Great British Bake Off week 1 - Cake

So it's the first week off the Great British Bake Off and I've crazily decided to bake everything that the contestants are faced with. I'm not baking along in time, because frankly I don't have the time, but I'm determined to tackle everything and I shall write about one of my bakes for each week of challenges.

First up is cake. As a totally novice baker, I'm glad they started with a simple madeira cake, as I managed this OK. It's got a nice crack (!) and it tasted pretty yummy too.

The technical challenge is walnut cake with a fancy boiled icing. The contestants all made edible versions of this, so I'm hoping it's not a disaster waiting to happen. Getting my ingredients ready I crack on with the sponge mix, adding the chopped walnuts to my dry ingredients. I'm lazy and don't sift the flour, which will probably haunt me when my cake is too dense. I'm still very much getting used to the necessity of precision in timing, quantity and technique to create a decent baked good. As a love of slapdash inventive cooking, I rarely care for specifics of recipes and tend to make it up as I go along. For a good fish pie, pasta dish or homemade curry this tends to work fine, and is something I've been doing for many years. The science of baking, however, is much newer to me, and the more I question where my bakes are going wrong, the more I appreciate the reasons for such controlled steps. Baking is science, guys, and science is cool. 

I will get a fancy kitchen mixer soon. I think it's time to admit that I'm becoming quite keen on baking, and whilst it's a good workout to always cream my butter / sugar mixes by hand, I'm coming to the point where I'm craving efficiency over traditional methods.

Despite the lack of superpowered mixing assistance, I'm still able to create a fairly light and fluffy mixture, to which I add 4 eggs for moisture and to bind the mixture together.

I tip in my dry ingredients and fold in with a metal spoon as per the instructions. I have a tendency to overmix my ingredients and remove all the air, so I try to restrain myself and leave one or two tiny pockets of flour in the hope that my cakes will rise beautifully and not resemble pancakes for once.

I split the mixture between 3 pans and bake for a little less time than instructed. I've learnt that the oven in my new house cooks faster than expected, so I'm finding myself reducing either the temperature or the cooking time for most things. I'm still discovering which is more effective, but the cakes this time look pretty good - they are golden and springy to touch and there's a lovely nutty aroma filling the kitchen.

The next step in the recipe is to make the caramelised walnuts, which quite a few of the contestants struggled with. It seems that there is very little water to dissolve the sugar, and in their keenness to avoid stirring the hot sugar syrup and crystalising the mixture, a few were left with hot sugar rather than any kind of caramel. With this in mind, I add the water to the sugar and stir it together to make a kind of sugar paste which I put on a low heat. As a fan of multitasking, I throw some butter and sugar in a bowl to move onto the next step, the buttercream filling. 

Luckily, buttercream is something that's pretty tricky to get wrong, in my humble opinion. Mixed once again with a wooden spoon, it's ready in no time to sandwich the sponge layers together with creamy vanilla deliciousness.

Keeping an eye on my sugar, I wait until it is bubbling and browned before carefully adding the 10 walnuts and swirling around to coat in the hot mixture, before tipping onto greaseproof paper to cool. The recipe calls for a silicone sheet which I don't have. Later, as I am carefully peeling / washing off the slightly torn baking parchment from my beautiful caramel walnuts, I realise why silicone would have been a better idea. A lesson for next time and another baking related item added to my shopping list. 

Last up is the boiled icing, which we discovered on the show tends to go grainy if the sugar is not first dissolved in water before mixing with the egg whites. I'm heating that sugar for what seems like forever over a pan of water before I give up and start whisking. I've got quite a creamy, white and glossy mixture that's only a tiny bit grainy so I soldier on and hope for the best. Now, the recipe states that the mixture should be whisked over a pan of hot water, and that one needs to work quickly to decorate the cake before the icing sets. Hindsight being a wonderful thing, I would do basically the opposite were I ever to attempt a boiled icing again. By whisking the mixture over hot water, this means it's still very warm when I come to add it to my cake, and the whole thing starts sliding off and dripping onto the counter. The small amount of icing I leave in the bowl seems to be less runny after a few minutes before it has cooled fully, and probably would have coated the cake better. I can tell that it's still going to be grainy, and I don't get to add any swirls as the recipe instructs because it's still so warm! Maybe it needed more mixing, maybe if I had more patience and had actually waited for the sugar to dissolve properly I would have had more success, who knows. All I know is that boiled icing is added to my list of baking dislikes, and isn't going to become my signature any time soon.

I add the caramelised walnuts and even a little sugarwork I sort of twisted into something resembling a decoration. Forgetting to leave the cake to cool means that the caramel started to melt a little, discolouring the icing overnight. This is why this cake is a technical challenge. There are technical elements, that I haven't quite mastered yet.

There are definite "lairs" in my cake, the walnuts are pretty well distributed, I've managed to decorate with the walnuts and the taste is fine. The sponge is a little dry and there's that infamous graininess to the icing, but overall I hope I wouldn't have come last for my first technical. I did have the full recipe and the experiences of the bakers to go by though, so perhaps a significant advantage.

Next up, I baked a black forest gateaux. With less silly technical elements, this one went pretty well. Here's a picture below.

Week 2 is biscuits, and it's only going to get tougher from here on in!

Walnut cake recipe here. 

The Sword / Hang the Bastard @ The Underworld, Camden

On a Friday evening in September, during my busiest working week of the year, I couldn't be more excited that it's Friday. Partly because it means no work tomorrow, but mostly because I'm off up to the hive of activity that is Camden Town to see London metallers Hang The Bastard support stoner rockers The Sword, the latter of whom I've never had the chance to see before.

In a rare moment of good timekeeping, I actually arrive at the venue on time. Ordering a beer and allowing my eyes to adjust to the dimly lit underground space that is the Underworld, I prop up the bar for a few minutes until the speakers inform me that Hang The Bastard have taken to the stage. It's a sold out gig, so I'm quite surprised to see a lot of space still, but then I'm not used to being this early. I park myself next to a pillar with an actual view of the stage (a real rarity) and see what this London-based quartet have to offer. 

Opening with heavy, bluesy riffs the heads in the crowd soon start bobbing along. I'm a sucker for a half beat and a downtuned sound, and there's a lot of this being delivered tonight. There's buckets of energy on stage, and an awful lot of excellent beards everywhere. Frontman Tomas Hubbard screeches his goblin-esque vocals with an impressive ferocity, saving his vocal chords in between songs and turning around whilst the gaps are filled with abstract distortion and crackling feedback. I've seen HTB a few times and I'd say this is probably the most 'together' they've been. The massive doomy sludge riffs and big rhythms fill the space with a dirty, wonderful noise. By the end of their set the venue has filled up, and the capacity crowd seem ready for the headline act, suitably roused by Hang the Bastard's high energy, hard hitting performance. A band to watch out for if you like your metal veering towards death-style vocals and packing one hell of a punch.

The Sword open with the synth-electro Unicorn Farm from the new album, High Country. Following with Buzzards, also from the new release, they go on to mix old and new tracks together seamlessly into a cacophony of seventies influenced, beautifully balanced heavy rock. Tres Brujas from the band's third album Warp Riders follows the opening new tracks with meatier riffs and a togetherness that will stay for the rest of the evening.

The new material is arguably a return to a more classic rock sound, and has less of the heady, bassy stoner rock vibe of previous releases. This isn't to say it's lacking anything though. The 10 tracks performed tonight from the latest record display the characteristic polish and finesse that The Sword's fans have come to know and love. The solos are impressive without veering into self indulgence, the bass, synth and drums melding beautifully together to support John D. Cronise's retro vocals.

The older, heavier tracks get the best response from the crowd, with classics like The Horned Goddess, Freya and Maiden, Mother and Crone soaring over the now heaving crowd with Sabbath-esque style and doomier undertones. The set closes with one of my personal favourites, the epic Dying Earth from the 2012 release Apocryphon, followed by an encore of Suffer No Fools from the new album, and leaving us finally with Arrows In the Dark from Warp Riders. There's no grand exit, no stage antics. The Sword have come to the Underworld tonight to do what they do best, to play a lot of really good music.

In addition to the aforementioned downtuning and half beats displayed by Hang The Bastard, I also love a band who sound really tight live. There's something about technical brilliance and pinpoint rhythm that gets me screwing up my face into something resembling a contorted gargoyle. It's my own form of heartfelt appreciation. And tonight's set was chock full of technical brilliance and pinpoint rhythm. OK, so the Sword might not be the most charismatic band on the planet, but when they sound like this, I really don't care. This is straight up, Southern American rock at its finest.

http://www.hangthebastard.co.uk/
http://theswordofficial.com/

I still forgot to take any pictures though. Next time.

Roller Derby is hard work, and I'm not talking about skating.

My first post about roller derby is basically all about the skating. Getting your head around the equipment, learning to skate, watching games and meeting new people are all important parts of joining the derby community. It's about getting to know your team, learning the rules and setting your sights on passing minimum skills. It's a good idea when you're starting out to offer to NSO for your league. NSOs (Non Skating Officials) are crucial to the smooth running of games and scrimmages; tracking scores and penalties, keeping time and supporting the referees to keep things safe and fair. I can't stress enough how invaluable NSOing is to new skaters. You'll learn the rules faster, you'll see gameplay up close and develop an understanding of how and why penalties happen. You might not yet be at a skating level to be taking part in scrimmage, but I guarantee that when you are, an arsenal of knowledge gained from being part of the officials crew will come in handy.

[John Hesse]

But that's just the beginning. Once you've been with a league for a little while, and you've decided this sport is for you and you're going to stick with it, you'll start to realise how mammoth a task it is to run a league and be part of the wider derby community. Both from an administrative and a skating point of view, there is always so much to be done, which means dedication and commitment are attributes that are really necessary if you want to grow and develop in the sport.

Let's talk about the skating. You've nailed the basics, you've passed your minimums and you're part of your team's rec league or B team. That's great! But it doesn't stop there. Roller Derby is tough, it's a physically demanding contact sport and the top skaters are in peak physical fitness. If you don't already take part in exercise outside of training, you'll probably want to start looking at upping your endurance through regular cardio, or HIIT, or both. You'll find that it's beneficial to have a strong core, you'll want to work on your leg strength too, as that's where your power comes from, so you might look at incorporating weight training into your routine too. Whether you're a gym bunny, a home workout queen or a fan of the outdoors, you'll probably start making time to work hard on your fitness to improve your game.

Then there's the tactics. Going to training each week will improve your skating skills, of course. You'll learn how you work within the team, you'll develop together and build on the basics of defence and offence, you'll work on good skating form, getting lower, improving foot work and agility, adding power to your hits. But there's more. This sport is evolving constantly, and the style of gameplay has changed so much in the last year alone. Learning something new is hard work. Particularly when you've been training for a while, you've worked on tactics with your team, you've played in games together and celebrated victories. Going back to training, trying something new and having to get it wrong a million times before you can get it right is frustrating. It's the only way to learn, but it's hard work. Week after week after week.

Finally, and possibly the most important, is the effort and commitment it takes to run a league. I mentioned before that you might start out by learning to NSO. After a little while, you might pick up some other roles within your league, joining a department to assist with things like creating posters for games, updating social media and looking after merch orders. A bit further down the line, you'll realise just how much hard work goes in to running a league. As this sport grows and teams develop it's clear that for many of us, roller derby has progressed far beyond a hobby and much more into the realms of a part time job. Albeit an unpaid one. My league recently registered as a limited company, and is defined as a not-for-profit organisation. This means we now have to file returns to HMRC, we have to submit accounts and comply with financial legislation. Coaches have to make time to plan sessions and keep the rest of the team in check when things don't always go right. The events team have to cover everything from securing contracts with venues, to ensuring there are enough people to help out on the day, to answering 8 million questions about where tables should be set up and why the poster in the cafe down the road keeps getting turned upside down. I don't even know half of what the directors go through, and to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure I want to. The words "there aren't enough hours in the day" have never seemed so apt. The amount of time, love and effort it takes to run a league is huge, and is a massive indication of how much the skaters, officials and league members are committed to this sport and everything it entails. It's hard work. Sometimes, when we're 2 hours into a league meeting and only half way through the agenda, I wish it would all run itself. But it doesn't, and do you know what, that doesn't matter. Why? Because hard work pays off.

https://www.gov.uk/file-an-annual-return-with-companies-house

Hard work to improve your fitness and your skating abilities makes you a stronger person, both physically and mentally. The health benefits to keeping fit and exercising are pretty widely documented, but on top of that there's an element of pride and confidence that comes with noticing your own development as a skater and as an individual. Whether it's beating a PB for running a distance, or lifting some impressive weights, or nailing those one-footed transitions, seeing yourself improve at something is a great boost and makes the hard work worth it.

[Lianna Brinded]

Hard work to develop tactics is what makes your team great. It's what gives you the edge and means that even if you don't always win games, you know you tried something new and you played the best game you could. It's a way to share the confidence of personal development as a team, when your whole team works together to bring new tactics into gameplay, you can share that confidence boost, you can share the pride, you can share in the satisfaction that the hard work you put in as a team paid off.

[Neil Biggs]

Hard work to run your league is the reason you can turn up every week to train. It's the reason you can play this sport. It's the reason you can travel, and have other teams travel to you. It's the reason you meet people, make friends, play games, share victories and defeats together, share the good times and the bad. In addition to life within the derby community, the skills that you use to help run your league can cross over to other walks of life. People skills, finance skills, organisation, PR, management, the list goes on.

The old saying "you get out what you put in" couldn't be more true. Being an integral part of a roller derby team requires you to put an awful lot in, but you get so, so much back, that, for me at least, it's worth all that hard work. Every time.

[Neil Biggs]

Scarves, layers, hoodies and boots. The onset of autumn dressing.

Ah, the British weather. Subject of small talk, British people's favourite thing to complain about and source of endless wardrobe dilemmas.

This time of year is particularly difficult to dress for, as the temperature can vary wildly day to day, it can rain any minute with no warning and carry on for days, and the work buildings and public transport can't quite work out when it's time to switch from air con or heating. Sometimes it seems that they've got both set to max, leaving you surrounded by a joyous mix of artificial warm-cold air, not sure if you're about to start sweating, shivering, or both.

So when I get up in the morning and look out of the window, do I dress for the weather I see? In a way, yes, but I've developed a few habits at this time of year that seem to work when I'm not sure if my lunch break will involve sunbathing or sheltering from a freak storm.

Scarves

Scarves are great. Small enough to fit in or tie around a handbag, they can add a surprising amount of warmth in place of a heavier jacket when the temperature drops. I really like the pashmina style scarves which can be unfolded and worm like a shawl. If the weather report is clear from rain but I'm going out in the evening and I know it'll get chilly, I'll take a pretty embroidered scarf out with me rather than trying to find a light coat that actually goes with my outfit.

Layers

The secret to transitional seasonal dressing is layers. Too hot? Take one off. Too cold? Put one back on. The trick is to keep them thin and light. Layering heavy wool, fleece and leather should be reserved for the depths of winter. I tend to feel the cold much more on my top half, so at this time of year I'm likely to wear a skirt and boots, or jeans and flats, then layer up on top with a t shirt, cardigan, jacket and scarf. I'm also a fan of wearing leggings under dresses when I'm not quite ready to dig out the tights.

Hoodies

In my uni days I basically lived in baggy jeans and pullover hoodies. I've come to appreciate variety in my wardrobe a little more now, but I'm still a big fan of throwing a hoodie over a daytime outfit for warmth and protection from a bit of drizzle. These days I'm more of a fan of zip up styles, wearing them more like a cardi / jacket over t shirts, tops and dresses for a casual daytime look.

Boots

I love summer. I love sandals and hot weather and ice cream and sunny evenings, but the one thing I enjoy about the drop in temperature is being able to wear boots again. Usually a pure bargain hunter when it comes to clothes, I'll fork out for a decent pair of boots that I know will last forever. Knee high boots and mini skirts, shoe boots and jeans, Doc Martins and dresses; boots see me through rain, long distance walks on a rare clear day, and work to dinner, work to gigs, work to home. Boots go with everything. I really love boots.

 

So that's basically my summer to autumn transitional style. What are your seasonal tricks for difficult weather? Happy September!

The Rib Room Knightsbridge

It's my Birthday, hurrah! What better time, then, to treat myself for dinner at somewhere new and interesting. I did a good bit of online research, primarily on Opentable.com, to find the best deal for my swankier-than-usual Tuesday evening meal. After shortlisting a few places close to work, I opted for the £29pp deal for 3 courses and a glass of champagne. After all, it is my Birthday!

I've hopped on the bus from work which drops me a short walk from the restaurant, incorporated within the Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel. After a moment's brief confusion looking for an entrance on the terrace, we locate the restaurant's reception tucked at the end of the hotel lobby. Slightly more confusion as the receptionist looks for our reservation  (she was looking at the wrong day) and we're seated in a comfortable booth by the window. 

Presented with menus and a fancy electronic wine list, we are offered water and champagne (Tattinger), which we happily accept. The set menu isn't huge, with 4 options for each course, but as an unfussy eater it still takes me a while to decide which appeal the most. We both opted for the braised pig cheek to start, then I went for the roasted sea trout for main, with my other half choosing the roasted rib of beef, with a portion of minted jersey royals to share. After chuckling at the £7000 wine available, we select a South African Stellenbosch Syrah at £39 - we're both not so keen on white and my usual choice of a Pinot Noir was waaaay over budget!)

We're given bread and butter, which is a little disappointing - the crust is slightly tough rather than crispy. It's only a little thing but I am a huge fan of good bread and butter, and I am trying to write an honest review! Luckily, the starters that follow more than make up for the not-quite-perfect bread offerings, elegantly presented and deliciously aromatic before we've even taken a bite. The pork itself is tender and succulent, with the rich bacon jam and sharp sweetness of the apple working exceptionally well together. Interestingly, the artful combination of flavours on the plate also compliments the taste of the champagne, which was a little sweet on its own.

Our plates are cleared and water refilled as we wait for our mains. The service is relaxed but professional - we're given ample time to digest between courses but the waiters are attentive and polite without being intrusive. I tend to drink a lot of water when I eat out, so I'm particularly thankful for my never ending glass of iced water, topped up regularly and subtly throughout the meal. There's often a worry that restaurants attached to hotels might be lacking in character or identity, but I don't feel that here. The decor is traditional, verging on dated in style and quite dimly lit overall, but the seating, table positioning and general atmosphere are pleasant and enjoyable. 

The mains arrive, cleanly and simply presented, with the gravy for the beef and razor clam broth for the fish being added by the waiters at the last minute, which is a nice touch. I'm not actually sure how much this affects the flavour of the food or whether it's just for show. Food critics of the world - can you enlighten me? The beef was on the medium side of medium rare according to my partner, but the meat was tender and full of flavour nonetheless. The rib was served with a traditional Yorkshire, but it was the minted potatoes that really stood out for him as an accompaniment, with the punchy fresh mint perfectly complementing the rich flavours of the meat and gravy. My trout is tasty, although noticeably overcooked. The crispy skin works very well with the sweetness of the chargilled Grelot onions and spring vegetables but is a touch under-seasoned. Since the broth was very tasty and not too salty, a bit more of a rock salt crust on the trout, and a little less time roasting and my main would have lived up to the high standard set by the starter. As it was, the fish was sadly a little dry, and I also found the Jersey Royals slightly floury, although the powerful mint worked well with the flavours of my dish.

The main course plates are cleared, our table is brushed down and we are presented with the menus for our dessert choice. I'm not a big fan of heavy puddings, but the blueberry & violet souffle with yogurt sorbet sounds too tempting to pass up. My man opts for the traditional custard tart with poached prunes in Armagnac. The menu states that the souffle has a 15 minute wait, which is totally fine as we've still got half a bottle of wine left. The wine is tasty, coincidentally. It took a little while to breathe, but was full of the typical full body and deep fruity, spiciness of a New World Syrah. 

We're still sipping away when the puddings arrive, which look consistently neat and classic, in keeping with the other courses. My souffle is standing proud, risen high above its ramekin and a bright violet colour. I'm so excited to tuck in that I forgot to take a picture, so you'll just have to imagine what our puds looked like. The souffle is wonderfully flavoursome, although I could've sworn it had a sharp raspberry rather than blueberry acidity along with the rich egg, floral violet and sugary sweetness. Either way, the yoghurt sorbet is a welcome counterpart to the warmth of the souffle and I savour every morsel. The custard tart is tasty too, with rich vanilla standing out against the boozy prunes. 

We finish our wine at a leisurely pace and are presented with a selection of truffles - lime, salted caramel and peach. It's a nice gesture - the half empty tray is even replaced as we finish off our wine. the truffles aren't quite to my taste - there's a lot of thick liquid / jelly inside a thin shell and I'm not overkeen on the texture. But as a complimentary treat after the meal I can't complain. Service is added to the bill, so the total including service, wine and the side is almost exactly double the cost of the deal. That's the one thing to watch with any restaurant deals - the moment you add aperitifs, sides, coffees etc can effectively cancel the saving made on the food itself. We've been mindful of this though and I would definitely say that the overall cost is excellent value. 

To sum up - The Rib Room Knightsbridge served well presented, traditional food with great flavours and and impressive wine selection to match. The starters and desserts were the highlight, and it's a shame that a few minor faults with the main courses slightly lowered the high quality of what was, overall, a very tasty, reasonably priced meal. I'd recommend the Opentable deal for anyone looking for a special meal on a limited budget in one of London's most affluent areas. 

An introduction to my life on wheely shoes

Sometime during the course of 2011, I became aware of a sport called roller derby. I'm not entirely sure what came first, whether it was walking past adverts for London Rollergirls games at Kensington Olympia on my way to work, or meeting an LRG rec league skater on a night bus after pretending to know her to save her from a dodgy drunk guy. Or maybe it was Whip It. Any which way, this full contact team sport on rollerskates was very much on my radar. Going to my first ever game with my then partner (LRG vs Sioux Falls at Earl's Court) cemented the idea that I wanted in. 

Roller derby is not the cheapest of hobbies. Looking at a super basic start up kit of skates, wheels and protective gear I worked out I'd need a couple of hundred pounds worth of kit. So the Christmas list became entirely skate related and I picked up a couple of cheap bits myself (I actually kept using my original £1.50 gumshield for well over a year). Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and looking back I would 100% suggest buying second hand skates and spending a bit more on a decent helmet and knee pads. But my starter kit was good enough for someone who hadn't been in rollerskates since the heady days of the 90's in strap-on Fisher Price beauties.  

On the first Friday of 2012, I took my shiny new skate kit to work with me and shuffled up and down the carpeted office for a few minutes. My colleagues thought I was super cool. It's a good job they didn't know any better. That evening, I went to my first ever open skate session in North London, and tentatively wobbled about on my wheels for a couple of hours. It was here that I first got to experience the sense of community that is Roller Derby.  Everyone was kind, a few people were as nervous as me, a couple of people were sweet and helpful and supportive. Nobody laughed at me. Nobody judged me.

There were no intakes for any of the London leagues around this time, so for a few months I gave up boozing with colleagues on Friday nights and went to skate in a little sports hall in Chalk Farm. I met a few of the skaters from the November LRG intake, who were keen to brush up their skills in the hope of passing probation and progressing to the rec league. I had it in my head that I would go for the next LRG intake, my confidence boosted by learning to stop, fall safely, and crossover around the track in the required skating style. The tryouts were scheduled for May, so I had a target to aim for and boy was I looking forward to it.

Fate clearly felt I wasn't destined to be with LRG, however, when the tryout date was moved to the weekend of Download festival.  Despite my excitement to join an actual roller derby league, and the anticipation that had been building for months, I wasn't quite ready to bail on another passion of mine for a few hours skating that may or may not have got me a place in the fresh meat program for new skaters with LRG.

Not prepared to wait for another 6 months minimum (they couldn't tell me exactly when the next intake was but said it was most likely the following year) I looked around for other teams to join. LRR had an intake in November, that was 6 months away, and Croydon Roller Derby had an intake next week. NEXT WEEK! I could make it. I'd been practicing. Quite quickly I had to Google Croydon. I'd heard of it, I'd got a train there once to work a godawful student night at Tiger Tiger, but I wasn't sure how practical it would be getting there from New Cross. 12 miles. A 40 minute drive or a little longer on public transport. Going by the London commuting 'rule' that anywhere accessible within an hour is acceptable, I decided to go for it. 

The day was Sunday May 27th 2012, and this was the day I was to become a member of Croydon Roller Derby. Not knowing about a parking situation, I navigated the tube, train and tram to arrive at the sports centre on a blindingly sunny day. I think I was the first there. A couple of skaters started to appear and told me the person in charge of the new recruits was Daylight Throbbery, who turned out to be a friendly Northern Irish lady who didn't seem to quite know what we were supposed to be doing. We soon discovered that the person who was actually supposed to be meeting us had not yet arrived, and the team had a game to prepare for so were understandably excited and not overly concerned with some bright-eyed,  bushy-tailed newbies. After a few more nervous faces appeared, our trusty recruitment boss lady (otherwise known as Sheila) had gathered us into a group of around 10 potential recruits to meet our late running but excitable coach, Rolling Thunder. Throbbery went to join her teammates and we were left sitting atop a grassy knoll and being given the Roller Derby lowdown by Rolling Thunder. It transpired that basically because we'd shown up, we were in. Immediately, I think it was clear to me that I would probably fit in better here at CRD than I would as part of the behemoth of a league that is LRG. We were taken through some basic off skates warm up exercises in the baking heat in a basketball court, whether to 'test' our fitness and competitive nature or just for something to do, I'm not quite sure. Later we got to watch the bout on that day between CRD and Big Bucks. I have no idea what happened, but I know that it was brilliant. I skipped merrily (probably sauntered casually) back home and tried to quell the excitement that in just a few days time, I would be heading to my first ever roller derby practice as part of a real life team.

Fast forward almost exactly 3 years and here I am. Rostered for the A Team, having played all over the UK and in Europe, and about to embark on a slightly impulsively booked trip to Vegas for Rollercon; an international roller derby convention. Roller Derby has taken over my life, in the best possible way, and I honestly can't imagine who I would be without it. There's been joy and heartbreak, the ecstasy of winning and the agony of injury. People have come and gone, there have been really tough times both mentally and physically and I've considered throwing in the towel more times than I've taken to the track. But I wouldn't change it for the world. There will be more challenges, more highs and more lows. But I'll face them with my team, and that's what matters. I am a skater. We are CRD.

Bank Holiday Music weekend - ASIWYFA / Palm Reader.

3 days off work, so what better way to spend it than having my ears assaulted by 2 excellent bands accompanied by 1 good friend?

First up is Belfast outfit And So I Watch You From Afar, more often depicted as ASIWYFA,  presumably because they've too frequently run out of space on posters and flyers for their full name. A band I discovered a few years ago whilst venturing into The Cave stage at 2000 Trees festival in the rolling hills of Gloucestershire. Back then, I wasn't hugely familiar with the post rock genre, but I'd say ASIWYFA were probably one of the first bands to really spark my interest in all things post / math rock and beyond.

Tonight's venue is Islington Assembly Hall, a location I've not visited before, and one which is helpfully described to me by my friend as having "a lot of wood." To be fair, it's a pretty accurate description, with the main room, floor and ceiling all decked out in classy wooden panelling. It's a far cry from the dingy basement clubs that so often play host to the smaller bands I like. It's entirely opposite, in fact, to the venue I'll head to for the second leg of my Bank Holiday gigging adventures. But we'll get to that in a bit.

We arrive just before ASIWYFA are due to take the stage, having grabbed a quick drink in the nearby Hope & Anchor rather than shuffle in during the support act. It's a slightly older crowd than some rock bands would pull, groups of people standing around chatting as opposed to seeing how many shots they can down in the break between bands. The lights change to indicate the imminent arrival of the headline act and everyone's gaze shifts to the stage.

There's some brief atmospheric lighting and synth and they break into the upbeat "Run Home"- the opening track from the new album "Heirs" - to open the show. The next couple of tracks from the new release follow, leading into a quieter section in the middle of "BEAUTIFULUNIVERSEMASTERCHAMPION" from the 2011 "Gangs" EP. This brief downtime allows us to quietly discuss our appreciation for the post rock genre, and confirm our mutual admiration of the aforementioned woodwork and generally decadent decor. Surroundings aside, ASIWYFA are one of those acts who can really capture an audience's attention. From high octane technical riffs to almost silence within one track, the anticipation of the next soaring stanza is palpable in the quietness of the pauses.

A few more tracks from "Gang" are followed by the high energy "Like a Mouse" from the band's second album "All Hail Bright Futures." The sound fills the room with electric riffs and technical drumbeats, mixed up with a melee of electronic beeps and off-beat rhythms. With a large number of instrumental post-rock artists, one might worry about a lack of wordy vocals, that there might be something missing from the music. There is certainly nothing whatsoever lacking in ASIWYFA's performance tonight. The melodies are so complex, and the noise they make so complete, that there's no need for lyrics to convey the power of the tracks. 

"S is for Salamander" and "A Beacon, A Compass, An Anchor" precede "A Little Bit Of Solidarity Goes A Long Way"; the first offering tonight from the band's eponymous debut album. There's an element of rawness to this earlier material that's a noticeable change from the polished sound of the newer tunes, but it blends seamlessly into the set, the energy, focus and clever musicality every bit as accomplished as their newer writing. Finishing the main set with the emotive "Tryer, you" from the new album, these Northern Irish guys have given us a belter of a show, the new material along with the old going down a treat with the fans.

An encore consisting of 2 more tracks from the first album and 2 from the second, including the ever popular "Set Guitars To Kill" finish the evening on a familiar high, the soaring riffs and energetic beats leaving a buzz in the air and a very satisfied crowd.

ASIWYFA are a band I would 100% recommend to anyone who appreciates musical skill and passionate performances. I'll be catching them back at 2000 Trees in a few weeks, if you see them playing at a venue near you, do go along and check them out. I'm pretty sure you won't regret it.

In a complete change of venue and genre, the second of my Bank Holiday gigs is Palm Reader at the Windmill in Brixton. I've not been to this venue before either, and it couldn't really be much more different to the lavish interior of Islington Assembly Hall. Tucked down a residential side street up Brixton Hill, you'd be forgiven for mistaking the Windmill for some sort of community space or social club.

It's 4 o'clock in the afternoon and I'm running a little late. Odd time for a gig you might think, and you'd be right, if it weren't for the fact that this is gig 3 of 5 for the Palm Reader boys, who decided to play at 5 venues in and around London in one day aptly entitled "5 shows; 1 day; no fucks" to promote their new album, "Beside The Ones We Love".

If Wednesday is "hump day" because it's day 3 of 5 in the working week, you might expect this to be the the "hump set" which looks all kinds of wrong written down. I mean that the energy might be flagging, the voices going. Oh gods no. As I'm a little late, they've already broken into the ferocious "I Watch The Fire Chase My Tongue" from the new release. Their characteristic energy is there from the off, with heavy riffs and screaming hardcore vocals. It's a tiny venue and we can barely see the stage, although it transpires that this is partly due to the space being given by the small but excited crowd to allow the frontman Josh to expand from the stage and get in amongst the fans.  

Next up is "Stone's Blood", also from the new record, which is relentless in terms of sheer noise and brutal guitars. "Spineless" from the debut album follows, the crowd swaying to the pounding rhythms with a sense of familiarity.

"Sing Out Survivor", with its melodic and slower paced, emotive breakdown, and "Stacks" follow from the second album, finishing with the brilliant technical guitars and powerful vocals of "Seeing And Believing Are Two Different Things" and pure hardcore assault on the ears that is "Smack Hound" from the debut offering; "Bad Weather".

I manage to catch up with guitarist Andy after the show, who is still in high spirits despite working up a good sweat, and facing two more gigs before the day is out. These guys are finally getting some decent recognition since their formation in 2011, and you can tell it's the hard work and passion they put into their music that has got them to this point. They have time for a quick drink and a couple of merch sales and it's back into the van in the fading light of early evening towards Kingston for gig number 4. If you like hardcore, or even if you don't,  do check these guys out if you get a chance. Their talent and sheer energy on stage is clear, and I hope they will continue to gain the popularity they rightfully deserve.

So there you have it. 2 totally different bands, 2 totally different venues, but a wholly enjoyable experience and a most excellent way to celebrate an extra day off work.

Once again I was too busy enjoying myself to take any pictures, so you'll just have to go and see these bands for yourself to discover what they look like giving it their all on stage.

You can check out ASIWYFA here and Palm Reader here to find out more.