Fairies Hill Moorings - Reflect Magazine

06 St George’s Day Recipe British Fly Fair International 07
©VisitBritain/ Britain On View
Get Hooked
Celebrate
St George
With A
Scrumptious
Victoria
Sponge
On Fishing
Sometimes we all need a little time to ourselves, to relax and unwind, and fishing
offers an unrivalled chance for us to experience the calmness of the water and enjoy
the great outdoors.
One of the gentlest outdoor pursuits, it’s certainly easy to see the appeal of fishing.
One of the major appeals of angling is that it allows young and old, male and
female, able bodied and disabled to compete on equal terms. Newcomers will find it
fairly easy to pick up too. It’s also an extremely rewarding hobby, one that is easy to
learn and, as there are no specialist skills involved, it’s great for kids too.
Mainly conducted on lakes, rivers and reservoirs, fly fishing is seen as the most
challenging type of fishing, as it involves using artificial flies and special casting
techniques to lure the fish to the bait. It can be done on freshwater for pike, perch
and zander, or saltwater for bass, pollock and mullet.
For many of us, it appears that St George’s Day is just another
normal day, falling on the 23rd April every year - acknowledged
but not celebrated; in fact, you’re more likely to celebrate
another nationalities national day!
Despite St George being our patron saint since the 14th Century,
only one in five of us realise when the day falls - 23rd April - and
shockingly more than 25% of us living in England don’t even
know who our patron saint is (www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.
uk/customs/stgeorge.html).
The legend of St George describes a town that was regularly
terrorised by a fearful dragon - everyday the dragon demanded
the sacrifice of a young and beautiful maiden. By the time
George heard of this, all the girls in the town had been killed, all
except for the King’s daughter, who was to be sacrificed the very
next day. The only hope for her survival was if a knight could slay
the dragon; this was George’s job. George rode into the valley
where the dragon was living, hoping to slay it. The dragon was
big and terrifying, and yet George was not
afraid. He fought with the dragon
and eventually, he killed
it. As a result, the
town was left at
peace.
Our
English flag originates from Saint George, as he is shown in
many pictures slaying the dragon, with a white shield and a red
cross.
So, that’s how the story goes; but, the real St George is far from
an heroic dragon slayer - in fact, St George isn’t even English at
all! The real St George was born in Turkey in the third century.
He became a Roman solider but protested against Rome’s
persecution of Christians. For this act, he was tortured and
imprisoned, but he remained faithful to his faith. Eventually, he
was beheaded for his beliefs and is now popularly known for his
bravery, honour and gallantry.
Our resident Chef, Neil Walker of Appetite at Abbey Leisure &
Sports Club in Leicester, has come up with a traditional English
recipe for everyone to enjoy this St George’s Day…
“Queen Victoria adopted the craze for afternoon tea parties –
and it was her honour that this simple, two-layer sponge cake
was named after her during her time at Osbourne House on
the Isle of Wight.
I can’t think of a more quintessential
English cake. Ok, so it doesn’t
adhere to the traditional
‘Women’s Institute’
method, but it’s much
easier –
and if any ladies from the W.I. would like to challenge me at
their Victoria Sandwich cook-offs – I’m game!
You could always substitute the filling for freshly whipped cream
and strawberries, or lemon curd, or even orange marmalade. It’ll
keep in an airtight container for two to three days.”
Sponge Ingredients:
200g caster sugar
200g butter (room temperature)
200g self-raising flour, sifted
4 free-range medium eggs, beaten
1 level teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons milk
Filling Ingredients:
100g butter (room temperature)
140g icing sugar, sifted – plus a little extra for decoration
340g jam
Vanilla extract, few drops
Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 5.
2. Grease and line two 20cm sandwich tins.
3. In a large bowl, beat all the cake ingredients together until
you have a smooth, soft batter.
4. Divide between the two tins, smooth the surface with a
spatula and bake in the oven for approx 15-20 minutes, until
golden brown and the cake springs back when pressed.
5. After 5 minutes cooling time, turn onto a cooling rack and
leave to cool completely.
6. Whilst the sponges are cooling, to make the filling, beat the
butter until smooth and creamy. Then gradually beat in the icing
sugar and vanilla.
7. Spread the butter cream over the bottom of one of the
sponges, top it with jam and sandwich the second sponge on top.
8. Dust with a little icing sugar just before serving.
Delicious!
Now you know the legend, and truth, behind our patron saint,
St George, make sure you take some time on Monday April
23rd to celebrate everything he achieved, and maybe make
a delicious Victoria Sandwich whilst you’re at it. For more
information, please log onto www.stgeorgesday.com
Neil can be found at Appetite within
Abbey Sports & Leisure Club, 70 Slater Street
(off Frog Island), Leicester LE3 5AS.
Packington Trout Fishery
Superb fly fishing in the heart of The Midlands
Day tickets available on Cocks Close
Ticket prices:
£29.50 five fish - £21.50 two fish
Concessions for senior citizens and juniors
Great value season tickets available for all our members-only waters:
Great Pool, Hall Pool and Park Meadow
Contact: 01676 522754
penny@packingtonfisheries11.wanadoo.co.uk
Coarse fishing also available at:
Packington Somers Fishery 01676 523833
www.packingtonestate.net
Packington Trout Fisheries, Meriden, Warwickshire
Ellerdine Lakes
• Shropshire’s premier small
water trout fishery
• Good average size of fish
• Tackle shop & café
• Open 8am til dusk
If you’re already hooked on fly fishing, Reflect would like to encourage you to
visit The British Fly Fair International, taking place at The Staffordshire County
Showground is located 2 miles from junction 14 of the M6 motorway just outside
Stafford. From June 23rd until 24th, The Staffordshire County Showground will
welcome an array of exhibitors promising a great day out for angling enthusiasts.
The show opens at 9:30am and closes at 4:30pm. Prices for a ticket have been held
steady for another year, costing £10 for one day and £17 for two days. Children aged
15 and under go FREE when accompanied by an adult. Save money and beat the
queues, book your tickets now, call 01782 388382. For more info, visit
www.bffi.co.uk
Fishing is one of the few sports that can be enjoyed all year round in any location,
as there are different species to catch during each season, such as fly fishing for wild
brown trout during spring, casting for carp during summer or sea fishing for cod in
the autumn. However, there are certain rules on when you can enjoy certain types
of fishing, so it’s always best to check before you cast your line. For those planning
on fishing for salmon, trout, freshwater fish or eels, a rod licence is vital, but if you
are planning on using an angling club, you will also need a fishing permit, which
gives you permission to fish their waters. For more information, visit
www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Fishing has numerous health benefits, even if you do go home empty-handed.
Not only is fishing one of the most relaxing sports, giving our bodies and minds
the chance to relax, it also enables us to get out of the house and into the great
outdoors. Here, the sun can warm your skin (don’t forget to wear sunscreen, even
on dull, cloudy days) and fresh air will fill your lungs. Sunlight is a great source
of vitamin D and the trees surrounding the river, lake or loch will provide a high
oxygen intake. Fishing is great light exercise too. It’s not strenuous but provides an
excellent upper body workout, especially if you plan on casting a fishing rod all
day long.
Bob Goble
G.A.I.C – L2CCA
Licensed Game-Angling Instructor
Friendly, relaxed tuition for beginners & improvers.
One-to-one or groups.
Corporate days arranged.
If you’ve got any feedback on this recipe, nutrition questions, or
ideas you’d like to share, why not email
appetite@abbeysports.co.uk.
Contact: Edward 07860 299342
or Jayne 07740 257585
enquiries@ellerdinelakes.co.uk
www.ellerdine-lakes.co.uk
Tel: 01474 352653
Mob: 07743 054711
Email: robert.goble@blueyonder.co.uk