and a happy new year to all members of the Hornchurch group.

I was sent a website by a very good friend of mine who started making chicks/bunnies a week or so ago. This is a brilliant concept. People send in chicks & bunnies they’ve knitted or crocheted. They are then filled with Cadbury Crème Eggs, and sold for £1 apiece and all proceeds are donated to a children’s hospice. They made over £50,000 last year. I took up the challenge straight away. I’ve currently made 10 of each to send off. My target is 50-60 of each.
https://www.francishouse.org.uk/easter-chick-knit/

I hope everyone will have a safe and happy New Year celebration tonight. Let off fireworks responsibly if being used. 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

State they are well prepared for winter. This taken from the Havering online newsletter.

BBC Countryfile 2024 calendar has just been delivered. As usual, it’s of extremely high quality, and contains amazing photos of nature sent into Countryfile by viewers. Also, not forgetting, it raises money for an extremely worthy cause. Details of how to order below.
Click on photograph

Know of a local organisation that supports families that need help in acquiring household electrical goods perhaps because of monetary constraints? Perhaps a one parent family? I have an eighteen month old appliance in perfect working order that looks as good as new. I know there are charity shops, but I’d rather give the item to a needy family rather than a charity shop where it’ll be sold on.

I have a very good friend who has a disabled child who is crazy about the Harry Potter stories. I was asked by her mother if I could crochet the character ‘Dobby’ for her. So, I ordered the wool and specific safety eyes and below is the result.

Beware of reheating fried rice as it can contain poisonous toxins. It’s something we, or any of the family, have done, but I do know of people that do it.
A serious form of food poisoning can be caused by the Bacillus cereus bacterium.
Found throughout the environment in its dormant, spore form, the microorganism doesn’t usually cause an illness, explained Dr. Ellen Shumaker, a food safety expert.
The non-germinated organism is often seen in soil and starchy food (again, like rice or pasta). According to Shumaker, it is mostly associated with cooked rice, hence the syndrome’s name.
Once cooked, explained the expert, the spores can germinate, become active, and start creating toxins. “Eating the toxin is what makes people sick,” Shumaker said.
“The spores of the organism germinate in response to the heat of cooking,” said Dr. Donald Schaffner, a professor and extension specialist in food science at Rutgers. “The organism survives the cooking process and then grows in foods not properly refrigerated quickly. Once the organism reaches relatively high concentrations (hundreds of thousands or millions of organisms), it can cause illness through infection or the formation of a heat-stable toxin. When people ingest the organism or the toxin, they become ill.”
The spores generally germinate when the food is cooked at what Shumaker defines as “the temperature danger zone,” between 4.5 and 60 degrees centigrade.
“To avoid bacterial growth, it is recommended to keep foods out of this temperature range for longer than four hours,” she said.
It’s important to note that although the germination process may kick off during cooking time, it continues while the food sits at room temperature.

Myself, two of our daughters and friends are going to the Layer Marney Tower Christmas Fair near Colchester/Maldon on Saturday 18th November. It runs over three days. We all pre-booked tickets a couple of months ago. It’s an annual fair but one I’ve not been to in the past. As a committed crafter I’m keen to peruse the craft stalls and their wares. Website below for details.

https://county-events.co.uk/essex-county-christmas-fair/

Taking place in The Mercury Romford tomorrow 7th October. 10am - 4pm. Lots going on. Specialist artisanal dog treats with no added preservatives etc. Lots to see.

Havering GP surgeries by patients.
https://www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/news/23679337.havering-best-worst-gp-surgeries---rated-patients/

Sainsbury’s are recalling their Mexican style chilli cheddar because of the possible presence of salmonella.
https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-14-2023

https://www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/news/23439670.south-end-road-stanley-road-surgery-hornchurch-close/?dicbo=v2-K1exsdp

Spent a most pleasant afternoon with good friends in Marygreen Manor Hotel Brentwood for afternoon tea. I can highly recommend it. Perfect venue. An early 16th century manor. A former home of a servant of Catherine of Aragon.

Aerial video No.2

Video taken from helicopter ride over New York last week. Brilliant experience.