A beekeepers christmas day

[Nannysbees]

Just finished baking our Stollen tonight - been torturing myself with the warm tempting smell.
Doesn't look much really, but I can hardly wait to tuck in.
View attachment 29475

Mmmmm looks delicious

 

[Nannysbees]

Anyone made their own Christmas cake? ashamed to say I haven't, but I always used to!!!

 

[Murox]

Do the stolen weeks come from Aldi or Lidl?
I could do with a couple to even get started on candle production etc.

If the Aldi stollen are similar to the ones I used to get when living in the low countries then they will be pretty good. I now only make them 'cos it's a six hours minimum round trip to our nearest Aldi....oh yes and I can vary some of the flavours too of course.

 

[Murox]

Anyone made their own Christmas cake? ashamed to say I haven't, but I always used to!!!

Gosh - we've never bought one - though I have to admit we prefer the stollen anyway. - of course you really needed to have made it a wee bit earlier so it has time to "mature'.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

My mother quickly triggered a crew tradition when on my first Christmas afloat she sent me back with a cake she made herself, liberally 'fed' with brandy, from then on, every Christmas, the crew would send my mother a gift for the 'ingredients' (not that she ever expected or wanted it) and at the ebd of November a cake was brought back to the boat, safely nestled in a foil lined tin, then every day until Christmas eve the tin was opened and a crew member would feed the cake with a tot of brandy - we always maintained the tradition that Nelson's body was pickled in brandy not rum after Trafalgar

Years befire that, when I worked at Barry Docks, someone realised that a lot of the Christmas mail from the windward isles arrived in containers through Barry (the Geest banana boats were also classed RMS - Royal Mail Ships) so a bright spark decided that, to take some pressure off the LOMO (the London Overseas Mail Office) the Geest mail would be checked at Barry as Windward isles mail was classed as high risk for drugs importation. Apart from the green, mould encrusted Christmas hams (very popular as gifts) we had to delicately sort through the (also badly packaged) Christmas 'rum cakes' so infused with rum, and the time spent in a hot 30 foot container they were almost liquid, needless to say that granny would often add a little extra 'special ingredient' when mixing the cake in the first instance!!

 

[Nannysbees]

My mother quickly triggered a crew tradition when on my first Christmas afloat she sent me back with a cake she made herself, liberally 'fed' with brandy, from then on, every Christmas, the crew would send my mother a gift for the 'ingredients' (not that she ever expected or wanted it) and at the ebd of November a cake was brought back to the boat, safely nestled in a foil lined tin, then every day until Christmas eve the tin was opened and a crew member would feed the cake with a tot of brandy - we always maintained the tradition that Nelson's body was pickled in brandy not rum after Trafalgar

Years befire that, when I worked at Barry Docks, someone realised that a lot of the Christmas mail from the windward isles arrived in containers through Barry (the Geest banana boats were also classed RMS - Royal Mail Ships) so a bright spark decided that, to take some pressure off the LOMO (the London Overseas Mail Office) the Geest mail would be checked at Barry as Windward isles mail was classed as high risk for drugs importation. Apart from the green, mould encrusted Christmas hams (very popular as gifts) we had to delicately sort through the (also badly packaged) Christmas 'rum cakes' so infused with rum, and the time spent in a hot 30 foot container they were almost liquid, needless to say that granny would often add a little extra 'special ingredient' when mixing the cake in the first instance!!

You should write your memoirs I bet you have more than the odd story to tell. I love hearing exploits of people's early days. I often think of my grandparents and great grandparents and what stories have been lost. My grandfather was a miner before he was fifteen and my great grandfather was in the royal field artillery as a sergeant, died in ypres in the first world War, i wonder what they could have told!!!!

 

[madasafish]

You should write your memoirs I bet you have more than the odd story to tell. I love hearing exploits of people's early days. I often think of my grandparents and great grandparents and what stories have been lost. My grandfather was a miner before he was fifteen and my great grandfather was in the royal field artillery as a sergeant, died in ypres in the first world War, i wonder what they could have told!!!!

Endless tales about mud and foot rot I suspect.

My father was in Burma fighting the Japanese in WW2 with an Indian Sikh regiment. Also in Iraq, Iran and Palestine.

He NEVER talked about it. When he died, I found the Regimental History which described the conditions. I can understand his reticence.

 

[Nannysbees]

Endless tales about mud and foot rot I suspect.

My father was in Burma fighting the Japanese in WW2 with an Indian Sikh regiment. Also in Iraq, Iran and Palestine.

He NEVER talked about it. When he died, I found the Regimental History which described the conditions. I can understand his reticence.

Yes very true, I bet they had some interesting stories about the nicer time in their lives

 

[drex]

Yes very true, I bet they had some interesting stories about the nicer time in their lives

I used to do war pension medicals for DWP. I was honored to see some of the old boys who had been far Eastern prisoners of War ( FEPOW). Because of the circumstances they had to give me details. What they endured was grisly to say the least. They were all lovely men, but still troubled in their 80's and 90's. All gone now though.

 

[Nannysbees]

I used to do war pension medicals for DWP. I was honored to see some of the old boys who had been far Eastern prisoners of War ( FEPOW). Because of the circumstances they had to give me details. What they endured was grisly to say the least. They were all lovely men, but still troubled in their 80's and 90's. All gone now though.

Awful, unimaginable what they went through

 

[Repwoc]

My great grandfather was the driver of one of the trains involved in the Quintinshill railway disaster on 22nd May, 1915. He was buried in coal that jumped into the cab from the tender in the collision and was trapped against the boiler so badly burnt, but miraculously survived.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quintinshill_rail_disaster

 

[E&MBees]

Anyone made their own Christmas cake? ashamed to say I haven't, but I always used to!!!

I have! I use my Grandma’s recipe.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Nobody likes Christmas cake here. A nice light fruit cake yes or a Victoria sponge stuffed with home made jam and cream. For pud we'll have a Tiramisu or a Panettone bread and butter pudding

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

nothing like a slice of christmas cake - not mucked about with marzipan or icing, served with a slice of decent mature cheddar

 

[Erichalfbee]

Mince pie with the lid lifted to add a slice of Stilton then replaced. Warmed whichever way you please. Yum

 

[W0otz]

Mince pie with the lid lifted to add a slice of Stilton then replaced. Warmed whichever way you please. Yum

Mince pies? Yum! Stilton? More please!

Together?! Oh god...

 

[robinharman]

My mother quickly triggered a crew tradition when on my first Christmas afloat she sent me back with a cake she made herself, liberally 'fed' with brandy, from then on, every Christmas, the crew would send my mother a gift for the 'ingredients' (not that she ever expected or wanted it) and at the ebd of November a cake was brought back to the boat, safely nestled in a foil lined tin, then every day until Christmas eve the tin was opened and a crew member would feed the cake with a tot of brandy - we always maintained the tradition that Nelson's body was pickled in brandy not rum after Trafalgar

Years befire that, when I worked at Barry Docks, someone realised that a lot of the Christmas mail from the windward isles arrived in containers through Barry (the Geest banana boats were also classed RMS - Royal Mail Ships) so a bright spark decided that, to take some pressure off the LOMO (the London Overseas Mail Office) the Geest mail would be checked at Barry as Windward isles mail was classed as high risk for drugs importation. Apart from the green, mould encrusted Christmas hams (very popular as gifts) we had to delicately sort through the (also badly packaged) Christmas 'rum cakes' so infused with rum, and the time spent in a hot 30 foot container they were almost liquid, needless to say that granny would often add a little extra 'special ingredient' when mixing the cake in the first instance!!

My father worked for a company (Springfields) which was owned by Geest Bananas based in Spalding, Lincolnshire. Every year the owners (John and Len van Geest) would supply every employee with a fantastic box of fruit from around the world, often giving them out personally. Every year we would look forward to the amazing selection, some of which were not seen in supermarkets on a regular basis. This was in the late 1970's.

 

[Bryang]

Anyone made their own Christmas cake? ashamed to say I haven't, but I always used to!!!

Yes. I help my wife to make them. This year we did 5, all round 24 ozs, we give them to some elderly friends.. Elderly???? Blinking heck.. I'm over 78 yrs old..

 

[Nannysbees]

I have! I use my Grandma’s recipe.

Always the best recipes when they are from a grandmother, any alcohol involved?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

we give them to some elderly friends.. Elderly???? Blinking heck.. I'm over 78 yrs old..

I remember calling in to see my grandfather on my way to work once (I usually did most days when I was based in Swansea or Cardiff). 'Can't talk now!' he said, putting on his cap 'I'm just going to check up on the old people opposite' he was eighty three at the time