Homemade Custard Cream

While Monday was a tad busier, the office still felt lethargic in a lot of ways. I was keen to get home so I could crack on with my Bake-Off bake. Seeing as it's biscuit week I wanted to make homemade custard creams. I didn't have the stamp to add the fancy detailing, but that wasn't going to stop me. My end product wouldn't be winning any beauty pageants the bake and taste of them is pretty good... Not good enough to bring into the office, but very serviceable with a tea.

When I was finished I was left with a bowl of what childhood (and adult) me craved - unfiltered custard cream filling. I could hear the echo of my grandma, mum, or frankly any responsible person telling me that I'd make myself sick of I ate that. Still, a little couldn't hurt. 

Homemade Granola

Another lazy get up followed by a delicious breakfast from Ben (homemade granola this time!) We took a little stroll out through a nearby woods then onto coffee from the nearby market. Before we knew it we had to hit the road so we were back in time to feed the cat and apply our war paint for the upcoming week. 

I got a new camera as a birthday present to myself earlier on in the month and I finally got a chance to put it to good use this weekend. I took a bunch of shots with it during our quiet moments, I got a lot of Rebecca reading in various spots alongside scenes of food, cafes and walks. I'm super pleased with how they come out, a bonus memento for the weekend.

Totoro Puppets

An exceptionally delicious date and brown sugar oat bowl set all four of us up for a terrific day. Matt and Ben took us for a sunny walk around their ends, which naturally included pit stops at a coffee place and a superb little bakery which did some of the best sweet treats we'd all ever tried. A period of rest followed, I closed my eyes for a bit and felt at total peace with the world. I couldn't stay too sleepy though because there were homemade smash burgers to dive into and a train into town to catch. The main reason for our visit was to go see the stage show for My Neighbour Totoro. I had some reservations going in because I adore the original film but I was pleasantly surprised by the production. I had a few issues with the script and dialogue in this new one, but the puppetry and technically elements were all fabulous. We came back humming the theme song (well, mostly Rebecca did) and toddled off to bed. Another pretty perfect Saturday with friends - we keep such good company.

Murderous Lullaby

There was a readiness to leave the office today that radiated off everyone. By the last hour of the day a lot of us had finished our work and were watching the clock slice away the seconds. I was keen to get home so Rebecca and I could get on the road as soon as possible to get to Matt and Ben's in good time. I was so zonked from the week that I started snoozing during Rebecca's true crime podcast (something about Americans plainly talking about murders is like a lullaby). We landed A-OK and I'm already looking forward to a nice long snooze without a little cat threatening to attack my toes in the night. Roll on another London weekend with friends!

Silent Hill Townfall

 I quietly launched my initiative to train up our two Production Assistants, both of which are very interested in stepping up soon. I made a little WhatsApp group with just us on it so we had a quick and easy line of communication where I can drip feeds them little jobs as they come up. I'm still a bit quiet at work so hopefully I can feed them some bigger crumbs soon.

Back home I wanted to start the spooky season early. The hours drawing in and the damper air always reminds me of Silent Hill, and today was the release date of the latest entry in the series. The publisher has outsourced the property to a handful of new developers, one of which are based in the UK and have set the latest game in 90's Scotland. I was giddy with delight to see what might well be the first ever zebra crossing in a game. That and the architecture and interior design that reminds me of beach holidays from my childhood... All now shrouded in fog and unspeakable evils, but the nostalgia still stands. 

70up

If I'm being totally honest, I felt a little glum at work today. We're in that awkward sweet spot in the job where all the hard work is being done by everyone except me. I can offer to help as much as I can, but there's a point where another pair of hands will only muddy the waters, so I did my own prep so I was ready for when my own work load takes precedence (I will certainly happen, just not today it seems).

Instead the best thing I did today was watch 70up, the conclusion to the long running Up Documentary series. I was expecting to be moved by it but I was emotionally demolished by the ending. It's easy to say it's the best one by virtue of it being the last, but the change in director lets the project push against the show's format. It's more reflective and revalatory thanks to bonus archive footage that recontextualises plenty of the subjects - I thought I knew everyone but even after 70 years you still discover new things about them.

Bake Off is Back

Bake Off season has returned. Armed with a bigger TV that's actually capable of putting out HD channels we could finally agree when a judge poked a cake and said "this bake is too dry'. It's always a bit manic going into the first episode of the season. Lots of new faces and personalities to keep track of but they mostly won us over by the end. It's nice to have a regular meet up with Louis and Rachel again too, it's a cosy tradition that segways us wonderfully through the Autumn season as it gets chilly and damp. I'm actually keen to try to do some baking this year too... Biscuit week next week, I wonder what I could do.