Almost twenty years ago when we moved to Liverpool about the only place to eat in the city was Pizza Express on Victoria Street. The Pizza Express is still there but there are a lot more places to go get something to eat. The only problem on a Saturday evening is finding a table.

Last night three of us ended up in Slim’s Chop Express on Seel Street having been halfway down and back up again Bold Street looking for for somewhere that would have us.

We ate and drank well. Short beef ribs that had been slow cooked for seven hours, prawns, a pulled pork burger and chips, lots of salty chips. I enjoyed myself working out what music was playing and drinking beer.

The beer was Beavertown Gamma Ray American Pale Ale and came in a multi coloured can. It was the second good beer I had drunk out of a can over the course of the last couple of weeks. Lets hope that the beer I am about to start brewing in the basement tastes half as good.

Half inspired by the food from last night I have rescued a piece of smoked gammon that has been lurking in the bottom of the freezer since a Christmas about three years ago. It is now bubbling gently in a couple of litres of Coke courtesy of a recipe by Nigella for White Trash Ham. It should make good sandwiches for the week.

And that is a picture of the the last rose we had growing in the garden.