News in Brief
Christmas services: Free tickets for the following services can be booked on Eventbrite: Carol Service;  Christingle; Midnight Mass; Christmas Day; Boxing Day. You can also sign up for tickets on the lists at the back of church. Places are limited due to Covid restrictions but we hope everyone will be able to attend the services they want to. Please note physical tickets will not be sent out. If there are any changes to the plans due to Covid restrictions, updates will be sent by email and announced in church.

The PCC got into the festive mood at their last meeting of the year, held via Zoom, on 8 December (above/right)!

Remembrance Sunday: St John's first "outside broadcast" took place on Remembrance Sunday, as the Act of Remembrance was streamed from the Calvary Garden to Zoom and YouTube. The names of those who lost their lives during both World Wars were read out, and two minutes of silence kept.

Black History Month: Detective Constable Deborah Akinlawo, a member of the Christian Police Association, talked about her faith and its impact on her work for the police during the 10am Mass on Sunday 17 October as part of our celebration of Black History Month. You can watch the interview again on YouTube; it starts about 17 minutes in.

Licensing of Revd Raymond: Our former curate, Revd Raymond Baudon, was licensed and installed as an Honorary Minor Canon of Southwark Cathedral, Assistant Diocesan Director of Ordinands and Deputy Director of Vocations, on 8 November. Several members of St John's attended Evensong at the Cathedral during which the licensing took place. The acting Archdeacon of Southwark, Canon Jonathan Sedgwick, preached at the service.
 

Crime prevention in East Dulwich
By Jane Hawkins

This November the coffee morning had a visit from members of the police Goose Green Safer Neighbourhood Team: PC Olive Broughton and PCSO Zaline Tahir.

Their role is to engage with local residents, businesses and visitors in their patch in East Dulwich to provide support with preventing and reporting crime and also find out what crimes are most troubling residents. So far they have visited businesses on Lordship Lane and obtained funds from Southwark Council to run some bike marking sessions in the area as bike theft is high.

They have been advertising these on Next Door - we advised that East Dulwich Forum may be more widely read. The coffee morning group told them that traffic violations were a major concern. They left promising to drop in again after being given a couple of jars of plum jam by Revd Gill which they accepted in the spirit it was given - so Gill is still with us and not facing charges for attempting to bribe a public official! Though come to think of it they have not been in touch since, has anyone eaten that jam lately?

For more info check out their webpage.

Local photo quiz
By Sue O'Neill

How well do you know East Dulwich and Peckham? Here are some tantalising images for you to identify the location of. Some of them are much harder than others!

And this is not just for fun: a small prize awaits whoever has the most correct answers! Please email your completed answer sheet to Sue O’Neill by Sunday 20 January to enter.

On Wednesday 3 November, we held an event to train young people how to give emergency first aid to a stabbing victim. On average it takes eight minutes for an ambulance to reach a victim of a stabbing in the street, and what happens in those eight minutes can mean the difference between life and death. The event was organised in collaboration with Susan Patterson, Reader at St Stephen’s South Dulwich, whose personal experience led her to pursue this. Susan writes:

“Last year a young man was stabbed and died outside my flat. I was at home and didn't know what had happened. As a former nurse, I felt guilty that I hadn't been outside because I might have been able to help him by putting pressure on the wound until an ambulance came. It made me start thinking that learning how to deal with a stab wound is sadly a necessary life skill for all of us, and that this type of first aid training might be useful for young people. I looked for courses, asked friends working in youth work and prayed about it, but nothing happened.

Almost a year later we had a deanery synod meeting about mission across Dulwich. The next morning at work, I happened to be in a meeting with other charities, and Street Doctors gave a presentation. I had never heard of them, but their courses for young people were exactly what I had been praying for. I got in touch with them, Gill O'Neill, and Jay Colwill [Southwark Diocese], and it took off from there.”

Seven young people from two Deanery churches attended the course at St John’s, run by medical students who gave their own time to teach it. Those who attended found it enjoyable and informative. Zara commented: ‘Street Doctors was a really useful experience, I learnt so much and I am more confident with first aid now!’ Another participant, Feyin, said: ‘The training was very practical and relevant to what any student can experience on the way home from school.’

The key point of the course can be summed up as follows: if you encounter a person with a bleed injury: 1. call for an ambulance, 2. check your own safety, and 3. apply pressure to the wound. In the photograph above, these three steps were expanded into further measures to help save a life. On completing the session, the young people were proudly informed that they are now “Street Doctors”. Each received a certificate, and we shared refreshments.

The course was funded by Southwark Diocese’s Department of Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation and was the first one to be piloted in the Diocese, who are looking at supporting other parishes and deaneries to offer the course. We pray, of course, that no young person will be stabbed, and that our trained young people will never have to use their skills, but it is reassuring to know that some young people at least would know exactly what to do.

Emergency bleed kit installed on East Dulwich Road

Coincidentally, not long after we started to plan the Street Doctors event, an emergency bleed kit was installed outside the Tesco store on East Dulwich Road. This was the initiative of East Dulwich resident and radio DJ, Lisa Pearson, whose experience as a parent becoming increasingly aware of stabbing incidents has led her to want to do something to reduce the number of young people dying from catastrophic bleeding injuries.

Lisa got in touch with a bereaved parent, Lynne Baird, who set up the Daniel Baird Foundation in memory of her son, and who has launched a programme to install hundreds of emergency bleed kits across the UK. Lisa joined in this task, raised the money and worked with our local branch of Tesco and Southwark Council, to have an emergency bleed cabinet installed, as you can see in the photograph.

It is the first ‘community-based’ cabinet in the country - all of the others are installed in train stations. She is hoping to have cabinets installed in Peckham and Camberwell, and encourages donations to her GoFundMe page. Lisa’s dream is for children to have a childhood, and to not live in fear of violence on our streets.

Making room at the Inn
By Revd Gemma Birt

How can we as a church welcome and support people arriving from Hong Kong?
 
On 10 November I attended an online round table discussion organised jointly by the Church of England’s Committee For Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns (CMEAC) and The Teahouse (https://theteahouse.org/). The Teahouse is a support network of Chinese heritage clergy that I am a part of. The focus of the discussions and contributions was to explore how, we, as members of the Church of England, can welcome and help those who are moving to the UK from HK settle into their new lives here. 
 
It was a really encouraging and informative day, speakers and discussions partners provided insight on practical ways in which the church may be able to help, whilst honestly reflecting on the challenges facing people and in particular families who were arriving from Hong Kong. These challenges ranged from things like understanding how to open a bank account here, to the reality of racism and language barriers. I learned about an excellent website https://ukhk.org/ which provides links and information for those looking to settle here, as well as highlighting churches that have set themselves up to be “Hong Kong Ready”.
 
I was invited to and took part in a round table discussion with Revd Canon Andrew Zihni from Southwark Cathedral and Revd David Young from the Diocese of Leeds. During our discussions we reflected on our own experiences as people of Chinese heritage being welcomed in the Church of England. We also talked about the ways in which the church can help people experience a sense of tangible belonging through singing and music.
 
One of the really poignant themes that came out of the various talks and discussions was a desire to not repeat the mistakes of the past. In particular, many reflected on the gravity of mistakes that were made in the way in the Windrush generation were treated and there was a clear commitment to learn from these. Thus the importance of not being of “cold heart” to the people who are moving here on the invitation of the British government was emphasised by many contributors. There was also a real sense for the need of humility. Many spoke with honesty about how, even though we are seeking to learn from our mistakes, we must acknowledge that we will continue to make mistakes, and that the conversation on how we “welcome well” has a long way to go.
 
Much of what was discussed also centred around what a warm welcome means in practice. It is clear that this will vary depending on each context, each person and each encounter. We were asked to consider what we should be alert to, and this included recognising the sense of trauma and the sense of alienation that those who are moving here from Hong Kong may experience.  One speaker, Dr Calida Chu, explained the different ways in which East Asian families approach questions of mental health, arguing that this will have an impact on how churches may seek to support them pastorally. There were also a number of excellent academic talks about East Asian theology, racism and an examination of the challenges ahead through a post-colonial and feminist lens. 
 
If anyone would like more information, or value a conversation around any of the issues I have touched on, please do email me curate@stjohnseastdulwich.org. It would be good to talk with you!

The photo shows a traditional Lunar New Year fruit display, which is a sign of welcome in Chinese culture (Photo: Grace Young, Eating Well Magazine. 11.2.2021)
 

“It’s just not cricket!”
By Laura Howell-Williams

It is ironic that the recent revelations of racism by Azeem Rafiq (right) have shone a light on a sport which is traditionally associated with fairness and honourable behaviour. 

The experience of being called racist names and being excluded by his colleagues overshadowed his career, robbed him of his joy in the game and brought him close to taking his life. The pain was intensified because his friends and colleagues did not challenge it or defend him, and when he complained, managers dismissed the racist language as “banter” and not serious enough to take action.

While it is a shocking story, it is sadly not unique. More and more people from UKME groups are speaking out about similar experiences – describing the emotional harm caused by subtle as well as overt racism, and above all the struggle to be heard and for their hurt to be taken seriously. But as these stories continue to emerge it is clear that their voices must no longer be ignored or silenced.

The power of words
A starting point might be to consider the power of words. As a child my parents would often tell me “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” This was not helpful to a child feeling bullied and excluded, not least because the sufferer ends up feeling alone and powerless, and even somehow to blame for “letting” it upset them. We may think that the words we use to talk about people who are different from ourselves are not meant maliciously, but the impact on those experiencing it tells us something different.

Every time a person feels threatened or put down their body produces a hormone called cortisol, which causes a temporary rise in blood pressure and primes our bodies for flight or fight. Usually cortisol levels go down once the threat has passed, but repeated or prolonged stress can result in the levels of cortisol in someone’s body remaining high and leaving them in a constant state of “high alert” or low-level anxiety. Over time this has a corrosive effect on the body, which can result in conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

This is borne out by an increasing body of research, including from the US, which is showing that the stress of experiencing racism is causing illness and lowered life expectancy. The tools used to measure racism include questions about everyday encounters, such as “you receive poorer service in restaurants and shops”, “people act as though they are afraid of you”, and “people act as if you are not intelligent.” The cumulative effects of these experiences on the physical body have been described as “weathering”. A study by David Chae at the University of Maryland (2018) found evidence of accelerated ageing in Black men aged between 30 and 50 and concluded “our findings suggest that racism literally makes people old”, describing the harassment by the police, a lack of respect in the workplace and stereotyping as “social toxins”.

Poorer outcomes
Combined with this, there is evidence that the way Black people are treated by institutions can result in poorer outcomes – for example being over-represented in the legal justice system, school exclusions and mental health services, and under-represented in high-status sectors such as the Law and Finance. A lack of knowledge and awareness in parts of the health service of conditions affecting particular ethnic groups such as Sickle Cell disease can also result in indirect discrimination and harm.

However, these outcomes may not be the result of deliberate discrimination but may in part be due to unconscious beliefs and stereotypes. That is not to excuse unfair or unequal treatment but it gives us a pointer as to how things need to change.

Whatever our backgrounds we all have biases – some we know about and some are outside our conscious awareness. These come from our individual experiences and upbringing, and are further reinforced, for example by the media, and the influence of the group we belong to. Even people who have experienced discrimination can be biased against other groups. It is partly explained as an evolutionary feature which leads us to prefer people who are like us and to fear those who are different – which was originally part of our survival instinct.

The left hand side of our brains reacts quickly and intuitively to strangers and makes swift judgements about them. When we make an instant judgement our responses tend to be based on our pre-existing beliefs and stereotypes about their group, rather than to the individual person. To do that we need to employ the right hand (reasoning and analytic) side of the brain, which is able to override first impressions and snap judgements and to make more considered assessments based on facts rather than assumptions. The right brain may also want to know more before making a judgement, and may ask questions in order to get a better understanding of a person or situation. It takes more effort to override our instinctive responses but the more we become aware of our own particular biases the more we can try and look beyond them.

What can we do?
So what should those of us who have no personal experience of racism, do? And how can we all work together so that UKBM people feel more confident in speaking out and trust that they will be listened to, and that change will happen?
For a white person, one answer is to commit to becoming an ally. During World War Two many member countries of the British Commonwealth and the United States sent forces to Europe to help defeat the common enemies of Nazism and fascism. In simple terms, allies stand up for their friends and join forces to overcome evil. [Sadly the contributions and sacrifices of our Commonwealth allies have not always been fully appreciated and recognised].

But being an ally does not always require heroic gestures – sometimes it is enough to speak up instead of staying silent when someone makes a racist comment or acts in a discriminatory way. The former basketball player, psychologist John Ameachi puts this very well in a YouTube video Not-racist v anti-racist: what’s the difference? - BBC Bitesize

A manager or CEO who makes it clear to all staff that they will not tolerate racism in the work place, puts in structures that allow people to speak out and acts on their concerns, is another example of an ally. Listening, asking questions and trying to understand, leading by example and being willing to stand aside or share power can result in shifts in behaviours within the organisation and ultimately change the way people think and behave. For example, having able-bodied allies helped disability rights campaigners to achieve greater access to buildings and public transport for disabled people. It means being willing to share resources more fairly in order to create a more equal society.

There is a greater chance of change when groups join together and put pressure on those in power, as demonstrated by the eventual ending of the apartheid system. Since the murder of George Floyd more and more people have become aware of the deep injustices which people of colour continue to suffer, and want to do more to help bring about change. At St John’s the PCC has adopted Southwark’s Anti-Racism Charter and members attended a workshop in September called Becoming Allies. As a result it has formulated a list of intentions aimed at increasing inclusion, representation and diversity in positions of leadership in the church, and will be measuring its performance against these objectives.

If you are interested in learning more about ways of overcoming unconscious bias and becoming an ally, St John’s will be running the workshop again in 2022 and all members of the congregation will be welcome to join. Also, the books which were on display during Black History Month will also shortly be available as part of a Black History library at St John's.
 

The Goose Green story - Preparation for war
By Christine Camplin
 
Herbert Frank Bishop (1904-1963) was instituted as the Vicar of St John’s on 12 September 1939. He moved into a new vicarage: the PCC sold 35 East Dulwich Road that year and purchased 62 East Dulwich Road (Walnut Tree Villa) opposite the church. It is still the Vicarage today.
 
St John’s Schools were evacuated to Bookham, near Dorking in Surrey, on 1 September 1939 and war declared on 3 September; changes were soon obvious locally.
 
A parish without any children is a strange affair, yet that is what I found when instituted as Vicar of St. John's on September 12th, 1939. It was the first big evacuation of the war. But it was the "phoney" period of the war and the children soon began to return and were such a problem till some teachers were allowed back, that every morning we organised a service in the church for them, followed by games in the hall in Crystal Palace Road. We gradually got Sunday Schools and organisations going again and then with the blitz, in September, 1940, came the second evacuation. In 1941 they began to come back again and by 1942, everything was going strong. In 1944, came the Flying Bombs and the third evacuation. Such was children's work during the war. **

The wartime evacuation of London’s children is often thought of as a single tidy event, but it meant years of change and uncertainty, family separation and educational disruption. Schools had to adapt to constantly changing numbers and some reopened as “emergency schools”. Early in 1940 Revd Frank  arranged for the premises in North Cross Road to reopen - the first schools in Dulwich to do so.
 
We all know that our School premises are not as commodious as some. The result was that, unlike our neighbouring Council Schools, they were not large enough for any of the Civil Defence Services—so were able to fulfil their function as a school, and in that respect prove of the greatest service to the neighbourhood. It was only during the height of the three evacuation periods that they ever had a vacant place. **
 
The British Government had set up an Air Raid Precautions Committee as early as May 1924. Camberwell now took over buildings for civil defence, organised ARP wardens and emergency services and provided air raid shelters. From 1938 domestic shelters were distributed in kit form. The Anderson shelter, formed of curved, corrugated iron panels, was half buried in the garden and held up to six people. The indoor Morrison shelter was a smaller 3/8" thick steel cage which doubled as a table during the day. Neither provided much protection against a direct hit - but then nor did many of the public shelters, as shown in the previous episode of our story (The Gander, November).
 
The Council built small brick and concrete surface shelters for community use; the underground air raid shelters on the northwest part of Peckham Rye in 1939 accommodated up to 672 people.
 
The blitz brought about shelter life, and throughout the whole of that period and later in that of the flying bombs, we used to visit every surface shelter each night and have prayers. This seemed to be appreciated, and if any shelter was missed one night, we heard about it the next. **
 
Anti-aircraft guns at Peckham Rye targeted low-flying aircraft while the London balloon barrage forced others high enough to be fought by RAF fighters. These huge balloons were brought on winch lorries from the squadron base at Forest Hill and inflated from hydrogen cylinders. A balloon was tethered in The Gardens (pictured, right) and a nondescript brick hut served as a dormitory for the men operating it. The “balloon hut” had a six-inch reinforced concrete roof through which a periscope was attached.
 
As in the First World War, community buildings were put to new uses. Dulwich Grove URC Church Hall was requisitioned by the Council as a “rest and refreshment centre” for those bombed out of their homes. When it was damaged in October 1940 the Constitutional Club was used. St Francis Hospital was also used as a reception centre. It was hit by a flying bomb in 1944 demolishing the boiler house and the children’s block but fortunately without fatalities. Dulwich Hospital treated local civilian air-raid casualties but its buildings did not receive a direct hit. Dulwich Baths became a First Aid post and water in the pool was used by the Fire Brigade.
 
And from 1943 on Peckham Rye there was even a camp housing Italian prisoners of war.
 
Frank Bishop remained at St John’s for the remainder of the war. On 8 May 8 1945, the War in Europe ended.

Soon after, the Bishop said he wanted me to come to St. Giles', Camberwell. My incumbency had lasted 'for the duration,' and exactly covered the six war years. **
 
Source
** Revd Frank Bishop in: A History of the Parish of St John the Evangelist, East Dulwich, 1865-1951 by W.J.A. Hahn
 

Profile: Jim Nurton
In this month's profile, Jim talks about what's involved in being a churchwarden.

What brought you to St John’s?
I moved to London in 1996 after finishing university. For several years, I lived in the East End – Bethnal Green, Stepney and then the Isle of Dogs. I used to go to a lovely church in Stepney called St Dunstan’s and All Saints. At the time, Revd Christopher Chessun (now the Bishop of Southwark) was the Rector of St Dunstan’s and Rt Revd John Sentamu was the Bishop of Stepney. I made lots of friends there and several of us have kept in touch.

I moved to Bellenden Road in Peckham in 2003, and started going to St John’s regularly a few years later. I can remember my first two visits to St John’s: one was to a history talk by the Peckham Society and one was a concert given by my wife’s then flute teacher. We’ve lived in Nunhead since 2012.

When did you become churchwarden?
Julie and I were elected as churchwardens in 2017. Before that, I had been deputy churchwarden for a couple of years and also did a few other things, such as being a sidesperson, helping operate the sound system on Sundays and co-leading St John’s participation in the Robes Project. I had also done two terms on the PCC.

When are you going to step down?
I’ll be stepping down on 15^th May 2022. My intention was to do the role for three years, but as we all know the past year has been very unusual so it made sense to carry on for a fourth year. However, I think now is the time to move on. Luckily, Julie plans to stand again so there will be some continuity.

What does being churchwarden involve?
Lots of things! There’s a book called Practical Church Management which summarises it as “management, maintenance and ministry”. It depends a lot on the individual, on other people, and on what’s happening at any particular time. For example, since the beginning of last year we’ve done a lot of work trying to keep the church safe and accessible during the pandemic – something no one would have predicted in 2019.

Quite a lot of the work involves ensuring the building, contents, and churchyard are kept safe and in good condition. As you can imagine, we have lots of keys! We are responsible for the terrier – not a dog but a list of all the property owned by the church. This has to be kept up to date and is normally inspected annually by the Archdeacon. We also record certain numbers about attendance – that’s why you might see us walking round the church counting the number of people.

Another important part of the role is listening to people’s concerns or suggestions and if appropriate sharing them with anyone who can help. We have a special responsibility to look out for the Vicar, so we regularly meet with Revd Gill and talk about everything that’s going on and coming up. We are also members of the Safeguarding Team.

Fortunately, we don’t do all this on your own. There are normally two churchwardens (sometimes, three) and I’m very lucky to have worked with Julie, who is indefatigable and thankfully very good at lots of things that I find tricky, such as doing Risk Assessments. We also work closely with the deputy wardens, Parish Administrator, Treasurer, Standing Committee and PCC members who all bring their own expertise and interests.

Is it true you have the power of arrest?
We do have a responsibility to ensure certain standards of behaviour in the church and churchyard, and to make sure that the church services are not disrupted. That could include making a citizen’s arrest but hopefully it would never come to that. I do remember a warden at St Dunstan’s discreetly escorting someone outside during a service once though!

I think this role reflects the long history of churchwardens: they date back to the 13^th century, so are one of the oldest elected positions in the country. And the wardens are elected at the Annual Parish Meeting, which is open not just to all those on the electoral role but to everyone in the parish – so in a sense we’re representing everyone who lives here, whether or not they come to church.

As many of you will know, the churchwardens each have a stave, which is sometimes called a wand – it doesn’t give us any Harry Potter-style powers unfortunately, but it was historically used to help keep the peace and also apparently to wake up anyone who was sleeping during the service! Christine Camplin sent me this article about wands which tells you more: https://allsaintswhitby.org/historical-notes-queries-a-word-about-wands

At St John’s we only process with the wands very occasionally, usually when a Bishop is visiting. There are two chairs in the church that have clips to attach the wands to – see if you can spot them next time you’re there.

How will the next warden be chosen?
Anyone can stand for election at the next Annual Parish Meeting, which is on 15^th May. Whoever is elected is then normally admitted to office by the Bishop or Archdeacon at a service in the Cathedral; however, since the pandemic admission has been done by the parish priest instead.

The diocese normally provides some training for new churchwardens, and there is also a lot of support available for some of the specialist tasks we may have to do, such as applying for “faculties” to do work on the building.

I would encourage anyone who is interested in finding out more to speak to Revd Gill in the first place. They can also talk to me or Julie. We’re also lucky to have lots of former wardens at St John’s, and I’m sure they would be happy to talk to you.

It’s an important role and a way that you can make a real difference to the church. It’s also a great way to get to know more people in the parish, and to learn how things work. It’s true it can be quite a big commitment – there are quite a lot of meetings in addition to coming to church on Sundays. But we’re lucky to have a lot of experienced and enthusiastic people at St John’s, so to some extent you can focus on those things that are of most interest to you and delegate other things to members of the PCC, the deputy wardens Gill and Joy, or another volunteer.

What will you be doing after stepping down?
I won’t be going anywhere, and will continue to help at St John’s in any way I can. As many people know, one of the big projects we’re working on is improving the Goose Green Centre toilet facilities. I’ve been quite involved in drawing up the plans, liaising with the architects, etc and we’ve just been granted the faculty so we can press ahead with fundraising in the new year. Hopefully we can make real progress with this in 2022.

Outside of St John’s, stepping down will hopefully give me a bit more time to spend at home with my wife Becky, who’s been very tolerant of me being a churchwarden especially as she’s an atheist!
COVID regulations permitting, we hope to be able to see more of our nieces and nephews, and maybe also get away for a few weekends. We enjoy walking and wine tasting and managed to combine both of those activities on holidays in places such as New Zealand and South Africa before the lockdown. Our next aim is to travel to South America but that may have to wait a couple of years...
 

It feels the time of year for party food, even if just for a quiet party among family at home. We can plan to enjoy Christmas whatever uncertainties Covid might bring!
 
Cheese straws
By Miranda Wightman
 
These are quick and easy to make and are nice to have with a drink if you are entertaining over Christmas.

I think I got the recipe originally from BBC Food but have adapted it a little
The recipe makes a good number and are best eaten on the day you make them though last for a couple of days in an airtight tin
 
Ingredients
375g plain flour
pinch salt
175g butter
50g lard or Trex to make them suitable for vegetarians
150g mature cheddar, grated
50g grated parmesan
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1 egg

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190C/Gas 5
2. Sift the flour, salt, paprika and mustard powder into a bowl
3. Grate the butter and fat into the bowl, I find this makes it easier to rub in, so the flour and fat resemble breadcrumbs
4. Stir in the cheeses
5. Stir in the beaten egg and 4-5 tablespoons of cold water to make a firm dough
6. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
7. Roll out the dough to a thickness of a £2 coin. Cut into straws about a 1cm wide and transfer onto a lined baking sheet.
8. Bake for 10-15 mins until crisp

Tricolore salad on a stick
By Sue O’Neill

If you want to make a simple yet appealing offering for your party you could try this simple recipe. It was invented when someone who really likes traditional tricolore salad was disappointed to hear it wouldn’t be on offer at a finger-food buffet. Putting it on a stick solved the problem!

Ingredients
Approx 25 – 30 cocktail sticks
1 large ripe avocado
Approx 200g Mozzarella (Italian)
Approx 200g cherry tomatoes
A little virgin olive oil to drizzle
Balsamic vinegar to drizzle
Salt and pepper
 
Method
Cut the Mozzarella cheese and avocado in to approximately 1.5cm cubes. These need not be exact and you can of course vary to taste. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, accoss rather than lengthways.

Put one of each on each cocktail stick. It seems to work best if you put the tomato on the end as it helps hold on the other pieces. Arrange on a plate as you make them, then when all are made drizzle them with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with a little salt and some black pepper.

I keep these covered in the fridge until serving.

There never seem to be any left after a party!
 
Super easy smoked salmon pâté
By Christine Camplin
 
Ingredients
200g smoked salmon trimmings
180g soft cheese (ie. 1 carton of Philadelphia or supermarket own brand)
1 tbsp lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper
 
Method
Put the salmon, cream cheese, lemon juice and black pepper in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Transfer to a serving bowl.
Sprinkle with paprika pepper if desired.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 week.
 

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