A tale of three lunches

I think I might write a Londonia cookbook to celebrate making do and other related forms of cuisine. It would probably be a very slim tome with one or two actual recipes.

Step one: open cupboard and see what's in it. Step two: open fridge and see what's in it. Step three amass found foods and create something, preferably not involving cat food or trifle.

Last week I was gratified to realise that we could make three different dishes with just a small amount of minced beef and whatever had been sitting in afore-mentioned storage items. The dishes evolved from a sort of spaghetti bolognese with some not-usually-included ingredients such as left-over Brussel sprouts and potato, to the next day which was more tomatoey, and was served with polenta; to the next, and final - (phew) - day where the dish became a yet more tomatoey and spicier invention with crunchy cheesy potato rounds on top. (Personally, I think this was the best of the three - well matured and marinaded in spice) I reckon the whole three plate principals cost about ten euros for both of us. And . . . more to the point, we didn't get poisoned by 'waiting in the wings' food. Obviously I wouldn't try it using chicken or pork, or God forbid, seafood. Arg.

I suppose it's just what we did as students but with a bit more knowledge gleaned along the years of cooking, and my mother's/grandmother's wisdom about having a peasant pot - as Mum called it, of chunky soup 'on the go'.  

                                                                        Lunch Number 3

The brilliance of my other half

You sort of know (when you live with someone, and have lived with them for many years) everything, well, not absolutely everything - that sounds a bit surveillance system-esque - about them. But often you forget to admire the unique qualities of that person; too busy just wading through the stuff that makes up the average day, good and less good. 

Working more closely with Mark on our audiobook project over the last year has revealed anew just what an extraordinarily creative individual he is; not just the bread and cake maker, piano/cello/accordion player, academic, composer and teacher . . . It's his library of musical and artistic knowledge tucked away in the high, somewhat wrinkled forehead of his; the personal library that enabled him to come up with the pieces of music, and created/found sounds that he dropped into the story at just the right points, and in just the right amounts. I did put the odd bit of editing in, or suggestion of a different creaking door/bird call/whatever from time to time, but the conception and creation was all his from the atmospheric Londonia theme to the most subtle of nods to great historical composers.

Mark's Londonia suite of piano pieces are a beautiful hotchpotch of ragtime, honky tonk bar, wistful, resonant melodies, and upbeat romps. When we get a film deal . . . come on! we can dream! I do hope the persons responsible for creating the soundtrack will take an audio trip into the non AI and completely original world of Dr Lockett's music.

https://marklockett.com/

During our Londonia podcast - on Spotify or Youtube.

One of Mark's Londonia suite pieces - Fred being the owners of Fred's Threads recycled clothing emporium

And on with the next one...

So . . . I'm sure anyone who reads this blog will know that Londonia has been an ongoing project for many years; from the moment I climbed out of a swimming pool with the idea sloping about in my mind, to the novel being published by the marvellous Tartarus Press, to our audiobook version of the novel, finished after a year of hard work, and now launched. The audiobook can be found on Spotify/Findaway voices, and other platforms - Audible soon.

I'm going to put a review here for the audiobook. It's the first one - apparently you can only do stars on Spotify - bit odd . . .

The person reviewing is also a writer and writer workshop aficionado - Hazel Manuel.

Londonia audiobook review. February 2025

Wow, what an experience. These days audiobooks are my medium of choice for novels, and I listen to a lot of them.

I have to say that Londonia is so much more than a reading of the story. It is a fully immersive experience with original music, scene creations and vivid character portrayals.

The talent of Kate A Hardy and musician, Mark Lockett's performances brought so much to what is already a gripping and un-putdownable novel.

Post-apocalyptic London in 2072 is brought to life with refreshingly human characters, compelling in all their individuality, emotional depth and authenticity, who navigate a dangerous yet community spirited world. 

This is no clichéd, futuristic hero story, although we encounter much bravery in the most dire of situations. Here we experience along with 'Hoxton' her friends, animals and enemies, an intelligent, thrilling and heart-warming tale, all without resorting to tired tropes and stereotypes, so often present in dystopian novels.

The author doesn't shy away from the darkness and lawlessness of post-apocalyptic city life, but at the same time shows us how friendship, community and kindness must be at the heart of surviving in such a world.

I loved the fact that Hardy didn't feel the need to give us a predictable 'happy-ever-after' ending. Instead I was left with a deeply satisfying feeling that life in Londonia will continue in all its glorious chaos, and that there is always room for hope.

       Me reading in our very Londonia kitchen complete with wood stove-drying washing 

Currently we have a couple of possible leads into the film, world so that would be a nice development . . . After all those years of readers saying this would make brilliant screen material, it would be a happy conclusion for the Londonia world - or a continuing world as there are of course other related books.

The next audiobook project has to be decided. We might do a short story while we consider jumping into the vast time commitment of a whole narrated book. When we do jump it'll either be the follow up to Londonia - Smithi, or a time-travel tale called, the Panto Horse End, or possibly, The Hundred and Fifty-Eighth Book, a wry humoured, roller coaster of a story featuring Hamish who a reader described as a cross between Withail and a more loveable version of Bernard from Black books.

I would just like to say again a massive thanks to all the people who supported us on Kickstarter to get the audiobook done, and all the readers of my work over the years who have believed in it!

For more info on my other books, please check my website - I can't put a live link here but it's kateahardy.com

If you read the book or listen to the audiobook version, and enjoyed the Londonia experience, please leave a review/stars on the audiobook platform/ Goodreads/Amazon, etc. Thanks! 

                                                                   Bernard of Black Books

Yr average panto horse

Withnail (on the right, IF you don't know the film . . .

Launched!

Our audiobook of Londonia was launched today on Spotify's Finally voices - and other platforms. To celebrate a year's worth of work we held an event last evening in the salon of a beautiful C14th building in our local town, Saumur. Owner of said house is the most generous and relaxed human being - you just tell me when you want to do the event; I'll provide wine, and make tea. Just do what you like, move the furniture around, whatever . .  numbers of people? Up to you; I'm sure we can accommodate a good crowd, etc.

In fact nearly everyone turned up except someone who got stranded in Nantes, and a couple of flu-struck bods. It was a lovely evening. Mark played some of the Londonia pieces he had composed for the story; I did quite a few readings and tried out my accents, and people seemed to want more - a useful experiment!

Mark had made Jake the Prophet's ParkPlace pies, which were fantastic, and Hackrovia WTC cakes (Whatever is in The Cupboard, cakes). A great mix of nuts, dried fruit, flour and spices.

The last Londonia launch we held was back in 2021 in London when the hardback book came out. Interesting timing . . . the 13th March, literally a couple of days before lockdown. We had a good crowd with only a few, possibly sensible, people staying well clear, but there was a palpable feeling of angst about what was about to happen. This time was certainly more relaxing . . . 

What...really?

Things that you find when purging stuff for a house move. Yes, I allowed myself to be dressed in white acrylic lace, and a sugar pink satin gown when I normally would have been attired in jeans and an old tweed jacket, or striped trousers and winkle picker red boots, but it was respectively the late 70s and early eighties.

Me on the right both times, with perm and then shorter hair do, feeling like a total pillock. I can't recall much about the first wedding - my cousin Theresa's as the later pictures of the day show the level of alcohol imbibed; the second, a horrific event in a faux posh hotel which I think I blocked out of my mind. There's another picture of me in a lime green bridesmaid dress which I haven't come across yet . . . 

Londonia podcast. Episode 2

Mark Lockett - composer of the Londonia soundscape introduces the ouverture, or prologue of the audiobook.

As with the last episode, I can't create a direct link. Please copy and paste into your browser, or find the podcast on Spotify.

https://open.spotify.com/show/5N4RjF6NA9Ss0xsIwoCWpf?si=2feebeadfe8d4c71

Celebrating a year of work!

 

Londonia, the audiobook launches 3rd February 2025

We are holding an event to mark the end of a year's worth of work! Please come and share our celebration, and enjoy a glass of wine and nibbles. Live readings by Kate A Hardy (the author), and Londonia-inspired music by Mark Lockett, composer of the audiobook soundscape.

The event will be held in Justin Wescombe's beautiful house on Sunday 2nd Feb at 16:30 - 2 Montée du Fort, Saumur (just off Place St Pierre). Please note, there are stairs.

We hope you can be there!

RSVP to Kate (as numbers may be limited)

katehardy25@gmail.com  

Portable : 06 85 48 95 13

https://kateahardy.com

The Londonia podcast

Our podcast introducing behind the scenes work on the Londonia audiobook, interviews, and weekly sample chapters. Please click on link below. Actually . . . it's a bit more manual than that - in true Londonia style. Please copy and paste into your search engine.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1HC8jf5x0hTV0OLKh5iXvd?si=TOdEiArhSmOOgEA-TwDtCw

The whole audiobook will be launched on the 3rd of February on Spotify's Findaway Voices.

Dog portraiture

Bali, our rescue Galas, or Spanish greyhound has probably been photographed at least 2,000 times; on walks, playing with old slippers, looking unbelievably elegant, and gazing adoringly at Mark, and the other members of her pack, but more so, Mark. He who never wished to have a dog, and actually uttered words such as, no way are we having a dog, he, I suspect is the soppiest dog owner amongst us. 

The no dog idea was undermined by me and Ezra years back when Mark went back to the UK for two weeks. During that gloomy and freezing February fortnight I went to the SPA (dogs' home) in Narbonne with then eight-year old Ezra and said we would just . . . have a look, with the promise (unlikely, I thought) that if there was a Jack Russel or some species of greyhound, I might think about offering it a home. And of course there was dear old Una, our first greyhound-type dog, an elderly Italian greyhound-cross, crossed with, no idea - she was considerably larger than the usual Italian variety. So we took her and her withered leg back home, stopping at a dog washing shop on the way home(the smell!)

Mark had glanced at her when we all went to meet him at the airport and had uttered something calm and cool along the lines of, "thought that might happen". But he was soon dog-addicted: walks, sofa snuggling, appreciative of the always manically-pleased-to-see-him little pointy face and wagging tail of that old dog. And she was old when we got her - already ten, but she went on to live until twenty, and it was a sad beyond sad day when she went. 

Then followed Satie, the runty Italian Greyhound, a tiny dog of immense character, then Gala a rescue Spanish Galgas, and following on, Bali, our remaining greyhound. Dog of never-ending enthusiasm for walkies, dog of sofa, dog of playing; perfect dog. 

Moving on...

Not as in the game show title I gave to a rather vile and scary TV series in my follow-up to Londonia . . . but us, moving on, to a new abode. Or rather an old 1968 breeze block built abode as opposed to our current large and elegant 1830s house.

A couple of reasons: achey stuff that is not really going away - our doc looked at me with a raised eyebrow and said: 'the cure for hip and back tendonitis . . . stop doing the things that cause the problem - i.e lots of heavy gardening, wood shifting, hefty housework. You're not thirty anymore, or even forty, or . .  OK, I said, I get it.

                                                               A section of the garden

                                                                          The wood

Also, it's time for a town stint. Mark needs to be near other musicians, and to be able to give music lessons as our earning potential as artists is pretty useless, to say the least. 

It wasn't an easy idea to take on board at the outset. All the work we've done here, the magnificent garden, the privilege of living in a beautiful old house with all its history. Mark was not keen, mainly as uprooting all our stuff again was indeed an unpleasant idea, exhausting, just the idea of it! But thanks to a rather crazy 1970s house I had pinpointed on the main island of Saumur, he began to imagine life in the town. We visited the house a few times and put in an offer but due to the long standing feud between the inheritors of said house, none of them were speaking to each other. The weeks turned into a few months and still one of them refused to accept the offer, so we started house hunting again. 

Meanwhile our house had had an offer and we had gladly accepted, mainly as the lovely buyers have the same vision as us - preserve the garden as a haven for wildlife as it has been for the last forty five years - thanks in great part to our wonderful previous house occupant who had planted most of the trees, bushes and flower gardens. You have to accept when selling a property that your potential buyers may have very different ideas to you, and our hearts had sunk a few times as folk had talked of selling off the wood (madness! absolute insanity when the wood provides all the house's heating!) or had talked of ripping things out in order to install a pool, etc... We are supremely happy to know that the house's next dwellers will love the house, and continue to add life to these incredible gardens.

                                                      One of my favourite garden views

So, the next project . . . very different. No wood (sob) but a reasonable space for creaky people to carry on the nature welcoming idea - a bird refuge, pond to be added, trees to be planted, vines and wisteria to be grown for shade, and vegetables to be grown on the weird long strip of fertile-looking garden behind the house. The agent had described the property as atypical, and I had said, that's ok, we are too. And it is - a very odd layout but the main interest being the large salon. I had been searching for a house with such a room so we can finally install our inherited grand piano (thank you dear Rosemary) and even do house concerts, music lectures etc. Another reason that the house 'spoke' to us three is that there is a view of the railway line from Thoars, through Saumur and on to Chateau du Loire. This will be the third house we have lived in which features a railway line as part of its soundscape, something we love! 

Large salon with deer's head - previous occupant was a keen hunter

The location is interesting; on a road where there were once thirty windmills, now, four, non-functioning, and an enjoyable amble into town via the Saumur Chateau into the main square for the weekly market and joy! cafés etc. Life will be more on foot, and the dog walks surrounding the house are new and inspiring. 

So, time to amass boxes, purge stuff - had a good go already - a car boot load of ? to Emmaus, and much more to go . . . why do we keep all this stuff? I'll try hard this time to not let the clutter encroach.

2025

January was welcomed in at our house by Mark making his own 'Galette des Rois': Puff pastry, frangipane edible round item that appears by the pantechnicon-load at this time of the year in all French bakeries and supermarkets. 

Not biased or anything . . . but his G des R was (and still is - large version) far superior.

Happy New Year to all my regular blog readers and anyone who happens to stumble into the attic of my mind.