Victor Meldrew

Last night confirmed that I am actually becoming a grumpy old woman. Having finally had enough of the shoddy, cheap crap that channel four boot out, I decided to email a complaint:

"I have always been a loyal patron of Channel 4 Television. You have been considered a cutting edge channel, showing a range of contraversial and interesting programmes. Unfortunately I am becoming increasingly irritated by the poor programming you have fallen foul to over recent months.Virtually every evening showcases a wealth of repeats; even programmes that you promote as a new series end up being 'revisits' (e.g. The Home Show and Grand Designs). What ever happened to the cutting edge films on a Sunday evening? Now weekends are devoted to the 'Top 100...'. Quite frankly this is shoddy and lazy programming and I for one am finding myself increasingly pulled to other channels."

I was quite surprised to recieve a response only minutes later:

"Dear Ms Ashkowski, Thank you for contacting us regarding THE HOME SHOW. The show in question was listed as a revisit show. This allows viewers to catch up with the experiences after the initial investments or renovations -which is why this has proven a popular format across many of our shows. As such it is listed as a new episode, as while the participants are the same, the circumstances surrounding their presentation are not. Nevertheless, please be assured your comments and complaint has been notedand logged. The log is distributed throughout Channel 4. Thank you again for taking the time to contact us. We appreciate all feedback from our viewers; complimentary or otherwise. Regards, Jessicka Burton Channel 4 Viewer Enquiries"

Needless to say, the response proves that none of my views will be taken on board. However, it felt good to sound off and get a response. I might take up complaining for a hobby!

A Fabulous Weekend in London

Mark's birthday provided an excellent reason to go and live it up in London for the weekend. It is now a tradition that we take each other away for our birthdays, usually to London, but the details are kept as a surprise until the last minute.

This year I feel I have surpassed myself and we had one of the best weekends ever!

On Friday we left for London on the train. It was only then that I presented Mark with his birthday envelope containing all the details of our impending escapade. I had booked a suite at the ultra modern and chich St Martins Lane Hotel; we were going to dinner at Veerswamy (the UK's oldest Indian restaurant) on Friday and Clos Maggiore on the Saturday. Mark was considerably impressed :-)

Neither of us were disappointed when we arrived at the hotel. It looked like something from the Ugly Betty series: highly fashionable and ultra stylish. However, the staff were really friendly and the ambience wasn't at all pretentious. Our room was a fabulous white suite which overlooked the bustling streets of Covent Garden. We had floor to ceiling windows around most of the room and a bathroom to die for. There were also funky additions such as the mood lighting which you can set to any colour. The furniture and decor was designed by Philippe Starke and was very stylish.

We then head off for Veeraswamy. We had a delightful meal; my favourite part was the cameralised banana kulfi which tasted just like banana fritter ice cream and was to die for!

We had a lovely day on Saturday. It began with a visit to Tate Britain to see the current Alter Modern exhibition. It was mostly pretentious bollocks but a good laugh. We then headed off to Kettners for some champagne. This place had been recommended by a couple of people but quite frankly we thought it was pretty dire. The service was poor and there was a group of middle aged women having what can only be described as some sort of WI meeting.

Not to worry, a spot of shopping in Covent Garden soon put things back to rights. An afternoon siesta was the order of the afternoon before getting dolled up for a night out. We had lovely pre dinner cocktails in our hotel bar: the toffee champagne was to die for before heading off to Clos Maggiore...

This was a beautiful little French restaurant in Covent Garden. The service was outstanding and the food even more so. We both had the vegetarian tasting menu which consisted of:

• Pumpkin and pinenut soup with parmesan wafer
• Tian of smoked aubergine with buffalo mozarella croquette
• Hand-rolled tagliatelle with pesto
• Gnocci stuffed with blue cheese, accompanied by walnut pesto and poached pear
• European artisan cheeses
• Chocolate fondant with spiced ice cream

Each course came with a recommended wine. We've had a number of tasting menus but I would say that this was the best. Each course was excellent and most of the wines were delightful. I was particularly taken by the idea of a sweet dessert wine with the aubergine dish. it worked beautifully.

All in all a stunning weekend, I'm just sad that it's over :-(

Jersey Death Sauce Challenge

This challenge has become somewhat of a tradition in our house. Over the past couple of years our dinner parties have concluded with our guests being challenged to consume one small droplet of our Jersey Death Sauce. This sauce is 750 times hotter than a jalapeno pepper, it is made with capsicum crystals and I'm pretty sure it's the hottest sauce in the world.

Over the past couple of years the challenge has taken down a number of people (most notably Zoe who was violently ill). Last night it claimed it's most recent victim: Chris. The poor boy was reduced to a crying, snivelling wreck and proceeded to wretch violently for a good half hour.

Of course this is a most amusing situation but it seems we are now running out of victims. Is there anyone else out there who is willing to take on the challenge? ...

My Birthday

A bit belated but I have been meaning to mention what a wonderful birthday weekend I had. Once again my lovely husband planned an indulgent treat for us both. We started with a picnic brunch and champagne at home, before setting off for London on the train (first class of course).

We then arrived at the Stafford Hotel which was a charming, classic and stylish building. Later on I was taken to my first Michelin Star restaurant: Roussillon (in Pimlico) where we embarked upon an eight course journey of extravagance. The menu consisted of:

Parsley & Parmesan Royale
Light Pumpkin Veloute

Wild Mushroom Vol Au Vent
Ricotta Gnocchi, Leek Jus

The Priory Bay Umami Egg
Wild Seaweed, Capers, Shallots Garlic, Lemon & Light Soy Sauce

Crunchy and tender warm salad
Walnut, Apple, and Celery Watercress Dressing

Autumn Vegetables & Roots Cooked Together in a Pot
Reduced Balsamic Vinegar & Truffle Dressing

Osso Iraty From Pays
Basque Cherry Compote & Walnut Bread

Pineapple and Lime Ravioli
Lime Sorbet

Williams Pear Souffle
Pear Veloute a Warm Madeline

(wines to accompany and complement each meal)

It was a throughly delightful experience (and very expensive) but I still think Morgan M has the edge.

Ofsted

It's been a hard slog this term but last week it really paid off when Ofsted inspected our school and rated us as outstanding. Not only that but three of the five individual departments that were rated as oustanding are in my faculty.

It's a wonderful feeling to work so hard for something and have it all come togther. I feel very proud of my school and my role within it and I consider myself very lucky to have a job that is so rewarding and allows me to make a real difference to children's lives.

Hard Times

I'd just like to say thank you to so many of our friends and family who have offered Mark and I support through such hard times.

When the shit hits the fan (and it really has for us this year) you really find out who your friends are (and aren't)

Bring on 2009 and a new start with some happier times.

USA: San Francisco

Next stop San Francisco and my word it could not have been more different than Las Vegas. As we approached the city across Bay Bridge there was an ominous layer of fog suspended over the centre. This apparently is a result of it's crazy microclimate. Anyhow, in contrast to the glitzy, tackiness of Vegas, San Fran was cosmopolitan, arty and not full of casinos.

Upon arrival at the Fairmont Hotel we were somewhat disappointed not to find a luxurious huge split level suite but this is not Vegas. However, the hotel was in an excellent location, making it a perfect launch pad for our journies.

What we did that's worth mentioning:

• Clarion Alley: A fantastic street with loads of graffiti murals

Art galleries: These were fantastic, containing extensive collections of art and it was permitted to take photos. You won't find that in this country!

• Food: Breakfasts at Loris Diner, Dinner at La Folie, Michael Mina, Millennium and Greens
• La Tonga: The dodgy bar in our hotel that was decked out like a tropical rainforest and showcased real storms every hour
• Alcatraz: The audio tour was fantastic, a must do for anyone visiting the city


• Napa Valley Wine Tour: A wonderful tour of four vineyards with lots of wine and good food
• Haight Ashbury: A very cool hippy area which is full of hippies, junkies and vegans - brilliant

USA: Las Vegas

Mark and have just got back from a fabulous two weeks in the States. Week one involved living the American Dream in Las Vegas. It truly is a crazy place where nothing is actually real: People are superficially nice, all the hotels are replicas of other famous cities (ours was an elaborate rendition of Venice, complete with St Marks Square and Gondolas), and the many casinos play host to thousands of gamblers every night all pretending to be rich and betting money they don't have.

That said, Vegas is a place not to be missed and the sights although lacking in history and style do wow you with the glitzy lights, highly expensive and elaborate hotels and of course the hugely popular casinos.

We found Vegas to be overpriced however so do be prepared to spend vast amounts of cash even if you don't intend to frequent the casinos. I am sure many a tourist leaves with broken dreams and lost inheritance!

What we did that's worth mentioning...

• Cirque De Soleil Show (Ka): this was absolutely stunning
• Blue Man Show: Naff comedy which strangely many Americans seem to enjoy. Not worth the money
• Madame Tussauds: Good for a laugh
• Casinos: We won $200 on a cheap slot machine!

• Atomic Testing Museum: Surprisingly interesting
• The Star Trek Experience: An amazing 4D simulator, but I am not converted before you ask!

• Michael Mina Restaurant: Bizarre waiter service and veggie tasting menu
• Dos Caminos Restaurant: A fantastic Mexican joint
• The Cheescake Factory: So cheesey (scuse the pun) but it had to be done

• Wall Mart: Full of mentalists and trailer trash, it's just like Asda!
• Vegas to San Francisco: 8 hours driving through the desert, oh what fun