St. John's Wood Back in Time - March 2020
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
March 2020
Back in Time
St. John’s Wood
Chef Phillip’s Corner
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Medical Column
A new Government and a new
Minister of Public Health
www.britsoc.org.uy
Contents
President:
President’s Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Richard A. Empson
Upcoming Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 president@britsoc.org.uy
Future Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 096 233 233
Member News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
The Sir Winston Churchill Home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Vice President:
British Embassy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Gabriel Rizzo
Anglo-Uruguayan Cultural Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 vp@britsoc.org.uy
Christ Church Montevideo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 094 264 614
Anglican Church of Uruguay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
British Cemetery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Silver River Lodge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Secretary:
Colin Shearer
Saint Andrew’s Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
secretary@britsoc.org.uy
The Allies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 095 022 055
Lamb Chops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Dickens Institute. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Medical Column. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Treasurer:
Back in Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Ricardo Medina
Speedy Crossword Time!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 treasurer@britsoc.org.uy
094 547 279
Chef Phillip’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
The Far Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Link of the Month. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Webmaster and Editor:
Geoffrey Deakin
editor@britsoc.org.uy
098 586 168
Chair of the Sir Winston Churchill
Home and Benevolent Funds:
Medical Column Carolyn Cooper
A new Government and a new Minister swch@britsoc.org.uy
of Public Health 099260953
Page 18 BSU CONTACT Newsletter
www.britsoc.org.uy
Back in Time www.facebook.com/BritSocUy
www.instagram.com/BritSocUy
St. John’s Wood Montevideo, Uruguay
Page 19
Chef Phillip’s Corner
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Page 21
Edition Number 119 Year 11
+598 96 021 918
March 2020
The British Society in Uruguay Contact Newsletter March 2020
PRESIDENT’S WORDS
Dear members,
March is here, and with it the beginning of the ‘real’ Our next event will be the first of a new series of talks
year, for those of us who are used to how things work we have called “BS talks”, which aim to give the select
in Uruguay. group participants more direct interaction with the guest
Though the last proverbial cyclist has yet to arrive, we speaker. Though the speaker is not yet 100% confirmed,
cannot wait until then to kick off 2020, given that Holy I can tell you that the event will be hosted at the British
Week will not be until April. Therefore, we are taking a Residence on 31 March, with Ambassador Duddy in
page out of the new government’s book and starting the attendance. More details to follow by special mailing in
year at the beginning of March the following weeks.
Speaking of the new government, I think I speak for Though not organised by our Society, may I also draw
the entire British Society when I say that we wish Luis your attention to St. Andrew’s Society’s annual picnic,
Lacalle Pou and his multi-colour coalition the best of luck scheduled for 7 March, a family-friendly event well worth
and hope they will be able to achieve the goals they set the while.
out during last year’s campaign. It would be in the best Next month will bring our Annual General Meeting. I
interest of Uruguayan society that they do so. hope you will join us. Remember that this is your best
Coming back to our own – more modest – goals, the opportunity to make your voice heard, and put forward
Society has an interesting calendar of activities set up any suggestions you may have which could help us
for you this year, many of which you are already familiar improve the Society for you, our members.
with and others which are new. I look forward to seeing you before the AGM at one or
The first event of the year will be our third annual another of the events we have set up for you.
Scavenger Hunt on 21 March, which this year is planned
to take place in Punta Carretas. We look forward to Richard Empson
having as a set of contestants as lively and diverse as
we had the first two years. You will soon be informed of President
further details by special mailing.
www.britsoc.org.uy Page 1
The British Society in Uruguay Contact Newsletter March 2020
UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday 7th of March Saturday 21st of March
St. Andrew’s Society Family Picnic 2020 Scavenger Hunt
St Andrew’s Society of Uruguay The British Society in Uruguay
Punta Carretas
FUTURE EVENTS
Thursday 16th of April (Proposed) June
Lecture Supper Junior Caledonian
The British Society in Uruguay St Andrew’s Society of Uruguay
The Anglo School Carrasco
Saturday 6th of June (Proposed)
Thursday 30th of April Big Lunch
Annual General Meeting The British Society in Uruguay
The British Society in Uruguay The British Schools Pavilion
The British Schools Pavilion
MEMBER NEWS
New Members
Alvaro Vilaseca Marchesi
Matias Martin Campbell Lacoste
Raúl Alberto González Rocca
Birthdays in March
03 Thomas R. Gordon-Firing 22 Sylvia M. Carrara
04 Dorothy Christy 22 Carolyn A. Prevett
04 Giorgina Sexton 23 Trevor Durnford
08 Helen Turner 24 Michael J. Brown
10 Ian R. Forrester 25 Elisabeth M. Gruber von Freeden
10 Victoria Bridal 26 Ian Dickin
12 José J. Obes 26 Pamela I. Prescott
13 Harry Pugh 26 Ronald L. Decker
14 Angela Dickinson 27 Bryan P. Davies
15 Susan Day De Medina 28 Martha I. Escondeur
15 Jackie Archer 28 Kim E. MacLennan
15 Susan A. McConnell 28 Duncan Bell
17 Mónica P. Harvey 29 Anthony J. Shaw
18 Claudia E. Pereyra 29 Luis E. Albin
19 William E. Ehlers 30 Phyllis M. Cobham
19 Sarah E. Cowley 30 José M. Barrabino
19 Javier González
May these special days bring all of you
endless joy and tons of precious memories!
Happy birthdays!
www.britsoc.org.uy Page 2
The British Society in Uruguay Contact Newsletter March 2020
THIS MONTH’S COVER
This month’s cover features London’s Leadenhall
Market
Most visitors to Leadenhall Market, in the center of
The City of London, (the formal name for London’s
financial district and the oldest part of the city),
are impressed with its giant, cast-iron-framed
glass skylights — the ornate Victorian decoration
of its two story shopping arcades. But what is
really impressive is the history of these market London’s Leadenhall Market
halls, with roots going back to Roman Britain and
perhaps even earlier. The current Grade-II-Listed
buildings are late Victorian, dating from 1881.
Geoffrey W Deakin
Editor.
BSU MEMBERSHIP FEES
Notice to Society Members
The British Society would like to kindly remind all members
who have not yet done so to get up to date with their
membership fees.
Remember you can now do this easily from the comfort of
your own home using any local debit card and most credit
cards through the RedTickets platform.
And if you forgot to pay last year’s fee (or any previous
unpaid dues), you can simply pay two or more at the
same RedTickets link.
2020
www.britsoc.org.uy Page 3
The British Society in Uruguay Contact Newsletter March 2020
THE SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL HOME
Elaine turned 96 on January 30th! It was
lovely to see her friends, granddaughters
and great grandson celebrating with her.
www.britsoc.org.uy Page 4
The British Society in Uruguay Contact Newsletter March 2020
THE SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL HOME Continued...
Gabriela comes twice a
week and either handicrafts
or exercises are done!
Below is an example of what our
residents helped to make last month,
which was donated to the Rincon Infantil
department.
Lucí
a, who works in this department,
comes with Florencia to play bingo on
Mondays.
www.britsoc.org.uy Page 5
The British Society in Uruguay Contact Newsletter March 2020
BRITISH EMBASSY
19 Departments!
Ambassador Ian Duddy completed his tour of the country He also found time to do a bit of sightseeing and cultural
on February with a visit to Cerro Largo and Treinta y Tres. activities at Quebrada de los Cuervos and Juana de
He met Intendentes from both departments, offered joint Ibarbourou’s.
press conferences, visited the local Anglo centres and a
bilingual school associated with Dickens Institute.
www.britsoc.org.uy Page 6
The British Society in Uruguay Contact Newsletter March 2020
BRITISH EMBASSY Continued...
NAP
Next month is the 20th Anniversary of UN Resolution Defence, Foreign Affairs and Interior, as well as with a
1325 on Women, Peace and Security, and the Embassy range of civil society groups. The week concluded with
brought over Miki Jacevic, who supported the UK with our a workshop held at the Ambassador’s Residence, with
own National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and input from all groups, and an action plan which we hope
Security, to support Uruguayan officials to develop theirs. will lead to the creation of Uruguay’s own NAP later this
Mr Jacevic held meetings with the police, Ministries of year.
Ambassador in the media
The Ambassador gave a briefing for journalists at the
Residence regarding the UK’s exit from the European
Union, as well as a series of media interviews throughout
February. Ambassador Duddy highlighted trade and
business opportunities and was also asked about his life
in Uruguay.
You can read/listen/watch
most of them here.
www.britsoc.org.uy Page 7
The British Society in Uruguay Contact Newsletter March 2020 ANGLO-URUGUAYAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE www.britsoc.org.uy Page 8
The British Society in Uruguay Contact Newsletter March 2020
ANGLO-URUGUAYAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE Continued...
TEATRO DEL ANGLO
2x1 Members of the British Society
www.teatrodelanglo.com.uy
www.britsoc.org.uy Page 9The British Society in Uruguay Contact Newsletter March 2020
ANGLO-URUGUAYAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE Continued...
FALKLAND ISLANDS TOUR
Later this month, a group of actors, They will be presenting a series of
Yliana Rodriguez, Alejandro plays for children in Stanley and in
Etchebarne and Jorge Pacheco, Port Howard as well as the
under the direction of Jack Sprigings, performance of a collection of well
will be doing a tour of the Falkland known sketches in Stanley's Town
Islands invited by the local Hall for the whole community.
government and under the
sponsorship of the Shackleton Fund.
www.britsoc.org.uy Page 10The British Society in Uruguay Contact Newsletter March 2020
CHRIST CHURCH MONTEVIDEO
Arocena 1907
Esq. Lieja, Carrasco
Tel 2601 0300
SUnday Services 11am
www.christchurchmvd.org
Teaching Focus: “How to change an emotionally Emotionally Healthy Spirituality groups 2x monthly on
unhealthy paradigm” Interpretación simultánea al Sunday afternoons 1-3:30. March dates are the 8th and
español. 15th. Registration requested. Reading required.
To register: http://bit.ly/emocionalmentesana or
Nursery for babies and toddlers, Wonderland is our http://bit.ly/eesdomingos
Godly Play space for children aged 4-10, and new
beginnings for our 11-14 years olds. Special Activities include our monthly multicultural
“Potluck Lunch” on the last Sunday (the 29th) of most
Community Bible Study begins the Monday after months.
Easter, April 13, 7:30pm. We will be studying together
the Gospel of Luke. We have many diverse activities and groups. Register
for updates online at www.christchurchmvd.org or join
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality groups every our “information only” WhatsApp group by texting John
Wednesday night starting the 4th at 7:30pm. at +598 94 368 761 for updates.
Registration requested. Reading required.
R
V IS IT OU
W E B S ITE
ANGLICAN CHURCH OF URUGUAY
The English-speaking congregation of
Holy Trinity Cathedral invites all residents and
visitors to its English service every Sunday at
10 am with an Anglican Eucharist celebrated
according to the
1979 Prayer Book of the the
Episcopal Church of the USA.
Baptized Christians of all denominations are
invited to receive Holy Communion in order to
be spiritually fed and united to their brothers
and sisters in Christ.
www.anglicanchurch.uy
www.britsoc.org.uy Page 11The British Society in Uruguay Contact Newsletter March 2020
BRITISH CEMETERY
www.cementeriobritanico.com.uy
Email: info@cementeriobritanico.com.uy
Telephone: 2622 3071
All those interested in our events are very welcome!
The first of the 2020 series of “Encuentros a la
Puesta del Sol” (series of talks, in Spanish, on
different subjects related to people buried in The
British Cemetery) will be on
Saturday March 14th.
16:30 – 17:45 These Ladies are here. Starting at
the chapel, a guided tour of the Cemetery stopping
at specific Graves stating which Lady was buried
there and what She was prominent in.
18:00 – 18:40 a talk by anthropologist Gustavo
Laborde, Cordon Blue and its History, Elena
Hughs de Moor Davie, Pioneer in T.V. Cooking.
SILVER RIVER LODGE
All our meetings are held on the 3rd Monday of
every month, from March through November, at
the William G. Best Masonic Temple, located at
1429 Canelones Street, Montevideo.
For further information please contact us at
secretarysrl876@gmail.com
or call Mr. Martin Macadam
at 096 001 995.
www.britsoc.org.uy Page 12The British Society in Uruguay Contact Newsletter March 2020 SAINT ANDREW’S SOCIETY www.britsoc.org.uy Page 13
The British Society in Uruguay Contact Newsletter March 2020
by Christpher Pool
THE ALLIES christopherpool83@gmail.com
It is very sad news that Peter Schor, He was still in the training process
the last remaining WW2 volunteer in May 1945 when the war in
from Uruguay, passed away on Europe ended. Peter was told
January 28, aged 93. that when their ship was fully
Peter was 18 years old in 1944 commissioned, it was going to be
when, like many other brave young deployed for service in the ongoing
men from Uruguay, he decided war against the Japanese. VJ Day
to volunteer to defend the Allied arrived before the aircraft carrier
cause and travelled to London, was fully ready for action.
He wanted to join the Royal Navy, Peter was buried in the British
a natural choice since his father, Cemetery on 29 January 2020,
Bill Schor, ex-Headmaster of the poppies being placed on his coffin
British School in Montevideo, was by his many friends present as it
already in London working as a Lt. was lowered into the ground, in
Commander in Naval Intelligence recognition of his WW2 service.
in the Admiralty.
Peter underwent basic training Christopher Pool
to serve in the Fleet Air Arm and
was assigned to join a new aircraft
carrier, HMCS Warrior, which was
to be operated as a unit of the
Royal Canadian Navy, with a mixed
Canadian and British crew.
by Jonathan Lamb
LAMB CHOPS tony@tonybeckwith.com
THE PACK OF PEANUTS
I bought a pack of peanuts I took that pack of peanuts And as I went to hail a cab
And I stepped on board a train And with a nasty grin And raised my arm to shout
I sat down near this feller I said Yum yum yum yum! I felt something in my pocket
Who looked as mean as Cain And I poured those peanuts in And took
The peanuts lay between us He didn’t seem to like it much My pack of peanuts out
As the train went up the track He took the peanut pack
I was just about to eat one And ate every last one of them peanuts
When this feller grabs the pack Then he threw the packet back
He stares me right here in the eye I would have said, Let’s step outside
And he pulls the pack apart But we was on a train
Then he eats one of my peanuts! Just then it reached my station
Anger grabbed my heart So I left that son of Cain
www.britsoc.org.uy Page 14The British Society in Uruguay Contact Newsletter March 2020 DICKENS INSTITUTE www.britsoc.org.uy Page 15
The British Society in Uruguay Contact Newsletter March 2020
DICKENS INSTITUTE Continued...
Dickens Mid Summer Dream 11th, IMPACT: Full House and great success!
On 22nd February MSD11 was held at
Hotel Esplendor Montevideo.
The morning sessions were devoted to
workshops conducted by Dickens
Coordinators. Martin Oetegenn from
Trinity College London visited a few and
was very impressed by the high standards
shown by Dickens Teachers and the
teachers who attended these workshops.
After a lovely lunch, Martin gave the teachers a very interesting talk on Formative
Feedback Techniques. The two lectures that followed were in Spanish as we invited
the Directors of the Schools' Dickens works with and their Spanish teachers.
Ricardo Spizzo, from Argentina, gave a
brilliant talk on Dislexia. Finally, the well-
known educator Natalia Trenchi made us
all ponder on how to develop our students
learning techniques.
It was a day devoted to teachers and teaching and greatly enjoyed by all!
Natalia Trenchi
Martin Oetegenn Ricardo Spizzo
www.britsoc.org.uy Page 16The British Society in Uruguay Contact Newsletter March 2020
DICKENS INSTITUTE Continued...
CERTIFICATE TESOL AWARDS CEREMONY IN URUGUAY
At the end of IMPACT, the day devoted to Dickens Teachers and Teaching, the Cert.
TESOL Awards Ceremony was held.
Trinity College London validated the course run by Dickens Institute in 1991.The
Cert. TESOL is an International Teacher Training Course recognized in a great
number of countries around the world.
Martin Oetegenn was present
to represent Trinity. Mr Ian
Duddy, Her Majesty's British
Ambassador, Patricia Alvarez
Harvey and Manuel Rodriguez,
Directors of the Dickens
Institute, and Dickens TESOL
Tutors were present as well.
It was a lovely ceremony,
greatly enjoyed by the teachers
receiving their certificates and who received a massive ovation from their
Colleagues. A fitting ending for Mid Summer Dream 11!
www.britsoc.org.uy Page 17The British Society in Uruguay Contact Newsletter March 2020
by Dr Jorge C Stanham OBE
MEDICAL COLUMN jorgestanham@yahoo.com
A new Government and a new Minister of Public Health
After fifteen years of social-democratic, ‘progressive’, qualified frontline personnel from the Ministry of Public
UK-Labour Party-like policies, Uruguay’s majority Health (now labelled simply Ministry of Health – and we
electorate mood has shifted towards and beyond the may se a reincarnation of the original name). As loosening
centre and has placed a five-party coalition in charge of the noose of poking into daily activities of private
for the next half decade. The focus of the initial weeks providers advances, the accusation of ‘deregulation’ will
of the new government, parliament, businesses, unions surely become part of the political quarrels to come.
and social groups, will be the circa 450 articles of the Ley Uruguay has a long tradition of providing care through
de Urgente Consideración (LUC). I’m one of those many the three tiers descibed above. This has been the written
Uruguayans that haven’t read all the articles, but after policy of all parties across the board for decades. A purely
poring over the obvious priorities of security, education, private system will be proposed by no-one, but calls from
housing and the environment, I was surprised (or maybe the Left to progressively ‘socialise’ the health system
not so much) to find that the chapter on health care had won’t go away. Virtually all the local gurus specialised
very little substance and does little more than cut and trim in public health and its management, point to mature
around the corners and edges of all that has changed systems that exist in the UK (NHS), Europe, Australia
in more than a decade. Obviously, we’re not entering and Israel, as examples of what Uruguay can emulate.
a Trump-mode repeal Obama-Care world. There are Besides, Uruguay’s experience with health care reform,
general similarities in the magnitude of change that have provides other countries in the region with a trodden path
happened over the last decade or more both in the USA to follow.
and in Uruguay, but the starting and ending points of the
two reforms clearly differ.
Excluding pure private out-of-pocket care, the Sistema
Nacional Integrado de Salud (SNIS) consolidates a
3-tiered system of providers: 1: Public (ASSE); 2: Private
Prepaid (IAMPP = Mutualistas) and 3: Private Insurances.
Funding is through taxation (FONASA), Government
deficit-covering (ASSE), out-of-pocket copays (IAMPPs)
and out-of-pocket monthly quotas (Private Insurances).
All 3 groups of providers of covered individuals receive
Government reimbursement via an age-and-sex scale
called capitas, plus bonuses if certain goals are met. One
of the major criticisms of the now opposition-cum-next-
government was that the deficit had to be covered by
taxation, but the outgoing government was clear that a
balanced budget was never the goal and that levelling the At the end of the day, we shouldn’t expect too much
cost of the SNIS needed special budgeting and pouring of of a change over the next five years. We’ll see some
money. To be honest to the truth, this is bare facts across deregulation or at least less micromanagement and hard-
the world: providing health care to everybody costs all of nosing. Some investors may have a freer hand in creating
us money, be it in taxes, copays or inflation. In a nutshell, and building new diagnostic and treatment centres or even
this won’t change, neither on the surface or in deeper fully-fledged hospitals, something that was hand-braked
layers. for the last fifteen years. What will happen this year, is
What will probably change is the emphasis that the the important-and-urgent issues of the regional Dengue
outgoing government has placed on keeping (at least endemic spreading from Paraguay, the influenza season
on the visible surface) corporate power at bay. It has during the mid-year and the present Coronavirus-2019
confronted Big Tobacco, Big Pharma, professional groups disease (COVID-19) caused by the novel SARS-CoV-22
(especially the Anaesthesia & Surgery Union – SAQ) and virus. These matters may displace all other long-term
unlicensed health care provided by modern-day quacks. priorities the new Government and appointed Minister of
The hard-nosed micromanagement and data reporting Public Health have inked into their programmes.
policy to which most private providers were exposed on
a daily basis, will in high probability be relaxed. Much of
the excessive controls were in the hands of un- or poorly
www.britsoc.org.uy Page 18The British Society in Uruguay Contact Newsletter March 2020
by Tony Beckwith
BACK IN TIME tony@tonybeckwith.com
St. John’s Wood
St. John’s Wood is a neighbourhood in northwest the following morning as Donald and I were ironing our
London. I lived there in the mid-1960s in a flat I shared shirts over the tea kettle. They climbed into our unmade
with a friend who, like me, grew up in Uruguay and had beds and proceeded to sleep the day away prior to going
recently arrived in the U.K. We had low-paying white- on the prowl again the following evening. You’d think
collar jobs in the City to which we commuted back and we’d been raised by wolves.
forth on the Tube. The flat directly below me was quite a bit larger than mine;
The flat was on the top floor of an old three-story building it was occupied by a married couple from India who were
that had been chopped up into small apartments. Ours studying at the London School of Economics. Mr. and
felt as though it had been squeezed into one end of Mrs. Bochee apparently had some money and were in
what had once been an attic where the roof sloped down the process of decorating their home, painting the walls
sharply, forcing us to stoop ever lower as we entered and ceilings in exotic colours and bringing in sofas, thick
the bedrooms. In retrospect it was all rather shabby, but carpets, and standing lamps to fill the spacious living
I don’t remember noticing that at the time. I was in a room. One Saturday I was enjoying a lazy morning in my
new country, far from home, learning to adjust to my new room when I heard a strange whoomph sound followed
circumstances. by hysterical screams that seemed to be coming from the
As in most London flats of that floor below. I raced downstairs in
kind, the bathroom had a stand- time to see Mrs. Bochee stumble
alone bathtub but no shower. onto the landing, soaking wet,
Donald and I grew up in homes shrieking and waving her arms
with showers and decided this about. Through the open door
was something we could change. behind her I could see that her
We bought a hose attachment living room ceiling had sagged and
and a plastic curtain and rigged bulged and burst open to release
up a makeshift shower that we thousands of gallons of dirty water
thought was perfect. We strung that had apparently accumulated
the curtain across the front of the in the space between her
tub to prevent water from spraying apartment and mine. I broke into
out into the bathroom but gave a cold sweat as it dawned on me
no thought at all to the water where the water might possibly
splashing over the back of the tub have come from. My parents
onto the floor. had tried hard to instil in me the
fundamentals of honesty, but a
Another idea we came up with baser, more self-serving instinct
allowed us to go to work in what now prompted me to race back
looked like well-ironed shirts. Irons upstairs, dismantle the shower arrangement, and dispose
and ironing boards cost money, which was in very short of it immediately. A short while later the maintenance
supply, so we improvised. While boiling water for our man came to inspect all the bathrooms on the top floor.
morning cups of tea, we leaned over the cloud of steam Finding nothing untoward in ours, he remarked that the
billowing out of the kettle’s spout, holding our shirts old building’s leaky plumbing had given trouble before
taught against our chests with one hand and “ironing” but never on this scale. When I enquired how repairs
them with the other. We were mad to step out into cold and restitution would be handled, he shrugged and
London mornings wearing damp shirts, but they looked said the property’s insurance would cover it all. Feeling
ironed and that was what counted. tentatively absolved but still uneasy about what might
Not long after we moved into the flat my brother and a emerge once repairs began, Donald and I decided this
lifelong friend arrived from Uruguay, and of course they might be a good time to move. We decamped a few days
stayed with us. We only had two beds, but they insisted later, leaving no forwarding address, and never set foot
that would not be a problem since they weren’t planning in St. John’s Wood again.
to stay long. They believed their first priority was to see
“Swinging London,” so in the evening they sashayed off
to Soho to explore the famous red-light district in the
West End. They returned, somewhat the worse for wear,
www.britsoc.org.uy Page 19The British Society in Uruguay Contact Newsletter March 2020
from The Guardian
SPEEDY CROSSWORD TIME! www.theguardian.com
Print this page and start playing!
Solution in the next Contact issue.
February solution:
Across Down
1 Person hoping to find sanctuary elsewhere (6,6) 2 Disease (anag) — coast (7)
9 Eliminating rounds of a race (5) 3 In case (4)
10 Nonplussed (2,1,4) 4 Ridiculously small (6)
11 Collar — cop (4) 5 Seen cave (anag) — disappear gradually (8)
12 Spring-flowering woodland plant (8) 6 Danish currency unit (5)
14 No matter whether (4,2) 7 Determination (12)
15 South and Central American wildcat (6) 8 Noisy but harmless pyrotechnic device (12)
18 Not batting? (8) 13 Piece of unexpected good fortune (8)
20 Destruction (4) 16 Place of pilgrimage in the French Pyrenees (7)
22 In a state of serenity (2,5) 17 Except when (6)
23 Prestige (5) 19 Discharge in disgrace (5)
24 State of inability to manage (12) 21 Similar in character (4)
www.britsoc.org.uy Page 20The British Society in Uruguay Contact Newsletter March 2020
by Phillip Berzins
CHEF PHILLIP’S CORNER sbpberzins@hotmail.com
Sticky Toffee Pudding
On my latest visit to the UK in January this year, one Preparation
dessert which caught my eye on many menus, especially Cream the butter and sugar together. Sieve the flour and
in the pubs, was the now famous sticky toffee pudding, baking powder. Add half the egg mixture to the butter
sometimes called gooey toffee pudding. and sugar and mix in well. Add two tablespoons of flour
I find it a perfect marriage of stodge and sweetness, a and continue mixing. Add the remaining egg and mix in,
classic comfort food for cool evenings. It was invented then add the remaining flour and mix until incorporated.
(or maybe re-invented) in the `70s by Francis Coulson in Finely chop the dates and add boiling water. At this stage
the famous Sharrow Bay country house hotel in the Lake you can put it in a food mixer, but do not overwork as
District. it is nice to feel the texture of the dates in the dessert.
Dates are the foundation of this dessert, which add Leave to stand for five minutes and stir in bicarbonate
sweetness and are baked in a dense cake mixture that is of soda. Add to previous mixture and mix in. Turn into a
drizzled with a caramel-like sauce. Many recipes also call buttered cake mould and bake between 30 to 40 minutes
for treacle, which is uncrystallised syrup made during the at 180 degrees. Check to see if it is sufficiently cooked by
refining of sugar. Golden syrup is the most common form inserting a sharp knife into the centre of the dessert. If it
of treacle used in the UK (it can be found in supermarkets comes out clean, it is ready.
in Uruguay). Black treacle, a darker variety, also known When the pudding is cooked and removed from the oven,
as molasses, has a stronger, slightly bitter flavour, and prick it with a fork and add a third of the hot sauce so it
adds colour to any dessert in which it is employed. As seeps into it, spreading the sauce evenly over the surface.
treacle can be difficult or expensive to buy in Uruguay, I The dish can be cooked and served in individual rounded
am including a recipe which does not require its addition pudding moulds or in a larger mould and cut into portions
and is equally authentic and tasty as any of the other after being cooked.
recipes.
To make the sauce, heat the brown sugar, butter and
Ingredients for 8 Portions cream and cook gently for three minutes. Add one third to
the sponge mixture and save the remaining two thirds to
For the sponge: be served as a sauce.
• 55 g softened butter Serve warm or hot with ice cream or lightly whipped
• 100 g brown sugar (azúcar rubia) cream as well as the sauce.
• 175 g flour I enjoyed sticky toffee puddings in several Keswick pubs
• 2 teaspoons baking powder and in restaurants in Selby and Lincoln, but incredibly
my favourite one was bought at Sainsbury´s, proving
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
that in the UK quality dishes can be found readymade
• 170 g dates (pitted) in supermarkets. On my regular trips to the UK, visiting
• 150 ml boiling water Marks & Spencer´s,
Sainsbury´s and other
• 1 teaspoons
supermarket chains is
bicarbonate of soda
always an enjoyable part of
• 1 teaspoon vanilla my experience. There one
extract. Vanilla essence can discover food products in
can be used, but it is a use from different corners of
manufactured liquid that the world, food trends which
contains little or no real TV chefs are incorporating
vanillin. and using in their recipes
For the sauce: and menus, and generally
• 140 g brown sugar get a feeling of how food
and culture are constantly
• 80 g butter changing and developing in
• 100 ml double cream the British Isles.
www.britsoc.org.uy Page 21The British Society in Uruguay Contact Newsletter March 2020
THE FAR SIDE by Gary Larson
“Well, I’,m just starting
to worry about the
roast in the oven,
that’s all”
LINK OF THE MONTH
Why you’re washing your hands wrong
Coronavirus has been seen in more than 30 countries. The virus can spread from
person to person and officials recommend simple steps to avoid becoming infected.
Dr Adele McCormick from the University of Westminster demonstrated how germs
spread and what the best methods are to avoid catching a virus.
Click HERE to visit
the Website
www.britsoc.org.uy Page 22You can also read
