Classic aubergine parmigiana Theo Randall

 Try Theo Randall’s foolproof aubergine parmigiana recipe from Saturday Kitchen for the ultimate comforting family meal.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/aubergine_parmigiana_24476

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
• 8 fresh basil leaves
• 600ml/20fl oz tomato passata
• 4 medium-sized aubergines, half peeled for a stripy effect (this helps them cook evenly)
• 3 free-range eggs, beaten
• 200g/7oz ‘00’ flour
• 100ml/3½oz sunflower oil
• 200g/7oz mozzarella, chopped
• 100g/3½oz Parmesan, grated
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. In a hot, thick-based saucepan, add 3 tbsp olive oil and fry the garlic until it is soft but has no colour. Add half the basil leaves and cook for 30 seconds, then add the tomato passata and cook slowly until the sauce has reduced by half. Finish off with the remaining fresh basil leaves torn into pieces, along with some salt, pepper and the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil.

2. Meanwhile, slice the aubergines into 1cm/½in thick discs. Place some salt on top and leave for 20 mins to allow the salt to draw out the water, then pat with kitchen paper so the aubergines are dry.

3. Whisk the eggs really well so they are smooth and put the flour into a wide bowl. Dip each aubergine slice in the beaten egg mix so it is totally covered, then remove and place into the bowl of flour to coat before shaking off any excess.

4. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Add the sunflower oil to a hot frying pan – there should be enough oil so that the aubergines can fry evenly. (This may seem like a lot of oil but most of it will be drained off after cooking.) Fry the aubergines until golden, then turn over and cook until tender. The important thing is that the aubergines are cooked through and have a nice golden colour. Place the cooked aubergine onto some kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil.

5. Rub the inside of a large ovenproof baking dish with olive oil, then place a layer of cooked aubergines evenly across the base. Spoon one-third of the tomato sauce on top, sprinkle one-third of the chopped mozzarella then one-third of the grated Parmesan. Repeat this process again then finish with the last layer of cooked aubergine and the remaining passata, one-third of the mozzarella and Parmesan on top.

6. Bake for 35 minutes. The top should be a lovely golden colour and a crispy texture. If not, return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.

 By OLIVIA JONES and AFP

PUBLISHED: 20:23, 24 September 2023 | UPDATED: 17:45, 25 September 2023

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12555545/Its-Dogtember-Dozens-pooches-splash-owners-Saltdean-Lido-playing-fetch-taking-turns-slide-Britains-biggest-dog-swim-event.html

Dozens of pooches splashed around an outdoor swimming pool at Saltdean Lido's 'Dogtember' swim sessions earlier today.

The event, spanning four weekends in September, marks the end of the summer season at the Saltdean Lido, a 1930s Art Deco venue just outside the seaside town of Brighton.

Dogs are invited to enjoy some aquatic fun such as fetching balls from the water or taking turns down a slide in a splash pool during what is said to be the biggest dog swim event in the UK.

'Dogtember is probably one of the most bonkers but most fun events that we operate at Saltdean Lido,' said Deryck Chester, one of the directors of the Saltdean Lido Community Interest Company, which currently holds the lease for the site.

Around 8,000 dogs and people from all over the UK are expected to take part over the course of the month, Chester added.

An owner swims with his bulldog in the pool at Saltdean Lido's Dogtember event

Dozens of pooches splashed around an outdoor swimming pool at Saltdean Lido's 'Dogtember' swim sessions earlier today

A dog shakes off the water after a dip in the pool during the 2023 Saltdean Lido Dog Swim event

A dog leaps into the water in the coastal village of Saltdean, near Brighton

Dogs of all breeds are welcome but some events are also breed meet-ups such as the 'Gold Rush' session for golden retrievers.

Kelly Wilkinson had come with her dog Ziggy, a cocker spaniel and springer spaniel mix, who she said is a 'water doggy'.

'He loves swimming so we bring him here so he can live his best life,' she told AFP.

Jeff Stanbridge said his eight-months-old puppy Vinny was feeling a bit 'overwhelmed' and staying out of the water for the moment.

'But he loves running around with the other dogs and it's a great thing to do I think,' he added.

Another dog owner, Jenny Knight, said this is her third time coming to the event, which this year runs until October 1.

'We try and come every year because its fab, it's like dog heaven,' Knight said.

The event also helps raise funds for the restoration of the Saltdean Lido, which first opened to the public in 1938.

An owner holds onto her two very wet pooches as they take part in the swim event

A dog scrambles out of the water after having fun in the pool

A dog gets warm in its towel robe after a swim in the lido

A nervous pooch clutches onto its owner in the pool

The venue was forced to close in 1940 with the start of World War II during which it was used as a water tank for the National Fire Service.

After the war, the changing rooms inside the lido's main building - resembling the front of a cruise liner - were used for church services and a Sunday school.

It reopened as a swimming pool only two decades later, in 1964, restored by the local council.

In 2010 a former leaseholder wanted to redevelop the site but it was saved by the efforts of the local community, which led to the founding of the Saltdean Lido Community Interest Company.

Dogtember is now in its sixth year and is on track to raise over £60,000 this season, according to Chester.

'The income from the dog swims actually supports the human swims throughout the season' and contributes to the restoration of the building, Chester said.

He added that a lot of the people involved are volunteers, who 'believe in the Saltdean Lido restoration project as well as being dog lovers'.

'It's a really community-inspired atmosphere here,' he said.

'I am not sure who enjoys it the most: the dogs, the swimmers, the volunteers, the humans. Everyone's smiling.'

An excited dog leaps into the pool to join its owner at Saltdean Lido

A dog paddles in the water at the Dogtember event

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It's Dogtember! Dozens of pooches splash around with their owners at Saltdean Lido - playing fetch and even taking turns down a slide in Britain's biggest dog swim event

'The most beautiful building in Chester' seemingly hidden in plain sight

 By

Angela Ferguson

The exterior of Bishop Lloyd's Palace on Watergate Street in Chester (Image: Chester Civic Trust)

In the heart of Chester, close to The Cross, lies a very special but perhaps less well known town house - described by some architects as "the most beautiful building in Chester".

This fascinating historic building on Watergate Street, known as Bishop Lloyd's Palace, appears to have proved something of an enigma to many, despite the fact they have probably walked past it countless times. The current custodians of the building, Chester Civic Trust say they have been told by visitors in the past that they never even knew it existed, despite having lived in Chester all of their lives.

Bishop Lloyd's Palace was built on the south side of Watergate Street in the early 17th century. This Grade I listed building, which is opened to the public from time to time, is actually two town houses, both of which are four storeys high.

One of these town houses is said to have been the residence of the Bishop of Chester, Bishop George Lloyd and his family. It's not known if Bishop Lloyd and his family ever actually moved in during his stint as bishop from 1605 up until his death in 1615.

If the family had, indeed, moved in then they would have enjoyed some luxurious surroundings in this ornate historic building. The connection to Bishop Lloyd also lends the building a link to Yale University in America as, through his daughter Ann Yale, he is the great grandfather of Elihu Yale, one of the founders of the famous educational institution.

Chester Civic Trust chair, Christine Russell told CheshireLive: "Chester Civic Trust has its HQ at Bishop Lloyd's Palace and we are privileged to be the custodians of one of the most important buildings in Chester but it is owned by the people of the city. It's amazing how many people who visit during open days say they have lived in Chester all their life and they never knew this place existed."

One of the reception chambers inside Bishop Lloyd's Palace on Watergate Street in Chester (Image: Chester Civic Trust)

The property was once described by travel writer and architectural historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, who began writing travel guides in the 1940s, as the best house in the city. It has certainly had a fascinating history, having also been home to Chester Merchant Adventurers, as it was en route down to the old port of Chester.

It's also said to have been associated with a king’s ex-mistress, and been used to house a coaching firm, a girls’ school, a pub and a cheese makers. Records show that after the civil war the Kilmorey family lived in the property, with Kilmorey Park being the name of a road in Hoole in the city.

A phoenix carved into the top of a fireplace in the building is the symbol of the coat of arms of the Kilmorey family. The property was bought by the Brown family - founders of Browns of Chester - and they bequeathed it to the Chester Corporation in 1948, meaning it's been owned by the people of Chester since then.

Bishop Lloyd's coat of arms seen carved on to the exterior of the timber-framed Bishop Lloyd's Palace in Chester (Image: Skysnappers Aerial and Film Photography)

Prior to that it is believed to have been used mainly as tenement accommodation, with the Brown family saving it from dereliction after purchasing it in 1899. Charles Brown employed the architect, TM Lockwood, to remodel the front of the building to make it look more Jacobean. Lockwood put in the windows, which can be seen today.

A walk around the timber-framed building, which is opened to the public from time to time, reveals three impressive reception chambers with Jacobean plasterwork. It also boasts two stunning carved fireplaces and panelled ceilings, the design of which matches the Bishop's private chapel - St Anselm's Chapel - inside Chester Cathedral.

One of the intricate original carvings found right at the top of 17th century Bishop Lloyd's Palace in Chester (Image: Skysnappers Aerial and Film Photography)

There is also a stunning original Jacobean staircase going right down to row level, featuring intricate carvings of birds, with the fact that they have been carved with eyes apparently showing they are original to that era. The town house also has huge leaded windows.

In 1996 Chester Civic Trust became the new custodians, with the trust being a charity set up to promote high standards of architecture in Chester. The Trust works to secure the preservation and protection of features of historic or public interest in the city.

One of the intricate original carvings found right at the top of 17th century Bishop Lloyd's Palace in Chester (Image: Skysnappers Aerial and Film Photography)

The front of the property, as seen from the street, includes some ornate wood carvings, including images of what people in the early 17th century thought exotic animals from far flung shores looked like, way before the advent of photography.

These intricate carvings are not easy to see from street level as they are so high up on the attic storey, but the current occupants of the building, Chester Civic Trust have commissioned a set of pictures taken by Skysnappers Aerial Photography and Film. These were taken using a drone so people will be able to appreciate these carvings in all their glory in future.

Christine Russell said the building was one of the oldest in Chester. The lowest level of this building, which is the original medieval undercroft, dates back even further to the 13th and 14th century.

She said: "Some experts think it was built just after the end of the reign of Elizabeth I in the really early part of the 17th century, whereas others think it may have been 10 or 15 years later.

"If you look at the front of the building there are a lot of 17th century carvings and one of those is the coat of arms of George Lloyd. Others are grotesque carvings of what the Tudors and Stuarts thought animals such as lions looked like as they had never actually seen them.

"These are also depictions of biblical scenes. While it is possible to stand and look at these from street level you cannot see the detail contained in them and so one of our members arranged for a drone to take some amazing pictures of this extraordinary building.

"For the first time you can really see the detail in these carvings."

Ms Russell explained that Chester Civic Trust carried out a major refurbishment of the building in 2002, with funding from the old city council and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

These days, Bishop Lloyd's Palace is available to hire and can be booked as a hospitality and meetings venue or by community groups and businesses.

A Chester Civic Trust spokesperson said: "Skysnappers Aerial Photography and Film has recently photographed the wood carvings in the attic storeys of this town house using a drone. For the first time in over 400 years, these carvings can be seen clearly in the images, with the creativity of the woodcarvers revealed.

"Bishop Lloyd's Palace is considered by many architects to be the most beautiful building in Chester, remarkable because it dates from the 17th century with foundation stones from the 13th and 14th century. It was originally two buildings converted into one dwelling and incorporated into the famous South Rows on Watergate Street."

Sharing her knowledge of the building, Chester tourist guide, Isabel Robertson, who runs the Edwardian Lady tour and is part of the Women of Chester tour, said: "George Lloyd was Bishop of Chester from 1605-1615 and he had earlier been Bishop of Sodor and Man, which is why those Arms are found in the carvings on the building.

"There is no evidence that George Lloyd ever actually lived here. He died in 1615. Through his daughter Ann Yale, he is the great grandfather of Elihu Yale, one of the founders of Yale University in America. We do get American tourists looking for this building being aware of the connection.

"The undercrofts are a much earlier date than the building at Row level and above. In 1899 the building underwent a restoration and the Chester architect TM Lockwood rebuilt the steps up to Rows level.

"The travel writer, Pevsner called Bishop Lloyd's Palace the best house in the city."

The Civic Trust opened the doors to the palace this weekend as part of Heritage Open Days, asking visitors to vote for their favourite carving during an open day. Bishop Lloyd's Palace is accessed during open days from Row level, next to Rainforest.

https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/the-most-beautiful-building-chester-27656335?fbclid=IwAR2UchuVJNB7Gz52rMhOlS3-ggjxnTC6w7-iU1MLp7KnR7wnGHVMetAUxb0