I've vowed to walk and go to the theatre more often...want to join me?

Article as seen in Portsmouth View, August 2014

As I drove around the Hampshire countryside the past week, I came across a stunning view of lush green hills and fields of ripe wheat waiting to be harvested. I longed to walk the hills and the fields.

I read that walking is good for you. Besides the exercise, walking also allows you time to think. So I made a resolution to do more walking for the rest of the summer to improve my health and well-being.

We are fortunate that we have such lovely countryside around us for walks. For those who cannot travel far, there is always the walk along the seafront that will invigorate. There is the incentive to stop at the new Southsea Beach café for a cuppa in the middle of the walk, if you need any excuse!

On one of my recent Southsea walks (from Camber Docks to Palmerston Road) I had time to think about this column and about attending live events. People, in general, love enjoying shared experience and the opportunity to commune with others, whether at walks or at cultural events.

Last month I discovered opera at West Green House Gardens, near Hook. The tickets were expensive, but it was no more than going to a West End show, but the experience was amazing. Nothing could gladden your heart more than sitting in a beautiful garden on a summer’s evening, enjoying a picnic with friends and some beautiful music.

Every time you step out of the house you learn. You learn from other people and the things that you see in your walk. That is why it is important to get out and about and attend live events.

There is something raw and exciting about experiencing something live such as the recent Southsea Show.

Coming up for your diary is the Victorious Festival. Portsmouth is lucky to have the setting for various outdoor events and places to walk, cycle or run.

If you haven’t, try the Park Run on Saturdays as it is fun and, who knows, by October you might be fit for the Great South Run. Then you will really feel good about yourself.

I also went to a most stunning production of Amadeus at the newly refurbished Chichester Festival Theatre. There was such energy and feeling, that you don’t quite get from the film version.

Apart from walking, I’m also resolved to attend more theatre shows. Join me!

Comments

Delicious thinly sliced pork in Korean marinade

Sometimes you found a recipe and wrote it down on a piece of paper to try it out. Having done that, you forget where the recipe came from. Likewise this Korean recipe for pork, which turned out to be so delicious we have cooked it for everyone. The marinade is simple to make and yet really packed with flavours. For the Korean marinade you need 3 garlic cloves 1/2 brown onion 1/2 a pear or apple Blitz these ingredients together and then add 5 tablespoons soy sauce (I use Kikkoman) 3 tablespoons caster sugar 2 tablespoons sesame oil 3 tablespoons mirin black pepper For dinner for 2 people, 200g pork tenderloin is enough. Slice this thinly, and bash it to an even thinner piece with a meat mallet. Marinade in the sauce and leave it in the fridge for an hour. Then heat a frying pan on medium heat with a teaspoon of vegetable oil and fry the thin pork pieces until browned. You want some of the edges of the meat to be dark brown and caramelised, if you can. Don't cook too many pieces or ...

‘Southsea dinosaur’ returns

Luna Park 2021, an eagerly anticipated new public artwork for Portsmouth designed by internationally renowned artists Ivan Morison and Heather Peak of Studio Morison will be launched on 2 October 2021 on a celebratory day in Southsea Common. The 1.4 metres bronze sculpture is a tribute to the original 53-foot high 2010 artwork Luna Park, which tragically burned down on Southsea Common. The artists will unveil a new sculpture that responds to ten years of public demand to ‘bring back the Southsea Dinosaur’. The new public artwork will be located within a direct sightline to the position of the original Luna Park sculpture. It will sit on top of a fossil Portland stone plinth with a QR code which when scanned with a smartphone will connect to an Augmented Reality experience. People will be transported to a digital rendering of the original artwork, seemingly standing life-size in front of them on Southsea Common. Viewers will also be able to use their mobile devices to visit a...

Indonesian fried spring rolls (Lumpia Goreng)

I don't often make Indonesian food because the ingredients are hard to find, but our local supermarkets are getting better at stocking ethnic ingredients. In the frozen section of Tesco, near the samosas, you can find the spring roll pastry. Don't bother asking the branch in Chester. I was laughed at by the cashier when I asked for spring roll skin, because 'skin' is what we call the wrapper in Indonesian. Her more helpful colleague offered me filo pastry instead, which can be a good substitute. I'm afraid no one in Chester has yet to taste my amazing spring rolls as a result. Friends in Southsea are luckier! Here are the ingredients to make 30 spring rolls (the packs come in 30 or 40 pieces) 1 medium head of cabbage, thinly sliced 2 carrots, julienned 1 red or yellow pepper, julienned 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1 medium courgette, julienned 1 tablespoon of Oyster sauce (omit if cooking for vegan) 2 tbsp soy sauce salt and pepper to taste 1 tbsp vegetable oil f...

SouthseaScene

Search This Blog