Potato, Cheese & Onion Tart - Donal Skehan

 

Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4

For the pie filling:

1 tbsp rapeseed oil

350g waxy potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1 large onion, thinly sliced

150g mature cheddar cheese, grated

1⁄2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

200ml cream

3 large free-range eggs

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

For the shortcrust pastry :

200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

100g butter, very cold and cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing

2 tbsp ice-cold water

Sea salt and ground black pepper

Lightly dressed bitter leaf salad, to serve

1. For the pastry, put the flour and butter into a mixing bowl and, using your fingertips, lightly rub them together until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the cold water a little at a time and incorporate with a spoon. When the dough comes together, turn out onto a clean work surface and knead lightly just until it forms a ball. Press into a flat circle, wrap in cling film and allow to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2. Grease a 23cm pie dish, 4cm in depth (capacity 1.2 litres), and dust with flour. Roll out the dough into a circle on a clean, floured work surface, to about 5mm thick. Transfer the rolled-out pastry to the tin and gently press it into all the sides. Roughly trim off most of the excess but leave some all round the edge of the tin to allow for shrinking. Don’t panic if the pastry breaks at all, just press it together with your fingers and repair any cracks with a little of the trimmed pastry. Chill in the fridge for 10–15 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Prick the pastry base with a fork, line with some scrunched-up greaseproof paper and pour in baking beans or dried pulses. Place in the oven for fifteen minutes, then remove the greaseproof paper and beans and cook for a further five minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the oven, trim off the remaining excess pastry and set aside on a wire cooling rack.

4. Meanwhile, place a large frying pan over a high heat, add the oil and fry the potatoes and onion for 20–25 minutes until tender, stirring regularly to ensure they don’t stick. Mix through the cheese and thyme and arrange on the base of the pastry case. Whisk together the cream and eggs, season with nutmeg, sea salt and ground black pepper.

5. Pour this over the potatoes, making sure it gets into all the nooks and crannies. Place the tart in the oven to cook for about twenty minutes, until golden on top and set. Leave to cool at room temperature for fifteen minutes, then cut into slices and arrange on plates with the bitter leaf salad to serve.

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Nellie, the truffle hunting hound of Suffolk: Family pet sniffs out valuable delicacy in owner's back garden

 By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Published: 23:05, 14 October 2012 | Updated: 07:44, 15 October 2012

When Nellie the English bull terrier kept digging up the back garden, her owners were not best pleased.

But it turned out Nellie wasn't just enjoying a little wanton destruction – she was busy discovering a gold mine.

Janey Auchincloss, 48, and her husband John Perkins, 53, were astonished to find their dog had unearthed a stash of valuable black autumn truffles.

Good nose: Nellie has been finding truffles for the past six years - uncovering 500 grams of the fungi this year alone

The couple, who run a B&B in Lavenham, Suffolk, now sell the truffles at local markets or trade them with nearby businesses.

They are worth £1 a gram, and the couple say Nellie has uncovered at least £1,000-worth each season for the past two years.

Her discovery is all the more remarkable as experts claim it is extremely rare to find truffles in that part of the country.

Miss Auchincloss, a mother of two who works as a garden designer, said: 'We could not believe it when she turned up with a truffle in her mouth.

'At first we were a bit annoyed that she kept digging up the garden. We could not work out why she was doing it.

'But we soon realised she was using her powerful nose to seek out truffles – they are the last thing you would expect to find in a Suffolk garden.

Good girl! English Bull Terrier Nellie with the truffles she has found

Wonder dog: Nellie poses with her owners Janey Auchincloss and John Perkins, from Lavenham, Suffolk

Truffles found by Nellie: They are worth £1 a gram, and the couple say Nellie has uncovered at least £1,000-worth each season for the past two years

'I had not realised you even get them in England, I thought they are just usually found in France and Italy. At first we thought she would just get one or two, which is rare enough, but then she just kept finding them one after the other.

'We have to be very careful – she absolutely loves them so we take a bone with us and use it to pry her away from them.'

Miss Auchincloss and Mr Perkins, a former detective chief inspector, bought Stone Farm B&B in 2006. Nellie discovered her first truffle in the autumn of 2007 and continued to find the odd one until last year, when she stumbled across a bumper crop. Her biggest truffle so far weighed 108 grams (4oz), and was the size of a fist.

Mr Perkins said: 'The truffles are amazing, we really are sitting on a gold mine of the stuff. We have been thinking about putting them on our menu, we might start grating them over the scrambled eggs.'

'It is funny, most dogs actually cost their owners money but Nellie certainly earns her keep.

'We are not that bothered about money from the truffles but Nellie can at least afford to pay for her own dog food.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2217724/Nellie-truffle-hunting-hound-Suffolk-Family-pet-sniffs-valuable-delicacy-owners-garden.html

Lunch for mum

 Main 

Hairy Bikers Spanish chicken.  -   https://www.facebook.com/recipesclan/posts/feeling-adventurous-try-this-hairy-bikers-spanish-chicken-its-packed-with-flavor/122250384818252722/

Capanata   -   https://www.themediterraneandish.com/caponata-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-35409

Stiffed Garlic Mushrooms  -   https://www.savorynothings.com/easy-stuffed-mushrooms/

Twice Baked Potatoes   -    https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/double_stuffed_potatoes_61032

Pudding

Cheese and biscuits

Chocolate chip bark

Nigella's gluten free apple and almond cake   -   https://www.nigella.com/recipes/apple-and-almond-cake

Homemade vanilla ice cream    -     https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/no-churn-ice-cream

Condensed Milk Cake

 

Ingredients

• ▢125 g butter softened to room temperature
• ▢395 g can sweetened condensed milk full-fat
• ▢3 eggs room temperature
• ▢225 g (1 ½ cups) self-raising flour

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius (fan-forced).

  Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper.
• Using beaters or a stand-mixer, beat the butter for 2 minutes until smooth, pale and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Add the sweetened condensed milk and beat until combined.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition.
• Sift over the self-raising flour and fold through with a spatula until combined.
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and cook for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

  Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack.

Notes

RECIPE NOTES & TIPS

• Use room temperature ingredients - This ensures an even batter and a better texture.
• Don't overmix - Once you add the flour, fold gently to keep the cake light and fluffy.
• Check for doneness - Every oven is different, so check with a skewer at the 35-minute mark to avoid overbaking.
• Want extra flavour? - Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
• This cake keeps beautifully for 3-4 days in an airtight container at room temperature. If you'd like to store it longer, it also freezes well for up to 3 months-just wrap slices (or the whole cake) in cling film and pop in a freezer-safe bag.

NOTE:  I found my cake only needed 25 minutes in the oven.

https://bakeplaysmile.com/condensed-milk-cake/?utm_campaign=grocerslist&utm_medium=IG_comment&utm_source=grocerslist#recipe

The Fairbourne Railway

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Fairbourne Railway" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Fairbourne Railway Rheilffordd y Friog
Official badge of the railway
Locale	Wales
Terminus	Fairbourne and Barmouth Ferry
Coordinates	52.69512°N 4.05085°W
Commercial operations
Name	Fairbourne Miniature Railway
Built by	Narrow Gauge Railways Ltd
Original gauge	1895-1916: 2 ft (610 mm) 1916-1940:
Preserved operations
Owned by	North Wales Coast Light Railway
Operated by	Fairbourne Railway Limited, supported by Fairbourne Railway Preservation Society
Stations	2 and 4 halts
Length	2 miles (3.2 km)
Preserved gauge	1947 - 1986: 15 in (381 mm) (restored as dual gauge in 2017 from Fairbourne station to Car Park crossing) 1986 – present: 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm)
Commercial history
Opened	1895
1916	converted to 15 in (381 mm)
Closed	1940
Preservation history
1925	Arrival of Bassett-Lowke locomotive Count Louis
1927	Brief period of dual gauge operation (18 in (457 mm) and 15 in (381 mm))
1935	First Internal Combustion locomotive Whippit Quick arrives.
1947	Purchased and re-opened by John Wilkins
1959	Fairbourne Station expanded
1976	Line extended to its present length
1984	Purchased by John Ellerton
1986	regauged to 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm)
1995	Purchased by Professor Tony Atkinson and Dr Roger Melton
2006	Fairbourne Railway Supporter's Association becomes Fairbourne Railway Preservation Society
Route map Legend Barmouth Ferry  Jack Steele Tunnel Estuary Halt passing loop Loop Halt Golf Halt Beach Halt Penrhyn Corner crossing Car Park crossing Springfield crossing former section to old brickworks Fairbourne  Fairbourne   Cambrian Line to Shrewsbury & Pwllheli Key National Rail — 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) (disused — track lifted) Dual — 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) & 15 in (381 mm) This diagram:  view talk edit

The Fairbourne Railway (Welsh: Rheilffordd y Friog) is a 12+1⁄4 in (311 mm) gauge miniature railway running for 2 miles (3.2 km) from the village of Fairbourne on the Mid-Wales coast, alongside the beach to the end of a peninsula at Barmouth Ferry railway station, where there is a connection with the Barmouth Ferry across the Mawddach estuary to the seaside resort of Barmouth (Welsh: Abermaw).^[1]

History

The horse-drawn tramway from Fairbourne to Barmouth Ferry, taken between 1895 and 1916. A Valentine & Sons postcard.

The line has provided a service between Fairbourne village and Penrhyn Point since its opening in 1895 as a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge horse-drawn construction tramway. It was converted in 1916 to 15 in (381 mm) gauge, and again to its present gauge in 1986. Originally built to carry building materials, the railway has carried holidaymakers for over a hundred years. At its peak in the 1970s it was carrying in excess of 70,000 passengers a year.^[2]

The early days – Fairbourne Tramway

Following the construction of the Cambrian Coast Line in 1865 and the completion of the Barmouth Bridge in 1867 there were lavish schemes to develop the area for tourism, the area being easily accessible to day-trippers and weekend visitors from the Midlands.^[3]

There were several horse-drawn construction tramways in the area serving the Henddol Quarry above the neighbouring village of Friog. The tramway that was used to construct the Fairbourne village soon introduced passenger cars to transport people to the ferry station.^[4]

The pioneering days – Fairbourne Miniature Railway

Train between Loop Halt and Estuary Halt.

Duration: 5 minutes and 57 seconds.5:57

A Fairbourne Railway round trip

The line was converted to a 15 in (381 mm) gauge steam railway in 1916 by Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke of Narrow Gauge Railways Ltd (NGR). They were keen to promote tourism in the area after the failure of the Arthog scheme in the early 1900s. The railway played an important part in the development of the 15 in (381 mm) gauge railways in the UK. Services were operated by Bassett-Lowke Class 10 locomotive Prince Edward of Wales designed by Henry Greenly and passengers were conveyed in four open top carriages.

The railway had mixed fortunes during the inter war years and went through a series of changes in ownership. At one time it was leased to the ferrymen. The railway experienced motive power problems and at one stage experimented with dual gauge track after purchasing an 18 in (457 mm) gauge locomotive. This was a model of a GNR Stirling 4-2-2. A third rail was laid as far as the Golf Course.

The line closed in 1940 after operating its final year with Whippit Quick, a Lister 'Railtruck' petrol locomotive, as the steam locomotive Count Louis was out of service.

The Wilkins era – 1947–1984

The railway was rescued by a consortium of businessmen from the Midlands in 1946 and after rebuilding, was reopened by 1947. The line's owner John Charles Wilkins (of Wilkins & Mitchell, Darlaston), funded the redevelopment of the railway and the purchase of new steam locomotives. The line's heyday was in the 1960s and early 1970s but the advent of mass foreign holidays meant there was a steady decline in passenger numbers during the 1970s and 1980s.

The Ellerton era – 1984–1995

A train with Yeo leaving Fairbourne (1994)

Yeo heading along Beach Road towards Penrhyn Corner.

Towards the end of the Wilkins era, the condition of the Fairbourne Railway was in serious decline and in much need of improvements. It was, subsequently, put up for sale. It was bought in 1984 by the Ellerton family^[5] and underwent dramatic changes to the infrastructure which included construction of a new station at Fairbourne and the re-gauging to 12¼ inches in 1986 to accommodate the four new steam locomotives introduced. Most of the 15 in (381 mm) gauge locomotives left the site. Two of the new locomotives had run on the Réseau Guerlédan Chemin de Fer Touristique in Brittany, France in 1978. All four steam locomotives are half sized replicas of narrow gauge engines: Yeo, Sherpa, Beddgelert and Russell. Of the extant 15 in (381 mm) gauge locomotives only Sylvia (rebuilt as Lilian Walter) remained. Most of the 15 in (381 mm) gauge locomotives are still intact and have found homes on lines around the world.

Fairbourne Miniature Railway, Barmouth Ferry Station in 1999

In 1990 the railway built their first steam locomotive, Number 24, a replica of a locomotive from the Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad in Maine. The locomotive has since left the line and now operates on the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway in Lincolnshire.

The Ellerton family sold the railway during 1995, after which, the railway reverted to the name of Fairbourne Railway.

Present: 1995 onwards

Fairbourne station July 2024

Professor Tony Atkinson and Dr Roger Melton bought the line in April 1995, they and their wives Mrs Maureen Atkinson and Mrs Amanda Melton being appointed directors. There was considerable investment in the railway to improve reliability of the locomotives and the quality of the track, and a new attraction, the Rowen Centre, was set up at Fairbourne station. In 2007 some of the displays were changed to accommodate a large G scale model railway which is gradually being added to and improved by local model engineers.^[6]

In 2008 ownership of the railway was transferred to a charity, the North Wales Coast Light Railway Limited (Registered number 1127261). Professor Atkinson subsidised the railway's operation but the subsidy was withdrawn after he died on 19 June 2011, leaving the railway's future in doubt.^[7] With reductions in staff and by the encouragement of donations the railway has been able to continue in operation.^[8]

The previous 15 inch gauge was restored as part of a dual gauge track from Fairbourne station as far as Car Park crossing over the winter of 2016/17 to allow visiting 15 inch gauge stock to run on at least part of the line^[9][10] usually as part of special events.^[11]

Preservation Society

Like most heritage railways, the Fairbourne Railway has an active volunteer society: Fairbourne Railway Preservation Society (formerly the Fairbourne Railway Supporter's Association). The society is actively involved with the running of services and maintaining the locomotives, rolling stock, stations and track work.^[12]

Stations and facilities

Image	Name	Notes
	Fairbourne (FR)	Fairbourne station is the main headquarters of the line and location of the locomotive and carriage sheds and workshops. There is a small museum containing many photographs of the line, a nature centre, G scale model railway, tea room, booking office and gift shop. From here trains head along Beach Road crossing over three level crossings before arriving at Beach Halt.
	Beach Halt	Beach Halt serves the beach, car park and amusement arcade. The station was formerly known as "Bathing Beach" during the time as a 15 in (381 mm) line. Typically, trains pass approximately 4 minutes after departing Fairbourne. From here trains head northward through the dunes, skirting the beach before arriving at Golf Halt.
	Golf Halt	Golf Halt serves the 9 hole golf course and beach. Trains pass approximately 7 minutes after departing Fairbourne. From here trains continue northwards alongside the sea wall before reaching Loop Halt.
	Loop Halt	Loop Halt serves the embankment footpath to Morfa Mawddach and the Barmouth Bridge. Trains pass here approximately 9 minutes after leaving Fairbourne. Trains continue into the passing loop and during the two train service pass each other. The line then sweeps out into the sand dunes.
	Estuary Halt	Estuary Halt is adjacent to the Jack Steele Tunnel and serves the car park at the end of Penrhyn Drive North. Trains pass here approximately 16 minutes after leaving Fairbourne. From here trains continue through the tunnel and more dunes before arriving at Barmouth Ferry.
	Barmouth Ferry	Barmouth Ferry is the northern terminus of the railway and was situated on a balloon loop so the locomotives did not have to run round their trains. This is no longer in use and is disconnected. Locomotives run around the trains on arrival. It is also the site of the Harbour View café and from here passengers can catch the pedestrian ferry across the estuary to Barmouth.

Operation

See also: List of Fairbourne Railway rolling stock

Steam Locomotives haul most of the passenger services, some of the locomotives are approximately half-size replicas of famous narrow gauge prototype locomotives such as the Class B Tanks from the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and the Manning Wardle Tanks of the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway.

References

1.  "Fairbourne Railway History page". Archived from the original on 15 August 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2008.
2.  W J Milner (1996). Rails Through The Sand. Rail Romances.
3.  "Mawddach Crescent History page".
4.  Green 1996, p. 78.
5.  Slater, John, ed. (April 1984). "Fairbourne Railway Sold". News and notes. Railway Magazine. Vol. 130, no. 996. Sutton, Surrey: Transport Press. pp. 163–164. ISSN 0033-8923.
6.  "G Scale Model Railway". Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2008.
7.  Steam Railway No 291 (July 2011)
8.  Steam Railway No 395 (November 2011)
9.  "Beach Road, Fairbourne, December 2022". Google Street View. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
10.  "Dual Gauge extention [sic] November 2016". Facebook. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
11.  "2023 Steam Gala timetable". Facebook. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
12.  "Preservation Society". Archived from the original on 23 September 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2008.

Bibliography

Books

• Boyd, James I.C. (1970) [1965]. Narrow Gauge Railways in Mid-Wales. The British Narrow Gauge Railway (2nd ed.). Lingfield, Surrey: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 978-0-85361-024-3. OCLC 499283322. No.3.
• Buck, Stan; Siân and Katie - The Twining Sisters, Siân Project Group, 1995
• Buck, Stan (2004). E. W. Twining, Modelmaker, Artist & Engineer. Ashbourne: Landmark Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84306-143-4.
• Butcher, Alan C. (2004). Railways Restored 2005. Hersham: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7110-3053-4.
• Green, C.C. (1996) [1983]. North Wales Branch Line Album. Shepperton: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7110-1252-3.
• Milner, W.J. (1996). Rails through the sand- : an illustrated history of the Fairbourne Miniature Railway, 1916-1985, including the Barmouth Junction & Arthog tramways. Chester: Rail Romances. ISBN 978-1-900622-00-4.
• Wilkins, J. (1961). Fairbourne Railway - A Short History of Its Development and Progress. Fairbourne Railway Ltd. OCLC 867825436.
• Fairbourne Railway; Souvenir Guide Book, 2005.

Magazines

• One Foot Between The Rails published quarterly by the Fairbourne Railway Preservation Society.

Multimedia

• Tracks in the Sand Archived 10 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine The Story of the Fairbourne Railway – a film by Eric Montague was released in 2007. A Century of Steam Archived 26 May 2022 at the Wayback Machine was released in 2016 recording the Fairbourne Centenary of Steam Gala. These DVD's are also available from The Fairbourne Railway website.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fairbourne Railway.

• Official website
• Return to the Ferry photo gallery
• Fairbourne Railway Fotopic Gallery
• Return to the Ferry Website: A pictorial history of the 15 inch gauge Fairbourne Railway
• Maps and photos of: Fairbourne - grid reference SH615128 and Barmouth Ferry - SH616149
• The Fairbourne Steam Railway (The Ellerton Years 1984-95)