London, you can do one.

[rxtx]

Just back from a farcical trip to London to, theoretically, see the band play Shepherd's Bush Empire. Decided to drive as it's a simple scoot up the M3 for me and I've parked nearby at the NCP before. Got there tonight and the price has gone up to £18 for the 4 hours I needed. Gouging b*stards. Refused to pay on principle and decided to find another car park, this being the Westfield just down the road who charged a more reasonable £8. Spent 20 minutes driving the 0.5 miles there after doing several laps of the green while google maps tried to find me in amongst the various Chicken Cottages only to then find that the supposed entrance was bedecked in traffic cones and only open to deliveries. Spent another 10 minutes trying to find it before getting fed up and going home.

In that time I also managed to have an altercation with a very angry man on a moped who told me that he was going to 'kick my ****ing head in' for having the temerity to not move out of the way when he decided that he wanted my lane (after having accomplished several of the previously mentioned laps of the green by this stage, I was fairly certain that it was indeed my lane, if only on a temporary basis).

I used to love London, not sure I do anymore - will certainly think hard about going to see the guys there again. Maybe Oxford instead.

Hope they were good tonight for all those who got the train, walked, cycled...

[burnleynotbarcelona]

I hear that once inside the venue you are faced with a significant hike in merchandise prices. £22 for a tshirt (£18 elsewhere ?), Mugs £10 (£7), etc

[TheAlex]

That's a shame. I'd never want to drive in London.

The gig has just appeared live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BSPofficial/vi ... 1084964519

And as I type, ended.

[Skinku]

Mary Berry’s lasagne al forno

Preparation time
over 2 hours
Cooking time
30 mins to 1 hour
Serves
Serves 6-8

This is a classic lasagne recipe which has been perfected over the years. For the best results leave the lasagne to stand for six hours before cooking.

Ingredients
For the ragu
2 tbsp olive oil
900g/2lb minced beef
2 onions, roughly chopped
4 sticks celery, diced (optional)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 level tbsp plain flour
150ml/¼ pint beef stock
1 tbsp redcurrant jelly (optional) or 1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp chopped thyme
2 x 400g/14oz can chopped tomatoes
For the white sauce
50g/2oz butter
50g/2oz plain flour
750ml/1¼ pints hot milk
2 tsp Dijon mustard
50g/2oz parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper
For the lasagne
10-12 sheets lasagne
75g/3oz mature cheddar cheese, grated
Recipe tips How-to-videos

Method
Preheat the oven to160C/325F/Gas 3.
For the ragu, heat a large frying pan until hot and add the oil. Cook the mince until browned all over. Remove from the heat and transfer to a plate. Add the onion, celery (if using) and garlic to the pan and cook until softened. Return the meat to the pan and stir in the flour. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Add the redcurrant jelly (or sugar), tomato purée and thyme, then stir well.
Stir in the canned tomatoes. Bring to the boil again, cover and simmer in the oven for 1-½ hours, or until the beef is tender.
For the white sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and cook over the heat for one minute. Gradually whisk in the hot milk, whisking until thickened. Add the Dijon mustard and parmesan cheese and season well with salt and pepper.
For the lasagne, put one third of the meat sauce in the base of a 2.3 litre/4 pint shallow ovenproof dish. Spoon one third of the white sauce on top. Arrange one layer of lasagne sheets on top. Season. Spoon half of the remaining meat sauce on top and then half of the white sauce. Put another layer of lasagne sheets on top, then the remaining meat sauce and remaining white sauce. Sprinkle over the cheddar cheese.
Leave for six hours before cooking so that the pasta can start to soften.
Preheat the oven temperature to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Cook in the middle of the oven for about 45 minutes- or until golden brown on top, bubbling around the edges and the pasta is soft.

Recipe Tips
When Mary Berry first cooked this recipe on television in the 1970s, she used dripping to fry the meat and vegetables. Seek this out for a really meaty flavour, but olive oil is generally preferable now.

[flatland juz]

Why don't YOU use dripping?
Mary Berry uses dripping.

[Wendelin of Trier]

Why don't YOU use dripping?
Mary Berry uses dripping.

Mary Berry is dripping.

[Rake]

Why don't YOU use dripping?
Mary Berry uses dripping.

Mary Berry is dripping.

Lolz