It’s Fudge Time. Again

Posted on 20/07/2015 by a resident of Beckworth

Dear all. Once again it’s time to get in the kitchen and get cooking. No, i’m not talking about the imminent arrival of Bake Off, i’m reaching out as our local Father & son “builders” Anthony “Tony” Worrall-Thompson and Heston Blumenthal still need your help. The pair have moved onto phase two of “Fudgeworth” (the model village of Beckworth made entirely of fudge) following the successful, yet low key, opening of phase one and need 750,000 fudge bricks to build a scale model of the local mosque and scout hut with playing field. So ladies and gents and children of Beckworth, this summer let’s forgo holidays and get making more fudge. An emotional Tony told me over a few brandys in the hotel bar “That if each of Beckworth’s residents made at least eighteen kilograms of fudge per day for the next six weeks, and then volunteered to help with the build, they could get probably get phase two finished in time for when the schools reopen in September… Or failing that next Easter.” So listeners, the gauntlet has been thrown down. Will you pick it up (figuratively speaking). Please help tearful Tony, and his son Heston, as they can’t do this job without your help. And remember we are an equal opportunities hotel with wheelchair access so there’s no excuse for lazy people (who like to get filmed for channel 4) not dropping off fudge or helping with the brick laying. Thanks, Sandy Luton, General Manager, Hill View Hotel

(Above) Father & son chefs need your help…

Fudge: One Year On

Posted on 26/02/2015 by a resident of Beckworth

Dear all. On behalf of local father and son chefs Anthony “Tony” Worrall-Thompson and Heston Blumenthal may I thank everyone who has made fudge bricks for them over the last 12 months. The chefs are now very close to opening “phase one” of “Fudgeworth” (a model village of Beckworth made entirely of fudge) to the public and this has been down to your help and the enthusiasm of the duo, have done all the building themselves without the use of outside contractors or heavy plant equipment. But it’s a big building project and we still need your help. Please continue to make fudge bricks, windows, doors etc and models of people, buses, cars and trains. And animals. We are an equal opportunities hotel with wheelchair access so there’s no excuse for anyone with fudge making skills not dropping off their confectionery work. Thanks, Sandy Luton, General Manager, Hill View Hotel

(Above) Tony and Heston hard at work in the kitchen making confectionery building materials earlier today

Gastronomic Pioneer Pops His Clogs

Posted on 16/01/2015 by a resident of Beckworth

Sad news just in. The family of 76 year old Dave Ploughman have announced that the local gastro pioneer and alcoholic somnambulist passed away peacefully late last night whilst sleep walking down the high street. A very familiar sight in his dressing gown and slippers Dave was for years the landlord of Beckworth’s Blind Badger pub, and it was whilst running the bar and drinking it dry that he invented many wonderful food stuffs we now take for granted. His protege Heston Blumenthal said on hearing the tragic news “The world will be a poorer place without Dave, but his dishes will live on. He invented pork scratchings, dry roasted nuts, scampi in a basket, to name just three but his culinary masterpiece is of course the Ploughman’s Lunch. It was originally just called Dave’s lunch, as he ate every day of his waking life.” holding back the tears he then added “It was Dave that inspired me to get into cooking and for that I will forever be in his debt.” I think I speak for us all when I say that heaven has gained a wonderful snack-making angel in Mr Ploughman. Christine Batley. Chief Deceased Publican Correspondent. Beckworth Guardian

(Above) Dave Ploughman’s signature lunch time dish

Let’s Celebrate Toffee & Fudge Week

Posted on 08/11/2014 by a resident of Beckworth

Dear all. As you probably know this week (10 – 16 Nov) is International Toffee & Fudge Week, when the whole world celebrates our favourite sugar based confectionary. The best way to honour our great British caramelising tradition is to visit very own part-built “Fudgeworth” (the model village of Beckworth made entirely of fudge). The site’s “builders” Anthony “Tony” Worrall-Thompson and son Heston Blumenthal’s hope to finish the plague-victim’s graveyard in time but still need another 363,268 fudge bricks. So ladies and gents and children of Beckworth let’s get making more fudge. As an equal opportunities hotel with wheelchair access there’s no excuse for anyone on benefits not dropping off fudge. Thanks, Sandy Luton, General Manager, Hill View Hotel

(Above) Tony and son Heston take a rare break from brick laying with fudge

Fresh Fudge Appeal

Posted on 15/09/2014 by a resident of Beckworth

Dear all. It’s time to get back in the kitchen and help our local “builders” Anthony “Tony” Worrall-Thompson and Heston Blumenthal’s to finish the first phase of “Fudgeworth” (the model village of Beckworth made entirely of fudge). Phase one of the project is near to completion, the sewage works, council estate and drive through McDonalds look very realistic but the father and son team still need another 500,000 fudge bricks to finish building a scale model of the nuclear power plant. So ladies and gents and children of Beckworth let’s get making more fudge. An imploring Tony told me over a shandy in the hotel bar “That if each of Beckworth’s 5000+ residents to made at least five kilograms of fudge per day for a week they could get the eastern end of the scale village finished in time for Christmas… Or New Year” So please help Tony and his son Heston, as they can’t do this job without your help. And remember we are an equal opportunities hotel with wheelchair access so there’s no excuse for lazy people on benefits not dropping off fudge. Thanks, Sandy Luton, General Manager, Hill View Hotel

(Above) A fudge brick as wanted by Tony and son Heston

Church Targeted By Mindless Vandals

Posted on 01/04/2014 by a resident of Beckworth

Dear all. I’m very sad to say that Anthony “Tony” Worrall-Thompson and his son Heston Blumenthal’s “Fudgeworth” (model village of Beckworth made entirely of fudge), has been vandalised. “It’s really galling” said Tony “We were really close to finishing the model of Sainsco’s supermarket and I only nipped off site to have a quick Jimmy Riddle behind a tree. My son Heston was in the kitchen making a fudge model of some shopping trolleys and the mindless thugs came and trampled on the church.” “It was was of the best bits” chipped in Heston “As we’d made a bestman and groom standing outside having a fag whilst they waited for the bride to show up” Unfortunately the CCTV is on the blink so we’ve got no idea who could have desecrated Fudgeworth but the Police have been informed. One ray of sunshine in amongst today’s clouds is that Tony and Heston have applied for an art’s council grant to fund the completion of the project and they tell me they are quietly confident “More people will want to see our art than a messed up bed” said Tony “Or half a shark in a big tank of water” added Heston. In the mean time let’s crack on and repair what’s been lost. Please continue to make your fudge bricks and toffee mortar we couldn’t do this without you. And remember we are an equal opportunities hotel with wheelchair access so there’s no excuse for people unsteady on their feet not dropping off fudge. Thanks, Sandy Luton, General Manager, Hill View Hotel

(Above) A very upset Heston and Tony (just out of shot) earlier today

We Need More Fudge Says Heston

Posted on 24/02/2014 by a resident of Beckworth

Dear all. I’m very pleased to say that about a dozen or so locals have made the effort to make fudge bricks for Anthony “Tony” Worrall-Thompson and Heston Blumenthal’s “Fudgeworth” (model village of Beckworth made entirely of fudge), but they’ll need a lot more to complete this mammoth task. “We’ve probably got enough so far to model the public toilets and maybe part of the abattoire ” Heston told me during a fag and beer break earlier today “But we’ll need all of Beckworth’s residents to make at least six kilograms each to get the model finished… And we’ve not got much time as I’ve a new telly series to start filming and my Dad wants to get back to his allotment and his ferrets.” So pull your finger out Beckworth, the father and son chefs can’t do this without your help and we want to be the next town on the confectionery world map. We’re up against stiff competition as Cadburys‘ are currently building a chocolate model of Birmingham, said to include a Dairy Milk exhibition centre, a Bourneville shopping precinct and even a Fruit & Nut job centre. Nestle are rumoured to have started laying out the “Quality Streets” of their model of York which will include a model of the minster made out of the toffees no one likes. So let’s crack on Beckworth, there’s not a moment to waste. And remember we are an equal opportunities hotel with wheelchair access so there’s no excuse for people unsteady on their feet not dropping off fudge. Thanks, Sandy Luton, General Manager, Hill View Hotel

(Above) Heston shows his dad Tony how to make his trade mark “smokie cabbage” fudge earlier today

Heston Blumenthal, & His Dad, Want Your Fudge

Posted on 21/02/2014 by a resident of Beckworth

Dear all. I’m very excited to be able to tell you that at long last we have got planning permission to build “Fudgeworth” in the grounds of The Hill View Hotel. Fudgeworth, a model village of Beckworth made entirely of fudge, is the brain child of local father and son chefs Anthony “Tony” Worrall-Thompson and Heston Blumenthal, and is bound to become a big tourist attraction. But it’s a big building project and we need your help. Could you make fudge bricks, windows, doors etc? Maybe you’re a dab hand at making confectionery models of buses and trains. Or bridges? Or trees and hedges? If so, we need you to get baking (or however it is you make fudge. I wouldn’t know as it brings me out in a rash). For the next two weeks the chef duo will be building Fudgeworth, so please drop off your contributions at the hotel reception and Heston and Tony can get on with the hard graft of making the miniature village. There will be a grand opening when it’s finished, so watch this space, and we’re hoping to get Sue Perkins to do the honours (as she’s rumoured to have a sweet tooth and isn’t exactly publicity shy!). We are an equal opportunities hotel with wheelchair access so literally anyone with fudge making skills can drop off their handy work. Thanks, Sandy Luton, General Manager, Hill View Hotel

(Above) Father and son chefs, Tony and Heston, raring to get stuck into building a miniature Beckworth in fudge

The Proclaimers Are Back From 500 Mile Walk For Charity

Posted on 17/07/2013 by a resident of Beckworth

Hello all. Just to let you know that local singing duo The Proclaimers will be hosting a sing-along slide show and bring-and-buy sale tomorrow evening at the WI in Beckworth village hall. The identical twins, Reg and Rory McReid are just back from a sponsored 500 mile walk. They had intended it to be John O’Groats to Lands End by bike but someone stole their tandem just outside Wick. The brothers, who have been firm friends since meeting at school, have promised to regail us with rivetting stories of how they have combined running a successful bicycle repair shop with having a glittering pop career. Topics will include puncture repairs, saddle height adjustments and how to write songs about banal everyday events (who else could write a chart hit about receiving wrongly addressed airmail from the USA). Entry is only £25 and non-WI members are welcome. Providing refreshments in the interval will be father and son caterers Heston Blumenthal and Anthony Worrall-Thompson. See you tomorrow at 7.30 on the dot. Respectfully yours Francis Carshalton-Beeches. Chair. Beckworth WI.

(Above) The Proclaimer brothers back from their 500 mile sponsored walk

Cook Like A Master Chef

Posted on 13/05/2013 by a resident of Beckworth

Dear all. I’m sure you were all gripped by Masterchef, well now it’s your chance to learn how to do some of that fancy cooking here at The Hill View Hotel. Next week, for 3 days only, father and son chefs, Heston Blumenthal and Anthony Worrall-Thompson, will be teaching cooking to 10 lucky local cooks. Do you want to be a cook? If so it’s only £899 for the course and that will include a signed photo from the cooking duo. Hurry, places are limited and interest is bound to be big. We are an equal opportunities hotel with wheelchair access so literally anyone with their own chef’s hat and an apron can apply. Contact me, Sandy Luton, General Manager, for more details

Life in Beckworth

Bringing you the (almost) everyday comings and goings of the residents of Beckworth, a typical English market town. Informing you about their lives through the mediums of words, images, an interactive map and stereophonic sound recordings

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