Read in 2013 - 32: Tea by the Nursery Fire

This little book (218 pages) by Noel Streatfeild (no typo, that really is the spelling) is subtitled "A Children's Nanny at the Turn of the Century". It is non-fiction, but reads as easily and cosily as fiction.

Noel Streatfeild describes the life and times of Emily Huckwell, a Sussex girl born in the 1870s who went to work as a nursery maid when she was not yet twelve years old. Eventually, she was made head nanny to a wealthy family and looked after two generations of their children. One of those children became the father of Noel Streatfeild.
All "her" children loved her very much - which is hardly surprising, seeing how well she treated them and how much time she spent with them, in stark contrast to their own parents, who would see them for one hour between tea and bed time when they were little, and ship them off to boarding schools when they were older - and so Noel was of course introduced to her father's old nanny when she was a little girl.

In those days, people did not question that girls from poor families went into service until they married, and boys worked as farm hands. It was also not questioned that servants were available at all hours and every day; having a week off was all they had in a whole year, and sometimes they did not even take that, if they felt they could not be spared.

The work Emily does, the children and their parents and the other staff at the house are all well described, as are the big houses where she works.
The rhythm of daily life is occasionally interrupted by visits to or from other families, and punctuated by family prayers, meals, lessons and walks.

I was reminded of The Lady's Maid, a book I read almost two years ago, but there are differences: "The Lady's Maid" is an autobiography, written by a woman who did not have much formal education, which shows in her writing style. But it also goes much deeper where her feelings and thoughts are concerned, while "Tea by the Nursery Fire" necessarily has to remain on the outside of its main subject for most of the time, and the author was a professional writer.

Speaking of the author, my first surprise was to learn that Noel Streatfeild was a woman. Up until then, I thought that Noel was a male first name, Noelle being the female version. My second surprise was to read (on Wikipedia, where else!) that her books are well known and very popular; I had never heard of her before.

I bought this paperback for myself on my last day in Ripon, knowing that after I've read it (and maybe my Mum, if she wants to), I'll include it in my Christmas parcel to Mary. It really was a good read, giving a close-up portrait of "Victorian and Edwardian life above and below stairs", as the short summary on the back says. Children from around 10 years could, I guess, find this just as interesting as an adult reader.

Read in 2013 - 31: The Treasure of the Incas

The author of this book, George Alfred Henty, lived from 1832 until 1902, but apparently, "The Treasure of the Incas" was published after his death, in 1903.

Over 120 books are attributed to Mr. Henty, most of them containing historical adventures, and most of them aimed at boys. Having visited many of the places he wrote about himself (he was a special correspondent in the Crimean and other wars, witnessed the opening of the Suez canal and travelled a lot), he was able to give the settings of his stories real atmosphere.

Wikipedia says that he developed his story-telling skill when, widowed after only six years of marriage, he started telling his children stories after dinner. That makes him sound like a good father and good man, but he has also raised some controversy over racist comments he has made, and in his books, indigenous characters mostly come off a lot worse than the British heroes. Well, that was by no means unusual way of thinking during those days, and it has only been for the past 30 years or so that people in the public eye have been criticized for making remarks that are deemed politically incorrect.

"The Treasure of the Incas" is set in Peru and tells the story of two brothers from England who set out on a voyage to get rich. Of cousre, them being English, they have only the noblest of motives: the older brother is very much in love with a young woman he wishes to marry, but her father won't accept anyone who is not rich enough to keep his daughter in the standard of living she has been used to all her life. The condition is that, if he should make a fortune within two years, he will give the union his blessing.

An old friend of the brothers advises him to try his luck in Peru, where mines and ancient treasures are beckoning the adventurers. Coupled with an unstable political climate and conditions very different from what they are used to in England, the brothers are in for a trip far from boring.

A trusted muleteer of Indian descent, his wife and a young relative are their faithful companions on this trip, and a close friendship is formed between the small group.

Places and events are described in much detail - sometimes a bit too much detail for my taste. For example, in describing the method the older brother wants to apply to get to a specific hidden treasure, first he tells this to his younger brother, and then he outlines the entire method once again to the muleteer. Throughout the book, such doubled descriptions prevail, and I must admit I sometimes gave the pages a quick eye-scan to move on to the more interesting bits again.

I did enjoy the adventures, and it was not always clear how things were going to turn out, but I doubt I shall be reading more of Henty's work. (It was, you guessed it, a free ebook on Amazon.) I did learn some things about the situation in Peru in those days and the different ways of life for people in towns and in the country, and found that really interesting.

Take, for example, this meal the brothers are served at the muleteer's house when they first meet him:

It consisted of puchero, a stew consisting of a piece of beef, cabbage, sweet-potatoes, salt pork, sausage-meat, pigs' feet, yuccas, bananas, quinces, peas, rice, salt, and an abundance of Chili peppers. This had been cooked for six hours and was now warmed up. Two bottles of excellent native wine, a flask of spirits, and some water were also put on the table.

Also, to read about how travelling was organised back then, what people took with them, what they ate etc., made me appreciate once more all the comfort we have today.

Read in 2013 - 30: The White People

What wikipedia says about this enchantingly poetic little book sounds very dry: "The White People was a novella written in World War I by Frances Hodgson Burnett, which details her beliefs on what happens after death."
Well, yes, that's true. But there is so much more to "The White People" than that.

It is a short book that won't take you more than a few hours to read, and read it you should; it is so beautiful.
Of course, it was yet another free ebook I found at Amazon's kindle store, and came without illustrations. But when I was doing my usual bit of research to write this review, I came across the above picture of a book cover containing two novellas, and the illustration is from "The White People".

Young Ysobel grows up the chieftainness of an ancient clan in the Highlands, at the ancestral home, a castle on the moor. She is a lonely child, an orphan, not very pretty, and not very interesting to her relatives, who hardly come visiting because she lives so far away from all the comforts they like to surround themselves with in London.
Her faithful companions are the castle's librarian and her nursemaid. They make sure Ysobel has plenty to read and gets out on the moor every day, rain or shine. 
It is there that Ysobel one day meets Wee Brown Elspeth, a girl roughly her age, who becomes her playmate for years.
As Ysobel herself (she tells the story "in her own words") says, "Anything might happen on the moor - anything."

For shyness and lacking of superficial topics for conversation, the girl usually keeps quiet when in company, and rather sticks to observing people than talking to them. It is through her careful observation that she first notices the kind of people she calls the White People. They have very fair hair and skin of an almost translucent quality. In almost every larger group of people, she sees at least one of them, but being her usual private self, she never talks to one of them.

While travelling down south to visit some relatives (she is, after all, a heiress, and her relatives feel obliged to see her every now and then), a grieving lady with her little daughter share the compartment on the train with her. The daughter is one of the White People, and smiles at Ysobel before getting off the train with her mother.
A gentleman who has been sitting opposite Ysobel and seemed to look on in a friendly manner turns out to be a famous author whose books the girl has loved from when she was able to read. They meet again at her relatives' place, and strike up a friendship closer than any what the girl had experienced so far.

The gentleman's invitation shows what kind of person he is, when he says:
"Will you come to tea under the big apple-tree some afternoon when the late shadows are like velvet on the grass?"

Ysobel does indeed go to tea under the big apple-tree with the author and his mother. They are the first ones she ever talks to about the White People, and for a very special reason.

As I said, this is a wonderfully poetic novella; I like the characters, the language, the scenery and the story.
It is not my first and won't be my last read by Frances Hodgson Burnett; this is the fourth of her books that I have read since starting to post reviews on here, and so far, I was disappointed only once. You can find the other reviews by typing "Burnett" into the search bar at the top left corner of this page.

Back From GamesCom

My last proper post about the GamesCom was this one from 2011, in spite of me having been to work there again in 2012, but I did not take pictures then and was convinced it was going to be my last fair. Well, never say never - this year, I was back, after I had been persuaded by my friends at EA that it would be really interesting for me again.
And they were right!

Ever since the first "The Sims" game came out and my husband bought it for me, I have been playing the game(s). In fact, I had never been interested in computer games before, and still don't play any others besides all the Sims games and the Harry Potter games. You don't know what "The Sims" is all about? Wikipedia gives you some info here in a nutshell, and of course, there are the official websites for each of the games.

Not long after I began playing The Sims, I discovered the forum for the players on the official German website. I learned a lot about the game there, and enjoyed communicating with other players. I was soon able to help new players, giving them advice if they were "stuck" with their games or having technical problems with the game running on their computers. Someone noticed that, and one fine day, I received an email from EA, asking if I'd like to become part of the team of moderators on the website. I talked about it with my husband, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Although I stopped moderating more than a year ago for various reasons, I am still in touch with my former "colleagues", and over the years, I have made good friends among the German and UK branch of EA. They keep inviting me to come back to the GamesCom every year, where I work at EA's Sims booth to promote my favourite computer game, talk to the fans, meet the producers, and generally have a lot of fun.

This year, we showed the latest incarnation of the Sims series to the public for the first time: The Sims 4!
While at first I was sceptical about "yet another" Sims game, what I was able to see of it so far (it is still pre-alpha, so, very early days yet) makes me believe that this could very well become my new favourite game and shift The Sims 2 from the top of my list. 
There are some screenshots, a welcome-letter from the Executive Producer, a gameplay trailer and more information about the new game here.
(By the way, I am not getting paid for telling you about this - it is just to make you understand what I have been doing all of last week and what my favourite game is all about!)

My work-place for a week. People were to watch a presentation in the left part of the booth before moving on to the right part, where 24 PCs were ready for them to have a first hands-on look at the new game.

The first Sims I created in Sims4.

Titanfall is another new EA title. This "Titan" was one of the most photographed parts of the entire EA booth; an average person reaches less than knee-high.

It was, as always at the show, a busy week. Almost twelve hours at the booth every day, including Sunday, is hard work, but I would not do it if I did not enjoy it. During GamesCom week, I stay at a hotel EA books for me; this year, someone messed things up a bit, and two weeks before the show, I still did not have a room - and it is next to impossible to get hotel rooms in Cologne when 350.000 visitors are in town for the show. Well, someone worked their magic, and I had a good standard room from Tuesday to Friday, only three tram stops from the fair. 

Friday night, I had to check into a different hotel - and imagine my surprise when I found that I had been booked into a suite there! It was rather luxurious, almost the size of my flat at home (just without kitchen), consisting of a large bedroom, sitting room, and bath room. Breakfast was excellent, and I enjoyed those final two days very much, although of course I did not spend much time at the hotel except for sleeping.

Last night, I returned home in the pouring rain; I have today off in order to get everything sorted, my washing done and my feet and brain rested before I begin work again tomorrow.
Summer is over, in more than one way. Every year, the GamesCom for me marks the end of summer; it is one of those events you don't want to end, while at the same time you long for home, peace and quiet, and can't help wondering every now and then why you keep doing this!

I'll be at my parents' for lunch today, which reminds me that I have not yet posted about my Mum's birthday. Plus there are two more book reviews waiting to be written - being away for a week creates a bit of a backlog. Also, I'll have plenty of catching up to do with your blogs, something I am going to start in a minute.

Read in 2013 - 29: The Portion of Labor

Another free classic I found at the Kindle shop a year or so ago, "The Portion of Labor" by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman was first published in 1901 and deals with the life of factory workers in a small industrial New England town and their struggle for decent living conditions and fair wages.

Up until now, I had not known anything about the author, but while reading this book, more than once I thought that some of her ideas about women's stand in society must have come across as revolutionary in those days.
Her own life, as Wikipedia tells me, was strongly restricted by her very religious parents when she was young, but she received a college education (by no means the average thing to do for an average girl back then), worked as a secretary and married comparatively late, at the age of 50.

Not having lead the "typical" life of a woman of her times herself, it is hardly surprising that Freeman's story features quite a few untypical ladies; women who, through hard work, hard thinking and hard decisions make the best they can of their lives and for those they love and care about.

When Ellen Brewster is eight years old, she runs away from home, frightened by an argument between her parents and her aunt. It is cold and dark outside, and when the exceptionally pretty girl is found by a rich, childless lady, said lady takes her into her house with the intention of keeping her. A few days later, the child, wanting her mother more than anything, now that the novelty of the adventure has worn off, escapes and returns home.
All her life, Ellen never tells anyone where she has been, showing a stubborness and firmness of character that will cause her both trouble and joy as she gets older.

Growing up, the girl proves to be a bright student, and her parents, humble people who have managed to build up a modest life for themselves with the hard-earned money from one of the shoe factories, desperately wish for her to get further education and not end up working at the factory.

At first, it looks as if their plans might come about against all odds, with help from an unexpected source. But soon, things take a turn for the worse, when the Brewster family is hitting hard times with Ellen's father out of work, her aunt needing medical attention and no improvement of conditions in sight. 
So, Ellen does indeed end up working at the factory - but she is different from the other girls there, in that she actually enjoys the feeling of satisfaction work gives her.

Of course, there is also a love story - actually, more than one - in the book; politics play a role in that there is an ongoing conflict between the workers, the union and the factory owner, and Ellen herself plays a crucial role in it. Several people lose their lives and things look very dire before an unusually harsh winter ends and spring does not only bring renewal for nature, but also hope for the hearts and minds of the story's heroes.

I much enjoyed this book, although I must admit it has its lengths. But the language is beautiful, and the characters and places described well. Ellen's way of thinking is credible to me; even when she is a child, I can relate to the way she thinks, because it is how children do think.

The conditions of life for factory workers were far from easy back then, although much better than what they probably were some decades earlier: work started at 7.00, there was an hour's lunch break from 12.00 to 1.00 pm, and the whistle blew for work ending at 6.00 pm. Wages differed according to the task one had, and the number of pieces completed. Being out of work meant automatically being out of money; no such thing as unemployment money or any insurance to fall back on. It pretty much sounds like what is reality for millions of people all over the world - think factory workers in China, or those who work in textile factories in India and Bangladesh, where the hours are probably longer than in 1901 in New England, and conditions worse.

The book gave me a lot to think about, and an insight into a world that, while it is firmly put in the past for many of us, is still present reality for way too many people.

Earl Grey Cupcakes

When I went to see my family in Yorkshire back in July, my niece Beth* made these, and they made for the most delicious dessert on the night of my arrival. I had never tasted anything so delicately delicious before, and knew I had to try and make them myself one day. When it was my Mum's birthday on Monday, it seemed like the perfect occasion, and Beth was so kind to email me the recipe:

Most of you will have all the necessary ingredients at home, I guess, unlike myself who keeps a very low stock of things and never buys milk unless specifically requested, and eggs rarely.

For the sponge, you need

6 Earl Grey teabags
6 tbsp just-boiled water
80 g softened butter
280 g sugar
240 g flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
200 ml milk (whole milk, not skimmed; the batter will be all the more creamy for it)
2 eggs (room temperature, not straight from the fridge)

For the frosting:
50 ml milk
500 g icing sugar
160 g softened butter

Start by boiling water. Place teabags in a bowl and add the just-boiled water; leave to brew while preparing the dough.

Preheat oven to 190 Celsius / gas 5, and line muffin tin with muffin cases.

The recipe now says to mix butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt on low power until it has the texture of fine breadcrumbs; pour milk into a jub, add eggs and whisk by hand; add brewed tea, squeezing every last drop from teabags into milk mixture (set teabags aside, you will need them for the frosting). Pour 3/4 of milk mixture into dry ingredients, mix on low speed to combine. Mix on medium speed until smooth and thick. Scrape sides of bowl, add remaining milk mixture, beat until all ingredients have come together and the batter is smooth.
Well, that's what the recipe says, and it does sound rather elaborate! What I did was this:

I put all the ingredients in one big bowl and mixed them with my electric whisk - it did not take long at all before it was very smooth and looked like this:

Divide batter between paper cases, filling each 2/3 full (this made 22 cupcakes for me - I had to make them in two batches since my muffin tin only holds 12). 

Bake in oven for 18-20 minutes or until risen, golden-brown on the surface and springy to the touch. Leave to cool a little bit in the tin before removing them from the tin to a cooling rack (or board, in my case).

Now it is time to use the teabags once more. Place them in a small bowl and add the milk for the frosting. Leave to infuse; the recipe says for 30 minutes, but even after just a short time, the milk will take on a caramel-brown hue from the remainder of the tea in the bags. Remove the teabags, squeezing them well to extract maximum flavour.

Whisk icing sugar and butter first, then add the tea-infused milk; slowly at first, then increase speed to high and whisk until the mixture is soft, smooth and fluffy.

Apply frosting to cupcakes; I used a teaspoon, Beth used a piping bag (I don't have one).

It is a LOT of frosting - I went round and round again with my teaspoon, and maybe will reduce the amount of frosting next time I'll make these; some of my Mum's birthday guests weren't keen on that much buttery-sugary cream. But I liked them very much, and am already thinking about trying the same recipe with different kinds of tea, such as peppermint. Beth says she'll make them with an orange fruit tea, which sounds nice, too.

For Mum's birthday buffet, we put them on a three-tiered cake stand, the same one you can see here. That birthday is worth its own post, so you'll see more of that soon.

Thank you, Beth, for having made these when I was staying with you last month, and for giving me the recipe!

*I do have Beth's permission to mention her name, don't worry.

Read in 2013 - 28: Head Over Heels

Another one from the pile of books Mary had prepared for me to take home when I went visiting her in Yorkshire last month, "Head Over Heels" by Jill Mansell would not have been my personal choice, had I seen it in a shop or at the library.

A sex-crazed village, that's what Upper Sisley is! At first glance, your typical Cotswolds village, complete with Big House, village green with duck pond and bench, cottage-lined high street, Old Vicarage and pub. Your typical cast of village characters: nosy and self-righteous Eleanor, mysterious "spinster" next door keeping to herself, pub barmaid who does more for the men than just pull pints, single mother who still hankers after the love of her life 20 years on, three young vets sharing a house and unkempt garden, perfect couple who leave their little daughter in the care of a childminder so that they can pursue their careers, said childminder whose husband works in Dubai and has not been home in weeks, and the newcomers who have just moved in at the Big House: a famous actor, his too-good-to-be-true wife and two teenage children.

As the stage is set and the curtain rises, a merry-go-round of affairs starts; all in all, three marriages come to an end, at least two new ones are in store, and when the characters are not having sex, they are talking or thinking about it. Secrets are spilled, fatherhoods revealed, anonymous letters are written, and while it is all quite entertaining, the main plot is a bit too predictable.

Can you tell this was not quite my kind of book? Yes, entertaining, as I said, but not gripping; again, I did not find myself caring much about any of the characters. I found my suspicions confirmed too many times, and did not find the "witty" bits witty; in fact, I do get rather annoyed when an author seems to think the (female) characters have to be drinking all the time in order to have some "fun", and then wake up the next morning, trying to remember what was going on and whether they still want to see the bloke in question.

Read it, if you like this kind of story; maybe I am unfairly judging this book because I wasn't in the right mood for "a jaunty summer read" and "frothy fun" (acclaim for Jill Mansell's novels, taken from the back of the cover). It certainly did not make me "come away feeling strong, powerful - and all woman", as another acclaim reads.