Nigel Imminent Return Is Nigh

Nigel should be home later today, hopefully in time to watch tonight’s Extra Slice with Darrell and I, amidst much tangible and palpable excitement I am sure.

And from what I gather, he hasn’t wasted any of his spare time in our glorious capital city, including critiquing his room décor, something I think he has “caught” off Darrell.

The art work, he said,  left him with a feeling that perhaps he might need to get his eyes tested, as he couldn’t work out if it was him or the picture that was out of focus.

The curtains and counterpane also left him completely uninspired, but the view over London, looking towards Kings Cross and St Pancras, in his estimation, made up for said decor…….

…… Nigel does like a good vista, even if it isn’t exactly classically beautiful!

The hotel breakfast also impressed and was much to Nigel’s taste, it was full and splendidly unlimited as described  ….  several times over, I believe ……

…… enough, Nigel explained, to afford him enough energy to take in the sights and airs of the South Bank ….

…… embracing a little sandcastle building ……..

……. and the book market.

He then decided to move on to Spitalfields Market for it’s public art work, including Kenny Hunter’s I Goat ……..

… and Ali Grant’s A Pear and A Fig. http://www.spitalfields.co.uk/public-art/

……. before a little choice mooching in the craft market ……

……. plus a cheeky cocktail in the Cocktail Village  before finally carefully wending his way back to the bosom of his family…….. bless his little cotton socks!!!

Nigel’s Bake Off Adventure Continues

By now, all those who watch “Bake Off” will know that it was Julia who “left the tent” last night.  To be honest we were all a little gutted as we all, to the man, wanted Stacey to go.  This news also means that Lucy, who had Julia in the Office Sweepstakes, now has to take a home bake into work which must contain an unusual ingredient beginning with the letter J, we have suggested jalapeno cookies! But I digress, Nigel is just relieved that now all is open and above board he is no longer bound by the Trade Descriptions Act Official Secrets Act.

And ……. he can now tell us a little more about his wondrous adventure. He said that it had been quite a long day, because after joining the audience queue, then being briefed and signing his life away,  he didn’t get into the actual recording studio until about 4.30pm and to be honest that's where the real excitement began.  To see the Extra Slice set in real life was just too thrilling, and it looked just as cosy and intimate as it looks on the tele.

Once settled, the audience were privy to last nights episode “Pastry Week”, so that they knew what Extra Slice was going to be about.  Nigel said that there were sighs all around when they found out it was Julia, especially from the ladies sitting next to him, who like us, wanted Stacey to go!!!  They had also bought haggis and sprout tarts with them as their bake, which Nigel was quite happy they didn’t offer him any to taste!

There then followed an organised audience “wee break” while a gentleman warm up person warmed up the audience, and once everyone was back in their seats he introduced Jo Brand, who as Nigel had told us was absolutely lovely, very funny and to quote Nigel “very professional”

And then finally, before he knew it, the recording began, it ran exactly as it does on the tele, no calls for silence on set, clapper boards or re-runs.  We don’t think we had better say who the panel guests were just in case, as the programme isn’t on until tomorrow night and we don’t want to risk Nigel’s hotel being raided and him bundled unceremoniously into the back of a police van!  However, Nigel said they were very good and it will be interesting to see which bits of what they said will be cut out  ……. most probably the rude bits!

The filming finished at about 8.30, hence the long day, so Nigel thought it best to finally get to his hotel especially as he wasn’t 100% sure where it was. When he arrived, he was only, he said, fit for his bed, still wearing his audience wristband.  Taking it off was emotional, but he put it away safely to put in his treasure box when he gets home.

Nigel said he must have fallen asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow and he had dreamt that he was on the show and offered Jo a slice of his Tarte au Citron, which she said was truly the Food of the Gods and asked for another slice  …… sweet dreams Nigel!

Nigel Signs The Official Secrets Act!

Nigel phoned last night to say that he had the most wonderful time at the recording of The Great British Bake Off - An Extra Slice, it was all he had imagined and much more, and if he loved Jo Brand before, he loved her even more now too, she was lovely, and he wished she was his real life auntie!

But after that, he said he could say no more because he had signed the Official, Official Secrets Acts, he simply couldn’t divulge anything else that he had seen or heard, under almost pain of death, until the main programme has been aired tonight, so that the identity of the baker who left the tent remains a secret until the very end.

……. and you know Nigel, he takes such matters very, very seriously.

He also couldn’t take any photos in actual the studio, which was a pity, but those pictures, he said, were all firmly inside his head ……….

But he thought it would be alright to take couple of pictures outside the studio and in the queue to get in ……..

…… saying that  it was really interesting to see the varying hand sizes  of all famous people who had had their hands entombed on the wall within the cloistered studio gates.

He said that you could also watch the TV outside to while away some of the waiting time ……..

He did risk, just for us, a couple of pictures inside the waiting area, where everyone was seated and briefed about what was going to happen, you could also have a wee, something to eat, and show the bakes you had made for the production team to scrutinise to see if they were worthy/funny/unusual enough to be able to sit in the “famed” staged area and presented to the panel.

By tonight all will be revealed …… but never let it be said, before the event, that Nigel has loose lips!!!!

Nigel In London ….. For An Extra Slice …….

No sooner did he arrive home yesterday afternoon from Bude, Nigel off again on another adventure, and what a WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL  adventure!

This morning we waved him off to London, as he’s got himself a ticket for the recording of The Great British Bake Off Extra Slice, let’s just say he is beside himself with excitement. If he has read said ticket once, he has read it a hundred times. There were two tickets, but both Darrell and I were already committed to an evening of heavy babysitting duties. Naturally, we were totally gutted that neither one of us would be able to join him as Bake Off is our very favourite most Tuesday televisual viewing, but we encouraged Nigel to venture out on his own and be our “representative” as it were.

We would have also liked to have sent Nigel off with a “bake”, carefully packed in one of our prize Tupperware boxes, but with only a few hours notice, Darrell didn’t think we could do ourselves justice. Darrell is very precious about his rolling pin, and nothing would have been allowed to leave The Towers without being rolled, crimpled and egg washed to within an inch of it’s life, there simply wasn’t enough time, he said to rule out the possibility of a soggy bottom …….

We should hear more from Nigel tomorrow after the recording and rest assured we shall report all!

Enough’s As Good As A Feast

Darrell and Nigel’s short Bude jaunt has been a brief but not fleeting series of pleasures, but they should be back home sometime later today.

Darrell says that all the sea air has certainly blown away all their cobwebs …….

…… and they will return to The Towers with a renewed vigour ……

…… heaven help me!

And Nigel is now wanting to change his name to Tremaine, after seeing it up on the Lifeguards duty board ……

……. he says it’s a name that sounds very evocative and sooooooooo robustly Cornish all salty, sandy, and windswept with an obligation for frequent chap-stick application!  What is he like?

They have also decided that they really ought to buy a lottery ticket or two in the coming week or two, as Bude has stolen their hearts  ………

…… and they wouldn’t be adverse to purchasing a forever  beach hut for when we are not on Greek Odysseys!!