Flaming Nora

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here . This week on Corrie, Liz's beehive was a joy to behold.     ______ I'm on twitter @flaming_nora

Growing your own fruit and veg is fantastic and I can't recommend it enough. It's a lot easier than you think it's ever going to be, and there's nothing (and I mean nothing) that can beat the taste of your own veg cooked straight from the garden. However, on the downside is the fact that you might end up with too much of a good thing. In my case, it's rhubarb. Our rhubarb plant is the gift that keeps on giving. It just doesn't stop.  I took about one third of it off yesterday and now the freezer is almost full of stewed rhubarb. Just the job for cold autumn and winter's days when a bit of fruit from a summer's garden is just what's needed. One of my favourite recipes was given to me by my sister in law and it's for rhubarb crumble cupcakes.  It's a great way of using some of the rhubarb from the garden. The cakes are moist, light and amazingly gorgeous, they really do melt in the mouth.  The crumble bit of the cupcake is optional, I don...

It's been a busy few weeks. To a talk on Art Deco Sunderland by Michael Johnson as part of Local History Month.  Much was made of the old Regal cinema (which became the Odeon) on Holmeside. It's now a bingo hall but the art deco interior, Michael told us, was one of the best preserved in the country. Also this week to see The Producers on stage. It was the second time I've seen the show and it was as funny as ever. Shame about all the empty seats in the theatre. Sunderland Empire really need to look again at their pricing of tickets to entice folk in.  I'm no fan of Jason Manford but have to admit he was very good in the lead role here, he can act and sing.  David Bedella played the role of Roger de Bris but I remember him as being the Best Frank-n-Furter that the Rocky Horror Show has ever had on stage. To see, for the third time, Matthew Bourne's production of The Car Man . As sizzling hot as ever. And to an independent venue to see The Rise ...

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here . This week on Corrie, the bins were put out. ______ I'm on twitter @flaming_nora

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here   This week on Corrie, Steve got a new bitch. ______ I'm on twitter @flaming_nora

Today I went on a walking tour of Sunderland's East End. It's where Sunderland first started, down by the docks, the muck and the water, the river and the ships.  There are still a lot of old buildings down there and it's definitely worth a look around.  The walk was organised as part of Local History Month in Sunderland.  It started at Holy Trinity Church, an amazing old church full of curiosities: This plaque commemorates the birthplace of Sunderland hero Jack Crawford.  It's from his heroic actions at the Battle of Camperdown that the term 'nail your colours to the mast' originates.  Read all about it here.  Some wonderfully camp and kitsch artwork on the walls of the church.  And more... This thrills me enormously. Not just the antiquity and symmetry of the switches in the church, but the fact that they all have their original labels on them. Faces watch you at every turn in the church... ...making sure that you don't nick what...

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here   This week on Corrie, Sally and Tim have been an absolute joy. ______ I'm on twitter @flaming_nora