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Post by Maria on Aug 12, 2002 0:06:25 GMT
....and some have beautiful Castles!  This is Leeds Castle in Kent. Isn't it lovely? Maria |
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Post by Ann on Aug 12, 2002 0:19:15 GMT
We really do believe in confusing our overseas visitors don't we? Not only do we have places like Leicester, which we pronounce Lester, but Leeds Castle is about 300 miles from the City of Leeds.
But yes, it's certainly lovely.
Ann
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Post by Lesley on Aug 12, 2002 4:03:40 GMT
maria, leeds castle is stunning! thanks for sharing the photo. i'd love to visit england (i've only been in a plane, stopped over on runways - lovely runways!). ann, i never leave home without a map.  lesley |
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Post by Miles on Aug 12, 2002 15:16:37 GMT
Ohhhh my....just breathtaking....!! You're going to make Deb yearn for a trip all the more...that's one thing Deb has said to me many times - she wants to go to England to see a castle (and I have promised her that one day she will....  ... Miles |
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Post by Laurence on Aug 12, 2002 16:27:15 GMT
Teehee, teehee!!!! We have castles too over here.... ;D tsk tsk tsk tsk Yes, Leeds Castle is a fabulous place. I think I've visited almost all places in the UK, and I love your country! I've always felt much at home there, sometimes much more than here... Although I do have to confess I found the area around Leeds and Newcastle quite depressing at the time (last time I went there was in the mid 80's). I guess I must be one of the few French persons who manage to get weight every time they travel here... I could kill for a fresh-baked scone with whipped cream and one of your fabulous home-made-style strawberry jam... Gaaaaahhhh!!!! I remember once, when we (my mum and me) were staying in Scotland (I don't recall the name of the place, but it wasn't far from the Lochs), we stepped into a little shop where Burburry's raincoats were on sale. The owner of the shop, who overheard us talking in French, was quite chilly at first, not to say "overtly unfriendly". He finally asked us which place of France we were from, so we said Brittany... My goodness!!!!, he nearly jumped over the counter, embraced my mum and exclaimed "Why didn't you say so earlier!!!! I always welcome cousins when they visit us, and we ARE cousins, aren't we?". By the time he'd finished hugging her, my mum had turned crimson red with embarrassment... he even granted her a rebate on the sale's price... ;D We then took the habit of not saying we were French, but Bretons, and it worked most of the time!!! ;D Keep your pix coming!!!! |
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Post by Maria on Aug 12, 2002 23:09:09 GMT
Thanks for the comments everyone. It is a place close to my heart!
Laurence - lol!! Glad you like the picture, and I enjoyed your story about Scotland. (Did you see my Scotland pics posted earlier this year?) I have to say that I love French food and when I was in Paris I couldn't get enough of the freshly baked bread that is sold in the evenings. I wish that tradition was something that English bakeries would copy.
Lesley, Miles & Deb - you must visit our Islands! You could do a tour as I'm sure that many of the British members of this board could put you up for a night or two...providing you could cope with our mad cats of course!
Ann - I have heard stories of overseas visitors in the northern city of Leeds asking for directions to the castle! They must be disturbed to learn that they are 300 miles out! Yes, we do like to confuse people! The small village of Leeds is actually next to the castle and is a striking contrast to it's namesake. I also wonder how people come to terms with some of the pronunciations of our towns and villages. Here in Kent we have Wrotham ('Root-ham') and Malling ('Mawling'), but my favourite is Trottiscliffe. Would anyone ever guess that this is pronounced 'Trossley'??
Maria
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Post by Ann on Aug 12, 2002 23:39:41 GMT
Laurence,
You obviously haven't seen the "right" bits of countryside around Newcastle, my home town! There are still some pretty bleak residential areas, but there's plenty of beauty too.
Maria,
We have a village called Cambois. The first time I saw it on road signs I thought how lovely it sounded. Then I discovered it was pronounced Cammuss. The story, so I was told, is that, before the Norman Conquest, it was indeed called and spelled Cammus. When the Normans changed all the names, it became Cambois, but the locals being stubborn, refused to accept the French alternative and continued to use the old name. Nearly 1,000 years later, it's still known by it's original name. Whether the story's true or not I don't know, but, being rather a stubborn minded individual, I rather liked the explanation.
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Post by Catnip on Aug 13, 2002 21:02:50 GMT
Talking of strange place names and their pronunciations - down here in deepest Dorset we have Puncknowle - pronounced Punnel; and the village I live in, (Portesham) is sometimes referred to by the older villagers as Possum!
In Cornwall there is a place called Mousehole - I believe it is pronounced something like Mowsle, but I stand to be corrected on that!!!
Maria - that's a superb shot of Leeds Castle!
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Post by Maria on Aug 13, 2002 23:04:35 GMT
It's interesting that one can often find places that have unusual shared names within small areas. Somerset has a lot of place names beginning 'Huish'. (My favourite:- 'Huish Champflower'. How wonderful it must be to have that as an address!). On our holidays we saw several places with 'Lynchett' in the name. There is the famous Tolpuddle and Puddletown. Another favourite we came accross was a place called Piddle! Nearby were also Piddleton and another similar one which escapes me at the moment, but it definately had the word Piddle in it!
Other places I know of is Spittle, in North Wales and Watchet in Somerset. In Kent we also have a village called Thong!
I have heard of some places in this country that have even ruder meanings to their names, as well as some abroad which obviously are only rude in our language.
I'm not bold enough to repeat them here!
I hope that I have not offended anyone who knows these places better than I do by spelling them wrongly or putting them in the wrong county - I am working from memory!
Catnip - Having just visited Dorset, I can assure everyone that it is a very beautiful part of the country! I can't wait to go back....especially for some of that Dorset Apple Cake!
Maria
PS - I think Mousehole is pronounced something like 'Muzzell', but I could also be wrong.
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Post by Catnip on Aug 14, 2002 19:11:45 GMT
Maria - here's another 'Huish' for you - Huish Episcopi which is also in Somerset.
Tolpuddle and Puddletown are only about half an hour (by car) from where I live, and the other 'wet' village names in that area are Piddletrenthide, Piddlehinton, Affpuddle, Turners Puddle and Briantspuddle! It would be interesting to know the history of these delightful names!!!
One of the ruder place names is not far from Puddletown and Tolpuddle - you may have noticed the signpost as you passed through! I think I would prefer Huish Champflower for my address though!!! I don't think I could bear to tell anyone I live in Sh**terton! I kid you not - it really is a place name.
I love the names of Ryme Intrinseca near Yeovil in Somerset, and Whitchurch Canonicorum in South Dorset, as well. They sound really ancient!
Dorset Apple Cake - I have a recipe for that, but would it be DORSET Apple Cake if it was made in Kent??!!!
Come back and visit the West Country soon!!
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Post by Ann on Aug 14, 2002 21:10:34 GMT
Dorset Apple Cake - I have a recipe for that, I have 2 dwarf bramley apple trees laden with fruit. Are you going to share the recipe with the rest of us please? Ann |
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Post by Laurence on Aug 14, 2002 23:17:23 GMT
Dorset Apple Cake - I have a recipe for that, but would it be DORSET Apple Cake if it was made in Kent??!!! Come back and visit the West Country soon!! DROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLING HERE... |
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Post by Maria on Aug 15, 2002 21:27:15 GMT
Tee hee! I think that the recipe for Dorset Apple Cake is in rather high demand!! Catnip - you have absolutely no choice but to share it with us!
Maria
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Post by Catnip on Aug 15, 2002 22:03:39 GMT
Just got back from an evening at my sister's and it's a bit late now, but I will dig out the recipe for Dorset Apple Cake tomorrow and post it here for those interested in a bit of baking! Of course, to make it really special it will need to be served with a huge dollop of cream............
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Post by Catnip on Aug 16, 2002 20:13:07 GMT
Yer 'tis........
Dorset Apple Cake
(Acknowledgement: This recipe is taken from ‘The Farmer’s Wife Book of Farmhouse Food’ compiled by Zena Skinner, and was sent in by a Mrs Goddard from Dorchester, Dorset.)
1 lb cooking apples
4 oz. self-raising flour
2 oz. butter or margarine
3 oz. castor sugar
2 eggs, beaten
Pinch of salt
Grease and line a 7 inch cake tin. Peel, core and chop the apples into half inch pieces. Sieve flour with salt. Cream butter and sugar until soft and fluffy, then gradually beat in the eggs. Fold in the sieved flour and finally stir in the apples. Turn into the prepared cake tin and bake at approx. 180 degrees centigrade or gas mark 4, for 30-35 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Cool before removing from the tin. Serve with whipped cream………..
I do not generally like cooked apples, but I do quite enjoy a slice of Dorset Apple Cake made from this recipe. Hope all you cooks out there enjoy it too!
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