Sunday 22 August 2010

Another New Challenge

Yesterday afternoon, Keep 'Er Lit were playing at an event in Donaghadee where there were displays of military weapons and regalia, a re-enactment group in period costumes with horses, cannons and muskets, plus a lovely lady making soda farls on a griddle, who normally does this at the Cockle Row cottages in Groomsport (see http://www.northdowntourism.com/Events/Walk1-(2).aspx). Davy Angus, who plays with The Ulster-Scots Folk Orchestra, also had a stand selling his hand-made wooden fifes (website http://www.angusfifes.com/).

Needless to say, I came away stuffed to the gills with soda farls, with half a jar of delicious home-made raspberry jam in one pocket and a fife in the other, and have had to add "learn to play the fife" to a very long list of things to do. At least I can now get a note out of her, so that's some progress - and I can't blame the instrument as I heard it played beautifully by the maker!

2 comments:

  1. It sounds a million miles and years away. So very different to the life I know in the tropics of Queensland Australia. Gosh, you are blessed to live in such a historical part of the world... I imagined the food to be pastry? God bless you. CML

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  2. Thanks Mary. Yes, I can imagine it's very different.

    Soda bread is one of our local traditional breads without yeast, baked in a round on a griddle. Before it cooks, the round is cut into quarters, with each quarter being a "farl". Soda bread's great with butter and jam, or cheese, or fried in the pan with potato bread, eggs, bacon and sausages, as part of an "Ulster fry".

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