Pink Princess in the Pool

Just before Christmas the Pie Tribe headed to Liverpool to celebrate the Pink Princess's birthday with a shopping trip. First point of call was the Everton FC shop and from this point on the shopping element went rapidly downhill for the Pieman.

Although  we stop to visit Greggs but not for Pie, a bacon bap instead. From here on it was girly shopping all the way for the Pink Princess. A brief break was taken for coffee (served in a bucket) and cake in the local costalot.

More shopping followed interupted by a quick visit to the continental food stall resulting in a purchase of Tartiflette a french alpine combination of potatoes, cream, onions, bacon, herbs and melted alpine cheese. It was excellent and definately something we'd try again.

Jolly Boys Christmas Gathering

The Jolly boys Christmas Gathering took place last night at a suitable refined hostelry in Hoole with all the required amenities and easy access to fine foods.The evening was its usual schedule of exchanging presents, fine wines, conversation and foods all served up in a convivial atmosphere!

Members travelled from far and wide and we thank them for their efforts. It was good to catch  up on news, views , experiences, pies and plans for the the future in such a relaxed manner. Much thanks to Mrs Pieman for providing an excellent taxi service at the end of the evening.

Alf and a Pasty

Mr and Mrs Pieman headed last night to see Alison Moyet at the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool, as part of her "25 years re-visited tour". With a four piece band and a backing singer the sound and arrangements were relatively sparse which was no bad thing as with Miss Moyet's voice on fine form little else is required.

She meandered through her back catalogue from most of her solo albums and Yazoo career. Singing songs such as Only You, Don't Go, Ole Devil Called Love, Is This Love, Situation, Nobody's Diary, Love Resurrection, Weak in The Presence of Beauty, Love Letters.........

The earlier songs in particular are arranged to suit her blues/soul style without the need for symthesizers and allows her voice to take centre stage. She is on top form and greatly appreciated by the audience who affectionatly heckle sending her off on long trains of thought!

Support was provided by Alex Cornish a singer/songwriter based in Scotland. He was well worth listen and will be looking out for his next new material. Of course with a name like Cornish he is one artist this Pieman won't forget.

Shout To The Top

The Pieman travelled to Venue Cymru in Llandudno last night in the company of Georgio Dragonslayer, Cliff Chough and the Ashman to see the indomitable Mr Paul Weller live.

He was absolutely brilliant starting with an energising version of Peacock Suit, he led us along a swirling roller coaster of a ride through a kaleidoscope of sounds to a rip roaring conclusion leaving you wanting more more more and planning your next Paul Weller gig.

The Modfather and band (Steve Craddock et al) produced a performance tinged with rock, pop, soul, Rhythmn & Blues, reggae, folk, funk, psychedelia, ska, jazz, beat, punk and swing!!

Not one to waste time on lots of chat he ripped through a varied selection from the Jam, Style Council and solo era’s. Obviously a there was a large number of Fred Perry and Ben Sherman shirts giving it full thrutch at the sound of a Strange Town or Start!

A number of the songs were played from the latest album 22 Dreams some of which were all the better for hearing them live and the Pieman particularly recommends Seaspray, All I Wanna Do (Is Be With You), and Push It Along.

A rendition of Town called Malice or That’s Entertainment would have been the jelly in the pork pie but there was more than enough to satisfy this Pie muncher.

The standout rendition for me was Wild Wood performed during a sit-down, front of stage, acoustic portion of the set. Mr Weller accompanied by bassist Andy Lewis on the cello, Steve Craddock on Guitar and drummer, Steve Pilgrim on acoustic guitar.

The feature of this was the sharing of vocals with Mr Pilgrim and Mr Craddock’s sublime evocative and ethereal guitar in the background. I’ve always liked the original album version but this was even better, surely the sign of a great gig. That and the sweaty Fred Perry/Ben Sherman tops!

MIke Peters & 21

Sunday night saw the Pieman and Georgio Dragonslayer head across the border for a Mike Peters acoustic gig at a new venue in Wrexham called the Catrin Finch Centre on the Glyndwr University site.

The evening was organised to coincide with a new album release of material Called "21" with 21 songs to be played chosen mainly by the audience from each of the phases and albums of Mike Peters career interspersed with questions and chat regarding said songs and times.

It was recorded live for Calon FM a local community radio station. The evening was excellent and the venue intimate. Lasting nearly three hours I think, I lost track after a while. The song choices, performances and chat were excellent.

Set List

The Toilets - Alarm Alarm
Seventeen – 68 Guns
Eponymous – The Stand
Declaration – Tell Me
Strength – Walk Forever by My Side
Eye of the Hurricane – Rain in the summertime
Electric Folklore – Rescue Me
Change – There are no Frontiers
Raw – Rockin’ in the Free World
Standards – Spirit of ‘76
Breathe – Breathe
Feel Free – Feel Free
Rise – Rise
Flesh and Blood – If I Ruled the World
Coloursound - I’m Alive
In The Poppy Fields – 45 RPM
Under Attack - Without a Fight
Counter Attack – Love Hope and Strength
Guerilla Tactics – The Sound of The Alarm Calling
21 – The Rock ‘n’ Roll Still Burns in Me
The Alarm 2010 – Economic Pressure

Another 21 songs could have been chosen and I think it could still have been just as good. It was an excellent evening without playing On Step Closer To Home, Marching On, Rivers To Cross, The Rock, Where Were You Hiding, Close, You are To Me, Statue of Liberty......etc etc.

Lot's of best wishes to Mike's wife Jules who is currently in an Isolation unit in a Liverpool Hospital. Get well soon.

Across The Border - Part 2

Disappointingly the nearest we came to Pie during our visit was the above pictured Walls van. Our third day saw us head by bus down to Leith harbour and the Ocean Terminal to visit the Royal Yacht Britannia. As with our visit to the Gardens we spend longer than anticipated.

It's an interesting tour around with everybody having their own audio guide to use. Half way round we stop for tea and cake on the main deck ....mmmmmmmmm. We carry on round the rest of the fascinating tour and then by bus to Princes Street.

From here we head to the National Gallery on the mound just below the Castle. When we come out the sun has set and it's time to head for the Hard Rock Cafe for nourishment... Oh Yeah Baby !! From here its its a short walk home and bed.

Our last day and the weather is kind to us again. The girls head off shopping along Princes and George Street. Whilst the Pieman heads for the other side of town Holyrood Palace, Arthur's Seat and Scotland's ugliest building the Scottish Parliament ( See picture below. From every angle it's horrible. Eventually we all meet up in the middle of the royal mile to purchase some last souvenirs and head for the train home. Apart from the incident with the Japanese gentleman and a train detour through Manchester City Centre (?) the journey home was uneventful.

Across The Border - Part 1

Last week the Pie Tribe and Nanny Pie headed north of the Border for a short break. We travelled up by train and arrived in Edinburgh just after lunch with the sun shining. Once we'd dropped our bags off a it was off up to the Castle. Even though it was a bit busy it was a great introduction to Edinburgh for the younger and older members of the Pie Tribe.

From the castle we headed down the Royal Mile in search of pie and sunset. No Pie found and we had to settle for Italian. We walked back from the old town across to the new town where our accommodation is. The city is almost as beautiful by night as it is by day.

After a hearty breakfast but no pie we head by bus to the Royal Botanical Gardens. It's quite warm buts rain later on and we take cover in the exhibition centre before scurrying to the Glasshouses which are excellent. We spend a lot longer that anticipated but were not too bothered as we not keeping to a schedule.


From the gardens we bus back into the Old town and wander along the royal mile before organising a caricature drawing of the youngest pie. Whilst this is taking place the Pieman and Supergirl Pie drift around the streets and alleys of the Old Town before finding The Elephant House Cafe which is greeted with some delight by the Harry Potter fan.

We meet up and head for food in a Chinese on Waverley bridge below the glorious Balmoral Hotel. This is followed by a trip to the cinema to see the excellent UP before walking back to the B&B and falling in a heap!

Hawarden Estate Farm Shop

The Monster Champion Pie Chompers have recently prompted the Pieman to widen the search for fresh new pies in recent weeks and this led us last week to Hawarden Estate Farm Shop. They have recently won awards for its Welsh Beef in Black Beer pie which was tempting enough.

So a selection was bought and we can heartily recommend their Pies and in particular the Steak & Mushroom which was fantastic. The sausage roll left you wanting to lie down and make a new notch on your belt, very large and with poppy seeds on top? The Cheese, Ham, Spinach and Honey Pasty was less well received however.

The shop itself is a minefield of edible and drinkable delights throughout. The only problem though is that your wallet is going to take a bashing. Everything is a little on the pricey side. A second mortgage or selling a prized possession may be necessary. The 3-star gold award winning Black Beer Pie was £2.95 and the size of a normal Steak Pie which for this Pie chomper was a little bit rich.

French Pie Found

In recent times our search for pies in France has been pretty poor. However this time we were much further south in the Allier on the northern edge of the Auvergne region and one of it's specialities is the delicious Pâté Aux Pommes De Terre.

Within the pastry you find thinly sliced and layered potatoes with a delicious crème fraîche/herb /onion sauce all the way through. No meat but any pie is better than none. You can obtain smaller ones on a daily basis from your local patisserie. The following is recipe for the Limousin version which adds Fatty Bacon http://www.yourgateway2france.com/limousin-recipes.php The potatoes combined with the sour crème fraîche make this brilliant as a snack or a main course. None was ever left!!

We have previously enjoyed a personalised version in a restaurant near to St Priest en Murat. Nanny Pie arranged prior to our booking to have our names added (In Pastry) to a Gargantuan version of this pie which would have fed 20 or more. So much so we took it home and returned the large two handled dish a few days late when we'd ate it all.

Pies key to exam success

Congratulations must go to Supergirl Pie who received her GCSE results last week. In total 2A*, 7A's & 3B's were gained allowing the supergirl to progress to the next stage of her academic studies.

It was revealed in conversation that the key to success in one exam (English) had been achieved by the judicious use of Pie in the answer. Well done Supergirl we are all very proud.

Ps Please tidy your bedroom (Requested by West Cheshire and Chester Council Environmental Services)

Matthew St Festival

Bank Holiday Weekend saw the tribe and friends head for Liverpool and the Matthew Street Festival. Principally six stages around the city centre with a variety of themes including Beatles, Motown, Rock, Alternative, etc with original artists and cover bands. As well as these there were plenty of buskers, street artistes, markets, display, exhibitions and all sorts of things going on.

One of the best features is that a large number of the roads are closed off to traffic which makes wandering about much more pleasant and most of it is free! We had a great time and the only bad thing was the weather which started raining towards the end of the afternoon.

Le Grand Coudrais

This year the Pie tribe headed for the Auvergne region of France and the Allier Department. We rented a Gite fairly close to where Nanny Pie used to live. Half of us travelled by car and the other half flew by plane to Limoges.

The Gite was roomy enough and there was a swimming pool to use, happy days. As with Le Souci the we were surrounded by small fields, cows and silence.

Lots of favourite markets, places and friends were visited. We enjoyed walking, talking, fishing, canoeing, horse riding, eating, drinking, bird watching, snake catching, swimming, laughing, railway cycling, chilling, reading, boules, cards, games, travelling, star watching, cat stroking, gift buying, cake eating, boating, giggling, sun bathing, laughing, relaxing, sleeping, wandering, listening to silence, pear eating, pie munching ............................................

The weather apart from the first day was fantastic with wall to wall blue skies and ever increasing temperatues hitting 41 C in the second week. Below is the Gite early in the morning with Tumbleweed, one of the Le Coudrais cats to the foreground.

On The Waterfront

Tuesday saw Mr and Mrs Pieman head for the Echo Arena in Liverpool to see Simple Minds in concert. The arena was reduced in siz eby about a half which meant our seat were pretty good and made for a slightly more intimate gig than normal in such an arena.

An excellent start for the evening was having Ian McNabb as support. Mainly backing himself with an acoustic guitar and supported by a bassist for renditions of Evangeline, Love is a Wonderful Colour, Liverpool Girls ......... It should be noted he's playing at Telford's 2nd November for £12.50 a ticket.

Mr Kerr and colleagues played a set consisting of their hits, favourites and tracks from the latest album Grafitti Soul including:

Waterfront / She's A River / Changeling / I Travel / East At Easter / See The Lights / Love Song / Stars Will Lead The Way / Rockets / Big Sleep / Don't You (Forget About Me) / Hypnotised / Promised You A Miracle / Glittering Prize / Someone Somewhere (In Summertime) / New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84) / Alive And Kicking
Encore: Home / Belfast Child / Sanctify Yourself
Encore: Ghostdancing

They were very good and worked hard to get the the response they did which was pretty good. Waterfront was impressive and apt. Belfast Child was excellent.We had seen them before over 20 years ago we think!! They have another short tour for the Autumn planned with OMD as support which should a pretty good night.

Paris Pie Search

Mrs Pieman was absent from our walk under the Mersey as she was off gallivanting around Paris and its environs. With trips to Parc Asterix, the Eiffel Tower, Fontainebleau Castle & Market, Stade De France and a river trip on the Seine a hectic weekend was had.

The exhausted party arrived back late Monday night with absolutely no Pies whatsoever !! Home of fine cooking and not a pie in sight. Various goodies from Parc Asterix managed to soften the blow.

Mrs Pieman is pictured below in the changing rooms at the Stade de France with fellow supporters of the greatest football team in the world. Nil Satis Nisi Optimum.

Over and Under the Mersey

Last Sunday saw 3/4 of the Pie Tribe head to Liverpool for the Under And Over The Mersey walk. This relatively rare occurence gives people the opportunity to walk under the Mersy via the Queensway tunnel which this year celebrates it's 75th anniversary.

Starting close to St Georges Hall the start was staggered with Bands, singers and Cheggars (Who Said the girls!) seeing us off. The Echo claimed around 15,000 people took part although it seemed a bit more than that.

After completing the walk there were various activities at the Birkenhead end to do once finished. Buses were laid on to take us to the Royal Iris ferry at Woodside and back to Liverpool via Pier Head.

Bond? ........... Brooke Bond !

Saturday saw the Mr and Mrs Pieman scrub up to head for the the Golden Jubilee Anniversary Ball for Mrs Piemans place of work. This took place at the Mollington Grange Golf Club and an excellent time was had by all.

The weather was very warm, the food was pretty good and the band were live! The conversation and company was excellent.

The look of concern on our faces was due to the weather which was tipping it down and the photographer was in danger of dropping dads camera which has happened previously!!

Duke Of York Arrives

This weekend saw our first potatoes of the year being dug and of course eaten! Our red skinned Duke of York First earlies are excellent and we look forward to many more.

As ever the ongoing battle with weeds and Pigeons continues. Our radish crop has been excellent and various lettuce. Everything else on plot109 is thriving even the Broccoli has recovered from the Pigeons.

PS. Does anyone have access to a large horse or several horses. Some manure needed!

Queen Of The South

What an excellent afternoon spent with the Queen of South Wirral, her family, and friends. With parents over from Brittany, expectant Mum to Be and Breton's no1 Queen of the South supporter laid on a barbecue at Guiena Pig Grounds.

The weather misbehaved at times but that did not deter us from having a good time with fine food, fine wine and fine conversation the order of the day. I can particularly recommend Dr Loosen Riesling to you and throwing Rock Salt on the Barbie!

I'm with The Choir

Last night the tribe headed over to All Saints in Hoole to hear Mrs Pieman belt out a few tunes with the Deo Gratias Choir (Along with The Woodentops). The first half was a mixed bag of various choral items, a couple of instrumentals and the second half was devoted to Vivaldi's Gloria.

After the highlight of last week with Kasabian this was going to be something of a contrast. Hot, Not cramped, occasionally loud and .......inspiring nonetheless. With little more accompaniment than the piano the sound of 60 plus voices in well practised unison and harmony is an awesome experience.

Yes the possibility of going to the Sea Breeze kept some of us going but this was an enjoyable gig! No Pie was made available but drinks were provided at half time.

Migratory Vistors

Sunday saw the the Pie Tribe to travel to Malpas and Auntie Gwen's to meet up with South African visitors Kath and Mike. This along with various other family members, good food and chat made for a great way to spend such a hot afternoon.

Flash the dog provided the entertainment and energy for a blistering warm afternoon. Pie was available which was immediately pounced upon by most members of the Pie Tribe.

West Ryder Lunatic Asylum

On their final gig prior to their Glastonbury Pyrimid stage appearance Kasabian played the Mountford Hall at Liverpool University on Thursday 25th June which The Pieman was fortunate to attend, along with Georgio Dragonslayer, Dirk Swamp and The Ashman.

It was cramped, sweaty, very loud, beer stained and absolutely brilliant!! Georgio and the Ashman nearly caused a ruckus at the bar and Dirk Swamp we lost to the Mosh Pit for the first half of the gig.

Venue was ok, easy to find and parking good. Only downside was the queues' for liquid refreshment which on such a close hot night were very long.

Excellent gig with the band ripping through a selection of tunes from all three albums and finishing with LSF, most excellent. Support was provided by The Hours.

Swamp Dino

To celebrate the arrival of summer and some excellent weather the Swamp tribe invited the Pies and others to a barbecue at the Swamp Estate.

Delicious food from our hosts, great weather and entertaining company made for an excellent evening topped off by a Swamp guest arriving with a Ferrari Dino GT! In superb condition ,oh yes what a beautiful car.

Our generous fellow guest, before the evening ended, took some of us for spin. The smell, the throb of the idling engine and the snarl of that V6 engine as the right foot went down was a delight. I also now know what supergirl wants for her 18th.......dream on!

Police Incident Plot109a

This year has seen the Pie tribe reclaim more of the wasteland of Plot 109a for cultivation. However yesterday the police prevented access to the site due to an ongoing "Police incident" ? Radishes gone amok, Terrifying Turnips, Cold blooded Carrots .......????

So far we have planted Cauliflowers, Potatoes,(X2) Radishes, Lettuce,(x2) Onions,(x2) Garlic, Cabbages, Broccoli, Beetroot ( X2 Varieties), Sweetcorn ........

Spot The Vegetable?

Recently passengers in the immaculate "Dog" have been complaining of a distinct aroma which despite our best efforts could neither be located or eradicated.

Unfounded and unnecessary accusations were put forward as to the source of the aroma. Various smelly items were introduced to the "Dog" to combat the worsening pungent attack on the nasal passages. Contrary to one suggestion it was not a rotting pie.

However after finishing at the Allotment today a rather ripe Swede was located in the boot in a plastic sweaty slimy carrier bag. We estimate it's been in there two months or more not counting time spent in the "Beast" before that.

In case you hadn't worked it out the rotting Vegetable is the one on the left!

Gingers Boy Comes Good

The Pieman headed off to Bangor On Dee this afternoon for National Hunt Racing. Pictured above is Wymott being led out by Ginger McCain's son, Donald and ridden by Jason Maguire. This combination provided a winner to finish off an excellent day.

The promised sunshine never materialised and with a biting wind it was extremely cold.The drying conditions meant a number of non runners. So whilst the quality of horse talent on show may have be questionable the racing was not.

A few of the Piemans selections ran well enough to justify inclusion in a Pie. However some judicious choices resulted in a healthy profit after all expenses were taken into account. A most enjoyable afternoon out, even with no Pie found.

Chris and Jess Get Married

What an excellent day yesterday was watching two friends get married. Excellent from start to finish! The weather behaved itself, the service was great , the venue for the celebration an excellent choice, great food, great conversation and short speeches!! What more can you need for the perfect day?

Pie would be nice and the groom did apologise for the lack of Pie available. Having said that the spread was fantastic and the Pieman definitely needs to seriously consider those elasticated pants for such occasions.

The Bride and Groom looked fantastic and we hope they had as good a time as we did. The only disappointment was going home. Can time be spent better NOOOOO!

No Pie to report on but an excellent ale to recommend to go with a Pie Black Sheep Bitter/Ale from Masham in Yorkshire. Check out their website, locate a pub near you or play "whack a sheep"!

Hairy Snacks and Pies

The Pie Tribe headed to Shrewsbury by train for a day out in the Salopian capital. Not having been there for quite a while we were extremely pleased with what we found and experienced.

The trip to Shrewsbury started well .The Male Trolley Dolley on our train having an unusual sales pitch to shout as he moved between the passengers, "Soft Drinks for Saints and Alcohol for Sinners". After arriving we headed into town passing a sandwich bar en route.

At this point the Pieman spotted a huge pork Roast waiting to be sliced in the window and an overflowing tray of Pork Crackling. The owner of this emporium noticed the Pieman drooling and provocatively waved the crackling at the window under his nose. This was most unfair and too early in the day, so we ran away!

For the next few hours we wandered around this delightful town enjoying its shops, market, river, medieval buildings, museum and people. A number of interesting pies and sausages were spotted in the market hall which also had some excellent 2nd book stalls. The Pink Princess also discovered live lobsters and was not impressed by the fishmonger who noticed this. He picked one up to let her handle and she ran off quicker than the Pieman after crackling.

After Lunch we found the excellent Appleyard delicatessen which stocks a vast array of meats, cheeses, sausages, olives.......and PIES. As soon as you stepped over the threshold into this delightfully crammed emporium of fine foods you were hit by a Pan Galactic blast of odours to make any person giddy with anticipation.


As well products by organic Bridgend piemaker "Jones The Pie" they had Pies by a Bridgnorth based award winning Piemaker Reg May. We were spoilt for choice and particularly tempted by the Ploughmans Pie a Pork Pie with Pickle, Cheese, Spring Onion and Cherry Tomatoes. We settled on Reg's standard Pork Pie and a Pork & Stilton Pie variant. Both I can subsequently report were excellent. Along with some home made fudge some Wild Boar Sausage was purchased by Toutatis.

From here we headed down to the English Bridge and spotted two pairs of Goosanders diving in the river. We have only seen these once before in Dovedale,Derbyshire and they are beautiful. With so much walking Mrs Pieman wears out her shoes and we have to stop to purchase new ones. Also if your looking for wine try Tanners down by the river who have an amazing selection.

After bumping into various colleagues and friends we made our way past the fire eater back to the crackling sorry station. Yes a visit to Castle Banquets was in order for a Pork Roast, stuffing and apple sauce bap with a side dish/order of Crackling (Actually a bagful of the stuff which we were still eating a few days later and weren't charged for! O Happy days). A thoroughly excellent day and worth a visit again some time.

Spring is Coming

Spring is coming the Pie Tribe have been down to Plot 109a to do some digging with help from two drop dead gorgeous ladies pictured above. Fricasse and Stroganoff have taken to helping with any plot holder as soon as digging commences.

The shameless hussies run with the gait of a badly out of shape Pieman after a few shandies ,at the sight of a big fat juicy worm. Many thanks to the owner of these wonderful Black Rocks who parted company with some fresh eggs for the Pie Tribe.

If anyone is looking for some back breaking exercise to work off Christmas excess please contact the Pie Tribe who have some wilderness area which needs some effort. Also if you have any spare manure please let us know!!!

Valentines Day

Who needs a Valentines card with a cookie this size, Wow! Pie would be nice but this beats a card any day. Hair by Draggedthruahedge Ltd. Mrs Pieman got a fork for digging (She is so spoilt).

Gathering 17 - Electric Night

The second night of the Gathering in Llandudno and this time the Dog was left at home as the Dragonslayer drove on this occasion. We arrived and parked easily out front timing our arrival to coincide with the lights going down and a countdown to the band coming on stage.

The only downside to this was missing the superb Dave Sharp in support. But with three and a quarter hours of concert to go we needed to pace our selves.

The Band and Mr Peters were in excellent form throughout the night even with a few Guitar gremlins for the main man. A fairly eclectic mix was offered up with it seemed a particular empathise on Alarm v2 songs, certainly at the start. As ever the set list contain some surprises and plenty of favourites.

The band were joined on stage by Mr Sharp at the end to help finish off a brilliant night marred only by the fact that the Pieman had forgotten his house keys in the excitement and couldn't wake anyone up at home !!!

Gathering 17 - Acoustic Night

Second gig of the year came in the form of the Acoustic night of the Alarm Gathering 17 weekend. The Pieman and Ashman headed for Llandudno giving the Dog a good run with no problems. The venue once again was the North Wales Conference and Theater Centre right on the front.

This year again the room was set in the round with about twenty rows of chairs emanating from a small stage. We settled in to a standing spot by the main stage with a good view. The sound quality this year seemed excellent to the Piemans ears and the whole evening seemed a little bit more relaxed than on some other occasions.

The set list was a nice surprise with a good mix of favourites old and new with some not heard for a long time. Mike Peters actually sat down for a while and there was a good bit of chat explaining the situations in which some songs were written or were inspired by. All in all a great evening of the usual excellent standard.