Category: England

Doctor Who Extended Media Review – Who Goes There? by Nick Griffiths

Doctor Who, England, Europe, Extended Media Review, United Kingdom, Wales

Who Goes There? is an autobiographical account of Nick Griffiths pilgrimage to Doctor Who filming locations in the UK.

It is totally unfair to judge a person by a few lines of text in this autobiographical travelogue but Griffiths paints himself as someone I would not like to know. The chain smoking person he himself represents comes across as unsavory. I found this book a disappointing mixture of two genres. The travel part of the book was more about Griffiths endeavors to get to the areas he was looking for rather than the site itself. On the other hand the autobiographical bits were too minimal to catch your interest. The death of his mother was touching and poignant but there were not enough of these anecdotes. 6 out of 10.

Taste Test – Cheese of the Month Club (April – 2023)

Cheese of the Month Club, England, Europe, Italy, Taste Test, United Kingdom

April 2023’s Cheese of the Month selections has cheeses from Italy and England.

Castelrosso from Italy is a semi-firm pasteurized cow cheese. This cheese is tart and tangy with a thick rind.

8 out of 10

Double Gloucester from England is also a semi-firm pasteurized cow cheese. This has a rich buttery taste reminiscent of cheddar

9 out of 10

Fiore Sardo from Italy is a semi-firm pasteurized sheep cheese. This crumbly cheese originated on the island of Sardinia and is good for grating

9 out of 10

Taste Test – Matthew Walker Classic Christmas Pudding

England, Europe, Taste Test, United Kingdom

I have heard about Christmas pudding for years being an Anglophile and Doctor Who fan but have never tried it. We decided to try one so we purchased this from Amazon. Christmas Pudding is a sweet desert dating back to medieval times in Great Britain. Matthew Walker makes several different Christmas puddings but we opted for the classic version.

Alex and I both tried the pudding and found it very sweet with a chewy texture. I am not a fan of raisins or dried fruit but they were not noticeable as individual pieces in the pudding. This prepackaged and commercially produced product I am sure is not as good as a traditional home made pudding but it was not very good for our American palates. We found it too sweet with an unusual strong flavor. 6 out of 10 but we are glad we tried it and hope we can try a home made one one day.

Taste Test – Marmite

England, Europe, Taste Test

Marmite is a British savory food paste based on a yeast extract. It is a byproduct of beer brewing and its dark, sticky, strong smelling powerful flavored goo is definitely an acquired taste for the non-British palate. We have tried the Australian version Vegemite and Alex and I both found the flavor vile! Needless to say we were not looking forward to this taste test. The flavor did not disappoint in its impact on the both of us we found it equally off putting to our American palates. Alex and I both are willing to try all sorts of food and we are not the type to disparage other cultures tastes and preferences but we cannot see how this is a tasty treat for some people.

Obviously not a favorite treat for Alex!!