a result, Megson comes across as pushy, arrogant and very unpleasant towards the hospital staff as he tries to carry out his boss's wishes without revealing the amount of trouble Buchan is in. These are traits that don't go unnoticed by David Walker who points these out to Buchan in a meeting prior to the accident (though it's shown at the end of the episode) where Buchan defends his friend's behaviour by revealing a tragedy in Megson's life that caused him to behave the way he does. One person standing in the way of the deal being a success was Simon Lovell. He is the grandson of the man who started the company many years ago, although it was revealed by David Walker that it was Buchan who turned it into the prestigious firm that it currently was. When Lovell becomes suspicious of some of Buchan's dealings, either in a bid to prove himself or to tarnish the professional reputation of the older man, he reveals all to Walker. Will this revelation cause him to pull out of the deal? And if so, where will this leave Buchan and Megson? Episode four - Jack in the Middle (Derek Ingrey) Oh what a tangled web we weave! We delve into the life of transport firm owner, Jack Dutton, who proves to be a real man of mystery. The crash brings about the realization to those closest to him that they don't know him as well as they thought they did... In the opening scene of this episode, we see Jack and his friend Bert - who met when Bert was looking for a job at the firm - enjoy a day out at the beach with their families. Jack proves to be a very attentive and caring husband to his wife of six years, Betty. So imagine the viewers' surprise - not to mention Bert's - when the police inform a seriously-ill Jack's next of kin... and the Mrs. Dutton who turns up is a completely different woman called Ruth! This causes much confusion for the police and for Bert... which one of the two women is really Jack's wife? Jack's story - which also explains how he got to own and build up his transport hire company - is told in a series of flashbacks, telling the tale of fake friends, adulterous liaisons, and Catholic guilt, with all of the above leading to a double life with two women, two homes, one set of children and two jobs. Oh and a mother with dementia to boot! But why would a mild-mannered, friendly chap like Jack live such a duplicitous life? Is he really just a cad and a charmer? One thing's for sure. If Jack pulls through, he's definitely got a lot of explaining to do! Episode five - Terri (Ray Jenkins) There are two 'lone' characters in this series - one of them being escaped convict Cyril Edmunds, and the other being the beautiful Terri Lewis (no not the legendary music producer!) and this episode focuses on Terri's story, an unconventional, free-spirited, fiercely independent young woman who wants so much more out of life. Terri was part of the group of passengers on the minibus, driven by Jack Dutton, headed to the airport, as she's about to go travelling, starting with Morocco. During the apparently brief journey, Terri and Jack open up about seemingly personal matters - as strangers often do - and no doubt the conversation would have continued, had it not been for the accident. Constantly on the move and estranged from her father who she admits was 'unselfish,' and worked hard to give her a good life, Terri writes to her father but never lets him know where she is. She lives in a bedsit and the two constants - albeit briefly - in her life at that moment were her friend Steph, and her married boyfriend Ian Shaw who she met through Steph. It is also through Steph that Terri gets a job as a sales assistant in a clothing boutique called Gladly's. It becomes a bone of contention between the two young women because Steph, fed up with the unfair treatment of the sales girls wants to start a strike. She gets the union involved; wants Ian to use his TV contacts to get the media to take notice, and expects full backing from Terri - especially as it was her who got her the job at Gladly's. And when she doesn't get Terri's co-operation on the issue it leads to conflict. Terri refuses to be bullied or pushed around, while Steph thinks that Terri has had it easy all her life and never had to fight for anything. She's very wrong about that, and we discover that aside from Terri having to leave home, she's also experienced a heart-breaking tragedy in her life. A bit of a charmer and a ladies' man, Ian gets quite a frosty reception from Terri initially. But the frost eventually thaws and they begin an affair. Ian seems to have no qualms about the relationship, especially as his wife Ellie - a teacher - has also been having an affair with one of her (more mature) students. But Terri feels very insecure about Ellie and realizes that despite her feisty and independent ways, she's really starting to develop feelings for Ian. So when she walks out on her job, free-as-a-bird Terri wants to go travelling starting with Ian and Ellie's holiday home in France. Very cheeky, some might say! The question is... can she convince Steph and more importantly Ian to leave with her? Episode six - Victims (Derek Ingrey) Now is the turn of Cyril Edmunds who is the only one of those involved in the crash who never went to hospital and doesn't seem to have been badly hurt. He goes on the run - as any prisoner who sees a chance to escape would do - and the scene starts with Edmonds being chased by the police ending by the canal before the story goes back in time and we get to see Edmunds' disturbing story. A loner with difficulties who was once caught exposing himself, Edmunds has a reputation as the neighbourhood pervert, and some of the local kids take great pleasure in taunting him. On one such occasion, Edmunds chases one of the girls and when he catches up with her, he starts smacking her - and is seen doing so by the police. The young girl, Mona Halliday, then accuses Edmunds of trying to touch her. Even though the police doubt her story, they take Edmunds in for questioning and take Mona home. Viewers soon realize that Mona's home life is far from a happy one. Her mother is physically and emotionally abusive while her father is very neglectful. But Mona tries to do the right thing and when she sees Edmunds in the street, she goes up to him and apologizes, claiming she only made up those allegations because she thought her mother would hit her - which she did anyway. Mona then proceeds to move the top part of her blouse so that Edmunds can see the bruises on her shoulder, but unfortunately the whole incident is witnessed by a neighbour and it's not long before rumours start flying. Then comes the day when Edmunds finds Mona unconscious in his outhouse. As he carries her out, he is seen by the same neighbour who wastes no time in calling the police, who burst into Edmunds home as he tends to the wounds of a still unconscious Mona. Edmunds ends up having served four years for a crime he insists he didn't commit. So when the accident occurs, Edmunds escapes, and just before that stand-off with the police by the canal, he pays a visit to the person he knows is responsible for having him sent to prison - as well as for what happened to young Mona. Episode seven - Purple One (Ray Jenkins) The penultimate episode focus on Frank and Dilys Martin, a couple who have been married for a number of years who are slowing drifting apart. Dilys feels that Frank is more invested in his job as the local headteacher rather than in their relationship. She also feels that it's because they don't have children of their own, that Frank gives a great deal of attention to his pupils, in particular a local child called Frankie Delane. Two of the crash victims remain critically ill, and meanwhile Diana has given birth after an agonizing labour. But there is now an anxious wait to see if Stephen will get to meet his child soon. Episode eight - Ends and Ways (Derek Ingrey) The final episode and the one where the show's only fatality is tragically revealed. Those involved in the accident try to pick up the pieces and move on with their lives with feelings of hope and optimism. The series ends on a happy note for one particular character. What we think... A very interesting and strongly written show that we really wouldn't mind seeing again. It most definitely held our interest and we couldn't wait for the next episode to see what drama might unfold. Though that said, there were a couple of episodes that seemed a little slow moving but still very watchable nonetheless. Despite the grave subject matter, viewers can't help but feel warmed by the camaraderie of the crash victims and their 'we're all in it together' attitude. And by the last episode it looks as though two of the parties may well have formed a long-lasting friendship despite the tragic circumstances. Warm and fuzzy it may have been at times but Accident certainly didn't shy away from gritty and tough themes, and some may have found the storylines around child abuse, neglect, and possible miscarriages of justice hard to watch. However there is this feeling that not all the loose ends have been neatly tied up, and there are lots of unanswered questions left hanging: Who was the lady that Jack really ended up with? Who really was behind the assault of little Mona? What happened to Mona's family especially her evil mother? What became of the Delane family's relationship with Frank Martin? We get the feeling that there was more than meets the eye to the college professor - what was his story? All these loose ends leaves us wondering if perhaps there was the possibility of a second series - it's a real shame that there wasn't as there were some potentially good storylines. It's a pity that Accident isn't better known. It isn't talked about and there's very little about the show online. Aside from the fact that it's very entertaining with lots of 'edge of your seat' scenes, this series addresses topics that raise a lot of thought-provoking questions, giving the viewer real food for thought. The test of time test The second you see the opening credits, hear the theme tune, see those fonts, there's no confusion as to which decade the show was produced in and it really shows. Is that a bad thing? Well for us - never! This series is a real gem for those of us who can't get enough of vintage telly. But for those who prefer more modern TV shows, they may not give this incredible piece of TV drama a chance. Although that said, the opening credits especially combined with the theme tune hint at mystery, intrigue and action so if any of those themes appeal to the viewer, they might just keep watching. If you're a fan of seventies TV shows or you were around during this fabulous decade, it will bring back a lot of memories. And if you weren't you will marvel at this glimpse into life 1970s style: the fashion, the hairstyles, the cars, the décor, even the technology. By today's standards, those computer screens look prehistoric! Not a flat screen in sight. Oh and payphones that eat up all your coins at an alarming rate - thank goodness for our mobile phones, eh! There are some subject matters that don't ring true for audiences today. A young unmarried couple having a baby out of wedlock wouldn't be so shocking today. And while extra-marital affairs aren't exactly unheard of today, staying married purely because you're a Catholic while both you and your wife conduct affairs does seem rather strange! But then there are themes that everyone can relate to such as extra-marital affairs. The child abuse storyline is a very difficult one to watch but it's a stark reminder that the 1970s weren't always the good old days and there were such issues that existed like that even back then. Photos: YouTube Word Cloud: Angel Noire

The second part at our look at one of the most iconic sitcoms ever to grace British television - John Sullivan's fabulous Only Fools and Horses. Classic Comedic Scenes During the show's twenty two year history, there are many episodes that stand out as memorable and scenes that had us screaming with laughter. Each of us will have our own personal favourites and enjoy episodes that we could happily watch over and over again. But there are some that are unanimously considered classics: Del and Rodney saving Councillor Murray while dressed as Batman and Robin (ingenious!) Raquel's musical performance with a singer who couldn't pronounce his 'R's (Cwying!) that chandelier moment that would have appalled even Frank Spencer (incidentally a role David Jason had auditioned for!) as well as that historic moment when the boys luck came in and they finally were millionaires thanks to the rediscovery of an antique watch that had been sitting in their garage for years - that they mistakenly thought was a Victorian egg timer! But there's no need for us to tell you what the most memorable, most-talked about Only Fools scene is. You've guessed it - it's the one where Del falls through an open bar-hatch while talking to an oblivious Trigger in full view of the attractive young women Del had hoped to make an impression on in an episode entitled Yuppy Love. We still can't decide which was bit was funnier: Del trying to act unaffected or Trigger not knowing where Del had disappeared to! Years later in 2014, in an Only Fools' Sports Relief special entitled Beckham in Peckham, footballing legend David Beckham recreated that famous fall in the middle of the market when he tried to lean against a goods cart that someone had already moved, as Del and Rodney tried to sell Beckham-inspired underwear, What a plonker! The Catchphrases Which brings us on to those memorable catchphrases we were all repeating. Those who are long-time fans of the show will know that the catchphrases are just as iconic as the characters, the storylines, and the Reliant Regal three-wheeler van! Every time you hear someone exclaim 'Lovely Jubbly' or 'Fromage Frais', you know they're bound to be a Del wannabe! Del's repertoire of phrases include, "You dipstick/plonker/wally" (usually when talking to Rodney) "Shut up, you tart" (Rodney again!) "This time next year, we'll be millionaires," "He who dares..." and not forgetting his French malapropisms. And when trying to manipulate his not-so-gullible younger brother into going ahead with some scheme or other, 'Do you know what the last thing mum said to me on her death-bed was?' often crops up! It was really Del Boy who was the king of the catchphrases, but not to be outdone, the other Trotters were allowed a couple of their own too! 'Cosmic' seemed to be Rodney's saying, sometimes with an element of sarcasm, while Uncle Albert often prefixed everything with 'During the war,' which raised a few groans from whoever he was talking to. It Wasn't All Fun and Games... Only Fools and Horses will forever be remembered for it's laugh out loud humour and timeless gags, but the show could do serious too. Being the writing mastermind that he was, Sullivan had the unique ability to sway viewers emotions, so that you'll be laughing until your stomach hurts one minute, feel weepy the next, and maybe even laugh and cry at the same time a few minutes later! Anyone who's watched Grandad's funeral or the beautifully-written scene where Del and Rodney rush to the hospital after Cassandra suffers a miscarriage will know that these are just two examples of Sullivan writing with the utmost of sensitivity but still having viewers smiling through the tears. It's a talent not too many people have. And it's this depth that prevented the show from becoming 'flat' or the characters from becoming one-dimensional, and really enabled viewers to take the show, the characters - and the actors who played them so well - to their hearts. As well as Sullivan himself of course. Scenes that were most poignant for their dramatic rather than comedic effect were the revelation of Raquel's pregnancy; the birth of Damien Trotter; Cassandra's miscarriage; Rodney's wedding which marked a new chapter in his life, Rodney and Cassandra finally having their baby, and Grandad's funeral - where the cast had had to film those scenes only a week after having attended Lennard Pearce's funeral. It goes without saying that the emotions and grief felt by the cast, as well as the sensitivity and warmth with which Sullivan wrote that episode were very real. TEAM GRANDAD or TEAM UNCLE ALBERT And we have to talk about the whole Grandad versus Uncle Albert debate. We've found that most viewers seem to be Team Grandad, and feel that the episodes when he was in it with Del and Rodney were the shows 'golden years.' And from what we can remember viewers back in the eighties definitely seemed to feel that the show just wasn't the same after Grandad's death - even when Uncle Albert had been in the show for a good few series. We feel that's a bit unfair as both Lennard Pearce and Buster Merryfield did a phenomenal job in their respective roles, so we can't help but feel that Buster Merryfield is a little underappreciated here. We understand that a lot of people don't like change - it's even been said that some of the cast and crew were unsure about Uncle Albert's arrival - and there may have been some who felt that Uncle Albert was brought in as a replacement for Grandad. Well you can't replace the irreplaceable! And in our opinion Uncle Albert is every bit as irreplaceable as Grandad. There's no need for a compare and contrast - both characters were legendary and made us cry with laughter. One thing we are thankful for though is that the role of Grandad wasn't recast after Lennard Pearce sadly passed away - a move which would undoubtedly not have gone down well with viewers. Famous Faces There were some established actors who appeared in Only Fools who then went on to become very familiar faces to British audiences. Among them included John Barton (Easties' Jim Branning) Steven Woodcock (EastEnders' Clyde Tavernier) and Gerry Cowper (EE's Rosie Miller.) But in case you're thinking that Only Fools was running an apprentice training scheme for actors graduating to EastEnders, well there are plenty of actors who did go on to star in other shows: Vas Blackwood (The Lenny Henry Show, Spatz, Casualty etc.) Nula Conwell (W.P.C Martella, The Bill) Robert Vahey (Bill Sayers, Howard's Way) Sheree Murphy (Emmerdale's Tricia Dingle) Diane Langton (Nana McQueen, Hollyoaks - and yes in EastEnders as Cindy Beale's mum, Bev!) Andree 'Nervous Nerys' Bernard (Hollyoaks' Liz Burton Taylor) Paul Barber has appeared in many TV shows including Casualty and Doctors, and Jim Broadbent (the man who could have been Del Trotter) went on to great film success. And that's just some of them! What We Think What can we say about Only Fools and Horses that hasn't been said a million times before by the show's fans? And we think you can already guess what we think about one of the best sitcoms Britain has ever produced. We reckon it's fair to say that Only Fools and Horses is the jewel in the crown that is British comedy! If there's one thing that Britain does exceedingly well aside from fish n' chips and Mr. Kipling's cakes, it's quality television. And with Only Fools, we think we can say that never before has there been an enduring sitcom that has been so well-loved and taken to the nation's hearts quite the way this one has. When Del and Rodney became millionaires, it actually became front-page news. Not bad for a couple of fictitious characters! It is a British institution that has had a huge impact on popular culture, and is proof that a British TV show doesn't have to have garnered the US market to be a smash hit. There are many British sitcoms that are very dear to us but Only Fools is in a league of it's own. The fact that the show has lasted over a period of twenty two years at a time when most successful sitcoms lasted on average about three to four series - well, we think that says it all! If Only Fools and Horses has a unique selling point, it would be that the late John Sullivan never shied away from the more heart-wrenchingly emotional storylines and proved that you could do laughter as well as tears and still have a hit sitcom on your hands. And he did it with a skill that we don't think we've ever seen anyone replicate since. Nice one, John! We can't put our finger on what it is that made Only Fools and Horses the success story that it was. It has, as Del would say, that je ne sais quoi. And for once he'd be getting it right! Every once in a while, a show comes along - about as often as Halley's Comet - that blows every other televisual delight right out of the stratosphere - and Only Fools is such a show. The superb writing, the stellar cast, one-of-a-kind characters, comic scenarios and gags, the memorable catchphrases, highly imaginative storylines, and that iconic theme tune (or tunes we should say!) It's so strange to think that if just one of those elements had changed - even just a fraction - Only Fools and Horses may not have been the sitcom we've all come to know and love. One of the reasons why Only Fools and Horses resonates with so many people is because at one point or another in our lives, we'll all have known a Del Boy, a Mickey Pearce, or a Sid down the cafe. These were characters that the ordinary British person could relate to, and we shared their own feelings about their numerous setbacks, occasional triumphs, that desire to strive and make make something of themselves against all odds. We see their ups and downs over the years and there is plenty of them! But as much as we're huge Only Fools fans here, admittedly we're not so keen on the episodes that were made after Del and Rodney got their millions. There seemed to be something lacking although they are definitely still worth watching and not at all awful. Perhaps it was because it was such a joyous moment when the Trotters' dream of becoming millionaires finally came true that the Trotter family should have been remembered as the success story that they became and the series should have ended with Del, Rodney and Uncle Albert leaving their past behind them and walking towards their new life (with Del trying to convince them that next year, they could be billionaires!) To see them return without their fortune was quite disheartening. And if there's another reason why we all loved Only Fools and Horses, it was probably because we all huddled around the TV with our family and friends to watch a sitcom that was essentially about... family and friends. We live in a world where moving around a lot; loneliness; family feuds, and prioritizing work above all else has sadly become the norm. The Trotters may have been grafters but they always had time for the people in their lives. There may have been sibling rivalry and wind-ups between the brothers; rivalry between friends (Rodney and Mickey Pearce, Del and Boycie) rows with Grandad or Uncle Albert - not to mention their other halves - but it never developed into a full-scale row or a permanent break-up... Because the Trotters knew what mattered in life. Del may have dreamt of becoming a millionaire but when it come to family and friends, he was an incredibly rich man. We suppose you could say that Only Fools taught us all something about valuing the people in our lives. The Test-of- Time Test It's always difficult to predict whether something that was popular during a particular time will continue to be so in the future. But we can honestly say that for a sitcom that started out forty years ago, there's very, very little about Only Fools and Horses that seems dated and old-hat. It's still going strong today - if not stronger - and is one of the most repeated sitcoms on our screens. That's fantastic because it means that a new generation of fans can also grow up with a show that made their parents, grandparents, and maybe even grandparents laugh until their stomachs hurt. Does Only Fools and Horses pass the test-of-time test? We think it does! In a lot of ways - and we think that most people who were around at the time would agree - Only Fools and Horses depicts how most people, the working class, especially, lived in the early eighties onwards and brings back memories - either good or bad of living in Thatcher's Britain and experiencing the problems of that time especially with regards to unemployment and families struggling to make ends meet (no different to now, we hear some of you say!) Only Fools and Horses illustrates the problems and issues of that time but serves it up with a big dose of good ol' cockney humour! The show was broadcast at a time when everyone was in need of a good laugh - and Only Fools provided that in spades. And one of the things people often think about when talking of eighties' Britain is the 'yuppy era' - perfectly personified by our very own Del Boy! There will be people today who won't have lived in a time when the word 'yuppy' was bandied about back then. But for those who lived in any major cities, people either were yuppies - or they wanted to be one. Del absolutely wanted to be one and did what he could to give the impression that he was living the yuppy lifestyle from being seen in the trendiest wine bars, suited and booted, rubbing shoulders with all the right people, talking himself up whenever he got the chance, throwing about French phrases - albeit badly - in a bid to make himself appear more sophisticated and cultured - and the (no pun intended!) pièces de résistance... the all-important briefcase, filo fax and mobile phone. A stark reminder of a time when we didn't all have mobile phones (and even if we did, we certainly weren't glued to them!) In fact some of us didn't even have landlines. Tough times indeed! and those striving to better themselves - or giving us the impression that they're bettering themselves a la Del Boy - these are aspects of society which still exist and will continue to do so. Therefore this is something that future audiences will still be able to relate to. Despite the fact that Only Fools began in 1981, there's not a great deal about the show - other than clothes and hairstyles - that seems awfully dated. But unfortunately there are still aspects of the show that won't be so popular with audiences today: the portrayal of women; occasional language that could be deemed racist or homophobic, the odd rude word of the korma variety; lack of diversity etc. People, if they wish to, will always find something to complain about. But as we keep saying that was part and parcel - rightly or wrongly - of television during the seventies and eighties. It's impossible to compare the standards of times gone by with that of today. Furthermore, Sullivan was depicting a South London as it was back then (though of course it wasn't just exclusive to South London!) To portray it as anything else would provoke cries of 'unrealistic' and 'that's not how it is in Peckham!' But there are moments of sheer comic genius that never gets old, no matter how many times you've watched these episodes which explains why it's always repeated. Everyone involved on the show has consolidated their place as legends in TV sitcom history for providing us with an amazing piece of entertainment that's the perfect pick-me-up for when we're feeling low. Us kids of the eighties and nineties will remember sitting down with our families to enjoy this great sitcom. And regardless of years of repeats, we don't really believe - in this situation at least - that overfamiliarity breeds contempt, as we still find Only Fools and Horses as hysterically funny and entertaining now as we did the very first time we watched it all those years ago. The true test-of-time test will only really occur in another forty years time when we'll see if future generations love the show as much as we do. But we think saying that Only Fools is timeless is a understatement. Sullivan created an comedy gem that can be enjoyed by all ages (apart from a few risqué moments that is. Blow up dolls, anyone?) and we just can't see it ever getting old. We very much doubt that another sitcom as good as Only Fools will ever come along in our lifetime. We don't think we can be that lucky! But we do feel blessed that we were able to experience a phenomenon like Only Fools just once. We just hope that John Sullivan knew how much Only Fools was loved by us all. So a big thank you to him and all those involved in this masterpiece that has given us so much laughter and surely has to stand the test of time forever! You know it makes sense. Bonjour! What are your favourite memories of Only Fools and Horses? Photos: YouTube Word Cloud: Angel Noire

"You plonker!" "You dipstick!" "All right, Dave?" "During the war..." "Maar-leeene!" You only have to read the above to know that we're talking about... Open All Hours! Just kidding it's that other legendary show also starring David Jason that recently celebrated it's fortieth anniversary. Seriously? This piece of comedy gold has only been on the telly for forty years? Oh mon Dieu! What did people do before Only Fools and Horses??? Fans of the show - which will probably be most of Britain, will know that when it comes to Only Fools and Horses, there's nothing about this show that isn't iconic, from that memorable theme tune to that yellow three-wheeled van to some of the most repeated catchphrases ever. Oh fromage frais! Since the hit sit-com began in 1981, most of us haven't been able to get enough of the antics, trials and tribulations of the Trotter family and their friends. If I was told that there was only one show I could watch for the rest of my life, it may well have to be Only Fools and Horses - the show that has absolutely everything: laughs; drama; tears; the funniest one-liners you'll ever hear in your life - and a group of characters you wish you could be mates with in real-life. Well, all right - them and the Friends gang! Since writing the first part of our post on this legendary sitcom, I wanted to share my own memories of Only Fools and Horses. Since the fortieth anniversary took place, I've reveled in hearing everyone else's Only Fools memories and how much they love the show. Comments I've heard included: 'Timeless'. 'Gets better with age!' 'Never gets old.' 'Always funny, no matter how many times you've seen it.' 'John Sullivan was a genius!' 'David Jason is a legend!' The list just goes on and I agree with every single one. I've heard nothing but good things which means a lot to me because it's a show that's very close to my heart - and I'm not the only one who feels that way. I can't begin to describe how special Only Fools and Horses is to me. Just the mere mention of the show conjures up images of my childhood; school days; the eighties; the nineties; Christmas and most significantly of all, my family. I remember when Only Fools used to be shown on Sunday evenings and I would find excuses to stay up later than I should have just so that I could watch this hysterically funny show. And Christmas just wasn't Christmas without an Only Fools special! It was a huge part of my family's TV viewing - my dad couldn't watch a single episode unless he had his inhaler to hand! Even today it's one of his favourite shows, and when I call home, he's always in a hurry to pass the phone over to Mum as he's so engrossed in an episode of Only Fools that he must have seen often enough to be able to reel off the entire dialogue! Sometimes I think that John Sullivan must have run into my dad at some point because whenever my siblings and I used to watch Del Boy in action, we'd look at each other and go, "that's Dad!" A right wheeler-dealer with the gift of the gab, a born salesman with entrepreneurial spirit and a real 'he who dares wins/this time next year we'll be millionaires' attitude; my dad was a real life Derek Trotter - complete with French phrases - which he actually did use correctly. But thankfully - no animal print! Even the most miserable of misery guts would find it impossible not to laugh their heads off at every episode (and if they don't, then they really do have problems!) But while they're all hilarious, we all have our favourites. One of mine is the episode entitled Chain Gang (although I sometimes erroneously call it Chain Reaction!) where the Trotters and their friends get scammed by a con artist selling thousands of pounds worth of gold chains. I feel this episode is a little underrated but I love it because it showed the Only Fools gang coming together to thwart a common enemy. I loved the smug look exchanged between Rodney and Trigger as they posed as ambulancemen; the stunned look on crook Arnie's face when he realized the game was up - and the scuffle in the restaurant when Del and Boycie were trying to keep an eye on Arnie. Del and Boycie working together - who'd have thought it? And another episode I loved was the little talked-about Miami Twice. It wasn't usual for the cast to film abroad and I loved this episode filmed in Miami, where Del gets mixed up with the Mafia - and has to be rescued in the Everglades by his friend and sparring partner, Boycie! This episode had lots more action than it usually does; fewer appearances from the regular cast members, and no studio audience laughter - but I loved every minute of it. One of the best lines of the episode came from Rodney when Del narrowly dodged a 'stray' bullet that was meant to kill him: " If he knew how to use a knife and fork, he'd be a gonner by now!" And talking of laughter from the studio audience, sometimes that was every bit as funny as the gags or the scenes - you could hear people just roaring with laughter; proper side-splitting, stomach-hurting laughter - complete with tears rolling down cheeks no doubt! And they weren't the only ones. Fans of the show will recall scenes where it looked as though David Jason was desperately trying to fight back laughter. No doubt those scenes took several takes (just as well they never did any live episodes!) but rather than taking away from the scene in any way, it just added to it and just made it seem more natural. One of my earliest memories of the show was of Del dropping a hat into Grandad's grave not realizing that the hat belonged to the vicar! At the time, I didn't realise how poignant this scene was or how much of an icon Lennard Pearce who played Grandad was. Pearce, who had appeared since the first episode, had sadly passed away in 1984, and his death was very sensitively and touchingly written into the series. His loss wasn't just felt by the cast and crew but also by the show's fans and even to this day, long-time viewers of the show have stated how much they missed Grandad's presence in Only Fools and Horses. And this is no doubt testament to Sullivan's brilliant writing abilities. Lots of comedy writers can do laughs. In fact most aim for the funniest scenes and lines they can come up with. But Sullivan wasn't afraid to do drama or emotional scenes. Rodney and Cassandra's wedding is an episode that sticks out in my mind because my little primary school self felt so sad for Del, first selflessly taking a beating by the Driscoll brothers so that Rodney could have his money for the wedding, and also for that very emotional scene where Rodney was saying goodbye to the brother who had raised him while Simply Red's Holding Back the Years played on in the background. For years, I thought I was the only one who felt sad for Del but fans have said that they too found that episode very emotionally-charged and a great example of how Sullivan could make you laugh one minute and shed a tear the next. Only Fools really is a fantastic mix of superb writing, brilliant acting, laughs, drama and tears. John Sullivan and his team absolutely nailed it! I often liken Only Fools to Friends which might seem strange considering they are two completely different sitcoms in two completely different settings. But I see parallels between the two shows. Both started off quite slow but became HUGE; the main cast remained pretty much the same until the shows ended; the writers were amazing; the dialogue was strong; the gags were hilarious; the catchphrases were used the world over, and the actors did a job that was beyond phenomenal when it came to bringing those characters to life. In fact when you look at the two casts, you just couldn't see anyone else in those roles. It's as though they were born to play those parts. I could be here all day talking about Only Fools memories and how much I love the show but I really couldn't add to or top anything that the other viewers have said a million times before. I consider myself very lucky to have grown up with what I consider to be one of the best - if not the best - British sitcoms ever. To many, it might just be a TV show. But to those of us who have grown up with the show and witnessed the shenanigans' of the Trotters and their mates, it really is so much more. The characters and actors who play them almost feel like family. I'm so glad that Only Fools is being enjoyed by a new generation of fans who get their love of the show from their parents and grandparents enthusiasm. So in that sense, it's fantastic that the words 'plonker' and 'dipstick' will never die out! If I'm lucky enough to live another forty years, you can bet your life I'll still be watching this classic sitcom. I don't think there'll ever be a funnier, more heart-wrenching sitcom than Only Fools. What do you mean you thought the Birds of a Feather reboot was funnier? Shut up, you tart! As everyone was celebrating Only Fools turning forty, little did we know that some sad news was around the corner and that Britain was to lose not one but two legends on the same day. Little over a week ago, most of us woke up to the news that British actor, John Challis had sadly lost his battle against cancer at the age of seventy nine. John had done an excellent job of playing the Trotters' friend, snooty, loudmouth car dealer Boycie since the series began and nobody could have played that role quite like he did. The endless sparring between Boycie and Del; the mocking laugh; tiffs with wife Marlene... John Challis was born to play Boycie and we are so lucky that we got to see him play this iconic character throughout the shows entire duration as well as the show's spin-off, The Green, Green Grass. John had a very extensive acting career that saw this talented actor play many roles, but it's his role as Boycie that the public have taken to their hearts. During his time in the public eye, there hasn't been a bad word said about John Challis. The lovely tributes by those who knew him well and members of the public who were lucky enough to have met him all speak about what a lovely man he was and the work he did for charity. And that same morning we also heard how we had lost football hero Jimmy Greaves, who had passed away at the age of 81. I may not have witnessed Jimmy working his magic on the pitch when he played in one of the best ever England teams. But as a child of the eighties, I do remember him as a broadcaster and football pundit. Coming from a sports-mad family where everything stopped for football, I have very fond memories of being over at my grandad's house and watching Saint and Greavsie - the ITV show Jimmy presented with Liverpool legend Ian St John - on Saturday afternoons with my grandad and uncles. He even played for my uncles' beloved West Ham for a while. And it was only recently that I discovered that Greavsie was born in my neck of the woods - Manor Park. I've grown up watching Jimmy Greaves on screen, and he always came across as a lovely man. It didn't matter that I wasn't into football as much as the rest of the family. I still thought Greavsie was a seriously cool dude. And how ironic that he should pass away the same year as his fellow pundit Ian St. John. We hope the two of them are having a kick-about on the great football pitch in the sky. Much respect from one Manor Park kid to another... Rest in eternal peace John Challis and Jimmy Greaves (and you too, Ian St John.) Thanks for all the laughs and wonderful memories. Photos: YouTube Word cloud: Angel Noire

When the bikini was launched in 1946, it took it's time to catch on due to the controversial nature of the two-piece bathing suit during a time when women weren't so comfortable with showing so much skin. But the bikini got by with a little help from its celebrity friends, and became popular partly due to the film industry putting their leading ladies in bikinis, and the general public saw that far from being sleazy and scandalous, one could look quite classy and glamourous in a naval exposing two-piece bathing suit. Movie legends who helped to propel the glamour-icon status of the bikini included Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot. In fact Bardot's movie The Girl in the Bikini is believed to be one of the first movies to feature this new kind of bathing suit. To celebrate the bikini reaching the grand old age of seventy five this month, we take a look at five of the most iconic bikinis to grace our screens. 1. URSULA ANDRESS (Dr. No. 1962) When glamourous Swedish actress, Ursula Andress, took on the role of Bond girl Honey Riley in the 1962 James Bond film, Dr. No. she had no way of knowing that it would catapult her into style icon territory. The scene where Honey is seen emerging from the ocean in a belted, white bikini complete with scabbard is the stuff legends are made of, leading that bikini to go down in history as one of the most iconic two-pieces ever. It has it's place in cinematic and fashion history but it's got it's place in the explosion of the 1960s sexual revolution. Despite the first bikini having been launched in 1946, during the fifties, the idea of wearing this skimpy style of swimwear was still frowned upon by many. But Andress's bikini - which she designed along with actress and costume designer Tessa Prendergast - changed the way people saw the bikini, and sales of this type of swimwear began to soar. Andress didn't mind that the real star of Dr. No. was that white two piece, and credits that bikini for her acting career sky-rocketing. The bikini was eventually auctioned off in 2001 and fetched £35,000 - bought by businessman Robert Earl. 2. RAQUEL WELCH, (One Million Years B.C, 1966) If your primary school teacher ever told you that any movie featuring both dinosaurs and people are a load of old cobblers due to them not having ever co-existed, well - it's true! But in One Million Years B.C. directed by Don Chaffey - viewers were more preoccupied with a certain two-piece than this ahistorical concern... Just like Ursula Andress before her in Dr. No, as soon as a fur-and-hide bikini-clad Raquel Welch - in her role as Loana - emerged from the sea, a new sixties sex-siren was born. The bikini that was voted the most iconic by Time magazine readers in 2011 (just pipping Ursula Andress's to the post!) was created by designer Carl Toms. Made of doe-skin with the furry part worn on the inside, the cut was very rough and jagged, thus giving it a prehistoric stone-age look. Three copies of the iconic bikini were made for Welch for her to wear during different scenes. The publicity still of Welch from One Million Years B.C has become a cultural phenomenon and at the time became a best-selling pinup poster. And to think she only had three lines in the film! 3. BARBARA WINDSOR (Carry On Camping, 1969) You don't even have to be a massive fan of those Carry On films to know which scene we're talking about here. The scene where Barbara Windsor's character loses her bikini top in the middle of an exercise class is right up there on the list of 'most iconic British movie scenes ever!' A strapless, lemony, towelling number, the famous scene where the too-tight top of the bikini is seen being flung into the air and into the bemused face of exercise instructor, Kenneth Williams, while Barbara clutched her bare bosom in shock, was created with the aid of a fishing hook attached to the bikini top, which was then yanked off by an off-screen assistant! Last month it was revealed that the bikini worn in the 1969 film, Carry On Camping, by the late Dame Barbara Windsor was sold for a whopping £9,500 (it was originally estimated to fetch a 'measly' £1,200) to an American buyer. Not bad for clothing that had to be rescued from the rubbish years ago after someone had binned it. We know, right - what were they thinking! The proceeds from the sale of one of the most famous bikinis in the world will be going to The Alzheimer's Society. Dame Barbara - who bravely fought against the illness and sadly passed away last year - knew that the scene from the film would 'follow me to the end,' and indeed both the film still and her quote were quite fittingly included in the order of service for her funeral. 4. PRINCESS LEIA (Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, 1983) It's a bikini that's said to have launched a thousand fantasies, and even if you don't know your Luke Skywalker from your Darth Vader, you will almost certainly know that golden bikini - although it was really copper! Worn by actress Carrie Fisher in her role as the legendary Princess Leia in the movie Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, the bikini consisted of a copper patterned bra, with copper bikini bottoms which unsually had maroon loin cloths attached to the front and back. A copper headpiece and arm cuff completed the look. The overall look is powerful, sensual and very warrior-like. The bikini was designed by Aggie Guerard Rodgers and Nilo Rodis-Jamero - the latter having worked on The Empire Strikes Back. The inspiration behind one of the most famous bikinis in the world came from other movies as well as a general description from George Lucas. Multiple copies of the bikini were made for both Fisher and her stunt double, Tracy Eddon to wear in different scenes, including a rubber version to wear during the action sequences as it was far more comfortable to move around in than the metal. Although it featured in the movie for only two scenes, Princess Leia's 'gold bikini' is probably one of the most talked about bikinis to have come from a movie; has it's iconic spot in eighties' pop culture and film history, and helped make Carrie Fisher a film legend. It's spawned spoofs and parodies - not forgetting Rachel Green's attempt at rocking the gold bikini to impress boyfriend Ross in Friends - and let's be honest... has anyone ever been to a Halloween party where there wasn't at least one bikini-clad Princess Leia present? One of the bikinis made and worn in the movie was eventually auctioned off and sold for $96,000 in 2015 - a year before Carrie Fisher sadly passed away. 5. PAMELA ANDERSON (1995 and 2006) The fifth and final iconic bikini on this list isn't from a movie. Instead it's real-life wedding attire! Every bride wants to wear something that makes her feel special and unique on her wedding day - and if you're a celebrity bride, you might even want to start a trend. And unique is definitely what Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson went for in 1995 when she married her first husband, Motley Crue's drummer Tommy Lee... There are many white bikinis that have been labelled 'iconic; from Ursula Andress's two piece to the white bikini Myleene Klass wore on I'm a Celebrity. But Pamela Anderson was the first celebrity bride to wear a bikini when she married Tommy on a beach in Cancun - after a whirlwind four day courtship. Which explains why there wasn't time to go dress shopping! Makes a change from the big, frilly meringue, we suppose! And while white bikinis have always been popular, the trend for such attire as bridalwear never caught on. However Pamela did don another white bikini when she wed Kid Rock eleven years after her first wedding to Tommy. A girl's got to wear what she feels comfy in! But let's be honest - there aren't many of us who can rock a bikini on their wedding day quite like Pamela Anderson can. Do you agree with this list? What do you think is the most iconic bikini ever? Photos: YouTube Word Cloud: Angel Noire

Aah, good old mousse au chocolat. Or chocolate mousse to the rest of us. Or 'chocolate mouse' if you're in a Two Ronnies' skit! Some things never go out of style and chocolate mousse is one of them. Once people had got over their obsession with black forest gateau in the seventies (which is equally yum by the way!) chocolate mousse pretty much became the dinner party dessert of the eighties, and it's not hard to see why: elegant, sophisticated, and considered the ultimate dessert for those who wanted to do 'fancy' (but thought profiteroles were too much hard work!) And you always had room for light-as-air mousse even after a very rich meal. Our Childhood Memories For those of us who remember the last three decades of the twentieth century, you couldn't escape these velvety, foamy clouds of chocolatey awesomeness. Even if your mum wasn't whipping up a mousse for her latest dinner party, they could be found in the freezer section at the supermarket (but became more popular in the chiller section in the early nineties) or in just-add-milk packet form a la Angel Delight. Cooking shows were teaching you how to make chocolate mousse, and there were recipes aplenty in magazines and cook books. This is hardly a surprise as the seventies and eighties were the years of Cordon Bleu cooking and French cuisine was all the rage - especially if you wanted to appear worldly, sophisticated and give the impression that you had a weekend cottage in the French countryside! But that doesn't stop some know-it-all on Come Dine With Me declaring that a fellow contestant has chosen the 'safe' option when mousse is spotted on the menu. Although if you spot chocolate mousse on a menu these days it is a surprise because it is unfairly considered a little passé and a dessert that screams 1980s dinner party. Personally we don't think there's anything wrong with an eighties dinner party, and it's a real pity that chocolate mousse is considered 'so last season' because it is deliciously decadent and seriously... who couldn't like chocolate mousse! It's not old-fashioned - it's a classic. But we do still see chocolate mousse as a filling for a cake or pie, or a component/accompaniment for other desserts, so like an eighties legend making a cameo in a new movie, chocolate mousse does indeed pop up from time to time. Now For The History Bit! Although the exact origins of chocolate mousse are unclear, it is believed to have originated in nineteenth century France ('mousse' is the French word for froth or foam) around three centuries after chocolate was first brought to Europe by the Spanish from Mexico, and was used mainly in hot beverages. Savoury mousses were created in France in the eighteenth century, and dessert mousses - which were mainly made with fruit - made an appearance around a hundred years later. The Evolution of Chocolate Mousse Despite dessert mousses being created in the latter part of the nineteenth century, there are recipes in cookbooks from the 1700s for 'frozen mousses' though these were more like ice-cream rather than mousse as we know it today. Mousse eventually found it's way to America where a recipe for chocolate mousse appeared in the Boston Globe in 1892. However this mousse was more like a chocolate custard-type dessert rather than the foamy dessert we are more familiar with. Americans started to become more acquainted with chocolate mousse during the 1930s. It's popularity continued to grow around the world after the Second World War with the rise of French cuisine. And indeed it was in the thirties that mousse as we now know it began to develop. The consumption of electric whisks made it far easier to whip up the eggs and/or cream, taking it from the thick custard sauce-type consistency to something more light and fluffy. And as if this wasn't exciting enough, it was in 1977 that chef Michel Fitoussi created white chocolate mousse (it just gets better and better!) at New York restaurant, The Palace. What Makes A Good Mousse? Chocolate mousse - or any kind of mousse for that matter - may appear simple and easy to make, and indeed it probably is easy for those who are blessed with an abundant amount of culinary talent. But mousse can be a risky option when you want a dinner party dessert that impresses as there are a number of things that could potentially go wrong including setting issues; problems with the consistency; the texture being more custard-pudding than mousse-like; the mousse becoming too grainy if the chocolate isn't tempered correctly... plus we all know that desserts with raw egg can be unsafe for certain people. So not as simple as it looks. There are certain key ingredients needed to make a good, rich but light, flavourful chocolate mousse, the first of which is a good quality chocolate with a high cocoa content. Of course there's also the aerator to create that cloud-like texture, and for that you could use whisked egg whites, whipped cream, or whisked aquafaba. If you want the chocolate mousse to hold it's shape better, you may also want to include some kind of setting agent like gelatin or agar agar. No Two Mousses Are Ever Alike! The above is a rough guide to the basics of chocolate mousse-making. But the end result can vary greatly depending on the combination and kind of ingredients used. The textures can differ from thick and slightly puddingy to light and overflowing with chocolate air bubbles (that's the best kind - Angel!) You can omit the eggs entirely and just use whipped cream, or a plant based whipped cream with aquafaba. If you wish to jazz things up a little, try adding your preferred flavouring such as vanilla, brandy, peppermint, orange or coffee. You could also top it with sweetened whipped cream, chocolate flakes, mint leaves, fruit pieces or crystalized petals or orange rind to make your dessert look pretty. And if you couldn't decide between dark, milk or white chocolate for your mousse, you could just use all three for a layered dessert that was very popular in the eighties and nineties! A Most Versatile Dessert Back in the day, chocolate mousse was usually served with shortbread or tuile biscuits as part of the dessert course. In fact those biscuits are still a favourite accompaniment for chocolate mousse. But this dessert is actually very versatile and can be served in a variety of ways. Chocolate mousse can be: Piped into profiteroles, eclairs, doughnuts, choux buns or even cream horns (remember those!) Used as a filling for tartlets or pies In the form of a mousse cake or as a filling for a gateau Set with gelatin to create a type of airy, much lighter blancmange Frozen to make a type of ice-cream As a topping for a trifle Recipe While there may be a whole host of more trendier desserts out there, we doubt that anything could really take the place of chocolate mousse! There's something about the decadent, velvety texture of chocolate mousse that brings back memories of celebrations gone by as we remember the entertaining traditions of a time we once knew. We reckon that Hyacinth Bucket would see mousse au chocolat as a very fitting finale to one of her candlelight suppers! Chocolate mousse looks stunning and luxurious but it is a dessert that requires minimal preparation time, although you will have to prepare it well ahead of time so that it will chill in the fridge for at least eight hours and set well. For our Comfort Food Recipe, we wanted one that was deliciously vintage - because we're all about the vintage at Nostalgia Pie in case you couldn't tell - so we looked through our collection of vintage recipe books for inspiration, and then decided to base our chocolate mousse recipe on one from Good Housekeeping's Hot and Cold Puddings which we believe was published in the 1950s. We loved the old-fashionedness of this recipe and felt it was proper retro! Unlike a lot of the other chocolate mousse recipes we'd come across, this one uses just eggs and no cream in the actual mousse. So we felt it was very vintage and quite unusual for today's tastes. However if you're concerned about using raw eggs, you can always use pasteurized ones or leave out the eggs altogether and use whipped cream or aquafaba but bear in mind that it will obviously make a difference to the taste and texture. And we were also inspired by a recipe which featured on BBC's Breakfast Time back in the eighties which featured rosewater. So here's our take on a very retro chocolate mousse. Chocolate Rosewater Mousse Prep time: 15min Cook time: 5 mins Set time: 8hrs Serves: 4-6 Ingredients 8oz good quality plain or milk chocolate (with cocoa content minimum 60%) grated 1 tbsp hot water 1 tbsp espresso or strong coffee 2oz butter 4 eggs, separated 3-4oz caster sugar 1 tbsp. rosewater Crystalized rose petals Chocolate flakes or curls Sweetened whipped cream (optional) Raspberries or strawberries (optional) Method Put chocolate, water, espresso & butter in pan. Heat gently until chocolate melted & mixture creamy. Cool slightly before adding beaten egg yolks & rosewater. Whisk egg whites until stiff, adding sugar a bit at a time. Fold egg whites gently into chocolate mixture. Pour into glasses. Set overnight. When ready to serve, top with sweetened whipped cream and berries if using. Decorate with rose petals and chocolate flakes. Cook's Tips To really emphasize the rose aspect of this chocolate mousse, add a layer of rose petal jam or jelly to the bottom of the glass before topping with the chocolate mousse. For those of you wondering how coffee and rose work well together as a flavour combination, the coffee exists only to enhance the chocolate, not to flavour the dessert so shouldn't taste it. But if you prefer you can omit the coffee and just add another tablespoon of water instead. FREEBIE ALERT!!! For the first time ever, Nostalgia Pie are giving away a free recipe card to accompany this Comfort Food feature for chocolate mousse. Download and save it to your computer. Or print it out and store it in a recipe box if you want to be real old-school! Only Nostalgia Pie members have access to the Free Recipe Card page, so if you're not a member, sign up to join the Nostalgia Pie community (it's free!) Then keep your eyes peeled for future free cards. Madame, with this free recipe card, you are really spoiling us! Photos from: Pixabay and Wix Word cloud: Angel Noire

World Chocolate Day is on 7th July every year but with the amount of chocolate that gets consumed on Christmas Day, you'd be forgiven for thinking that it was 25th December! Chocolate truffles, festive chocolate selection boxes, and those essential tins of assorted chocolate which are paramount for festive TV viewing - Roses and Quality Street! In fact this year, the latter celebrated eighty five years since it was first launched and it has been a firm favourite ever since, especially in British households where not only do we like to fight over our favourite chocolate varieties while watching the Christmas movie, but we also like to indulge in a box of Quality Street on other special occasions and give them as gifts throughout the year. Those of us who lived through the Nostalgia Pie years (1960s-1990s for those who don't know!) we know that one of the cool things about Quality Street during the Christmas period is that it was usually sold in a clear rather than cardboard box; a glass jar, or those gorgeously decorated metal tins which no one ever got rid of, and instead they were used for storing various bits and bobs. So while most of us are busy with our last minute prep for Christmas Day, we take a look at the chocolate assortment which no festive season is complete without. However did they celebrate Christmas before they created tins of Quality Street??? HOW IT ALL BEGAN... Although Quality Street is now produced by Nestlé, the chocolate assortment was the brainchild of Mackintosh back in the 1930s. Chocolate pioneers John and Violet Mackintosh established the Mackintosh confectionary empire in their hometown of Halifax in West Yorkshire towards the end of the nineteenth century, where the brand was particularly well-known for a type of caramel toffee. Then fast forward to the 1930s and the business was then inherited by their son, Harold. Noticing that beautifully-boxed confectionary was an indulgence of the wealthier classes who could easily afford them, he felt that this was very unfair to those members of society who were not quite so privileged. So Harold Mackintosh set about creating a range of pretty but affordable boxed-chocolates so that those who were not exactly rolling in it could enjoy them too - and rightly so, we say! So in 1936, Quality Street was launched. What was special about this chocolate assortment was that it changed the way that boxed chocolates were produced and sold, and made them more readily available to the masses. And over the years, Quality Street went on to be exported to more than fifty countries around the world. Mackintosh merged with Rowntree in 1969 to become Rowntree Mackintosh. The company was then bought by Nestlé who are still producing Quality Street today. THE NAME - WHY QUALITY STREET? Quality Street was the name of a popular play that opened in 1901 and was written by Scottish writer JM Barrie who went on to write that well-loved children's tale about the little boy who never grew up - Peter Pan. Due to the popularity of the play Quality Street, Mackintosh were inspired to name the new chocolate assortment after it. Remember the Quality Street figures of Major Quality and Miss Sweetly who were featured on Quality Street tins and used in promotion and packaging until 1998? Well they were inspired by the two main characters in the play by Barrie. Major Quality and Miss Sweetly were created to evoke the sweet (excuse the pun!) sentiments of... nostalgia... which is obviously right up our street! Mackintosh were a brand who had a reputation for knowing about and utilizing the power of marketing and publicity. At a time when Britain was still reeling from the effects of the economic crash that began in 1929, Harold Mackintosh understood that in times of economic depression, war, and social unrest, what most people craved was something bright, cheerful and a good dose of old-fashioned nostalgia! The end product fitted the bill perfectly. The chocolates were tasty yet affordable, wrapped up in bright and shiny coloured foil and cellophane; the tins were brightly coloured and featured two characters from the end of the Napoleonic era wearing old fashioned military attire and crinoline. THOSE JEWEL-TONED WRAPPERS We can still remember the first time we took the lid off a tin of Quality Street and marvelled at the assortment of brightly-coloured foil and cellophane wrapped chocolates that made them even more alluring. And remember as kids, we would hold each of those cellophane wrappers up to our eyes so that everything was crimson/amethyst/emerald coloured? Such happy days! Back when Quality Street was first getting started, Harold Mackintosh aimed to keep costs down by wrapping each individual chocolate in brightly coloured wrappers - which also added to the appeal - rather than place them in expensive-to-produce chocolate boxes. Mackintosh was also responsible for creating the world's first chocolate twist-wrapping machine to wrap each piece of confectionary in a distinctive wrapper. You didn't think each of those chocolates were hand-wrapped, did you? THE TINS! Todays Quality Street selection is available in plastic tubs which some of us feel quite disappointed about but we live in an age where manufacturers aim to keep costs down as much as possible so needs must! But many of us remember when the chocolates were sold in metal tins with pretty designs. This was another one of Mackintosh's ideas as he wanted the chocolates to be sold in sturdy and practical packaging. Come on - how many of you kept the tins after you'd scoffed all the chocolates for storing biscuits, homemade cakes and a whole variety of other items? Well you have Harold Mackintosh to thank for that! While generally throughout the year, especially during the latter part of the twentieth century, Quality Street would be available in cardboard boxes but at Christmas it would usually be those adorable tins or large glass jars. Occasionally though, on anniversaries for instance, special edition tins are still being produced but you have to grab them while you can. The tin combined with the use of the chocolate wrappers created something of a sensory confectionary experience. As soon as the lid comes off, you're hit with the aroma of chocolatey goodness, and your eye is immediately drawn to the riot of vibrant colour and all the various shapes, sizes and textures of the chocolates - not to mention the rustle of all the sweet wrappers as you dig around the tin for your fave flavour before chomping down on it in all it's deliciousness! THE FLAVOURS. WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE? Everyone who's ever bought a tin of Quality Street will have their fave chocolates and their not-so-faves. When Quality Street was first launched, there were eighteen chocolates and toffees in every tin - each of a different flavour. Some of those varieties are still available today such as the caramel swirl and the green triangle, although most of us would have known the latter as the noisette triangle. But over the years, there have been a variety of flavours that have come and gone including fruits of the forest cream, fig fancy and apricot delight. They all sound quite delicious so there'll be no complaints from us if they make a comeback! Many of the stand-out chocolates in existence today are the fudge, toffee finger, and the memorable toffee penny which was an original Mackintosh recipe and got its name for being the size of the old English penny coin. Now going by the name The Purple One, a favourite of many Quality Street fans is the purple cellophane-wrapped hazelnut in runny caramel. Those who enjoy the Purple One might be interested to know that once upon a time it was actually a brazil nut in caramel. Due to a shortage of Brazil nuts during wartime, it was replaced with hazelnuts - and chocolate lovers have never looked back. Personally we think that it works way better with the hazelnut! But if there's anyone out there who can't live without the discontinued strawberry or coffee cream chocolates, let us know! THE QUALITY STREET ADS There have been over one hundred TV ads for Quality Street with the first one being broadcast in 1958 with the tagline "No one ever says no to Mackintosh's Quality Street." Since that first ad, we've enjoyed seeing the latest TV commercial or print advert which enticed us to go out and buy a box of Quality Street. And just as we do with this wonderful chocolate assortment, we all have our favourites when it comes to the Quality Street ads. In 1979, the brand came up with the slogan 'Made for sharing' which of course it was. And nobody but nobody can hear the melody to Magic Moments - recorded by Perry Como in 1957 without thinking of Quality Street! A FESTIVE FAVOURITE It's a well-known fact that at Christmas, every British household needs a tin of Quality Street to dig into as they watch a classic movie or the unmissable Christmas EastEnders episode. It's unknown how Quality Street became such a festive favourite (as well as that other chocolate sweet selection, Roses!) but it could be that the bright, jewel-tone wrappers are reminiscent of the brightly-coloured lights and decorations of the season. And let's face it, those big chocolate tins are made for sharing so what could be more appropriate for an occasion that's all about, family, friends and giving? Made for sharing indeed! A merry Christmas to all you nostalgia addicts out there and best wishes for a very happy 2022. We hope you have a truly magical festive season. And as you dig into your tin of Quality Street after the Queen's speech, remember to set aside the purple ones for us! Photos: Youtube Word Cloud: Angel Noire

The man and I have a new favourite snack - eggs and bread! Crusty bread rolls that go from freezer to oven (not homemade I'm afraid!) and a side of eggs. It's breakfast, a snack, a light supper - whatever we want it to be at any time of day. My husband always has a chuckle when he suggests a snack and I come up with the eggs and bread snack that we can't get enough of! But it always manages to hit the spot. That got me thinking about that other well-known, very popular egg-and-bread dish - French toast! So our latest Comfort Food feature will be dedicated to French toast that I've been scoffing since I was much tinier than I am now. I guess I've always liked the egg and bread combo! I think I might have been about five when Mum first made French toast for my sister and me. I was a very fussy eater and it was very difficult for my mum to get me to eat anything. I'd never finish meals and would only ever pick at my food. However, when I first tried French toast it was definitely love at first bite! I couldn't get enough of this yummy fried bread. It was quite good for my parents because growing up, we didn't really have a great deal of money, so Mum must have been thrilled that the one thing I wanted to stuff my face with was as cheap as... well, a loaf of bread! French toast was very much a firm favourite in our house when I was growing up, not just with me but with all of us. The difference is that the French toast my mum made for us was always a savoury version, and it was generally served as a snack although we did sometimes have it for breakfast. But it was years later in the late nineties, when I visited America for the first time that I tried the sweet version of French toast which is how most people know it, served alongside bacon or sausages and eggs. And it is almost always served for breakfast - unless you're wolfing them down at Denny's at 11pm which was something The Man and I used to do a lot of when we moved to Portland, OR! As an American, he'd been eating French toast his entire life - well since he was old enough to eat anyway! But he'd never tried French toast savoury style, and he couldn't wrap his head around the idea of, what he essentially perceived to be a breakfast food, that was served at any time of the day - which in my home, it was! Personally I think he's been missing out all these years! And furthermore, I really don't remember anyone else making French toast during my childhood days other than my mum. If if you grew up in eighties' Britain and you ate French toast by the bucketload, then please let us know. You can also try out the recipes for my mum's savoury French toast, and my husband's sweet cinnamon French toast here. Check out the recipes in our French toast post. Enjoy! We're getting very close to the end of Neighbours' thirty seven year run - and we are dreading it! If you've seen the trailer for the final few months of the popular Aussie soap, you probably had a lump in your throat when Jackie Woodburne (Susan Kennedy) very poignantly says, "It's time to say goodbye." Oh we know, Jackie, we know! If only we didn't have to. No doubt there'll be floods of tears when the final episode airs. Some faces we didn't think we'd see back on Ramsay Street including the ghost of Jim Robinson. But if there is one bright spark on a rather dismal horizon, it will be the crop of familiar faces that will be returning to Ramsay Street to mark the end of the iconic show. Over the last few years, Neighbours have done a brilliant job of bringing back characters from the soap's hey day: Clive Gibbons, Jane Harris, Dr. Beverly Robinson, Melanie Pearson, and more recently Glenn Donnelly. And now Neighbours have really outdone themselves by giving us the comeback of all comebacks - the eternal king and queen of Ramsay Street, Scott and Charlene! I'll be honest - never in my lifetime did I think I would ever see the most legendary couple in soap back on our screens. I'm sure I speak for fans everywhere when I say how grateful we are to Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue for making our dearest wish come true, even though they have said for years that they would never return. Thank you guys! And I apologise to all Nostalgia Pie followers in other countries where Neighbours has never been shown, who haven't the foggiest what this soap opera is all about, as during the next few months in the lead up to the end of show, there will be a plethora of Neighbours' posts coming up. We want to share in happy, nostalgic memories of the show as Neighbours goes out with a bang. And a whole lot of sobbing no doubt! It's freebie time again - with my own scattiness being the inspiration behind it the idea! I could eat, drink, sleep, breathe nostalgia all day every day. And even now I'm still coming across new musical artists I'd never heard of, movies and TV shows I've never watched, books I've yet to read and so on. Then there's all the retro channels and stations I keep hearing about; businesses that deal in vintage and retro, nostalgia-based social media groups I'd like to join - the list goes on. The problem is that when I want to check all these out, the names of all the above has totally gone from my head! I'd like to say it's because I'm getting older (or maybe not!) but the truth is I've always been like this so it's just me being me! So I decided to create a wall-planner type-thing - the Retro Entertainment and Leisure Reminder - where I can jot down all the things I need to to be reminded about, and then I need never worry about missing out again - or frustrating myself! For those who aren't as bad as me and don't need a visual reminder pinned up on the wall, you can actually download it to your computer and add the info you need. For those who are printing it out, I've also included a version of the planner that uses less colour to save on your printer ink, giving you the option to use coloured card or paper if you want that extra colour. Plus go ahead and laminate it so that it's reusable. Us? Extravagant? Never! The Retro Entertainment and Leisure Reminder planner is free but it's only available to Nostalgia Pie members. If you're a member, head over to the Free Printables page. And if you haven't already signed up to join the community, you can do so now. That's free too! Photos: YouTube, Pixabay and Angel's own. Blog graphics: Angel Noire

The first post of the year! We hope everyone has had a good Christmas; a great start to the new year - and that you don't need to thaw out like we do! We're having classic New England January weather here with lots of snow. We should have been going to visit our friends' horse who's happily getting settled into her new stable but the weather's put paid to that! Hopefully we'll soon be over the worst of it, but right now we're holed up at home, having stocked up on lots of hot chocolate and now we're going to get all cosy... with a cosy mystery! I've recently started reading novels in the Agatha Raisin series and I'm also listening to the radio plays (with the sublime Penelope Keith in the lead role) based on the books written by the late Scottish author, M.C. Beaton. The Agatha Raisin series first came out in the early nineties with the first novel - The Quiche of Death - published in 1992. I will soon start watching the TV series - where Agatha is played by Ashley Jenson - and I am kicking myself for not getting immersed in the adventures of the Cotwalds-based former public-relations-agent-turned-private- detective a lot sooner. They're perfect for those who like an entertaining mystery that's witty and amusing rather than dark and macabre. I often tell people that I grew up on a diet of classic horror flicks but I also grew up watching cosy mystery TV series and they really were all the rage during my childhood years. Murder She Wrote, Hart to Hart, Poirot... you name it, I watched it! For those of you who are wondering what a cosy mystery or 'cosy' is, well I'm not talking about watching a detective series while wearing bedsocks! A cosy mystery is one in which violence, bloodshed, and anything of a sexual nature is often downplayed, or omitted altogether, leaving viewers with just an inkling of the severity of the incident. So basically it's something that you can watch with your gran! Think pre-2000 Crimewatch UK! OK maybe not quite Crimewatch which is obviously quite dark, and cosies often have an element of humour in them. The protagonist is usually - but not always - an amateur, and furthermore crimes often take place in small, close-knit communities; the kind where everyone knows one another and knows how many spoonfuls of sugar they put in their tea that morning! And indeed cosy mysteries helped to create another set of memories for me when I moved to America in the autumn of 2016. I was horribly homesick. So much so that I took to drinking tea and baking scones! I wasn't really much of a baker before moving to the States but it was all about the English connection, and I have to say - they were pretty good scones! And what could be more English than tea and scones? Well tea and scones while wearing a crown and sitting on a throne but seeing as I don't have a crown or a throne, I had to make do with a beanie (it's cold here in New England - even indoors!) and a recliner! But it instantly made me feel a lot less homesick and more at home. And what was I doing while I was drinking tea and enjoying freshly baked scones while pretending to be the lady of the manor? I was getting engrossed in a cosy mystery! But since moving to America, it's really the British cosies that I've been most interested in, especially the ones set in quaint little towns and villages; where everyone knows Mr. Field the Farmer and his family; where everyone goes to the church service every Sunday morning without fail, and where locks on doors and windows are totally unnecessary. It makes you wonder how such gruesome murders take place in peaceful, tranquil communities like these. It must be because no one locks their doors or windows! Midsomer Murders; Hetty Wainthrop Investigates; Miss Marple; Rosemary and Thyme... I'm addicted! So since Autumn 2016, tea, baked goodies, and a cosy mystery have become something of a ritual, and it's something I tend to do every autumn and winter - cosies were just made for these seasons where you can get all, um, cosy with a mug of tea and a blanket and get engrossed in a good story - it's especially delightful on snow days. I'm a little more settled in my new life in the States but I won't lie, I still miss home very much and have a yearning for all things English, which is why I love British cosies so much: the countryside; rolling green hills; flower beds; tearooms; stately homes, cottages... You can't get more English than that! And despite being a city girl and a die-hard Londoner, seeing the quintessential English countryside represented in such shows, really does remind me of the place I still call home. So there you have it - my cosy mystery memories and rituals! Check out our upcoming cosy posts including one for amateur detective series Rosemary and Thyme which starred Felicity Kendal and Pam Ferris - two very familiar faces from my childhood. I'm disappointed that only three series were ever made but I am enjoying watching them again. Lounging around on the couch with a box of choccies, watching Rosemary and Thyme while the snow's pelting down outside is definitely my idea of bliss. Do you like cosy mysteries? Which are your faves? Let us know in the comments. Photos: YouTube and Angel Noire Blog graphics: Angel Noire

Just when you think you've seen it all... The 94th Academy Awards held last Sunday, answered the question for everyone who ever wondered why Will Smith was often regarded as a whack rapper! The world is still reeling after watching Smith calmly walk up on stage and deliver an almighty slap to Chris Rock after Rock had made a joke regarding Will's wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith's shaven head. Whether you're Team Will or Team Chris is one thing, but something we do know for sure is that this moment in Academy Award history will never be forgotten and will follow Will Smith around for years to come. In a night that saw Will finally win the coveted Best Actor Oscar, his win was grossly overshadowed by his shocking behaviour. Even Will's own mother admitted she was astounded by what she saw as she has never seen Will react like that before. Maybe she'll send him to stay with his aunty and uncle in Bel Air... But let's face it, where TV is concerned, this isn't the first time our jaws have hit the floor (although admittedly all the TV events listed here are a lot more tame than Sunday night's shenanigans!) During our years of television watching, we've stumbled across some real never-saw-that-coming moments. When you watch a film, soap opera, or TV drama, you know that the scriptwriters and directors have worked hard to incorporate dramatic and explosive moments - and we expect nothing less. But when it's television that has not (necessarily) been scripted - especially when it's live TV - the following classic TV moments prove that it isn't always all right on the night and viewers are sometimes left stunned, wondering "Did I really just see that???" 1. Judy Finnigan's Wardrobe Malfunction Show: The National TV Awards Year: 2001 Channel: ITV Key players: Judy Finnegan, Richard Madeley, John Leslie This was a real OMG! moment. Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan's daytime TV show This Morning had just won an award at The National Television Awards. As they walked up to the podium, the audience dissolved into fits of laughter. The husband and wife presenting duo assumed it was because of the clip that had just been shown where Richard was impersonating Ali G. At the same time, a very gallant John Leslie leapt to the stage and rearranged Judy's coat - and that was when the penny dropped for the This Morning presenters. Richard announced that the mishap would be edited out of the show before it was broadcast, so Judy reminded him that the show was being broadcast live! We have to say that Richard and Judy dealt with the incident in very good humour and recovered well. The very next day, Judy's wardrobe malfunction made front page news and other talk shows could talk about nothing else. Richard and Judy also talked about what had happened during that acceptance speech (well why not! Everyone else was!) on This Morning, with both Richard and Judy puzzled as they couldn't understand how the dress had come undone when Richard had fastened it securely. But it certainly wasn't all bad. Judy was complimented on her, er, assets, and Richard was declared a very lucky man! And John Leslie, the former Blue Peter presenter who had rushed up on stage to protect Judy's modesty was praised the following day for his chivalrous actions. But in a bizarre twist of fate, Leslie was caught up in a series of scandals that put paid to his TV career even though he was acquitted of all charges. Another thing no one saw coming... 2. Bee Gees' Run-In With Clive Anderson Show: Clive Anderson All Talk Year: 1997 Channel: BBC1 Key players: Clive Anderson, The Bee Gees As BBC's Clive Anderson All Talk was not live, the papers had already reported that all had not been well during Anderson's interview with the Bee Gees, so it wasn't a total shock when the legendary music group walked out while in the middle of an interview, but it was still an 'OMG' moment! It started out like any other interview with the audience excited as their musical idols took their seats on stage. Clive asked many questions about their childhood, career and family life while giving them a bit of a ribbing. However the teasing proved to be a bit too much for Barry, who felt that Clive had gone one insult too far and stormed off the stage in a fit of temper, closely followed by Robin who was also equally angry. Maurice, who didn't seem at all cross, was the last to leave and decided to follow his brothers because he couldn't see any point in continuing the interview without the other Bee Gees. "I don't do impressions," said Maurice thoughtfully as he struggled to remove his mic. Clive Anderson's face when he realised that the Bee Gees were being serious about walking off was unforgettable. The Bee Gees appearance on Clive Anderson's show divided the nation. Some felt that the Bee Gees had behaved like divas and had a very poor sense of humour, while others thought that Clive had behaved in a very offensive manner and that he owed the Bee Gees an apology. We just think it was a classic moment in TV history. 3. Grace Jones Clobbers Russell Harty Show: The Russell Harty Show Year: 1980 Channel: BBC1 Key players: Russell Harty, Grace Jones, Patrick Litchfield, WA Poucher Those who were fans of eighties' British chat shows would most probably remember this one - every interviewer's worst nightmare come to life on screen! Not that we can put all the blame on Grace Jones as chat show host Russell Harty didn't come out of this too well himself - in more ways than one! Singer, actress and model Grace Jones was a huge star in the eighties. Edgy, fearless, quite eccentric with her own unique sense of style, she was not unlike our modern-day icon Lady Gaga. Russell harty was another well known face on British television in the 1980s, and with Grace Jones appearing on his mid-evening chat show - The Russell Harty Show - the audience thought they were in for an evening of riveting conversation and fun. But it turned out to be anything other than that, with the two appearing annoyed at the other's presence. Grace was sullen and childish, refusing to give proper answers to his questions (she admitted on the show that she was sleep deprived, and in her book also admitted that she was high) while Harty came across as sarcastic and demeaning, talking to Grace as though she was a five year old. At one point he even mocked her outfit, saying he though she would be wearing something ' more lavish.' Er, it actually was! And in any case, Grace was so strikingly beautiful, she could've worn a potato sack and still pulled off the look! The audience probably laughed along at the sheer awkwardness of it all. But things took a turn for then worse, when Grace became more than a bit miffed that Russell kept turning his back to her in order to talk to other guests. Known for being eccentric, Grace warned Russell not to keep ignoring her. He didn't take her warnings seriously - so she smacked him. And then did it again. And again much to the bewilderment of Harty's bemused guests - who clearly didn't know what to make of it all. At least Harty didn't turn his back to her after that! 4. Tommy Cooper Dies On Stage Show: Live From Her Majesty's Year: 1984 Channel: ITV Key players: Tommy Cooper. Welsh-born comedian and magician Tommy Cooper, with his trademark red fez, was an iconic figure from the seventies up until mid-eighties when he sadly passed away. One of his signature routines was the magic act that appeared to be going wrong, and he appeared on many of the entertainment variety shows that were so popular during this time. And it was on one such show, LWT's Live From Her Majesty's (after Her Majesty's Theatre in London) that Tommy made his last appearance... Whilst in the middle of a comedy routine, Tommy Cooper, collapsed on stage after suffering a heart attack not only in front of the theatre's audience but in front of millions of viewers around the country too. The horribly sad thing is that because of Tommy's madcap style, everyone thought that this was part of his performance, and were laughing along with what they believed to be part of his act. Of course the programme makers, knowing that this wasn't what they saw during rehearsals would have been confused by the change in Tommy's routine, and knowing that something wasn't right, they went to an ad break. It was much later that evening when the tragic news was announced that Tommy Cooper had sadly passed away. 5. Peter Smith Admits To Lying About His Age On Popstars: The Rivals Show: Pop Stars: The Rivals Year: 2002 Channel: ITV Key players: Peter Smith, Davina McCall Nowadays, search- for- a- new- pop star shows are two a penny and if I'm honest I'm a little bit bored of them now and rarely tune in. However, back in the day I used to watch them religiously. They really took off after Popstars, in which HearSay were discovered, so naturally we all tuned in to watch Popstars: The Rivals to find out who the new boy band and girl group of the future were going to be. All was going well until week two when one of the boys was going to be eliminated. Suddenly Peter Smith said that there was something he needed to say. Despite finding it difficult to get the words out, Peter finally announced that he had lied about his age and that he was in fact two months too old to be in the competition. The audience was stunned; Peter's fellow competitors - both girls and boys - were in tears; the show's presenter, Davina McCall, was struggling to keep it together, and if the viewing public were anything like me, then they undoubtedly got a little emotional too. Despite later claims, that Peter's shock announcement was planned in a bid to boost ratings, I think I'll give him the benefit of the doubt; it was a very brave thing for the young man to do on live national TV. 6. Cilla Black Exposes A Journalist On Blind Date Show: Blind date Year: 1998 Channel: ITV Key players: Cilla Black, Nicola Gill Blind Date used to be compulsive Saturday night viewing with the fab Cilla Black. It was a show for those who were looking for love - as well as the odd would-be celeb looking for exposure. Isn't that right Ms. Holden? However, Nicola Gill, a journalist from Cosmopolitan, took things a step further... Wanting to write an exposé about the show, she posed as a contestant and got to go on a date with a fellow contestant. Cilla and the Blind Date team somehow got wind of the 'contestant's'' true identity, and not one to suffer fools gladly, Cilla exposed the journalist on TV - in front of the audience and Nicola's very disappointed date - before giving her a dressing down for being down right sneaky and for depriving a genuine contestant of a place on the show. There was never a dull moment on the show but we'd never seen anything like that on Blind Date before. Go Cilla! 7. Paula Yates's Appearance on Have I Got News For You Show: Have I Got News For You Year: 1995 Channel: BBC1 Key players: Paula Yates, Ian Hislop When British Tv presenter Paula Yates appeared on BBC quiz show Have I Got News For You, no one knew just how memorable and talked about this appearance was going to be. Paula had became, unfairly some might say, one of the most unpopular women on the planet when she ditched her husband, ex-Boomtown Rat and co-founder of Live Aid, Sir Bob Geldof after falling madly in love with INXS frontman Michael Hutchence. Michael had also had the end his relationship with Danish supermodel Helena Christensen in order to be with Paula, so it wasn't just Sir Bob who was nursing a broken heart. During the show, British journalist Ian Hislop took swipes at Paula every opportunity he got. Paula reprimanded him for being so rude. A female member of the audience seemed to agree with Ian. "So much for sisterhood!" said a very exasperated Paula. "Is that what you said to Helena Christensen?" asked Ian as the audience gasped. Paula later got her own back by calling Ian the 'sperm of the devil,'and looked thoroughly pleased with herself. "Even her insults come from genitals," Ian shot back. We've never seen sparring like it. 8. Big Brother 5's Fight Night Show: The National TV Awards Year: 2004 Channel: ITV Key players: Emma Greenwood, Michell Bass Big Brother 5 was probably the most dramatic series ever, with lots of edge of the seat stuff, but nothing was as explosive as Fight Night... Two of the housemates, Emma Greenwood and Michelle Bass, were believed by the other housemates, to have been evicted in a surprise double eviction. In actual fact the two girls were hiding out in a secret house where they were watching the goings-on in the main house. They got to hear some not so nice things said about them, so when they finally surprised everyone by walking back into the house, it was very clear that they had scores to settle with some of the other housemates. But nobody predicted just how out of hand things would get when angry exchanges turned into a physical fight, and for the first time ever, security had to enter the house and intervene as things became very violent and aggressive. And according to press reports, viewers who witnessed the violence as it was unfolding live, called he police. A very hysterical Emma was removed from the main house and taken back to the secret house  where she spent the night before being evicted for real. Although things did calm down, the divisions remained and the tensions continued until the series ended. 9. Amanda de Cadenet's Interview With New Kids On The Block Show: The Word Year: 1990 Channel: Channel 4 Key players: Amanda De Cadanet, Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood, Jordan Knight The Word presenter Amanda De Cadenet's interview with three members of New Kids On The Block - Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood, and an extremely hot looking Jordan Knight - infuriated countless New Kids fans. She had spent the few minutes that she had interviewing mocking the fellas and making digs at them every opportunity she got. None of it in good humour. So she wasn't a New Kids fan, we get that, but she came across as extremely ignorant and unprofessional. However as every Blockhead back in the day knew, you don't pick a fight with Donnie Wahlberg and expect to get away with it. The wildest New Kid, who wasn't afraid of anyone or anything, refused to put up with any nonsense from Ms. De Cadenet and put her well and truly in her place, even implying that her interviewing skills weren't up to much -  and he was right! It wasn't the most comfortable of interviews but New Kids' fans cheered as the smug smile was wiped off Amanda's face. NKOTB - 1 Amanda - 0 10. Bjork Goes Crazy Show: Various news reports Year: 1996 Channel: Various Key players: Bjork, Julie Kaufman OK, so we all knew that Icelandic pop star Bjork was more than just a little bit bonkers. In fact, I think she liked it that we all thought she was a bit bonkers. But nobody for a second thought that Bjork was a match for Mike Tyson until they saw her fly at a female reporter and attack her with extreme force, and left us all wondering what the hell just happened! The violently unhappy pop star had just arrived at Bankok International, pushing a trolly which contained her baggage and young son, when she was greeted by British-born journalist, Julie Kaufman, who simply said, "Welcome to Bankok." That was all it took to push Bjork over the edge and she went straight for the reporter's hair, before knocking her to the ground and hitting her. The journalist was more stunned than hurt - though no doubt her pride took quite a battering. No one could understand what made Bjork flip - until she later revealed that she was annoyed at the reporter for hounding both her and her son for several days. Ever since this incident Bjork's been oh so quiet... Photos: YouTube Blog graphics: Angel Noire

Sometimes the things that are so inexpensive and simple to make, are also the tastiest. Cornflakes with ice-cold milk. Jam sandwiches. Jacket potatoes with lots of butter, and... French toast! Even now just thinking about biting into a warm slice of straight-out-of-the-pan French toast, it brings back such wonderfully comforting memories. Because different versions of French toast exist around the world in some form, there's a good chance that at some point in our childhoods, will have savoured the great taste of French toast which takes us right back to family mealtimes, diners, and maybe even helping our parents to prepare it as it was something that was super-simple to do, only needing supervision when it came to the frying! What's French Toast? French toast is a very simple dish of sliced bread dipped into an egg and milk mixture and then fried in oil or butter. As it's a good way of using up stale bread, it's a good and delicious way of cutting down on food wastage - but the birds might hate you for it! And it's a snack type dish? It can be but it's most commonly served for breakfast, especially in America where it's served with bacon and eggs and is a great start to the day! But yes it can be served as a snack, and in some countries it's even a dessert. It seems to have found its way all over the world but it was created in France, right? We don't know know if French toast has its origins in France. It's believed that French toast goes as far back as the days of the Roman Empire, with the earliest form of French toast believed to have originated as early as the fourth century, when a recipe was found among a collection of Latin recipes. Although it probably wasn't called French toast then! It was believed to have been called pan dulcis. Goodness, people have been eating this dish for a very long time! So where did it get the name 'French toast' then? Again we don't know for sure. But the dish is believed to have got its name in seventeenth century England. The recipe, along with the name, found it's way to America via the early settlers. But the term 'French Toast' first appeared in print in the Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink back in 1871. Well that's one theory as to how French toast got its name. So what's the other theory then? Well despite having it's origins in ancient Rome, legend has is that a man by the name of Joseph French created French toast as we now know it back in 1724 in Albany, New York - which might explain why many Americans claim French toast as their own! The inkeeper advertised this dish as 'French Toast' and not the more grammatically correct French's toast and thus began the confusion which has lasted to present day as to whether or not French toast actually came from France! Well French toast has a nicer ring to it than French's toast! And there are other names for French toast, aren't there? Indeed there are! In Sweden, Finland and Norway, French Toast is known as 'poor knights' which originated from the fourteenth century German name for this dish, Arme Ritter. But French toast also goes by the names of eggy bread; Gypsy toast; French-fried bread, Bombay toast, Poor Knights of Windsor, Spanish toast, nun’s toast, and pain perdu in France. That's a lot of names! Is there only one standard recipe for French toast? While French toast is essentially slices of bread dipped in an egg mixture and fried, this dish can be either sweet or savoury, and can be served in a variety of ways depending on personal preference and which country you're in, as many countries have their own version of French toast and their own way of serving it. So let's hear some of these ideas! Well in the good ol' US of A, French toast is usually served with butter, maple syrup and powdered sugar - a good alternative to pancakes or waffles - alongside eggs and sausage or bacon. In Britain, savoury French toast is said to be eaten with ketchup (though I've never seen it nor tried it! - Angel!) While we reckon the Scots do it best by serving it up as a type of sausage sandwich. Yum! New Zealanders serve French toast with bananas, bacon and maple syrup. And in France, pain perdu is a dessert, not something served for breakfast. And in Brazil it's served as dessert at Christmas time. French toast can be eaten at any time of day and served with anything you fancy. Other popular toppings also include jam: chocolate or caramel sauce; stewed fruit; honey, peanut butter, mascarpone; applesauce; whipped cream; fresh fruit; yogurt, or ice cream. And if you wanted to go down the savoury route, you could try can be melted cheese, creamy mushroom, brown sauce or gravy. Some great suggestions there. Does it matter what kind of bread you use? Not really. Some of us might remember that growing up, French toast was usually made with regular sliced white. But you can use whatever leftover bread you have that needs to be used up - sourdough; challah; cinnamon bread; spiced fruit loaf... It's all guaranteed to be delicious! Are there any different versions of the basic French toast? French toast has come a long way since our childhood days which seem quite humble when compared to the plethora of creative and imaginative ways to serve up French toast today. It may be quite a simple concept but with so many variations it has become something quite spectacular. Aside from using any kind of bread and toppings you like, French toast can be stuffed with a variety of fillings, so it's more like a French toast sandwich, and then fried. Sometimes it can even be deep fried - even coated in granola or some other kind of cereal to give it that crunchy coating! Then there are French toast roll-ups that look like mini Swiss rolls. And who said you have to use leftover bread when you can use leftover cake! Yes, you can even get French toast made from pound or bunt cake. Could there be anything more delicious??? And let's not forget French toast casserole which is very much like the British bread and butter pudding but in American it's served for breakfast rather than dessert. Oh and has anyone ever tried Nigella Lawson's jam doughnut French toast? Amazing! It's like a piece of fried heaven and combined with the jammy fruit sauce, it really hits the spot! Check out our version of this very yummy dish. Has French Toast influenced other desserts? Yes it has! Just as some very well-known retro classics have lent their flavours to other desserts, French toast has done the same. There are French toast cupcakes, donuts, pancakes, cookies, tarts, cappuccinos... the list is endless! Is there a National French Toast Day? Of course there is! There's a national day for everything! National French Toast Day is celebrated in America on November 28th. RECIPES We've got not one, not two, but three French toast recipes for you to try out! The first one is for the savoury French toast recipe that Angel's mum used to make for Angel and her siblings when they were growing up. It was many years before they realized there was actually a sweet version of one of their favourite snacks/breakfasts! There's also a recipe for Mr. D's cinnamon French toast which he used to make for Angel A LOT when she used to fly over to America to visit him. And finally there's our version of the jam doughnut French toast, inspired by Nigella Lawson. Our version is quite different to hers but still very delicious. You can use any fruit you like for the fruit sauce. For some of you it may be the first time you've ever tried a savoury French toast, and you might be surprised at how tasty it is. You might have a preference but we don't believe that one version is better than the other. They're just different and our preferences are just based on our mood. Which ever one floats your boat the most, we hope you enjoy them as much as we do. All recipes serve 1-2 people ANGEL'S MUM'S SAVOURY FRENCH TOAST INGREDIENTS: 2-3 slices of sliced white bread, cut in half 1 large egg 1 tbsp. semi skimmed milk Salt and pepper to taste Oil and butter for frying METHOD: Heat a little oil in a frying pan and add the desired amount of butter. Mix together egg, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl. Plunge each piece of bread into the egg mixture so that it is well coated on both sides. When pan is hot, add bread. Cook until side is golden brown then flip over and cook the other side. Eat! Simple yet delicious! Mr. D's Cinnamon French Toast INGREDIENTS: 2 slices cinnamon bread or cinnamon raisin bread 1 large egg 1 tsp. sugar A dash of vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon Oil and butter for frying Butter and maple syrup to serve METHOD: Heat oil and butter in a pan. Mix together egg, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla in a bowl. Coat each side of the bread with the egg mixture. Put in pan and brown each side. When cooked, serve with butter and maple syrup. JAM DOUGHNUT FRENCH TOAST INGREDIENTS: French toast: 2-3 slices of sliced white bread, cut in half 1 large egg 1 tbsp. semi skimmed milk 1 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract Pinch of salt Oil and butter for frying 1 tbsp. Powdered/icing sugar 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon Strawberry compote: 1 cup of strawberries, hulled and quartered 1 tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. vanilla extract METHOD: Place strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a pan over a medium heat. As the mixture starts to boil, reduce to a low heat. Stir occasionally. Once strawberry mixture has reached an almost jam-like consistency, you can take it off the heat. Mix powdered/icing sugar and cinnamon together until well combined. Then place on a large plate ready to coat the slices of French toast. Heat oil and butter in a pan. Mix together egg, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Coat each side of the bread with the egg mixture. Put in pan and brown each side. When cooked, take out of pan, and while still warm coat each slice in the powdered sugar mixture. Serve with butter and strawberry compote. Photos: Angel's own and Pixabay Blog graphics: Angel Noire

In just a few hours time, we will be saying goodbye to 2022 forever... And just what a year it's been! We all know that the 2020s got off to a bad start with the pandemic that caused the world to grind to a halt. Not so much roaring twenties as much as boring twenties as we were all forced to stay at home and fear for our lives and that of our loved ones. But with the commencement of 2022, life has been kickstarted back into action. So what happened this year? On a personal level, it was the first time I'd got on a plane since the world went mad, flying off to Atlanta, Georgia. And then a month later, I hoped back on a plane and headed over to London to see my family and friends for the first time since the world, er, went mad! I got to meet three of my Insta buddies in the flesh and giving them hugs in person was just the best! And in other news.. . Well we had a long running Australian soap get the chop after being on air for thirty-seven years - only for it to be announced after much fanfare that Neighbours would be returning to our screens next summer! But at least we got to see Scott and Charlene one final time on Ramsay Street. Come on - who thought that would ever happen! Though I think it might be safe to say that should the axe or even 'axe' should fall upon Neighbours a second time, it's unlikely that Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan will be taking time out of their busy schedules to fly across the world just to say five words. But hey - maybe Guy Pierce will return again! And in the world of sport, for the first time ever, the 2022 World Cup was held in November rather than it's usual summer window due to the tournament being held in Qatar so the later slot was to avoid the intense summer heat. There was a great deal of controversy over the event being held in a country with questionable human rights records, with celebrities such as David Beckham and Robbie Williams being criticized for their involvement in the Qatari World Cup. The whole world and it's mother waded into the row but the World Cup still went ahead in Qatar...where footballing legend Messi finally found out what it was like to be on a World Cup winning team; Morocco went further than any other North African team has ever gone in the tournament, and England... Well England failed to bring it home again! Even though we always know what the outcome is going to be, it never stops us from cheering our boys on. Perhaps 2026 will see the end of sixty years of hurt. The world also went Meghan and Harry crazy with the airing of their Netflix documentary. Once again the whole world, her mother and her second cousin twice removed had something to say about it - and for the most part it wasn't good! Personally I found the documentary incredibly boring and could only watch about thirty minutes of the first episode - which is thirty minutes I won't be getting back. But then I didn't need to watch it, did I? Not when the whole world and it's family were talking about it. Some of the famous faces and well-loved people we sadly lost in 2022. Rest in peace. 2022 also saw us lose a whole lot of familiar faces who we'd grown up watching on screen. Apart from us losing several former members of the EastEnders cast, we also said goodbye to Sidney Poitier, Dennis Waterman, Robbie Coltrane, Kirstie Allie, Angela Lansbury, Olivia Newton-John, Bernard Cribbins, Taylor Hawkins, and Meatloaf to name just a few. And within the last couple of days, news broke about the passings of Barbara Walters and Pope Benedict XVI. May they all rest in eternal peace... But of course the most notable event of 2022 was the death of Queen Elizabeth II just months after her seventieth jubilee celebrations. For many of us, Queen Elizabeth had been the only reigning monarch we'd ever known. We began 2022 with one monarch and ended the year with another - a king no less. We look forward to seeing what the reign of King Charles III brings. And in the realm of British politics there seemed to be a bizarre game of musical chairs being played where the role of prime minister was concerned. After Boris Johnson resigned in July, the leadership of Great Britain eventually went to Liz Truss - the last prime minister to be appointed by Queen Elizabeth just days before she passed away. But when Liz Truss was forced to resign within the month, the race was back on to find a new leader with Boris also back in the running, deciding that it wasn't such a bad gig after all. But it was Rishi Sunak who eventually became the new prime minister. It was quite a historic day for Britain as the country got their first Hindu prime minister. This year really has been a year of major changes for the British public. What were your highlights of 2022? What do you wish for as the new year approaches? As a new year dawns, we wonder what 2023 has in store for us, for our families, for the world. We hope it'll be something good. Happy new year everyone! We wish you health, peace, joy and prosperity for the coming year. x Blog graphics: Angel Noire Photos: YouTube

For those of us who live abroad, when it comes to keeping in touch with family and friends, there's never been a better time to live in another country than right here in the twenty first century. Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Skype, Instagram, WhatsApp... every day, it seems, there's a new app we have to download or a new site we have to use which all the cool kids are using to keep in touch with their mates. Word! And if you really want to go back to being fairly old school, there's always email and texting! But way, way, back in the day, even before we had what we thought was the greatest invention since the wheel - good ol' electronic mail - there were other methods of communicating with our not so nearest but still very much dearest, which at the time were essential for keeping in touch. The problem was that they were either costly or time consuming, which meant that people very rarely kept in touch with anyone who wasn't family or a close friend. Now we can keep in touch with Colonel Mustard; Mr. Bun the baker, and the lady who gets the bus at the same time we used to if we want to, thanks to all those new modes of communication. We take a look at some of the old school methods of staying in touch, even though there's not really much chance of us ever using them again... Well not unless nostalgia gets the better of us! 1. LETTER WRITING Sometimes, the urge to act like it's 1975 and write a letter takes over. But for most of us, there's a desire to do so but it doesn't usually happen. Even if we had one of those gorgeous writing bureaus, and a set of plush stationary, we still probably wouldn't have the patience to sit there and write the letter; hunt out the stamps; walk to the post box - or worse, queue up at the post office - post the letter than wait for the reply. I guess twenty first century comforts are hard to do without! But back in the day, letter writing was something we all had to do at one time or another in order to keep in touch with those who lived abroad, and some of us were avid writers who would make the time to write regularly. And there was always a fantastic array of fancy stationary available at Woolies or WHSmith. And of course we loved writing letters so much that many of us used to write to people we didn't even know - how many of us had penfriends around the world? If you did, you'd still remember that rush of excitement as a letter arrived in the post. But then along came email and there was no longer any need for good quality letter writing stationary in hues of blush pink or taupe that came in fancy packaging bound with a ribbon! And of course with postage costs spiralling out of control and people becoming environmentally conscious, it makes sense that electronic mail should replace the traditional pen and paper method  but its still a shame that letter writing has becoming a lost art. 2. TELEGRAMS To many young 'uns today, 'Telegram' is an online messaging app. But for us oldies, a telegram was a written message transmitted by an electric device which was then printed and delivered by hand. Many of us will have memories of that distinctive yellow envelope with the word 'Telegram'on it. The telegram often heralded some kind of important news - either good or bad that needed to be reported immediately. Some of us may remember that it used to be delivered by motorbike courier - sometimes very late at night. But by the late eighties, it wasn't unusual for it to be delivered by your local neighbourhood postie! 3. AIRMAIL If you had family and friends who lived abroad, you'd be sure to stock up on airmails so that you could write to them regularly. And in return, you'd would often find that familiar blue envelope being popped through your letter box when they wrote back. 4. LANDLINE In the days before people were glued to their mobile phones, most people had a landline phone at home. We say most people because believe it or not, there were some people -especially before the nineties - who didn't have a phone. "Are you on the phone?" was a very common question back then as it wasn't just assumed that everyone had a telephone, and it was a way of finding out whether someone had a phone at home before you asked for their number. Today "are you on the phone?" would mean "are you still yapping away on the phone as you've done for the last three hours instead of working?" Nobody would even think to ask if you owned a phone because in the twenty first century, who doesn't? So yes, we were quite impressed when someone owned a landline. We were even more impressed when it was a push button phone instead of a rotary. If they had an extension in one of the upstairs bedrooms we were like, 'woah!' If they had another line, we'd think they were someone rather grand and curtsey to them. If they had a cordless phone, we'd think they were related to the Ewings. If they had a car phone, we thought they were the Ewings! And today if we spot a landline in someone's living room, its a case of  'Oh my goodness! You still have one of those'? 5. FAX An early form of email! Fax machines were usually considered office equipment but some people did have them at home for personal rather than work use. The details on letter headed business paper usually contained a fax number - something you don't really see much of today. During the early part of this century, fax - or facsimile - machines and the fax rolls were readily available, and continued to sell fairly well until just before the noughties ended. It's hard to find people who still use fax machines today as with the introduction of scanners - which are far more economical to use - facsimile machines are slowly finding their way to the great technological scrapheap in the sky. 6. PHONING ABROAD There's never been a better time to speak to our loved ones abroad as today we have so many apps that enable us to speak either for free or at an extremely cheap rate. Or maybe you still prefer using phone cards where you can call abroad for just a few pence a minute. Back in the eighties, if we wanted to call family abroad, we'd have to dial the operator first, get charged something ridiculous per minute which meant that a ten minute phone call could result in remortgaging the house. When you finally got through, the quality of the call was often so bad you didn't know who had answered the phone let alone what they were saying. Thank goodness technology has improved enough for us to enjoy long distance calls as we do now. When you think about people who had moved to another country during the last century, already feeling alone and separated by thousands of miles, who didn't have the convenient and cost effective methods of communication that we do today, making keeping in touch so much harder - it makes you feel quite lucky. 7. ANSWER MACHINES If you phone someone today and they don't answer, there's a zillion ways you can leave a message for them to get back to you. But back in the day, there really was only one way you could ask someone to call you back and that was to leave a message on their answer machine. Remember those dinky little cassette tapes that you would have to insert into the machine? Recording the answerphone greeting that people would hear before leaving a message was always a lot of fun! 8. POSTCARDS Postcards are bought and posted by holiday makers rather than people who actually live abroad. We all remember the usual  brief  lines to be found on the back of a postcard : "Arrived on Sunday. Weather great. Hotel good. Now relaxing by the pool with a cocktail. Wish you were here." But it seems as though people no longer send postcards any more. But then social media seems to have replaced the need for postcards. And furthermore, postcards usually reach the recipients long after the sender has returned home! 9: BT PHONECARDS Mobile phones were starting to gain in popularity during the nineties. But whereas today it's unusual to see ten year olds without a mobile, there were still lots of teenagers back then who didn't own a mobile. Hard to believe isn't it? So if we wanted to be 'mobile' with our phone calls i.e. - talk to our mates away from the prying ears of mum and dad, then phone boxes were the way to go. This meant spending part of our pocket money on those green BT phone cards that we could use in those phone boxes that would only accept phone cards. For many of us, those cards were a godsend and screamed 'freedom' the same way that a pass from a driving examiner does to a newly qualified driver. Though of course mobile phones today mean that phone boxes are very rarely used. And if those BT phone cards still exist, who buys them? 10. PAGERS Pagers were usually used by doctors on call and other professionals. But we often knew at least one person who'd use a pager for personal reasons. Although if you had one for personal reasons, you were often considered a 'poser' - a lot like people who had mobile phones before those really took off! Once mobile phones became popular along with texting, paging people wasn't necessary anymore, although of course pagers are still used by emergency responders as they aren't subject to network issues or similar disruptions. Which is bad news for the phone operators who no longer have a good laugh at the cheeky messages we used to leave for our friends. Photos from Pixabay Word cloud by Angel Noire

Every decade is defined by key interior design trends - and the fun and funky seventies were no different. Ever looked at a photo of a room decorated in the 1970s and thought 'Ooh, that's so seventies?' Well, that's because er, it was! When it came to home decor, the seventies had a style that was all of it's own - even though a lot of those trends were borrowed from previous decades. But the seventies have made these home fashion features their own, and they have since become synonymous with that decade. There were a lot of contradictions among the key styles and trends of the seventies. It may have been known as the decade of glitz, glitter and disco, but there was also a move towards nature and all that was organic and earthy which was reflected in the colour palettes that were largely in fashion at the time. There were however also a great deal of bright yellows, reds and oranges, Not to mention plastics. See - contradictions! And indeed there was a variety of materials and textures in the seventies' home: wood (and lots of it) plastics (especially within a bright colour scheme) corduroy, velvet, faux fur, cork, coir, wool, rattan, glass, leather, ceramic, exposed brickwork, stone... more textures than a baby's activity play mat! So aside from having a distinct colour scheme, the seventies home was also a very textural one. It's interesting to note that despite the use of 'hard' natural materials that were in-line with the whole return to nature ethos - coir, jute, rattan, stone, wood etc. - there was also the need for 'soft,' for luxury and comfort as reflected in the use of velvet, fur, wool, corduroy, and shag rugs and carpets. And as you'll soon see, it would appear that unless you were especially house proud, the seventies home may well have been a bit of a dustbowl! But a very charming one! We take a look at key trends and just some of things that you had to have in your home during the seventies. 1. SHAG PILE Isn't it funny how times change? Today many people opt not to have wall-to-wall carpets fitted in their home due to the practicalities of hardwood/laminate floors and the increase in allergies. But back in the seventies only a shag would do (of course we're talking about the flooring!) and carpets had to be shaggier than all of Slade's barnets put together! Sure, shag piles shed and were harder to keep clean than the bottom of a birdcage, but no one seemed to care that much. What was a bit shedding and dirt compared to that cozy look and soft underfoot feeling? And the more deeper the pile the more luxurious the look - especially if it was all white. And for those who couldn't do wall-to wall carpet, they made do with a shag pile rug instead. 2. FRINGING Fringing and tassels were in during the 1970s, and not just for clothing but in home décor too. Fringing was found on the edges of blankets, lampshades, bedspreads, rugs, wallhangings, window dressing and around the base of couches. 3. ANIMAL FABRICS & PRINTS The hunting lodge look was a very big trend in the 1970s. There was an abundance of hides and animal prints - anything from cow hide to zebra print to leopard print. These prints and pelts were often mixed and matched to the point where KISS or Del Boy would have been proud! It gave the room an edgy yet cosy look and feel. It's a style that's still in use today except that the overall look is toned down and all the furs and skins are faux and completely cruelty-free - and thank goodness for that! 4. FLOCK WALLPAPER Velvet flock wallpaper was definitely the in-thing in a lot of British homes back in the seventies, and this trend carried on until around the mid-eighties. Most of us who grew up during this time will probably remember having flock covered walls in our hallway or sitting rooms, or came across it in someone else's house. It came in a range of colours but flock wall coverings in brown, burgundy or gold were especially popular. The Warrenders' living room in Just Good Friends (YouTube) It's still used today but whereas nowadays, people would put up flock wallpaper to highlight an accent wall, people in the seventies would use it to highlight an entire room - and they say the eighties were the decade of excess! But it was very popular at that time due to it's luxurious feel and that touch of elegance. But no doubt, as with that other great dust collector, shag pile carpets, people probably look back and think, "yeah, that was probably a bit much!" But it wasn't just flock wallpaper that people were into - textured walls in general were very much the in thing during the seventies: foil, textured plaster, and everyone's favourite, woodchip paper! 5. THAT 1970S EARTHY COLOUR PALETTE When people think about popular colours of the 1970s, avocado green immediately comes to mind. It's believed that it's popularity was due not just to the increase in consumption of the creamy, pear-shaped fruit with the big pit (and you thought you were starting a trend with your avo on toast!) but also because of a desire to return to nature and concern over the environment. But avocado green wasn't the only star in the earthy tone colour palette. Harvest gold was also a pretty strong contender, closely followed by burnt umber, terracotta, chocolate brown and beige. These colours generally took over the décor of the 1970s with regards to kitchen appliances, soft furnishings, walls and flooring, furniture and paintwork. If done correctly, rooms could look quite striking with this colour scheme. But what often happened was avocado green battling it out with harvest gold for supremacy which could be a bit much for the more mainstream homeowner. By the end of the decade this earthy tone palette declined in popularity, and then the eighties rebelled and got all pastel and neon on us! Other popular colour palettes at the time included the all brown look which was a bit drab but was still very much en vogue; and the bright colour scheme for those who wanted their homes to ooze colour with its oranges, yellows, reds and greens. An indication as to what the bright 1970s home looked like ( Brussels Atomium Museum, Pixabay) And just in case you're wondering, yes - the colours of the Nostalgia Pie site are absolutely based on the 1970s earthy colour palette! 6. WICKER FURNITURE Many people in the seventies were fans of the garden-furniture-indoors look, and rattan furniture was a common feature in most people's homes. Bedframes, lampshades, coffee tables, armchairs, mirror frames... it was probably just the cooker that wasn't made of rattan! Although it was sometimes painted white, rattan, which was light yet durable, was very much in keeping in line with the 'back to nature' trend and gave the home that organic, natural feel. The down side of wicker is that it did gather dust and wasn't the easiest of materials to clean. 7. WOOD PANELING Angel Noire Yep, you've guessed it - this was all down to the brown and natural look being in. And what could be more brown and natural than... wood! Although ironically the material used to make the panels wasn't always real hard wood but rather plywood or fiberboard which was made to closely resemble real wood. One of the advantages about having wood panelled walls was that you didn't have to fret over what paint colours to choose. However nowadays modern-day homeowners sometimes paint over their wood panelled walls to get away from what is sometimes perceived to be a rather dated look. 8. DROP-DOWN LIVING ROOMS Drop-down living rooms are always that aspect of 1970s home decor that makes everyone go, "Oh yeah - I remember that! The more eagle-eyed among us, when watching films and TV shows from the 1970s, would be aware that a lot of the houses featured what could be described as drop-down living rooms. This is where the floor of the room was at different height levels. These were more commonly known as 'step-down' or 'sunken' living rooms. The two terms are often used interchangeably but a lot of people regarded a 'step-down' living room as one where there are a few steps leading from the entry i.e. - the hallway - to the living area; whereas a 'sunken' living room was generally a pit with seating in the sunken part of the floor, usually in the centre of the room. The point of such a set up was to create different spaces within a room without the need for walls. And the conversation pit of the sunken lounge created a feeling of luxury, coziness, and intimacy. This was the kind of arrangement for people who wanted to socialize rather than just watch the telly. They were actually first created in the 1920s by architect Bruce Goff and became a feature in clubs throughout the fifties and sixties (not to mention certain airports) but they took off in a big way as part of home interiors in the seventies. There are some homes where step-down/sunken living rooms still exist but on the whole they are pretty much out of fashion (except for us retro lovers) and they've also been considered impractical - not to mention a bit of a hazard! 9. GEOMETRIC DESIGNS Does anything scream seventies home interiors quite like those big bold geometric designs? (And yes, many of them can be found right here on Nostalgia Pie!) There was pattern, there was colour, and there was lots of it! The use of geometric designs was to make an impact, and this was a time when homeowners began experimenting with various patterns - and by the looks of things it sometimes seemed that the more clashing the better! These bold geometric prints could be found on walls, floors, soft furnishings, crockery... oh and tiles! Any surface that could be tiled, would be - including the sides of the bath! Though that was still better than carpet! Those geometric designs are still favoured by those who love that retro seventies look, although nowadays it's used much more sparingly and is used to accentuate not overtake! 10. VELVET Velvet was a very popular fabric back in the 1970s, especially crushed velvet. It was absolutely everywhere: couches, curtains, cushion covers, wall hangings... And when people weren't adorning their homes with it, they were wearing it! As you can probably tell, 1970s homeowners were big fans of materials that seemed to collect dust like no one's business. But we still love that seventies home decor and style. What did you like best about 1970s home interiors? What would you like to see make a comeback? Photos: Pixabay, Youtube, Unsplash and Angel's own. Word cloud: Angel Noire.

Remember, Remember the Fifth of November... Well, right now we're just trying to remember the once long-held traditions of Guy Fawkes Night and trying to work out where they've gone! Those of us who grew up in Britain prior to the millenium will be very familiar with Bonfire/Guy Fawkes/Fireworks Night, and the set of traditions we used to embrace wholeheartedly every year on 5th November. It's a loud, colourful, riotous celebration of the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot that has been around for over 400 years... but is it still going strong? Although 5th November is officially still Bonfire Night, it seems that no one really makes a fuss of the event the way they once did - or at least the way us kids of the eighties remember it. Over the years, it seems as though the popularity of Guy Fawkes Night has fizzled out like a faulty Catherine Wheel. We take a look at memorable traditions and events that heralded the arrival of Bonfire Night. 1. THEMED LESSONS AT SCHOOL The countdown to Bonfire Night began with a series of Bonfire Night themed lessons at primary school. First we'd get to learn about the history of the event as well as understanding who that Guy Fawkes dude was and why there is an event named after him. Then for English, we'd learn to recite the Fifth of November poem (come on - you can't seriously expect us to remember it from the year before) as well as a spot of creative writing where we'd have to come up with a story about Fireworks Night, or we'd have to do an essay about how we were going to celebrate. Arts and crafts would see us making fabulous pieces of artwork to put up around the classroom, and if our school was lucky enough to have one of those dinky little stoves, we might do a spot of Bonfire baking or confectionary making. Toffee apple, anyone? But the most important of all these lessons, was the special class on fireworks safety in which 'Miss' or 'Sir' explained the dos and don'ts of handling fireworks so that our evening would end with us tucked up in bed with yet another cup of cocoa and not in A&E. And we didn't half learn a lot from those lessons: Keep pets indoors; never relight a used firework; stand two arms length away from others when using sparklers... (if only we knew how handy this lesson in social distancing was going to be!) 2. PUBLIC SAFETY INFORMATION Another sign that Bonfire Night was on the way, were all the safety adverts on the telly. If you were a child of the 70s, 80s, or 90s, you might remember those public safety information broadcasts that appeared during the advert breaks, once again highlighting the importance of staying safe while enjoying the fireworks... you know, just in case you weren't paying attention to 'Miss' in class! They may have been a bit alarming, especially for a five year old, but the shock factor pretty much did what it was supposed to and visibly demonstrated to the young ones (and no doubt a few adults!) why it was so important to adhere to the rules. 3. PENNY FOR THE GUY How many of you used to get all crafty by fashioning a dummy or a 'Guy' out of old clothes and scraps of fabric stuffed with newspapers? During the latter part of the twentieth century you knew November had well and truly arrived when you'd see groups of kids wheeling their 'Guy' around in a wheelbarrow, or sat on the street with their fabulous bit of artwork, asking passers-by for a 'penny for the Guy' which would go towards their fireworks-and-sweets fund. But poor old Guy didn't fare too well by the end of the evening, as he was always thrown on top of the bonfire while everyone watched it burn in a rather symbolic gesture. This is a tradition that's pretty much forgotten -in some cases on purpose, as some parents don't like the rather sinister concept of burning an effigy so prefer not to get their children involved in this tradition. Furthermore Halloween - which takes place just a few days before Bonfire Night - has pretty much replaced the November event in the UK with regards to it's celebratory nature, and most youngsters would rather use their time selecting or making a costume than creating a dummy to wheel around in grandad's wonky old wheelbarrow. And in any case these savvy kids know that they can get way more trick or treating than getting a penny for the Guy - which today would have to be at least a quid! 4. BACK GARDEN FIREWORKS Fireworks serve as a reminder of the gunpowder that was stored in the cellar under the House of Lords, and for many of us, our childhood memories of Guy Fawkes Night involved our entire family standing in our back yard, wrapped up warm, while our parents treated us to a mini fireworks display. Remember those selection boxes of chocs we used to get (and still get) at Christmas? Well for Guy Fawkes Night, we got selection boxes of fireworks which we would all huddle around and decide which one we were going to let off first. Oh and let's not forget the packets of sparklers - how else were we going to learn how to write our names? But over the years, these back yard mini extravaganzas have become rare due to issues such as noise, distressed pets, and fears over safety, especially where small children are concerned. It's believed that more people are injured at these small, household events than at properly organized public displays, which is one of the reasons why people prefer to go to these public events. But while the excitement over Bonfire night may have died down over the years, there are still many others who look forward to this night, and for whom the act of letting off fireworks (safely of course) is connected to pure nostalgia as all the childhood, family memories come flooding back. It's also a lot more personal as you're with family, friends and neighbours rather than a bunch of strangers. 5. BONFIRES Even if you didn't rush out and grab a pack of sparklers, and you were too late for the last fireworks selection box, at the very least you had a bonfire in your backyard. You would often invite friends and neighbours and people would sit around the fire, drinking mugs of soup or hot chocolate while cooking sausages and jacket spuds, or toasting marshmallows. And yes, somebody probably would bring out a guitar. It's just too bad it wasn't Slash! But over the years, these domestic bonfire celebrations have become increasingly rare, partly due to the ambiguous nature of the legalities regarding backyard bonfires, and partly because Bonfire Night often falls on a weeknight, when it's often impractical to organize a get-together. 6. FIREWORK DISPLAYS Public firework displays are still being held, and out of all the Bonfire Night traditions, this is one that has probably endured the longest. If you live in a city like London, you'll be lucky to have a balcony much less a backyard! And if you do have a garden, chances are that it won't be big enough for you to set a few incendiaries alight. So this is where firework displays come in handy and provide for a spectacular show with a vibrant atmosphere, lively crowd, music, and refreshments. It sure beats you have to organize that lot yourself and queue up at Tescos! In the eighties and nineties, although thankfully not a regular occurrence, it wasn't unheard of for accidents to have happened at these firework displays. But today due to the tightening up of health and safety measures, these incidents are even rarer, and as a result most people think that these organised events are a better, safer option than private backyard bonfires. 7. BONFIRE GRUB If you're going to have a small gathering in order to celebrate an event, you've got to have a good selection of food, right? And no Bonfire Night celebration would be complete without some tasty morsels or warming liquids to tuck into/slurp. There are some food and drinks that typically used to be served during Bonfire Night celebrations. There were the obligatory sausages, warm bread rolls, jacket potatoes, and soup - which today would probably be something fancy and homemade like roasted butternut squash and chilli, or wild mushroom and truffle. Well back in our day it was just Bachelor's Cup-A-Soup. But we had a wide array of flavours! We would also toast marshmallows on skewers, and gorge on other sweet treats like Bonfire toffee or toffee apples. Then there were regional delicacies like Parkin (Yorkshire and Lancashire) or grey peas and bacon (the Black Country.) And lets not forget hot choccie and spiced apple toddy for warming beverages. But over the years, tastes have changed and much of this classic bonfire fare has given way to American style hamburgers or pizza which these days are much more popular and vastly consumed than... Cup-A-Soup! What childhood memories of Guy Fawkes Night do you have? What are your favourite traditions? Photos: Pixabay and YouTube Word cloud and Blog graphics: Angel Noire