We have been ambling towards Christmas. This may have been helped by our planning on going away for the week-end before, helping to celebrate a friend’s birthday in Cafe t’Smalle in Amsterdam. So we have been getting ready early – cards sent, presents wrapped, bird ordered etc.

Last night some disorder was thrown into these preparations when I arrived home to be greeted with the good news that the large oven was broken. No lights coming on, no whirring from the fan and no amount of heat. So a call has been made to Grange Electrical and they are coming out to look at it and if it is an element there should be no problem. But anything more serious then we could be left with a challenge if we are to cook the bird on Christmas Day!

We would be left with a small oven which would do for cooking the Chesnut Loaf and roasting a few parsnips – but there is only going to be one of us who wants to nibble at a Chesnut loaf.

Then I looked out of the kitchen window and there sat in the garden, looking wet and forlorn, stood the Weber Barbercue. I had heard of men who cooked their turkey in a Weber and now here was my opportunity to join them. We won’t be having turkey, for the last few years, we have had a capon instead, but that doesn’t matter it is still a big bird, a castrated cockerel, and should be challenging enough. It will make a great photo on Christmas Day, especially if it snows.

I am now half hoping the man from Grange electrical won’t be able to fix it and then all I need do is try and find some charcoal to buy!