Great chieftain o' the pudding-race

I doubt that there's a gill of Scottish blood in me.  My father was from Lancashire and my mother from Nottinghamshire.  The only association with Scotland that I can think of is that, after my paternal grandfather's untimely death, my grandmother married a McCabe.  I do, however, have some Scottish friends, and when one of them announced that he was planning to celebrate Burns Night, I decided to join in the fun... albeit with a non-too-subtle Cornish enhancement.

The monster haggis I'm holding is a Campbell's Chieftain, which (according to its creators) contains enough meat, oatmeal and offal to feed six people. It's certainly too big for the two of us, thus guaranteeing that we'll be eating haggis for a few days after Burns Night. It cost me £10.95 + postage and arrived last Friday, since when it's been gently thawing in the fridge.

Most recipes I've seen recommend boiling haggis, whilst one friend assures me that microwaving is fine. However, the Scots lady who first introduced me to the delights of haggis recommended roasting, and the results were so good that we've felt no need to try other methods. The same lady also advised me not to dwell too long on what goes into a haggis, but simply to enjoy the taste.  Wise words!  Here's what Campbell's assure me goes into theirs..

Lamb Lungs (26%), Beef Fat, OATMEAL, Water, Beef, Ox Liver, Seasoning: [Salt, Rusk: (Fortified WHEAT Flour: (Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Salt, Raising Agent: E503ii), Spices: (Black Pepper, Cayenne, Coriander, Ginger, Allspice), Flavouring], Kibbled Onion, Beef Connective Tissue, Gravy Browning: (Colour (E150c), Water)

... and all wrapped up in a sheep's stomach. Vegetarians and the squeamish may like to know that Tesco sell a vegetarian version that I'm told tastes rather good. 

Here's our variation on the traditional 'neeps and tatties'. We prefer our tatties lightly roasted, rather that mashed, and have substituted peas, sweetcorn and leeks for mashed swede.  And in further departures from a true Burns Night celebration, the Scottish piper was given the night off (due to Covid restrictions, of course!) and I only attempted two lines of Burns' famous Address to a Haggis. 

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the pudding-race! 

The remaining 7½ verses I happily leave to those who have mastered the Lalans accent.  This Cornish maid has her limitations!

And the verdict?  Excellent!  And so was the Islay Malt that followed it.  Thank you, Scotland.

Vitamin D - further thoughts

Vitamin D – a permanent addition
to my kitchen supplies?

Yesterday I tried to replenish my dwindling stock of vitamin D tablets.  I failed – Lloyds, Lydney Pharmacy and Tesco had all sold out. Here was evidence indeed that the popularity of vitamin D supplements has risen considerably since I wrote on this subject last November. But is this popularity justified?

The NHS recommends that most of us should take 10µg of vitamin D daily during autumn and winter, and the government has now authorised care homes to issue this to their elderly residents. It has long been known that we produce insufficient vitamin D from sunlight in the winter months, and that a 10µg supplement will result in healthy bones and prevent the onset of rickets. 

Rickets?! I for one have no fear of rickets, and believe that my bones remain health through winter and summer. So why add vitamin D to my healthy diet?

Well, there is mounting evidence that vitamin D plays an essential part in protecting us from a whole host of diseases, and not least coronoviruses such as the common cold and Covid-19.

Undoubtedly, the reluctance of many official bodies to recommend daily doses higher than 10µg is down to the appalling record of the 'health food' industry, with it's widespread unsubstantiated claims for a plethora of pills and potions. 

Last November I wrote about how Dr John Campbell, in his YouTube videos, had convinced me to take 20µg of vitamin D (twice the NHS recommended dose) every day in the winter months. Dr John himself was taking double that amount, but at the time I judged that 20µg would be a good start.

On 14th January David Davis MP held an Adjournment Debate in the House of Commons. On the current policy of lockdowns, he said: "There is no doubt that they are incredibly costly, in economic damage, in individual freedom, in mental health, and even in lives lost to other causes."  He went on to argue strongly that wider use of vitamin D had the potential to mitigate (NB not 'prevent') these disastrous consequences at little expense and no risk.  A 25µg vitamin D pill costs less than 5p.

In response, the government minister reiterated the value of everyone of taking 10µg a day during autumn and winter, but cast doubt on the data referred to by Mr Davis. She did, however, go on to mention a large-scale trial at St Mary's University that aims to report later in the year.

A few days later, David Davis appeared on John Campbell's YouTube channel. These two exponents of vitamin D supplements enjoyed a long (and sometimes rambling) discussion, but I recommend watching it if you have 83 minutes to spare – Vitamin D with Mr David Davis MP - YouTube.

Here's something else that's relevant... Last December, on the website vitamindforall.org, an open letter appeared, entitled "Over 200 Scientists & Doctors call for Increased Vitamin D use to combat Covid-19."  Most of the signatories were unknown to John Campbell, but (in his own words) were "a pretty reputable bunch."  Among them I spotted Dr. Gareth Davies, PhD Medical Physics, of Imperial College, London.  What most interested me was that each signatory had been asked to state their recommended daily dose of vitamin D, and the amount they were actually taking.  Every one of them recommended at least 2000IU (50µg), most recommended 4000IU and many admitted personally to taking considerably more than this. 

So was I able to replenish my stock of vitamin D? Somewhat reluctantly I went online to Holland & Barrett. They wanted £18.49 for 250 25µg tablets, which, at 7p per tablet, seemed rather expensive. However, they currently have a "1p Sale", so for an extra 1p I was able to order 500 tablets. They arrived this morning.  We have both upped our daily dose to 50µg, so now have enough to last about 4 months. 

Of course, the best way to avoid being infected with Covid-19 is to obey the lockdown rules and recommendations, but it's good to know that we have this extra layer of protection from serious illness. Since we are also likely to have improved our resistance to colds and flu, we may well continue taking vitamin D long after this pandemic is ended. 

Doubly Cautious

Until recently, I've felt pretty safe from COVID-19 infection. Prevalance of the virus has been high in big cities and throughout most of South Wales, but here in the Forest of Dean its felt significantly safer.  The pandemic is here, of course, and tragically 65 people have died, but I've judged that so long as I'm reasonably careful, I should be okay.  

All that has changed with the arrival of the virulent 'new variant' of the virus.

The Zoe Symptoms Study App, which tends to anticipate the official data by several days, paints a still more worrying picture.  

Two acquaintances of mine from the Lydney area have been hospitalised, and three others are poorly and confined to their homes. If ever there was a time to be doubly cautious, it is surely now. So I've stopped attending church (even though it remains permissible) and taken to shopping in Tesco and Co-op when I know it will be reasonably quiet. I'm doing my best to keep to the rules, and not just pay them lip service... if I can understand them.

Here in the Forest of Dean we are blessed with mile upon mile of quiet, safe woodland walks, but how far should I wander? For me, a 'proper' walk is at least 6-7 miles long, but some may feel that such a walk will inevitably take me beyond my local area.  That was certainly the opinion of the Derbyshire police in a well-publicised case, but I'm pleased to see that common sense has prevailed and the two ladies' fines cancelled. The Prime Minister also drew criticism from the Evening Standard for cycling 7 miles from his home. Again, common sense seems to have prevailed, with a Downing Street source telling the BBC: "The PM has exercised within the Covid rules and any suggestion to the contrary is wrong."

Ah, but what is Angie doing here? One may exercise; one may sit and cogitate; but one may not have a picnic – even in a leafy glade such as this, miles from the nearest village. Well, my dears, the cup of steaming brew that I'm clutching is merely warming my hands, you see, and the contented smile on my face has nothing to do with a round of Co-op sandwiches that I bought, earlier in the day.  How careful one must be!