By Leslie Cooper

One of the most intriguing and tragic figures in English history.

Upon her birth, she became a reigning Queen, as her father had died of a brain disorder within hours of her birth. When she was still just a little girl, she was sent to France to be married to the Dauphin.

I can only imagine how scary that might have been for Mary. After just a few short years, the Dauphin died, so again Mary was alone.

With her husband's family making it very clear that she was not welcome, Mary was escorted back to Scotland.

I believe had she been allowed to stay in France, her life would have been happier. When she returned to Scotland, even her own half brother, Lord Moray, was plotting against her.

She was pushed into a marriage to Lord Darnley, Elizabeth the first's cousin. When he was later murdered, there were people who believed she was involved. And to make matters worse, she became involved with Lord Bothwell, whom most people believed was the lead conspirator in the death of Lord Darnley.

After the evidence was found to incriminate Mary, Lord Bothwell left England for Norway. Again as throughout most of her life, Mary was alone. Not aware of the conspiracy going on in Elizabeth's court, Mary headed for England. Thinking surely her cousin would offer her shelter, she was instead promptly arrested.

She was imprisoned for eighteen years, before a plot was hatched to make it look like Mary was involved in a plan to kill Elizabeth. All along, Elizabeth's court had been telling her she should execute Mary. Elizabeth refused up until some letters describing the plot were found.

Elizabeth then told her secretary to put the death warrant in with other papers she had to sign. This was so Elizabeth could feel innocent of sending another annointed Queen to her death.

Mary was beheaded at Fotheringay Castle, in 1587, at 43 years of age.

By Jan Bovee

All of these recipes have descended from "olde" English recipes. Some go back as far as the days of King Henry the VIII.

These delightful little almond tarts are purported to date back to 1525.

The story has it that Henry the VIII spied one of the Maids of Honor to one of his queens hungrily downing several of these little goodies, tried one himself, declared them very good and named them after the ladies in waiting.

These are best made in small tart shells.. a mini-muffin pan is ideal.

Easy tart pastry:

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 pkg ( 3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup flour

Combine butter and cream cheese. Add flour and mix to form a soft dough. Chill at least 1 hour, or overnight.

Form dough into 30 walnut sized balls place each ball into a buttered and floured nonstick mini-muffin pan and press into shape to cover bottom and up the sides.....flour fingers and work quickly. If dough gets too sticky....chill again....or leave half of dough in fridge and work with only half at a time.

Fill unbaked tart shells and bake as directed.

• You may also use your own favorite pie crust pastry, purchased phillo pastry or puff pastry cut to size and formed into shells.

Filling:
Beat together the following:

• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon flour
• Slowly add 2 tablespoons cream

Beat until mixture is smooth. Add about 1 tablespoon of mixture to each pastry shell....do not fill to the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until filling is golden brown.

This dish also has descended from 1500's. How this dish came to be named after the Poor Knights is unknown.

The Poor Knights or the Alms-Knights of the Garter were chosen from indigent and worthy military veterans so that the might live a dignified and comfortable life in thier retirement. This honorable estate dates back to the 11th century.

This dish is akin to our modern day "French" toast. Originally stale bread was soaked in wine, but here you will find the family-friendly version suitable for all.

Ingredients:

• 4 thick slices of white bread
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons of cream or milk

Beat the eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and milk together.

Cut the bread into strips (like soldiers all in a row) and soak them in the egg mixture thoroughly.

Fry them gently in a little oil until golden brown on both sides.

Serve them sprinkled with a little sugar.

This homey comfort food does not seem to go back as far as the two previous recipes. It can be traced back to the 1600's and was probably devised by country wives to use up stale bread and use the ends and bits of whatever she had at hand.

This recipe uses raisins. You may use, currents, dried apricots, or even chopped fresh apple.

Just as an aside... North Americans have the English to thank for the apple. Apple trees are not indeginous to North America. Apple seeds were brought here and planted by the earliest English settlers.

Ingredients:

• 10 slices firm white bread
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup butter melted
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Tear bread into pieces put into a large bowl and cover with milk. Let it rest 30 minutes.

Beat together melted butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Stir this mixture into the soaked bread and milk. Add the raisins and mix.

Pour into a buttered 2 quart casserole and sprinkle the top with nutmeg.

Bake for 75 minutes until set and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Serve warm or cold.

By Linda Simons

Scenic English countryside.

On Monday November 7th 1944 about 11am. The underground bomb store at RAF Fauld, near Burton, exploded. It was the biggest man made explosion in the country, smaller only than the atom bombs droppped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The blast left a crater 800ft by 300ft and was up to 120ft deep. 70 people were killed or missing, some were never found.

The findings of the enquiry in to how the blast was caused remained a secret, however human error was regarded as the likely cause rather than sabotage.

Fauld claimed its last victim in 1994. After a service at the crater to mark the 50th anniversary of the accident, Kenneth Shore collapsed and died of natural causes, in 1944 he had been buried up to his neck in mud.

A Little Local History...

Burton-on-Trent is now more famous for it's ale than it's waters, but that has not always been the case. Brewing appears to have been started by the monks of Burton Abbey in the Middle Ages. The Abbey stood on the banks of the River Trent, but it was not from that River they drew their water, they used water from the wells of Burton, and these wells had long been known for their curative properties.

There is a large amount of gypsum within this water drawn from under the town and the local people knew of this long before the monks decided it would make a nice pint or two of booze. This area is a spot well known to the Ancients. They were here not only for the healing waters but for the mystic qualities of the surrounding country side as well, and buried their dead all around this area. Horninglow (where I live), now a suburb, is testimony to this, the suffix 'Lowe' indicates an ancient burial ground.

One well in particular at Burton was renowned throughout Mercia for its healing properties. Later the Celtic Christian Saint called Modwen had her name appended to it. The well was at a site known as Andressy, perhaps a corruption of St. Andrew's Isle, situated on the flat meadow across from the church, and there are a number of records relating how huge crowds used to visit the spot in the hope of receiving cures for illness.

Carsington Water.

Staffordshire Superstitions...

Burton-on-Trent is in the county of Staffordshire.

The Horn Dance at Abbotts Bromley is a manifestation of an ancient superstition that if a ritual was not enacted then ill-luck and infertility would fall on the community.

Whenever a flint arrowhead was uncovered, usually near an ancient burial mould often called a Fairy Hill, the arrowheads had to be embedded in a tree, to give them back to their owners- the fairy people.

Many North Staffordshire people wore 'Roaches Millstone grit' in amulets around their necks to ward off the Evil Eye.

Inhabitants of the Potteries, Stoke-on-Trent, when seeing a parson with a round hat on would touch a piece of iron before passing him. The superstition of 'touching wood' is thought to mean touching the wood of the Cross, others believe it is to do with tree spirits... The custom of touching iron may have meant touching the nails of the Cross.

If a farmer bought a cow at market and a magpie flew over its back on the way home - the cow was sure to die.

If a cow or horse was ill and a bran mash was given, the mash should not be mixed with a sharp instrument or the animal will die.

No washing must be done on Good Friday. Good luck will be brought if any item of metal is found on that day.

Rainwater was collected and used for skin complaints and distress of the eyes. Styes in the eyes were cured by rubbing them with the tip of the tail of a black tom cat.

Cats were supposed to have healing properties.

(This holds true today, as studies have shown that stroking a purring pet cat can significantly lower your blood pressure. - Ed.)

Some of the source information for these articles comes from the following titles at your local bookstore or library:
"The Day The Dump Went Up" and "The Flying Kangaroos" by Mark Rowe.
"Staffordshire and It's Magic & Mystery" by Doug Pickford.
"Mary Queen of Scots" by Susan Watkins.
"Old English Recipes" by Michael Barry.

"Sterling Moon is my favorite specialty coffee!" David E. Brown,
[Billy Joel's former lead guitarist for 11 years] Gloucester, MA

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