A normal evening at the Air Balloon ...

From Anna Behan's collection, an evening in garden of the 'Air Balloon' in 1978 or thereabouts: Dr Phillpotts, C-H-M beginning his entry for that night's gurning competition, Anna turning away in horror being comforted by Ollie Crick, Ranging Rod & Mike Webb looking on and Mike Taylor watching the unknown photographer. It is surprising that Flt Lt Southwood is not in the frame but perhaps the photographer was he, unless he was getting the next round in. It looks as though the lights of the bar, small as it was in those days, are in the background.

C-H-M has, somewhat unromantically for the time of year, been abed with a gastric bug (- what other kind would a student of cookery get?), which is why postings have been lacking, for which my apologies. Perhaps Bacillus cereus was the culprit or indeed Clostridium perfringens. Each can stalk a curry house ...

Spot the bow ties

Apologies for the recent hiatus in postings: it was largely caused by the need to plan and cook lunch for 50 in 3.5 hours and recover from the (mainly splendid) experience. On a food theme, here's a 1977 shot of the lunch with tablecloths & waitress service that was enjoyed by Messrs. Irvine, Howell, Glaskin & Roberts. Here they are in mid-trough snapped by Anna Behan. Love the bow ties.

All in a good mood

High good humour all round at the award, it would appear to Randal Motkin, of the 1979 'Mr Crickley' title. Back row, L to R, Dmitri, Terry Courtney, Julian Parker, Bernard Dawson, Dave Southwood. Middle row, Training, The Skeleton, John Parry congratulating Randal, Mike Taylor. Front row, David Hole, Zoya Spivakowska, Ros Cleal, and Anna Collinge. The Skeleton is wearing C-H-M's father's demob suit from 1945.

1978 panorama

This shot from Anna Behan's collection must be, I think, 1978: is that Dave Hollos on the left? I'm sure Dr Howell stands in the middle facing away from the camera sporting a panama hat.

Feeding time

This murky photo from Anna Behan's collection (though not taken by her as she's in the picture herself) is the only one C-H-M has seen that shows the assembled multitude eating supper. Dr Ferris says it reminds him of the prisoners' meal scene in 'The Shawshank Redemption' ...

Discernible in the gloom are Julie Ann Souter, Mandy Hatherly, Anna, Training, Arwel Barrett and John Parry.

Dr Ferris has been inspired by yesterday's post to make the following observations: "It was good to see a photo of diggers drinking in the Imperial Beer Gardens in Cheltenham on the blog. I have already waxed lyrical on Crickley Hill Man's blog about days' off in Cheltenham and so won't go on too much more about the delights of this urban oasis; however, your picture brought to mind one extended lunchtime's drinking at the IBG, possibly in 1975, that was memorable for the appearance at the diggers' table of the improbably-named Sarah Goodnight, a model-tall, elegant and willowy American from one of the southern States. Spying us from the Promenade and coming over to say hello she surveyed the drinks table, groaning with empties and crowded with new pints, and the over-animated, dissolute diggers and asked 'Y'all jist sittin around here all day gittin drunk?', to which all happily replied 'yes'. Sarah then made her excuses and left. I just couldn't drink like that at lunchtimes nowadays; perhaps that's a good thing."

I don't think that Cheltenham Borough Council will thank you for calling them the Imperial Beer Gardens, Dr F ... binge drinking, broken Britain, mumble mumble, splutter ...

Sitting on the step

Nattering away together on the doorstep of the mess hall, Dr John Howell and John Parry. Looking directly at Anna Collinge taking the picture in 1977 is Ken Fussell, who, with Dave cooked for us all that year.

Thinking of cooking, I promised a vegetarian recipe to Les Capon a week or two ago and have been remiss in not getting round to it. So here's a simple delicious Moroccan tomato salad from Madhur Jaffrey's 'World Vegetarian'.

2 tbs or 30 ml lemon juice

1/2 to 1 tsp harissa (Moroccan chili/garlic paste) (The tinned Le Phare du Cap Bon brand is excellent if you don't want to make your own)

225 g 8 oz cherry tomatoes, halved across the middle

2 tbs finely chopped onion

1 tbs finely chopped fresh coriander or parsley if you do not see the point of coriander

1/2 tsp ground roasted cumin

1/2 tsp salt

In a small bowl stir together the harissa and the lemon juice

In another bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Add the lemon juice mixture and mix well. Let sit for 30 mins to let the flavours marry. Will keep in fridge for 24 hours but cover with cling film.

The addition of bean and pea sprouts works well with this, but it is delicious as it stands.

What's on Bernie's mind?

Dr Ferris suggested that the caption to this 1979 Anna Behan photo should be "Bernie wakes up - who's this I'm in bed with?". On further examination, since the recumbent form in the foreground is C-H-M snatching some lunchtime zeds and given that Bernie is testing the tip of his WHS 4" forged tang trowel with a murderous look in his eye, I'm not entirely sure that Iain is right. Maybe I'd committed some atrocity or other and Mr Dawson was contemplating his revenge ...

Others snoozing include Marion Barter, Elsa Charlot and Maryam Ghaffari.

No prizes for guessing the year ...

From Corky Gregory's album: Miss Collinge and Miss Griffiths, then attending Cheltenham Ladies' College, in their salad days, when they were green in judgment, but not, I think, cold in blood. They look very cheerful and carefree ... the T-shirts, I seem to recall were printed in Cheltenham on a Thursday off.

When I go Elsan-cleaning ...

The late posting today was caused by C-H-M having been up & out with the lark at 6.45 and then carrying out his first duties as "plongeur" for the evening class at Leiths, after a long day over a hot stove. First cuts and burns have been sustained, but nothing remotely serious. C-H-M earned the cost of three days' bus and tube fares. Eat your heart out, Eric Blair. But at least C-H-M's endeavours were remunerated. Above is the 1977 edition of C-H-M, surprisingly cheerful as he was snapped by Anna Behan (Collinge) on the way to empty the Elsans. Without pay.

Let's hope things aren't quite what they seem ...

Dr Ferris has been honing his observational powers on the column of Marcus Aurelius in Rome: he instantly spotted the insalubrious possibilities of this shot from Anna Collinge (now Behan)'s series: "It doesn't look as though Arwel's wearing any clothes!" observed the shocked Sage of Selly Oak. Too much scrutinising of naked barbarians for his new book, if you ask me.

Anna herself cannot be the photographer of this 'Health & Efficiency' snap as she's on the left with her planning board. And is that Julie-Ann Souter in the background? From 1980. Update from Julie-Ann who writes: "Yup that's me in the background, and I don't remember Arwel not wearing clothes that day, although maybe my brain has just blocked out the memory ..."

I'd rather hoped this one hadn't survived ...

Dr Anna Behan (née Collinge) produced this charming vignette of C-H-M in his youth at the reunion. Kate Cole-Dumycz remembered that I was 'the Elsan King' - how kind - but I did not realise that my late-teenage ecological activities had ever been captured on camera until I came across Dr Behan chuckling away to herself with Penny Hart examining this shot ... but we might as well get it out of the way - nothing to see, move along there, you know the sort of thing ...