Reflections from Mike

Driving around the country lanes as I do, I have been given many reasons to question why there are so many squished squirrels in the road? Have they developed a death wish? Is this the 21st century answer to lemmings? Do they play chicken? or is there some kind of population explosion? Anyway as there are so many about - here is a recipe for you to try at home!



1 Flattened squirrel 1 Bottle of booze, home made 2 c Vegetables fresh greens White rice, cooked Find a flattened Roadkill squirrel and pick out all the little hairs. Take it to the country kitchen and cut it into one inch squares. Marinate it overnight in a bowl of some homemade booze. Then dice some veggies mix with squirrel and fry `em in a skillet. Take the homemade booze left in your bowl and tip it up, and kill it. Cook your diced veggies and your squirrel until they smell real nice. Serve `em with some collard greens upon a pile of cooked white rice.

Now that I have (I hope!) your attention, let me tell you that I am chuffed to bits at - no, not you lot, but - Tom and John and all their learners at Slade Green. I have heard from the college provider who is virtually wetting herself with glee at the response, so lets big it up for Slade Green and the I.T.Q. class !

Now for those of you taking French lessons from Hassina, and all you Francophiles out there, let me tell you of my film of the week. Currently doing the rounds is a most excellent film entitled

"Paris Je T'aime" which consists of eighteen small vignettes of supposed life in Paris. It has a number of well known faces and each section is directed by someone different. Mostly in French with some English it is subtitled, but I found a lot was fairly easy to understand. I recommend it to you all!

More on the RUL front. I have been informed that we will be bidding for further funding to continue the project for another two years from March next year which means that with a bit of luck (for me!) you won't get rid of me that easily! Anyway the people who know about this stuff tell me that we are held in high regard - so fingers crossed!

Lastly, on another brain skip; have you been out in the woods lately? This time of year the colours are amazing and the views sublime. The last couple of weekends I have had the good fortune to get out and rediscover why I love living in this part of the country. When you have the weather you can't beat it - oh and a nice Sunday lunch in a country pub afterwards! There are many leaflets and web sites that tell you the nearest BR station to walks of interest and also helpful info so you don't get lost (Like I did last week!)