Bessie’s amazing winter
I write this in the hope that within a few weeks all the blossom will be out, the sun will be shining and all the lakes that shouldn’t be there have drained away. I love the change of seasons but it has been a hard winter outside with the animals and I am looking forward to Spring more than ever this year. We have been very lucky where we live, escaping the flooding horrors of families not so far away from here. It’s just time to reflect that October to February hasn’t been all bad – in fact it’s been pretty amazing. Here are just a few of the events and adventures that Bessie went on.
Bessie gets ready for a birthday party down on the farm
Ready and waiting for the girls at the Farm
Lovely friends celebrate with bubbles and cake
Bessie lights up for a lovely evening of fireworks at Quex Park
It was so lovely that my eldest daughter and my dear little grandson could join me at Quex Park for the fireworks
Bessie travels to West London for more fireworks – uh oh, going in the wrong direction
Twice passed Big Ben, twice up the Mall – just a few of our sight seeing moments
Bessie does a Royal pass
West London at last – all set up and ready to serve the crowds with Kent hot spiced cider with rum and oodles of cake. Next to our buddies Bangwok Thai
Wow – these were the most amazing fireworks, just unbelievable. Great artists too, including Conor Maynard
An amazing adventure started here with Bessie being lifted into the Trinity Kitchen, Trinity Centre right in the heart of Leeds city centre
For a whole month Bessie was based in the fantastic new concept Trinity Kitchen. Each month, five new street food traders are lifted into the centre to serve the people of Leeds. Bessie was part of the second group in with a fantastic group of traders that made the month such a memorable experience. The Trinity Kitchen was developed by the centre with Richard Johnson – a man who writes, promotes and innovates in the world of street food. Bessie arrived after 81/2 hours of travelling, losing part of the roof on the way! I had thought people were waving at me on the M25 as they so often do when you are towing a little vintage caravan. However, after too many waves I pulled up on the hard shoulder to check all was ok – looked fine to me. It wasn’t until the next day when I was unpacking when I realised I had a missing skylight.
The people of Leeds were just brilliant, so friendly and helpful and I was pleased to find large numbers of tea and cake lovers. Each day were were open from 0900-2100 so I baked, baked and baked some more – all in a very, very small oven just large enough to fit in half a Victoria Sandwich – I must have been mad! The Kent mulled cider was well received but I think the Sloe Meltdown made with homemade sloe gin and belgian chocolate warmed in a shot glass raised the most smiles. I made enough triple Belgian chocolate brownies to feed all of Leeds and the Malibu and coconut cake was a real hit. Several thousand portions of cake later, I towed Bessie back to Kent for Christmas. Thank you for having us there Leeds – we loved it.
Bessie and Buddies at the Trinity Centre, Leeds
My great helper, Suzie from Leeds Uni – don’t know what I’d have done without her
The Candy Floss cart was popular at the weekends – thanks to @huddledee for the lovely lights
Can’t be all work and no play. Here’s my lovely daughter enjoying a cocktail from 360 – well we had been looking at them all day
Run run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m the gingerbread man
Cake, cake and more cake – the never ending bake off in Leeds
Ooh, I’d love a Babycham
The winning recipe in the Bessie Trinity competition
A Bessie afternoon tea in Leeds
I know I spent a month baking in a caravan but did I really see this out of the window? Thousands of Father Christmas’s jogging along the streets of Leeds. Great community fundraiser!
The food from these guys at Fresh Rootz was just amazing and kept me going – thank you lovely people
Yum, lamb cooked long long time! Will you miss the Karenvan when you return to Leeds? Thanks for being such lovely neighbours and feeding me so well – Bangwok Thai – Dong and Jake
Seriously awesome food at The Cauldron – Lamb and Pork to die for. Such great people too – looking forward to catching up sometime soon
Father and son team made our journeys to and from the Trinity Centre so much fun – hilarious. Hope you are doing ok Sir Alex
The Trinity farewell breakfast
Bessie all set up by the barn ready to surprise the Hens
Afternoon tea for some lovely hens. Bunting, china, linen, finger sandwiches and homemade cake
Bessie enjoyed a sunny day at Kent University as part of the Vintage Fair – they love cake!
Well that’s a round up of some of the Autumn / Winter events for Bessie in 2013/14. I hope you enjoyed the pictures from Canterbury, Stalisfield, West London, Birchington and Leeds. Ooh she gets around.
