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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

🌱 My Fuji Cherry Bonsai are blossoming well this year! Hopefully they will grow a little this year as there wasn't much new growth last year.

Fuji Cherry Bonsai leaning left, covered with blossoms

Fuji Cherry Bonsai leaning right with blossoms, created by air-layering a branch from the other tree

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

🌱 My first Cherry blossom of the year, hopefully many many more to follow!

Fuji Cherry Bonsai blossom with more unopened buds

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

🥃 #whisky Aberlour A'bunadh batch 84 at 61.2% Abv. On the nose it was sweet with Christmas cake notes. Neat is interesting, it has a long lasting and tonsil tingling finish. I added a few drops of water and enjoyed it more. The highball was refreshing, bringing out the sherry and oak more.

Aberlour A'bunadh batch 84 bottle and tube at the back, with large glass to left containing a whisky highball and a Glencairn glass containing a dram

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

🥃 #whisky I bought this earlier in the year in anticipation of Christmas drinks with family, before I started having issues. Now, a dram of this will be a nice reward on New year's eve to spur me on in 2026! It's Aberlour's sherry bomb A'bunadh batch 84.

Bottle of Aberlour A'bunadh batch 84 with back of tube detailing the whisky.

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

🥃 #whisky I bought an interesting oddity from a Christmas market by a local distillery. They bottled some of the spirit they are laying down and ageing in casks. For a 60%ABV alcohol it is incredibly smooth, I have decided to keep it until they produce the first aged whisky in order to compare.

Witchmark's 70cl 60%ABV single origin new make spirit. Front of the bottle.

Witchmark's 70cl 60%ABV single origin new make spirit. Back of the bottle.

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

🍜🍽️ Not been posting due to poor health; finally getting on top of it with low salt, low fat and low sugar meals. Grilled Chicken Korean style with salad and coleslaw yesterday and with brown rice, cucumber spring onion and more coleslaw.

A plate of grilled chicken Korean style with sesame seeds, homemade coleslaw, lettuce, tomato, cucumber and mayonnaise.

Two bowls,left has brown rice, grilled chicken Korean style, sesame seeds, spring onions and cucumber. Right bowl, homemade coleslaw again.

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 18/10/2025

Last month I decided it was time I sorted the cupboard under the stairs out. After wiping down the walls, removing rawl plugs, filling all the cracks and holes, sanding, cleaning and painting it was looking good. This last week we put some shelves up & now I have a nice little snug!

Not quite before, but partially through cleaning and filling

Just about finished after 4 days, under stairs cupboard freshly painted white with coat hooks replaced

Under the stairs looking towards the door, newly installed shelves with drinks

Now is the time for relaxing, bottle of Aberlour 12 and Glencairn glass with dram

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 04/10/2025

🌱 I tried to get outside with my #bonsai for a bit but the rains came! I did get to see some of the autumnal changes that are happening between the showers.

Mountain maple bonsai in autumn colours against green fence panel

Mountain maple leaves showing green, orange, yellow and red colouring

Dawn redwood bonsai with fronds turn a pinky orange from the standard green

Fuji Cherry bonsai with almost all leaves dropped. I will be repotting it this winter as I think it would benefit from more organic soil mix than it currently has.

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 04/10/2025

🍜🍽️ I tried something different in the kitchen today. I chunked some chicken and marinated it in spice and yoghurt overnight. I put it under the grill with some onions, tomatoes and peppers, served it up with some rice and coriander. To me it looked & tasted great but the heat could be increased.

Chunks of chicken that had been marinated in a tikka masala yoghurt sauce with onions peppers and tomatoes

A bowl consisting of a rice, tikka masala spiced chicken chunks, tomatoes, peppers, and onions with some fresh coriander on the side

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

🍜🍽️🌱 Since moving to my current address, picking apples from the tree in the Autumn to make crumble, pies and cake is a definite highlight in the year!

Large ripe cooking apple ready for picking.

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

🍽️🍜 It's been a while since posting, not much out of the ordinary but still very tasty highlights from the last couple of months!

Chocolate caramel fingers with orange flavoured caramel, very tasty! Not sure who or why they were renamed to Millionaire shortbread.

Teriyaki beef skewers on rice with Pak choi and radish.

Katsu chicken nuggets with a jerk seasoning with rice and cabbage.

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 27/07/2025

🦇 This time of year I get bats flying around the outside of my house, I have slowed this short film down and it is still just a blur. I believe it could be a Daubenton's bat as I know they are in the area but could be wrong!

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 27/07/2025

🌱 Got some more time in the garden with my #bonsai again today! I noticed that one of my Itoigawa Junipers pots was self destructing, not sure when that started but I slip potted the juniper into plastic and will find something for next spring. I also checked the air layering which is looking good!

Pot damage, top no longer connected to the bottom

Air layering showing a root starting to grow, it's taken 2 months but hoping by September there will be enough root to allow separation

Slip potted Itoigawa Juniper in old plastic pot

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 26/07/2025

🌱 Got to spend some time with my #bonsai today, just doing some routine checks and some minor work weeding, pruning and removing wires!

Dawn Redwood forest planting had a decent trim. The new growth hasn't hardened off but it needed to be opened up due to the congestion of foliage.

My purple/red maple is not dead after the total defoliation I did. Surprised how well it went as it encouraged some back budding which will help this winter when I look at it's structure.

Young Dawn Redwood that is starting to thicken nicely.

Japanese Larch with the main wires used to shape removed and a failed air layering. I'm thinking that I didn't need to cut the ring of bark off, just wrap the branch with damp moss, cover and wait as the branches have nodules that look like they would happily become roots.

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

🌱A few roses, peony and daisy from earlier this summer!

Dark red rose looking very light in the sunshine

Large pink peony flower, too heavy for the stem to remain upright

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

🌱 It's been a while since I last posted, busy with work! Fortunately I was able to continue photographing the garden. Here are a moth, grasshopper and a couple of caterpillars.

Cinnabar moth caterpillar on half eaten leaf

Tiny moth caterpillar on a piece of gravel

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

🍽️🍜 I bought a Mahachanok mango Sunday and was in two minds as to what to do with it, eat it as it is or spend two hours making coconut sticky rice to go with it. Monday evening I looked in the cupboard and found coconut milk, so just went for it!

A £3 Thai mango being sold in Waitrose in the UK, fairly small but perfectly ripe

Coconut sticky rice with the slices of the Mango recipe used is at https://www.seriouseats.com/thai-coconut-sticky-rice-mango-recipe

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

🌱 Last week I decided to do a defoliation on one of my maple #bonsai, looks bad but will be fine. This week I need to find some time to work on my Dawn Redwoods and Japanese Larch, there's some wire to check along with a bit of pruning. If there is time maybe a Juniper air layer!

Maple bonsai before defoliation and growing really well.

Japanese Larch bonsai, almost time for the first pruning of the year.

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

🍜🍽️ Wife is away at the moment which means I can experiment with things she wouldn't eat! Last Thursday I made Lamingtons that I shared with co-workers. Not bad for a first effort!

Lamington on white plate, vanilla sponge with chocolate coating and rolled in coconut.

Cross section of my Lamington showing sandwiched to pieces together with some of the chocolate used to coat.

11 Lamingtons going to office co-workers, Friday tends to be quiet with just a couple of people in the office that being said only two were left over and they went into the office freezer.

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

🌱 My Fuji Cherry #bonsai has been a bit disappointing this year, not many blossoms but then it has been an odd and fairly mild winter. Then again my Japanese larch is looking very healthy compared to last year!

March 2025, not many cherry blossoms but leaves already coming through.

Same Japanese Larch bonsai April 2024 before wiring.

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

🌱 Been having a few issues recently and have not posted! While sorting my strawberry patch I found Hawk Moth Pupae and a Toad!

3 Hawk Moth Pupae, I have put them in a tray with some soil and covered them with some fallen leaves and left them out of the way so that I don't accidentally step on or destroy them.

One of the Hawk Moth Pupae approx. 4cm in length

A toad hiding where I was starting to dig out the strawberry plants from last year. Fairly well camouflaged, pretty much centre of picture.

Again, didn't want to kill it as I think it will help with slugs, it was a hot day so I gave it a tray of cool water and put it to one side while I dug over the strawberry patch.

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

🍽️🍜 Experimenting again! Friday night began marinating large chunks of lamb as per a Maangchi bulgogi recipe(apart from asian pear, substituted an apple). Saturday I used a Dutch oven and started cooking the meat before adding some stock and leaving on a low temperature for 4 hours before pulling.

Deboned leg of lamb cut into large chunks, grated apple, onion and garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar and sesame oil

Pulled lamb bulgogi, chilli, carrot, cucumber, shallot, spring onion and coriander on a bed of rice. Tasted good but could use a smaller amount of better/richer stock when cooking the lamb.

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

🌱 I managed to find a little time to review some of my bonsai this weekend. The elms are confused and still have leaves from last year, the pot had cracked so I decided to repot. There are encouraging signs that life is returning, dawn redwood buds turning green & cherry blossom on their way

Close up of a first year dawn redwood cutting with a number of buds turning green that will become fronds in the near future.

Buds forming on my Fuji Cherry bonsai that will soon become flowers

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

🌱 Nice to see some colour in the garden, while everything else is confused/hibernating.

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

🍜🍽️ Had some time in the kitchen this weekend and after seeing the latest Uncle Roger Vs Jamie Oliver, I know I can't call it Pho and the brown rice noodles are also questionable so maybe Beef Noodles! I like the char I got on the beef, very tasty.

Beef marinated in garlic and vegan oyster sauce, bean sprouts, shallots, chilli, Thai basil, flat brown rice noodles and a beef broth

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

🍜🍽️ Haven't posted in a while but still experimenting and tweaking recipes. Fresh veg and rice with a Korean inspired Gochujang Garlic and Honey sauce, Tonkatsu rice and cabbage, Macaroni cheese and Salt and Pepper Roast potatoes.

Sharing platter of freshly chopped carrots, shallots, tomatoes chilli, raddish, cucumber and spring onion, to accompany Gochujang, garlic and honey glazed chicken and rice

Tonkatsu steak with rice and shredded cabbage, with a drizzle of tonkatsu sauce and Kewpie mayo

Macaroni cheese made using Red Leicester and Cheddar containing leeks and bacon with a topping that includes breadcrumbs, parmesan and bacon bits

Salt and pepper roast potatoes, I had some leftover roast potatoes so reheated them then stir-fried with chilli, garlic, spring onion and some salt and pepper seasoning

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

🍜🍽️The wife and I are not hung up on Roast Turkey for Xmas lunch, this year I made a fairly faithful Japanese Hamburg Steak with sauce pairing it with roast potatoes and boiled parsnips and carrots, it was delicious and cooked in a fraction of the time!

Japanese Hamburg Steak, made with Beef and Pork mince, red onion, salt, pepper, nutmeg, panko breadcrumbs and a little milk to bind and allow shaping

Finished dish of Japanese Hamburg Steak with sauce, roast potatoes boiled parsnips and carrots

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 10/12/2024

🍽️🍜 Last night I drowned some candied citrus peel, glacé cherries and sultanas in Mekhong, and used that fruit today to make my version of a spiced fruit cake. It might have been better to bake at a lower temp for longer, but it tastes great with a cup of tea!

Candied Citrus Peel, Glacé Cherries and Sultanas in a bowl with a generous glug of Mekhong, bottle shown behind

Cross-section of the freshly baked fruit cake, fruit seems to always sink but I don't mind

View of the cake slightly higher, cross-section still visible but now the top of the cake can be seen and that is slightly overcooked in places

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

🍜🍽️ Whilst sheltering from the #stormdarragh hitting the UK this weekend, I made use of what I had in the fridge and store cupboard and made a good Mongolian Chicken from scratch and put it in a wrap.

Mongolian chicken and lettuce on a tortilla wrap.

One of many fence panels that have broken this weekend, thankfully my greenhouse has not been smashed.

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

🍽️🍜 Not sure if I can call this spicy beef ramen! I used a ready made Beef Pho broth along with noodles, onions, chillies, pak choi, coriander, bean sprouts and steak.

Spicy beef ramen in a bowl, slices of beef steak and various veg can be seen.

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

🌱 Been a bit busy recently and missed most of the leaves dropping, today I started looking at my Japanese Larch and Dawn Redwood forest and began thinking of jobs I will need to do this winter/spring.

Japanese Larch in front of a white background. No root work required. To do: pruning.

Dawn Redwood forest planting in front of white background. Removed some moss growing up the trunks. To do: reduce height by about 1/3, signs of poor drainage so remove from pot and check the roots.

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 21/10/2024

🌱 Got some time in the garden, tidying and weeding and noticed that the plants are really confused this year. I have a foxglove and primroses flowering now with nasturtiums that will probably start in November!

Ladybird hiding on a flowering foxglove with white petals

Two primrose flowers with more buds coming

Nasturtium leaves, young plant that self seeded

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 20/10/2024

🌱 Winter is on its way! The Dawn Redwood and Liquidambar are changing colours and beginning to drop their leaves. My Maples have already lost theirs and the Tea plants are flowering.

Dawn Redwood fronds changing colour from green to a pinky orange before being dropped later in the season

Liquidambar saplings approximately 8-9 months old, leaves already dropping

Flower with white petals and yellow centre, tea plant(Camellia Sinensis)

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 29/09/2024

🌱 A number #bonsai YouTubers have been posting about Junipers in the last week, so I decided to spend some time working on 1 of my 2 Itoigawa Junipers today. It now looks like this...

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 29/09/2024

🌱 I checked in on my Japanese Black Pine seedlings today, they are all looking healthy at 9 months old. The three examples pictured show the variety in the treatment and how that has affected their growth.

Three 9 month old Japanese Black Pines, front left is bushy due to a cut removing the top so as to encourage new buds, back middle normal left alone, front right very small due to axis cut

Normal Japanese Black Pine seedling, most of my seedlings look like this but are a little shorter

Japanese Black Pine with a lot of side buds

Very small Japanese Black Pine, this is due to an axis cut which removed all the roots and most of the trunk

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 29/09/2024

🍜🍽️ Not particularly pretty but as I still need to use apples from the garden I created a Compressed Apple Terrine. I made a couple of substitutions with the ingredients, Rum instead of Brandy and Maple Syrup instead of Honey. Tastes ok, not too sweet, but I have some ideas for a second attempt.

A slice of the Compressed Apple Terrine with a couple of small scoops of vanilla ice cream

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 22/09/2024

🌱 I tried something different with my Dawn Redwood cuttings this year. Instead of using rooting powder and putting them in a pot, I just left them in water till they root and it seemed to work.

Freshly potted Dawn Redwood cuttings grown in water until roots grew to longer than 1cm in length

Last year's only surviving Dawn Redwood cutting, left largely alone but removed height from the apex

A cutting from a few years ago, still figuring out the front and positioning of branches

A cutting from a few more years back, again left largely alone for the most part, this winter I will be removing a lot of the height and branches that are too close together

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 22/09/2024

🌱 I've been disappointed with the number of Tomatillo and Tomatoes produced this year though the plants are still flowering and growing well, figs are finally swelling and changing colour!

One green Tomatillo, not large but nice green colouring

Cherry tomatoes growing outside against a wall better than what is in my greenhouse

Two figs swelling and starting to colour, won't be long before they are ready for eating

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 22/09/2024

🍽️🍜 I had to go into the office last Thursday and got lunch from what is becoming one of my favourite places.

Menu and counter at the Dusty Apron, I was trying to work my way through the menu but got stuck on the Ruben and Croque.

Waiting for my order, shadows and sunlight on the floor

My order, safely back at the office on my desk

The Ruben with crisps and pickles... delicious and disappeared very quickly

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 22/09/2024

🍽️🍜🌱 Still a number of apples on the tree and running out of different ways to use them, crumble and pie shown, also been used in cakes, stewed and just eaten as they are.

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 30/08/2024

I may be late on this, but I discovered a gem of a TV show yesterday through my YouTube feed. It is called "Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont Spelling Bee", the guests are great and I was laughing hard all through season 1! 📺 youtu.be/y7hvbsOH8Xw?...

youtu.be

Guy Williams tries to spell Feliz Navidad - Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee

YouTube video by Emma

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 24/08/2024

🍜🍽️ Bank holiday weekend so extra time for food! Fancied Korean chicken; I was missing a few ingredients but close enough. Redemption of Chocolate Panna Cotta, previously I followed the recipe to the letter and it didn't set, I altered the gelatine and now it holds its shape perfectly!

Not quite tempura battered chicken unglazed and with a Korean inspired glaze and experiment with courgette battons and stir-fried veg

Chocolate Panna Cotta with a cherry and rum compote(a little over done more like jam) and hazelnut brittle

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 18/08/2024

🌱 During the sunny weather I have been out in the garden doing a little tidying and spotted the following!

Close up of Zinnia flower with orange petals looking more red with a sheltering Silver Y moth

Zoomed out of photo Zinnia flower with orange petals looking more red with a sheltering Silver Y moth

European hornet successfully removed from the greenhouse, not sure if it is trying to express thanks or give me a mad dog stare

Magpie snacking on apples in the morning

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 18/08/2024

🍽️🍜 A little more fun in the kitchen this weekend, I made salt and pepper chicken for the first time since lockdown in November 20, with my own home grown chillies and a fairly simple vegetarian noodle dish. Disappeared very quickly!

Salt and pepper chicken in blue bowl on left, chicken, cornflour, ground pepper, salt, five spice, sugar, water, garlic, chilli and spring onion. Simple noodle dish in white bowl on right containing onion, carrot, mange tout, bean sprouts, spring onion, small amount of garlic, ginger and chilli, wholewheat noodles, sesame oil, Mirin(out of cooking wine) and soy sauce.

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 10/08/2024

🌱 Last blackcurrant picking for the year, collected approximately 6.5kg from one bush. The first tomatoes are just starting to get ripe along with Tomatillos. A few courgettes and a couple that were probably left a little too long!

Freshly picked blackcurrants in a box in front of blackcurrant bush

Four tomatoes ripening, with several more still very green

Green tomatillo bursting through the casing

Four courgettes freshly picked and washed, one definitely left too long on the plant

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FRGGL @frggl.bsky.social · 10/08/2024

🍜🍽️ Did some experimentation in the kitchen today all first attempts. Healthy lunch, a sharing plate of sticky rice, sticky ginger chicken and pak choi. Unhealthy dinner, Croque Monsieur and Blackcurrant cake.