December started with the after effects of Storm Diana which had brought with it freezing fog and 80mph gales. The Met Office had issued several severe weather warnings for areas including the North West and South West of England as well as West Midlands and Scotland. Diana was not on the list of the Met Office's official storm names for this winter, and was given its title by the Portuguese authorities. Although the storm had quite an impact on the islands in the Atlantic, thankfully it weakened as it travelled towards the UK.
As usual, we were out and about regardless of the weather. We checked out our favourite playground and came across a carcass on the bank of Grebe Pool. We thought it might be a Mute Swan. We always report any sightings to the Trust and in turn hopefully report it to Defra. As winter approaches, there was going to be an increasing risk from avian flu from migrating birds. Thankfully, the Robins looked very healthy and was demanding to be fed. They trained us so well...
The female Golden Eye was still around when we stopped at Baldwin Hide. We continued on to East Marsh Hide and was chuffed to see a very handsome male Goosander swimming past the hide. We scanned the water for the females but they were fast asleep behind the reed-beds. The streamlined duck was a great fisher using its long, serrated bill to catch and hold its prey. It dived and went to join its harem, hidden behind the reed-beds.
We spotted a Buzzard on the ground near Wigeon bank. It kept on flying to and fro from the ground to its favourite perching branch. At first, we thought it was foraging for worms but later realised that it was feeding on a carcass. Oh god, not another dead bird. 2 in one day. Something needed to be done and we hoped that someone had reported it and the Trust was aware of it. And we reported it before we left.
We were about to leave when somone shouted 'ghost birds flying in'. We quickly looked out the window and saw 7 white birds flying onto the lake and as soon as they landed, formed into 2 separate groups. They consisted of 4 Whooper Swans and 3 Bewick Swans. Whoop...whoop. All you could hear were the cameras rattling away. They must have been feeding on the fields that surrounded the reserve and flew in to chill out and roost.
These wild swans were winter visitors, with Whoopers present mainly from late September to April and Bewick’s from October to March. Small numbers of Whoopers stayed all year and sometimes bred in northern Scotland. Bewick’s was the smallest of our swans and, at about four feet in length, it was about four-fifths the size of Whooper. Bewick’s was also only about two-thirds the weight of Whooper.
Bewick’s being smaller, was slighter, shorter-necked, rounder-headed, more manoeuvrable and rather more goose-like. Meanwhile, the Whooper was more more majestic, long-necked with a longer, more wedge-shaped head and bill profile and a more prominently bulging breast. Whooper had a long, pointed wedge of yellow extending about three-quarters of the way onto the bill tip so that, at any distance, the majority of the bill looks yellow. Bewick’s had a shorter bill with a more rounded or squarer patch of yellow that covers just the basal half of the bill and also faster wingbeats.
It was strange to see them flying in together but became 2 separate groups when they landed . The Bewicks continued paddling around the lake, splashing about and having a drink. The Whoppers waddled to the main island among the gulls and started preening. There was no interaction at all between the two species. When we left, both families had gone to sleep.
We also popped into the city centre to get my Xmas present. I had chosen a rose gold finish bangle with Swarovski crystals from Warren James. Babe had a camouflaged jacket from Decathlon for his. The city-centre was buzzing with Xmas shoppers and every corner we turned, there were music blaring adding a very carnival atmosphere to the festive season. There were buskers, choir groups and this fabulous steel band. I couldn't help swaying to them. We didn't stay long as it was getting too crowded.
Back home, I spent the whole day in the kitchen using the pumpkins that we'd bought during Halloween which was 2 months ago. Even then, I only used 2 and still had 2 left. Properly stored, pumpkins were 'long keepers". I made a huge pot of spicy Thai soup, a pie and 2 loaves of bread. I froze half of the soup and one loaf. That was my lunch sorted for the week.
Spicy Thai pumpkin soup
1½ kg pumpkin peeled and roughly chopped
4 tsp sunflower oil
1 onion, sliced
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 lemongrass, bashed a little
3-4 tbsp Thai red curry paste
400ml can coconut milk
850ml vegetable stock
lime juice and sugar, for seasoning
Heat oven to 180C. Toss the pumpkin or squash in a roasting tin with half the oil and seasoning, then roast for 30 mins until golden and tender. Meanwhile, put the remaining oil in a pan with the onion, ginger and lemongrass.
Gently cook for 8-10 mins until softened. Stir in the curry paste for 1 min, followed by the roasted pumpkin, all but 3 tbsp of the coconut milk and the stock. Bring to a simmer, cook for 5 mins, then fish out the lemongrass.
Cool for a few mins, then whizz until smooth with a hand blender, or in a large blender in batches. Return to the pan to heat through, seasoning with salt, pepper, lime juice and sugar, if it needs it. Serve drizzled with the remaining coconut milk.
Pumpkin pie
750g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks
350g sweet shortcrust pastry
plain flour, for dusting
140g caster sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp fresh nutmeg, grated
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
25g butter, melted
175ml milk
1 tbsp icing sugar
Place the pumpkin in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15 mins or until tender. Drain pumpkin; let cool. Heat oven to 180C.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use it to line a 22cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Chill for 15 mins. Line the pastry with baking parchment and baking beans, then bake for 15 mins. Remove the beans and paper, and cook for a further 10 mins until the base is pale golden and biscuity.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Increase oven to 220C. Push the cooled pumpkin through a sieve into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, salt, nutmeg and half the cinnamon. Mix in the beaten eggs, melted butter and milk, then add to the pumpkin purée and stir to combine.
Pour into the tart shell and cook for 10 mins, then reduce the temperature to 180C. Continue to bake for 35-40 mins until the filling has just set. Leave to cool, then remove the pie from the tin. Mix the remaining cinnamon with the icing sugar and dust over the pie. Serve chilled
Pumpkin bread
2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1-1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups solid pack pumpkin puree
Preheat the oven to 325°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Generously grease two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans with butter and dust with flour. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk until well combined; set aside.
In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until just blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until very light and fluffy, a few minutes. Beat in the pumpkin. The mixture might look grainy and curdled.
Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Turn the batter into the prepared pans, dividing evenly, and bake for 65 – 75 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the centre comes out cleanly. Let the loaves cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
The festive season started early at work. First was the infamous office Secret Santa. Each year, my colleagues and I pulled a name out of a hat, saddling ourselves with the anxiety-inducing task of buying a Xmas present for a co-worker we (in all likelihood) barely knew. Each department had their own and as usual ours was amongst those who worked on the ground floor. Early during the month, each of us had picked a name, bought the £5 gift and deposited it in Santa’s bag. Then it was time for Santa’s Elf to distribute the gift and we watched the public reaction of the receiver to the gift. Off course, all were received graciously. Then we’d nibbles which all of us contributed and quizzes. Secret Santa was always a great idea when you were high on festive cheer. We also contributed £5 each to a homeless charity.
Next was the Xmas lunch which was held at Scarman and we trekked there in our fineries on a bright, sunny afternoon. After being seated with a glass of fresh orange juice for moi and bubbly for others, we pulled the crackers, donned the party hats and cracked at the silly jokes. It was hilarious. The hall began to fill up as colleagues from other department turned up.
Then we joined the long queue for the starters. As usual, I headed for the seafood which luckily for me wasn’t busy. For the main course, I’d another fish course, baked sole with a lemon sauce and the trimmings with new potatoes, carrots and peas. At the table, we checked each other’s loaded plates. Conversations and laughters flowed easily. Dessert was limited for me because I don’t want anything with gelatine or alcohol. That left me with creme brulee which was yummy. After the long lunch, we headed to the sitting room for coffee and mince pies. I’d hot chocolate and cookies. Then it was a slow dawdle back to the office where we sat quietly to digest our food.
We also attended a University Xmas spread at The Slate conference centre, overlooking the ‘nursery’ lake. When we arrived, the party was in full swing with an orchestra playing in the background. There were plenty of mince pies and finger-food to keep us going. The drinks corner was very popular but I stuck to non-alcoholic mulled wine. What a pity there was no sing-along session which we'd last year. It really brought everyone together. Instead everyone just huddled together in their own departmental groups making small talk.
I ended my working week before the long Xmas break (11 days off..whoop...whoop) by checking out two installation billboards outside the Warwick Arts Centre. It was a poignant poem, Paper Peace, by Robert Montgomery, which was created by Emergency Exit Arts and supported by Arts Council England and the National Lottery. The 14ft illuminated peace poem was for the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In its first major campaign since the Coventry 2021 title win, the City of Culture Trust had launched #HumansOfCov as world nations commemorated the anniversary of the declaration, which was signed on December 10, 1948, and honoured around the world. The campaign both highlighted the everyday heroes in Coventry’s communities and the grassroots activism of the city, as well as opening a conversation about human rights and what they meant for a modern and diverse city in the 21st century. The mobile had toured to different parts of the city and I was so glad that it made a pit stop here in the university.
*John Geddes 'A familiar rain'
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