Cook's Corner Your fortnightly recipe to tantalise your taste buds CHRISTMAS CAKE. This recipe makes a square 8in or a round 9in cake. Preparation Time. 1 hour plus soaking time. Cooking Time. 3 -3 1/2 hours. Oven Temperature.  Preheat to 150 c (300 f) Gas mark 2. 8oz (225g) seedless raisins. 2oz (50g) large stoned raisins. 8oz (225g) sultanas. 8oz (225g) currants 8oz (225g) butter. 8oz (225g) dark muscovado sugar. 2 tablespoons black treacle. 4 tablespoons cream sherry 4 eggs. 10oz (275g) plain flour. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1 level teaspoon ground mixed spice. 4oz (115g) glace cherries, quartered. 4oz (115g) candied peel, chopped. 2oz (50g) blanched almonds. Slivered. Put the seedless and stoned raisins, sultanas and currants into a bowl and stir in the sherry.  Leave in a warm place for several hours to allow the fruit to absorb the sherry. Grease the cake tin and line the base.  Tie three layers of brown parcel paper around the tin, allowing the paper to project some way above the rim. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.   Beat in the treacle and gradually add the eggs, beating well between additions. Add a little flour to the mixture towards the end to prevent it from curdling. Sieve the remaining flour with the salt and mixed spice.  Fold into the egg mixture with the sherry-soaked fruit, cherries, candied peel and almonds.  Stir well with a wooden spoon, but do not over-mix or the mixture will become too soft.  Turn into the prepared tin and smooth level. Bake the cake in the pre-heated oven for 1 1/2 hours, then lower the heat to 140c (275f) gas mark 1.  And bake for 1 1/2 - 2hours more or until a fine knitting needle or skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and leave in the tin until cold.  Turn out and peel away the lining paper.  Wrap in greaseproof paper and store in an airtight container until ready to ice and decorate.

REMEMBERING RUBY HUNT. 1903 - 1993 By Anne Lawson

Continued...
I like the way she ordered a suit for a funeral or a wedding.  She would send a telegram to a firm in Leicester giving a series of numbers. One for the cloth, the next for the style then the actual measurements in the correct order.  The suit would arrive a few days later by train.  She was an early driver who didn't ever pass a driving rest.  She drove down to relatives in Somerset and said how narrow and twisting the roads were.  When she had been called home from the south coast to look after the shop she still did her bit.  When the Red Cross set up a house in Morris Street for people from the London blitz to convalesce Ruby must have done a lot to care for the patients.  One of the patients visited her for many years afterwards.   She also enjoyed riding a horse, usually on Sunday mornings when the horses were not working.  I don't know if she had ridden a horse of her own or she just borrowed one, but one horse was Lusher's delivery ridden by a daughter.  I imagine Ruby spent a lot of her evenings at evening classes and with various groups singing and dramas.   The Gilbert and Sullivan Operas were mentioned.  Sometimes these would be in Cromer, because once coming along the coast road she saw the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights.  She did do evening classes in oil painting, there were classes in carving when she produced a table with carving on top and down the sides, which was in her studio.   In1953 after the North Sea Surge that devastated the East Coast roads and villages the coast road was under water, so the back roads were used to get to Salthouse church. From up above the village The Red Cross distributed blankets and cooking utensils to the villagers who had lost everything from their ground floor rooms.  Ruby was, of course, one of the helpers.
When Ruby retired and sold the shop, she bought a house in Augusta Street.  When she had some alterations made she included a room to be used as a studio.  For years a group of us met one afternoon a week to paint.  Ruby collected many to join us but not everyone stayed.  She and Elsie Woods would have an Exhibition there once a year in aid of charities.
Part 3 continued next issue.

Sheringham Royal British Legion Trafalgar Dinner

The Sheringham Branch of the Royal British Legion held their Trafalgar celebration dinner at The Morley Club on 21st October. Over forty people attended the evening, which consisted of a three-course meal and lots of good conversation. The chef and staff at The Morley Club did a fantastic job and the food was absolutely delicious. We are led to believe that The Morley will soon be starting Saturday Suppers and I can honestly say it will be a smashing place to go as it is so friendly and welcoming and the chef is a master! Our thanks go to all who made the evening such a resounding success. Secretary Sheringham RBL