lately I've let things slide

I go to the bin
I throw the laundry in
Dig out the cleanest shirt
When all at once I'm seized again
By an exquisite hurt

That untouched take-away
I brought home the other day
Has quite a lot to say
The evidence is clear
On every side,  piled high and wide
About how lately I've let things slide

I'm just about holding on
But lately I've let things slide

- from Lately I've Let Things Slide by Nick Lowe

Well that was fucking boring. I mean, really boring. I'd almost have preferred waking-up-naked-on-a-traffic-island batshit crazy; or end-of-days-slash-your-wrists-(up-not-across) technicolor melodrama; instead it was just eighty-odd days of unremitting, listless tedium. [Before we go any further, a big thanks to all those of you who took the trouble to ask after this miserable sinner, only to be met with a stony silence - I will try and reply to you all.] Anyway...

Needless to say, there's been precious little cooking going on, although occasional forays to the Asian Takeaway, Frog On The Green and Bambuni have somewhat lightened the gastro-gloom.

One place I haven't yet been to is the new fried chicken outlet on Evalina Road. This isn't, I hasten to add, the latest in the hip, 'dirty food' wave of openings. Oh no, we'll have none of that in SE15, thank you very much. No, this is Monley's. That's MONLEY'S. As opposed to MORLEY'S. No disrespect to the latter but, as far as ripping off someone else's idea goes, that's hardly reaching for the stars is it?

Not that the owners seem overburdened with any particular sense of shame. On the contrary, inspired no doubt by the example of Danny Boyle's endeavours at last year's Summer Olympics, they opened with no little fanfare:

Photo by Joe Ramsey http://statigr.am/joeramsey www.justgiving.com/JoeRamsey/

keeping up appearances

These last several months, when I've managed to drag my sorry arse out of the front door, I've been able to function just about like a 'normal'. Which means that I have, more or less, been able to keep up with the volunteering - albeit with little distinction. And, on that front, there's been a rather fantastic development:  the project I've been working on at the Maudsley has been awarded funds for the next three years. Which means, praise be, that South London is going to get its very own Recovery College. Here's me on hearing the news. 

The first mental health recovery college to open was South West London's. They made this short film about it, which gives a really nice flavour of the inspirational nature of this approach to recovery:

are they sure?

God knows what they were thinking, but Grazia magazine saw fit to give up four pages to your humble scribe in a recent edition. The interview and photo shoot were done ages ago, before this current psycho-slump; it was weird seeing it when it came out.

no new recipes, but there is a new page all about cheese

All on one handy page, all the cheese boards I've posted about over the previous year. Twelve in total, one for each month. It's here. I'm hopeful that normal service re recipe posts will be resumed soonest.

and finally...

Recently, the American film critic Roger Ebert passed away after a long illness. As per his wishes, the film festival he founded, Ebertfest, went ahead a few weeks afterwards.

His widow was joined onstage by Tilda Swinton, whom God preserve. They then led the audience in a dance-along to Barry White's  'You're My First, My Last, My Everything'. Wonderful.

That cheered me up no end.