• I went to visit the lower school at Tettenhall College near Wolverhampton, yesterday. I gave myself a lot of time to get there but, as there was the first fog of the year, the roads were terrible. I came to a standstill on the M5 following and earlier crash. It was slow on the way home too for the same reason.

    I had a great time telling stories and many children seemed to like my drawings. I’ve stopped using flipchart pens – they are so unsubtle. Now I use a graphite stick. I think they respond to the pencil drawings much better. Shading with the side of the stick fills in areas very quickly.

    I was very taken by the dining hall, the roof of which looked as though it were part of the Eifel Tower or had been built under a bridge. One would normally expect wooden beams in the roof. presumably the closeness to Ironbridge explains why the beams are made of cast iron.

    Thanks for a great day and those are lovely trees you are surrounded by too!

  • Yes I know I’m late for Halloween, but I was asked how to draw a witch. Presumably it will be on YouTube for ever, so think of me being early for next year!

  • roast-chickenI feel I had to share this picture with you.
    It’s actually my brother’s recipe, at least that’s where we got it from. The poor chicken is stuck on a beer can and cooked standing up. The can has some holes pierced around the top and a bout 2/3rds of the beer left in the can.

    The chicken is covered in Paprika. It gets a lovely crisp skin and the beer makes a wonderful gravy, all of which is less in fat than the usual way of cooking.

    The poor thing does look a bit alarmed when you bring it out of the oven, though.