Kitchen Garden Forum

Guess what happened to me today?

I did an interview with James Martin! Me - with 'the special one'. Sorry all Chelsea fans.

I can't thank KG enough (and the Editor Steve Ott in particular) for making it happen. It wasn't confirmed until last Wednesday and I'm sure they have hardly slept since, wondering what sort of 'woman of a certain age' embarrassment I was going to cause them.......but I didn't.

Years of training paid off and apart from a slightly hesistant, anxious start, all went well. I think I may have even converted a few non believers.

Just to fill you in on a few details - we sat together and our knees and legs touched. He didn't move away, so I stayed welded to him for a full 15 minutes. If only I was 20 years younger, 2 stone lighter and a foot taller.........but then I probably wouldn't have been given the opportunity if I had been.

Anyway - he was delightful and has obviously learnt a lot about gardening.

I was up at 4am to make sure I wasn't late. Bit of a waste of potential beauty sleep really as 'the moment' didn't happen until lunch time. Mind you, you can't over prepare.

I've had the best birthday ever - Malvern, KG Forum lunch and James Martin looking straight into my eyes. Yes - we were sitting down, otherwise he would have been looking straight over my head.

I've now got a photo of the 2 men in my life - the gorgeous James and the long suffering Lyndon - to put up in my office, providing Steve doesn't accidentally delete them of course....

God help him if he does.

It's all true folks, God knows how it's been kept a secret this long and God knows how poor Lyndon hasn't murdered her this week








Lyndon looks faintly stunned by the whole thing if you ask me.

Look - there's been 2 men in my life since 1996 and one of them still gets dinner every evening. What's he got to worry about? Does he look half starved?

I just thought it was great that I had a minder and James didn't. Says it all!

Looks like you have a lovely man there.
Good on ya Lyndon.
S.T.

I couldn't help but notice Tigger had drove J.M to drink by the time the photo was taken.

Dear Tigger, forgot to mention how nice you looked in the photo.

And one more thing was how calm you looked, while there was no telling what you were really thinking about as you were going through your list of sensible questions.

Tigger! Couldn`t see your face! Did anyone take a picture of you both facing the camera?

Don't worry Elderflower, these were just a few shots that I took for Tigger. The official ones that Steve took will be appearing somewhere soon.

Tigger looks very composed there.

Had she stopped drooling or hadn't she started yet?

Well done Tigger!

She was amazing. She muscled in there through the crowds of women waiting for a signed cookery book and was as cool as a cucumber (only we knew better). Sat herself down next to JM and was total professional

Who is James Martin??

Celebrity chef Monika

Monika - and you coming from Skipton!!!!

The most famous chef ever from Yorkshire...or second most famous chef ever perhaps after Brian Turner.

Definitely the most gorgeous chef from Yorkshire - even Brian Turner would agree to that.

Your not biased then Tigger