Uniforms, The Victoria and Bull, Darkest Hour,

Discussing the uniforms worn by Harry and William at the wedding. I came across this picture with the two of them walking into the chapel. They are the same uniforms, the frock coat of a major from the Blues and Royals. William has the aguillette because he is an Aide-de-Camp to her Majesty. With the hats on  the uniform didn't look quite so plain. If you would like to read more about it, click here. The general consensus of opinion is that the dresses work by Megham, Princess Henry or Duchess of Sussex, seems to be that everyone loved them but that we were all horrified at the cost. In a comment I was told that the Duchess was worth $7 million in her own right which I guess allows her as generous a clothing budget as she wishes.


Reverting to the topic of Rochester, which I talked about yesterday, I found a picture of the Royal Victoria and Bull Hotel, know as the Bull to most of us. The current hotel is over 400 years old but I was always told Henry VIII met Anne of Cleaves there, which is impossible if the place is only 400 yrs old, however they say it is believed there was another coaching inn on the site prior to the present building. Maybe it was only a nice story, pity. When we first moved to Rochester after WWII, I was around 8, yes I am that old, we stayed at the Bull for a while  before my father bought the house we lived in for a few years. I don't remember much about it but I do know I fell in love with the boot boy!! For many years after, we used to go to the Bull for dinner now and again. Their food was excellent. They opened a more modern steak house - no idea if that is still open - but we went there as often as we could. I remember one time my mother was in hospital and my dad and I had been to see her and then went to the Bull for supper. We were seen by some friends of my parents who assumed I was my father's girlfriend because they didn't know me but knew my mother was sick. My parents thought it was funny.

Today I got a copy of the DVD of Darkest Hour which was about WWII and Churchill - his war cabinet wanted to negotiate with Hitler through Mussolini. On the assumption that it was fairly accurate, I cannot believe there was so much underhandedness going on with a war on hand.
Viscount Halifax was a prime mover in trying to oust Churchill. As one who was alive at the time, not that I knew anything much about it, I am so grateful that he vanquished them. I thought it was an excellent movie, Matt was undecided. It was a little difficult to understand what they were saying at times, but generally a very good film. Gary Oldman did an excellent job of playing Churchill although I must admit I loved the Churchill played by Albert Finney. Both actors did the part brilliantly however. I loved the final words "he mobilized the English language and sent it into battle." this was after his "we shall never surrender" speech.

This sounded good especially as I have a bag of shrimp in the freezer. I, of course, would probably serve it with asparagus, maybe the salsa as well

Spicy Jerked Shrimp 

Season fresh shrimp with a homemade jerk seasoning mix and grill over medium-high heat for three minutes on each side. Serve with a sweet fruit salsa made from chopped pineapple, chopped

cucumber, sliced red onion, chopped cilantro, and cider vinegar.

1 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1/4 tsp ground thyme
1/8 tsp ground allspice
2 Tbs olive oil
1 1/2 lbs peeled and deveined large shrimp
Cooking spray

1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

2. Combine first 7 ingredients. Combine oil and shrimp in a large bowl; toss well to coat. Sprinkle spice mixture over shrimp; toss to coat. Thread shrimp evenly onto 8 (8-inch) skewers. Place skewers on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes or until done, turning once.

3. Fruit salsa: Combine 2 cups chopped fresh pineapple, 1/2 cup chopped cucumber, 1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, and 2 teaspoons cider vinegar.

Source: MyRecipes

Have a great day