Small intimate Birthday Parties today 1/4/20

Good morning Facebook chums

Small intimate Birthday parties today

On this day in 1962 Phillip Schofield was born and in 1966 Chris Evans was born. This year, like the rest of us, their birthdays will be distinctive by their social distancing. Happy Birthday both.

Anyway away from our present troubles I want to focus on a very long standing trouble that's very personal to me. CIDER!

As we all know Cider is the distillation of the forbidden fruit. But other fruits can be used to make cider-like drinks, too. Perry comes from fermented pear juice, cyser is cider fermented with honey, and plum jerkum—made from plums—supposedly has some strange intoxicating effects. According to legend, it " leaves the head clear, while paralyzing the legs." But today we're going to talk about Cider (made from apples) and me.

A few things conspired to gang up on me in this particular tale. Bulmers cider, Blackthorn cider and Woodpecker cider. Interestingly Woodpecker cider had an advertising campaign in the 70s that used the slogans "Pull a bird tonight", "Give your bird one tonight" and "Spend some time out of your tree". Inspired and true.

Another thing conspiring against me was a brand new Austin Allegro with a "quartic" steering wheel.

Let me explain......it was August 4th in 1973. I'm only just 16 years old. I'm invited to a party in a barn just outside Roche. I get a lift with my friend whose dad had just taken delivery of a brand new Austin Allegro a few days before on the 1st August.

My 16 year old brain, no doubt heavily influenced by the Woodpecker cider campaign, immediately, upon my arrival, proceeded to "Spend some time out of my tree"

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I got completely wasted and remember very little other than being sick as I got out of said brand new Austin Allegro when I arrived home. Must have been the new car smell!

Fast forward almost 47 years. I haven't drunk cider or even Apple juice since. That is until recently.

Tricia bought some non alcoholic sparkling apple juice when we visited Healeys Cyder Farm last Autumn. She got the bottle out over the weekend and weirdly I said "can I try some?" A small amount in a wine glass and what a revelation. I thought it was ace!

Now, you may know, Tricia and I like to spend New Years Day until Easter each year on the wagon.

Roll on next Friday. I've got 47 years to catch up.

But before all that it's off to Treliske again today with Tricia. Let's hope it's the last time there for a while.

Today, before I go, I have an important message.

Download the Covid 19 Tracker app. Help slow the spread of Covid 19.

DO IT NOW! Or I'll send Angus around,

N