So we lost ..... nothing's changed

We're a strange race of people... one loss and depression has set in the land of song. The euphoria of the last eight Six Nations games have sent us fans from one end of the spectrum to the other in eighty munites. I am old enough to remember the "glory days" of the 70's and recall us winning games when we didn't deserve it, and thrashing teams by 30 points when they were poor and we weren't that good. With analysis and coaching theses days it is true to say that on any given Saturday (or Friday night) any team in the World Top 10 can beat each other. My friends the Garlic eaters are the best at this. They consistently upset the odds against the Southern Hemisphere sides in important games such as World Cups and the following game are useless. They could go on next week and stuff the English and them play badly against the Italians. Ce la vie. So.... let's remind us of Gatland's assessment that "Wales were about two years away from being a good team" This Kiwi doesn't play mind games and has developed a squad of players who have potential into winners. Many teams have gone to Paris and come second. They came out in the second half and did not give us the ball and their defence "did one" on us. So we must be realistic and not think that the world is at an end. We must bounce back and beat the Italians by a thumping margine and then go on to win the Triple Crown and possibly win the title on points difference. We can also hope that the English can help us out by stifling the Irish this afternoon.

France v Wales 27th February 2009

Well, there was never going to be any surprises in the Wales team to play France. Shane Williams had to come back, we missed him darting from the base of a ruck and running at heavy lumbering forwards against England. And can we forget his try against Ireland last year at Croke Park which effectively won us the Grand Slam.
The Henson debate will run on, but I think that at present he'd be more of an option coming off the bench with 20 minutes to go and use his big boot to keep the exciting French back three pinned in their own 22 and as far away from our line as possible. Mark Jones has unfortunately lost that instant pace that he once had after all those horrific knee injuries, Sackey beat him over 20 metres with a few start. I am a bit disappointed that they haven't included Jonathan Thomas on the bench as his dynamic running and line out work could be vital in the last quarter and with Charteris the only option to replace Gough or Alun Wyn it may be a bit of a worry if the game goes down to the wire. I have never really been a Dafydd Jones fan. Against a big back row he isn't that effective. The French will have Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier) in the back row and Martin Williams, Ryan Jones and Andy Powell should match them. I changes are to be made I'd think that with Ryan swapping to 8 if Andy Powell is ineffective I'd rather have Jonathan Thomas coming off the bench than Dafydd Jones. Elsewhere I don't see the French being able to match us. they have drafted in Mathieu Bastareaud (Stade Francais) at centre and the veteran Sylvain Marconnet (Stade Francais) in at prop and the remainder of the team will be made up from players from what I'd call the French Top 14's middle ranked teams. I still am confident that we have a more coherent game plan that can stifle any French flair that may emerge from them if you turn up to play. It'll be odd settling down on a Friday night to watch a Six nations game. How will Mrs CJ take it? Who knows?
My prediction - Gatland and Edwards will have worked out a plan to stop the French playing. Wales to win by ten points

Find me on facebook

I've been on facebook for a few months now and am closing in on my 500th friend. I think that these social networking sites are a laugh and not to be treated so seriously as some who shy away from them. Obviously, you have to take care about your identity and not be too silly as to reveal anything online that would put oneself at risk professionally. But it's like anything else in life .... it's a game and you have to play it that way. i've managed to get contact dtails with many friends from way back when and will continue to use it for these reasons. Also, it's great to see my former pupils achieving degrees and knwoing how to party.

A spud ricer is a must to make great mash

When we were in Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth, I was waiting for Mrs CJ to come out of Hobbs, when I stumbled into the Professional Cookware Company Shop and saw a Potatoe Ricer on sale for £19.50. I'd seen some cookery progs on UKTVFood where when they made mash they used this utensil and it came out fab. I've been using a masher to make my mashed potatoes, and occasionally blitzed the spuds up in the Food Processor, and guess what - they never look ar taste the same. So, I decided to put my hand in my pocket and give it a go. When we were having dinner in Arundel House, I chose as a main course the Seared Loin of Local Venison on Sweet Potato Mash with Wilted Spinach and a Red Wine Reduction. I looked very closely at the consistency of the mash and thought that it was most unlike mine. So, the following day, when I saw this machine, I thought that this may be the answer. And hey presto when I made it tonight, there it was, just like I had on Wednesday evening, with the small exception of a bit of olive oil and some seasoning. So if you come over to the house in the near future for dinner, there is a strong posibility that the ricer will be out and that a mash of some kind will be on the menu.

A great half term, but now back to the day job

This evening I must put away all foolish things and hope that when the alarm goes off at 6.00 a.m. tomorow morning I'll wake up as a head teacher again. I don't know why, but the last few weeks have been awful, no routine. First it was the snow, a great time to take some lovely pictures of our house and garden covered in the white stuff, but a drain on my patience when people bang on about health and safety and are scared or the likes of Lawyers 4 U if they fall and brake a finger nail and claim the armfulls of compo that seems to be keeping the world afloat these days. Anyway, I've had a great couple of days.... seeing all those great sights and managing to take lots of pictures and learning how to use the Nikon. So onwards to March - what can we look forward to? the two remaining 6 nations fixtures ... and the one against the Italians lol. A trip to Worcester perhaps, Day in B flat and Give unto the Lord is on the menu on Saturday. A look at the Bristol menu for upcoming Saturdays. (They sing on Saturdays at 3.00 p.m. - sensible) A visit to Brasserie Blanc and getting my latest batch of Cd's from Presto Classical that will arrive soon after Dydd Gwyl Dewi. Also catching up with my mate JDL after so long. And more blogging .........

Chichester

Chichester was the first stop on our South Coast road trip. Before our first trip over to Normandy in 1993 we came down early before setting off on the overnight ferry to Ouistreham. Since then the city has developed with some leading high street shops taking residence in the four main shopping streets that lead off Chichester Cross

The Cathedral is one of my favourite, compact, beautifully restored and kept. I spent an hour taking photographs, wandering around looking at the Marc Chagall window, discovering the Walter Hussey memorial, the compact quire where the 14 trebles and 6 lay clerks sing daily. I have always been fond of the Chichester sound and have a number of recordings of broadcasts of Choral Evensong from the 1980's and 90's where the unique sound was produced under the direction of Alan Thurlow, the Organist and Master of Choristers from 1980 to 2008.

I look forward to seeing how Sarah Baldock can continue this tradition.

My assessment - This is a very beautiful, quiet city with plenty of charm. I look foward to spending a weekend here soon and attend one or two services.

Arundel - Castle, Catholic Cathedral and class

Arundel is a quaint town which nestles in the South Downs in the racing area around Fontwell and Goodwood. The massive Norman castle dominates the skyline along with the Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady and St Philip Howard. It was situated six miles east of our hotel and acted as an ideal location for our first stop off.

On our previous visit we had visited the Cathedral and stopped off for a drink in the adjacent pub - the aptly named St. Mary's Gate. I was able to take some good photographs (which you can view on my Picas site) of the interior as the sun was shining brightly through the stained glass windows. The outside proved a littlee more difficult due to it's proximity to the adjacent cottages and the long line of cars which brought the countless tourists to the village. We had a very pleasant meal in the Arundel House Restaurant , you can view my earlier blog post here.

My assessment - If you are in the area this is a must, not to be missed. take time out to visit the Cathedral and have a wander around the town. If you're partial to a walk around medieval castles you will find this one impressive.

Verdict - Lovely old town, full of tradition with an excellent restaurant in Arundel House.

Portsmouth Cathedral

The Cathedral in Portsmouth is very much like my home town Cathedral of Llandaff as it is also the Parish Church of the city and serves a duel purpose.

The Cathedral and Parish Church of St Thomas of Canterbury is situated near the Historic Dockyard area in Portsmouth. The area has been subject to a great deal of regeneration in the past ten years and is a pleasant area to visit.

A Little Bit Of History

Around the year 1180 Jean de Gisors, a wealthy Norman merchant and Lord of the Manor of Titchfield, gave land in his new town of Portsmouth to the Augustinian canons of Southwick Priory so that they could build a chapel "to the glorious honour of the martyr Thomas of Canterbury, one time Archbishop, on (my) land which is called Sudewede, the island of Portsea". This chapel was to become in turn a parish church in the 14th century and then a cathedral in the 20th century. Of this original building, the chancel and transepts remain.The church survived a French raid in 1337 but in 1449 the Bishop of Chichester was murdered by local sailors. The town's inhabitants were excommunicated and the church was closed. In 1591 Elizabeth I worshipped in St Thomas's church. In 1642 during the English Civil War the church was bombarded by Parliamentarian forces. In 1683-93 the old tower and nave were taken down and replaced by a new nave, aisles, and west tower.Between 1902 and 1904 the church was closed for restoration work to be carried out. In 1927 the Diocese of Portsmouth was created. In 1932 Sir Charles Nicholson published plans to enlarge St Thomas's. In 1939 due to the outbreak of World War II work on the extension scheme stopped, and was not recommenced until 1990. Whilst incomplete a blank brick wall ended the west end of the nave. However, as the building had been used for many years without extension it was quite usable, and there was no urgency to finish the work. In the mid 1980s, however, the temporary brick wall was found to have become unstable and in danger of collapse which made the completion work more urgent. Originally the nave was intended to be longer, in the traditional style of an English cathedral, but the changing needs of the diocese meant that the building was finally built with a foreshortened nave, the final west wall being located close to where the temporary structure had been. In 1991 the completed building, much smaller than the original plans envisaged, was consecrated in the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.The nave is spacious with it's Romanesque pillars allowing a good view of the organ case. The quire is another wide, spacious area. The choir stalls are moveable and situated in the central area. The organ case is situated on a wide sweeping balcony above the central arch.

You can view some more of my Portsmouth Cathedral images on my Picasa site.

Try this link to view a link to a BBC South article when a new urban sport was performed with organ music at Portsmouth Cathedral as part of a nine-day celebration of arts across the city.

Loch Fyne Restaurant in Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth

After an intense afternoon of shopping, I persuaded Mrs. CJ to abandon the reconstruction of the make up and change of attire (which would have seen us undertake a 50 mile round tip) and go straight to an early evening dinner in the Loch Fyne Oyster and Seafood Restaurant in the Vulcan Building at Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth. (P.S. she still looked great despite the windswept look, but would she listen to me.... lol).

Set in one of the historic buildings along the canal in this development, this is a pleasant dining experiece. The Loch Fyne menu is as ever, standard, but none the less enjoyable. Head chief Ben Sylvester operates a kitchen which is efficient and the food arrived at an adequate time where we were able to enjoy a conversation about the day's battle with the outlets.
We were greeted by Alex Barnes, the manager who showed us to out table. We ordered drinks - Mrs CJ had a large bottle of Aspall Cider and I had a chose a glass of Château Les Arromans, Bordeaux – 2006/7 from the Wine list because again I had my car keys in my pocket. This wine is a smooth claret which complements the meat dishes on the menu and is reasonably priced at £15 a bottle and £4 a glass.
We both ordered the Classic smoked organic salmon as a starter. This was a revalation. I've often been reminded of the so called "colour chart" that some farmed salmon producers churn out. So the organic smoked salmon was neither orange or tasted as strong as other so called organic smoked salmon which we purchase from places like Waitrose or Marks and Spencer.
After an appropriate time, the main courses arrived. Mrs. CJ opted for the Bradan Rost (kiln-roasted salmon), char-grilled with a shellfish, mushroom and whisky sauce with a side order of Seasonal vegetables – cabbage, leeks and peas. I chose the Pan-fried Gressingham Duck with honey-roasted parsnips and red wine sauce and a side order of fries. Both meals were well presented and would be highly recommendeed. when visiting a highly respected chain of restauarants such as this one is concious of style and presentation, but taste is the key and this conbination of startere and min course did not disappoint.

My recommendation - A good, value for money experience. I like the corporate Loch Fyne look, the staff were very efficient and chatted with you at every opportunity without being intrusive.

Bonus - The electronic ordering service send orders direct to the kitchen. Staff management and meal control have been thoroughly reserached. Bravo.

My blog, my pictures

I bought a Nikon D60 digital camera some time ago. I've always been interseted in photography but for some reason or another never took it seriously as a hobby until now. The digital format has developed out of all recognition in the last few years and with the advent of t'internet, web designing and blogging the use of digital photography is now big business. The photographs that appear on my blog are my own and I hope that you enjoy them. You can use them as desktops for your laptop or PC or just for pure entertainment. this is the view out of my garden, past the decking to the area down by the banks of the river behind my house during the recent inclement weather. Arty eh!!!

Gunwharf Quays - Portsmouth's answer to Bicester Village

Shopping is Mrs CJ's passion - some may say her religion, so when she has the opportunity to worship in a large cathedral type complex like this one, I can say goodbye to her for a few hours and go off to do something more constructive.
Gunwharf Quays is a shopping centre situated near the historic dockyard and the new Spinnaker Tower which is a stunning landmark. By night it is illuminated and stand out like a beacon, visible from miles around. Back in 2003, we sailed past the partially completed tower on our way across the channel to Ouistreham on the MV Mont St Michel with the marina front development still under construction. This is an exciting addition to Portsmouth, which is an ideal weekend destination and gateway to Brittany and Normandy. Last week we spent an afternoon here wandering around the various shops. It is very much like Bicester Village, another favourite location for Mrs. CJ to spend her hard earned cash in maintaining her high profile. There are a number of our favourite shops here, Timberland (for me), Hobbs, Crew Clothing, White Stuff with other outlets featured. Download the pdf guide here.

In addition there are extensive dining and drinking facilities.

My assessment - Great weekend location, it has it all, shops, hotels, restaurants and bars.

My verdict - Drive for a few hours, plonk the car down in the car park, shop until you drop, take things back to your hotel room, freshen up, then hit the quays for the night life without thinking of having to drive. Look up at the tower and go wahhhh.

Bonus - There's a Brasserie Blanc on the way opening soon, it'll be open by the time we go back. this could be a regular haunt for the CJ's. Can be dangerous for the bank balance.

Winchester - Alfie's City and Immense Gothic Masterpiece

Winchester, the principle city in Hampshire, is very accessible, being only stones throw away from the M3 motorway, and is an exciting place for a weekend break or short stay. The main High Street is pedestrianised and there are some Long Stay Car parks situated on the perifery and some short stay ones hidden away, one at the East end of the Cathedral in Colebrook Street adjacent to Paternoster Row and a short hop to the Cathedral and shops.

The Cathedral is very impressive - I was fortunate to have arrived at about 4 pm and had the place to myself for about an hour. It is located in spacious grounds which is ideal for the photographer as it can be photographed from every angle. Apart from the West front (shown above) the exterior of the building is bland in comparison to other cathedrals but, Winchester's glory lies within.

The huge nave - the longest in any Gothic Cathedral in Europe - had been emptied of chairs and I was able to photograph it with an unusual vista. This photograph was taken from the top of the steps in front of the quire screen.

The quire (left) looks down from it's elevated position westwards with the large West window allowing light into the nave giving ideal shooting conditions. Looking west the screen encases the clergy and choir with a sense of real seclusion which must contribute to the spirituality of worship I hope to attend an evensong here on a return visit as the choir here has a reputation for being one of the top provincial cathedral choirs.
The high alter rises majestically dominating the east end of the cathedral and is a truely magnificent sight.

Other pluses for this city is a number of classy female fashion shops to entertain Mrs. CJ while I visit the cathedral and a few nice places to eat and drink.

My assessment - a great place to visit, good shopping, classy pubs and restaurants, classic gothic architecture and stunning views plus one of the highly acclaimed professional cathedral choirs around.

Decision -Am coming back again for a weekend soon.

View more of my Winchester Cathedral images on my Picasa site

Tessa Bonner, champion of Early Tudor music sung as it should be sung - Requiescat In Pace

Tessa Bonner was one of those band of pioneering people who I looked up to when my interest in early music began in the early 1980's. She recorded and performed extensively with the Tallis Scholars, where I was able to appreciate her craft by following the smooth sustained lines. With David Wulsten's theory on relative pitch during Tudor times being transposed up a minor third from written pitch, the notion that the compass of the treble voice would find it's range being expandd to a top B flat, Tessa was one of those select group of singers who was able to replicate this sound. She was the mainstay of the treble sound with Ruth Holton and Deborah Roberts, but was also at home singing the lower mean part.

She also worked with Roger Norrington, Phillip Picket, Andrew Parrot (Bach recording's) and Robert King. I was fortunate to work with her when David Gedge put on a performance of Monteverdi Vespers 1610 in Brecon Cathedral. She led a team of soloists and even though this was a gig in the sticks, she was quite clearly at home with the situation. Her vitality of tone and expression in the duets and trios were a joy to behold live. Later in her career I was fortunate to hear the Tallis Scholars perform in Llandaff singing Tallis, Byrd and Palestrina. They sang Dum complerentur as an encore, two a part, which was stunning. Her contribution towards the early music revival was very much understated and she will be sorely missed. It was fitting that so many heartfelt obituaries were printed in the London Press. Click on the links for those printed in the Guardian, The Times, the Daily Telegrph and the Independent. Also a message on the Tallis Scholar's director, Peter Phillips' Blog by my old friend Farther Paul Brophy MA.

Arundel House

This establishment situated in central Arundel at the foot of the ramparts of the massive Castle describes itself as "a boutique hotel with intimate restaurant in which we hope you will Relax, Revive & Revitalise whilst nestled in the centre of Arundel. Arundel House Restaurant & Rooms is a refreshingly contemporary and cosmopolitan destination, for this part of the world, ideally suited to those who appreciate style and simplicity over chintz and clutter." It certainly is. We decided to try this place out for size after searching t'internet and subsequently made a reservation. This year it has been recognised by Michelin and it's reputation is obviously growing.

We were greeted by the co-owner Billy Lewis-Bowker who made us feel at ease. The Menu seemed refreshing and the wine list would have been nice to explore had I not had the car keys in my pocket. I had a glass of the Cabernet/Syrah/Merlot, Fontaine, Domaine Portet which was very smooth and an excellent choice with the venison.

We were presented with a little appitizer to start, a cup of stilton and celeriac soup, a very promising start to the meal. The soup was thick, but a beautiful consistency, and full of flavour and a pleaseant suprise that set us up for the remainder of the menu.

We both chose the Mini Blinis with Homemade Gravadlax, Sour Cream and Lumpfish Roe as a starter. It was beautifully presented, lanced on wooden scewers, although they could have been a little more generous with the portion size.

As our main course, I chose the Seared Loin of Local Venison on Sweet Potato Mash with Wilted Spinach and a Red Wine Reduction and Gaynor chose the pan fied hallibut from the Special board.

Now I must declaire an interest here as vension is perhaps my favourite meat and when it's well cooked and presented can make you drool. This was by no means a let down. The mash was presented in a dome in the centre of the plate with the venison, sliced thinly and adorned slodier like around it's battlements, all topped out with the delicate wilted spinach as a crown on top of the mot. The red wine reduction was strong and gave perfect body to the dish. The meat was perfectly seared within millimetres of perfection without the inner meat lacking substance. A superb, hearty late winter meat course.

The chief, Luke Hackman, has certainly deserved his recognition in this year's Michelin Guide.

My assessment - a first class meal - £20 for two courses with a further £9.00 for drinks, excellent value for money. A must for a visit to the South Coast area. And why not try their rooms, if we are in the area again I would highly recommend a visit here and a look around the historic town.

This establishment ws mentioned in the Top 50 guide in this Guardian article.

Half term Road Trip 2009

I've just returned from a half term road trip based around the Southrn Cathedrals in Hampshire and Sussex. We were regular visitors to Portsmouth en route to Normandy but apart from one visit to Chichester where the choir was in on the first Saturday of October half term, there hasn't been enough time to take the camera out or time for a closer look at them. So as Mrs CJ had to work over the first two and a half days I planned a road trip that would take in Arundel, Chichester, Portsmouth, Winchester and if time allowed Romsey and possibly Salisbury. Read on in later posts what happened.

Welcome to David Cynan Jones Blog

Wales v England, not the spanking that everybody had predicted, but a professional performance and controlled win. the first 30 minutes were very powerful and as is the want of the modern interantional test match it is difficult to dominate in all phases and sustain such pressure. Eventually you have to give the ball to the opposition and pressure them on defence. Man for man, the Welsh team outplayed their opposite numbers with the exception of Mark Jones who was beaten for pace by Paul Sackey for their opening try. Worsley was given MVP by Brian Moore, preseumably for allowing England to keep the score down to the 8 points. But what about Gethin Jenkins - scrummaged the much vaunted English front row, tackle count was huge and also put in some telling link work in attack. Now we can go on about English bias ...... but that would be falling into the trap of being sore winners after being sore loosers for so long. English rugby is suffering from too many foreign imports at the skill positions and not being able to carry on the process of developing talent and introducing them into a winning team. The remainder of the season will be interesting. we go to Paris on a Friday night, (the first evening kick-off) as obvious favourites, which will be a motivating factor in itself. The French management team don't seem to know what their best combination is. They have opted for Beauxis at 10 and there aren't too many of the old crew. Wales have shown, through Gough, Alun Wyn, Ryan and the remainder of the pack that they can match the French physically. The lineout is far better and the defence can frustrate the French. Our kicking game is superb which will put the French back trio under pressure. Poitrenaud is suspect, Heymans is exciting but unpredictable. if the chase is good and he's put under pressure who knows. The crucial thing will be to get our game in order. Against England, we missed Shane Williams' ability to run from the base of the ruck after the ball had been quickly recycled. It is a rugby league ploy when they use a hooker to rush after the first receiver has made a dart at the opposition on first and third tackles. This gives us great go forward ball and obviously puts the defence on the back foot. They then tend to offend and if the French are going backwards, the crowd get onto them and they fall apart. Oh, and Martyn Williams also has a stand out game against the French where he is allowed to play a more expansive game. My prediction - Wales win by more 10 points. How good are England? How good are Ireland. Where will they play Worsley, to mark O'Driscoll? Is there a real english revival Mr. Inverdale?