March 2025

The beginnings of Spring, or will there be snow?

Hello There,

Hasn’t it been delightful to have a few spring-like days at the end of February? We’ve had the windows open during the day, there’s been (slightly) less need for socks, though they’re still essential in the evening. I am aware it could all change, looking back at old ‘March’ photographs we’ve had snow days at least twice in the last ten years.

Snow in March - hopefully not this year!

I’m continuing to quietly celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th Birthday, I’m reading one of her novels a month, Pride and Prejudice was my focus in February . I managed to re-watch the 2005 film, the night before it left the iPlayer, (it’s now available on Prime.) The classic BBC series is still on the iPlayer, I watched it last year, it’s still super, a TV series has the advantage over a film of being able to stay closer to the book (despite the dive in the lake!) as there is more time. I will be reading Mansfield Park in March.

I’ve also continued the monthly Agatha Christie read, I’m following the ‘Read Christie 2025 - Characters and Careers.´ In February I read The Thirteen Problems (theme -authors), which I didn’t really enjoy, it was a collection of Miss Marple short stories, a little bit ‘bitty’, there was really no depth in the short stories to explore either the characters or the scenarios, I’m hoping The Three Act Tragedy (theme - performers) will be more engaging, an alternative suggestion is The Body in the Library, which I’ve previously read and thoroughly enjoyed. I wonder, if having watched both Miss Marple and Poirot quite recently (I rewatched both during the Covid lockdowns, they are still available on various catch-up channels), I may be overfamiliar with the stories, the element of surprise is lost.

Having said that, I fully intend to watch Towards Zero (I read the novel last year,) it is on the BBC iPlayer from the 2nd March. Despite press warnings of far too much modernisation (swearing and sex - which of course are not in the original novel) the cast, scenery, costumes and atmosphere look fabulous on the BBC trailer!

March is jam packed full with traditional, seasonal celebrations, St David’s Day (1st), Shrove Tuesday (4th) and Ash Wednesday(5th), St Patrick’s Day (17th) and Mothering Sunday (30th).

As today is the 1st, I’ll ensure we have some daffodils and maybe I’ll cook Leeks and Welsh Rarebit for supper. On Tuesday we’ll have a Pancake Day Brunch. I’m going to bake a Treacle Soda Bread for St Patrick’s Day.

Treacle and Oat Soda Bread with Smoked Mackerel Pate - perfect for St Patrick’s Day☘️ ☘️☘️☘️

February is the month I attempt spring cleaning and organising the house. I sorted my wardrobe, with some help from my daughter. Instead of hanging clothes by colour, she suggested I hang them by type, so far it’s working well. Jeans and jumpers are folded neatly on the wardrobe shelf above, my shoes are boxed below . We thought I should put my Issey Miyake Pleats Please on hangers (previously they were in a rather unwieldy, rolled pile on a shelf, and I tended not to wear them.) It’s been transformational, I can see them all and am wearing them far more often. (Most of the trousers are well over twenty years old, I wore them regularly when I was teaching, they’re still in super condition and it makes perfect sense to continue to wear them.)

Part of my cleaning/tidying process during March will be maintaining/reviving some of my handbags and shoes. I’ve been inspired by reading about a fabulous hardware shop in Marseille in Lickedspoon with Debora Robertson , where she received a masterclass in leather maintenance. (Her newsletter is also full of delicious recipes) I have invested in saddle soap and various polishes, I intend to revive several worn bags and pairs of shoes. I will take any shoes that need reheeling or new soles to Timpson in Kingston, which should give the shoes a new lease of life.

Years ago, whilst shopping in London, I slipped on a wet pavement, I was wearing a favourite pair of patent leather Ferragamo shoes, I managed to tear the patent leather. As I was near Bond Street, I popped into their shop there and asked if they could help. The shop assistant didn’t have anything to immediately repair the badly scuffed shoe, as I was wearing the shoes they couldn’t be sent off for repairs, she suggested I buy some black nail varnish and fill in the scratches. It worked a treat and was an incredibly useful trick when my daughter was small, she loved skipping and was constantly snagging the front of her shoes, I was able to keep them shiny and fresh with an application of black nail varnish.

My husband and I tend to divide the twice daily dog walks between us, he usually takes her out for her early morning constitutional, whilst I prepare breakfast (both hers and ours) I then take her out at midday (whilst he prepares her lunch!) We are trying to go for at least one walk together each week, visiting either Richmond Park or Ham House for a change of scenery. Both the gardens at Ham House and the Isabella Plantation ( in the park) are delightful. In March the purple crocuses at Ham will be out, and it looks like an abundance of flowers are about to appear in the sheltered plantation, there were plenty of daffodils, crocuses, magnolias and camellias in full bud when we were last there.

I’m not a gardener, anything that survives my ministrations does so purely on their own merits. Last winter I put out a pot of those very inexpensive supermarket daffodils at the back of the garden (once they’d shone brightly in the kitchen for a few weeks.) Imagine my surprise when this year they reappeared, and I was once again able to bring them into the kitchen.

Despite not being a gardener, I do love reading about gardening, I really admire those wonderfully green fingered, talented people. Laetitia Maklouf’s super Newsletter Nothing Important is well worth subscribing to. I love reading about bulbs, flowers, garden lighting etc, as well as her other brilliant suggestions. I’m going to make some her homemade washing powder (she gives a recipe which doesn’t sound too complicated), and after reading about her mother setting the breakfast table in the evening, I have been trying to do the same. I can’t tell you how marvellous it is to come down in the morning and only have to switch the kettle on and put the butter dish on the table!

At the end of March we’re going to Brittany, my next newsletter will be sent from there. I thought I might make a list of things I take with me, to counterbalance the list of things I buy in France to bring home. Needless to say at the top of my personal list is that essential of every British kitchen/breakfast table: Marmite! There will be more, until then

Au revoir.

Judith

More March snow!