Frank Family Butchers have not long been in Thirsk but have certainly made their mark, and not just because the doorway ‘dangles’ makes one feel that you  simply should make an entrance as though about to do a ‘turn’ on stage. The dangles are actually, to keep out flies and all flying beasts. Frankly, a very good idea, Mr Frank.

So sorry for the simply awful joke,  but, you see, I have tested one of their pork pies, which Simon Frank kindly pressed on me to try: crisp melt in the mouth pastry and simply stuffed with locally sourced pork, which has put me in a very good mood. They have a huge range of pies, indeed, a delicatessen of pies, a cornucopia even.

I also oven baked the  tempting Mozzella,Pickle and Beef Truffle. Had I been cooking for someone other than Dick, who I can’t hoodwink, I would have said I’d been slaving for hours in the kitchen, and I did hope he enjoyed it. Dick did enjoy it, knowing full well it was from Frank’s  range of prepared foods. At Christmas we had a rib of beef which  had the flavour that one remembers from long ago; well kept, high quality. The sausages… Well, go and have a look.

So who are Frank Family Butchers and where have they been all this time when they could have been in Thirsk for heavens sake? Seven generations ago John Mallory Frank decided to open a butcher’s shop that placed sustainability and animal welfare at the forefront of the business. With farming in the family this was something they could control. Soon the family were running 2 successful shops in Harrogate.

Steadily the succeeding generations continued the thread until thankfully Simon Frank set up in Thirsk. He runs the shop with his business partner Anna, and apprentice Tom. There is a huge choice in pies, sourced from a local baker, the usual cuts one expects at a butcher, but also prepared dishes, which one only needs to cook and pretend they are our own work. Dishes can also be prepared to order if a customer is having a ‘do’ or just wants a meal without effort. The quality of everything is superb, with all  produce obtained locally, including from Anna’s family farm.

Simon’s young sons are already helping in the background where they can, and loving it,  so Thirsk can be assured of a long running relationship. Frankly, (sorry again Simon) aren’t we lucky.

Frankfamilybutchers@outlook.com

Now Frost Magazine’s  Spotlight picks out A M Gardening

Long ago I had the pleasure of meeting a civil engineer whose work entailed designing roads. He maintained that the beauty of a road lies in its curves.  This of course, can be applied to quite a few things, but for me, as a passionate gardener it certainly transfers to flower beds. So I had great plans to extend my flower beds into curves, plant more cottage  garden plants, and Old English Roses, my passion. (Dick’s preserve is in the vegetable garden, which, he declared firmly, gives him more than enough to do with spring well into its stride, and ground to prepare). So, understanding that a nod’s as good as a wink,  I knew I had to remove the turf and then dig the bed extensions myself which was a step too far. What to do, what to do?

I always share my problems willy-nilly, and everyone I inflicted myself on suggested I try A M Gardening, a newbie on the block in Thirsk, but reasonably priced, pleasant and efficient. So along came Adam Maloney to suss out my needs. Apparently none of it was a problem. I explained that it was spring, and I needed it yesterday if I was to be able to get plants in, whinge, whinge, and lots of hand wringing.

Adam Maloney gave up his Bank Holiday Monday. First the turfs were removed, poste haste…  How can people do that back breaking work so quickly?  I just poke the spade at it, and feel my back is breaking, and have to go in for a rest. All turfs were off within 4 hours and taken to the tip, the pavement and paths swept.  Then the digging began, and oh, the roots …  for there had been old old hedges along my straight beds originally. So those had to be dealt with. Not a whinge or complaint from Adam.

Within another four hours it was finished.  Just like that, as Tommy Cooper used to say. All done, all cleaned up, ready for my part – the planting. The bill? Extraordinarily reasonable. For a newbie on the block you can’t beat A M Gardening, really you can’t.

Adam Maloney: 07470 363741

We have an amazing bundle from The Jojoba Company to giveaway. All you need to do is follow us on Twitter @frostmag and Retweet the competition. We have used the products from The Jojoba Company and they really work. Get entering now.

Polly, Margaret and Dick Graham’s Cavachon, was operated on recently by the wonderful Thirsk Veterinary Centre. She has a heart murmur and Margaret was tizzying because she just knew there was something else amiss with Polly. Lovely vet Isabella de Berardinis saw her and agreed.

‘Teeth’, was the verdict. Margaret secretly felt indignant because she diligently cleans Polly’s teeth, and also ashamed to have obviously failed in the brush brush brushetty brush procedure. But the plain fact was that there was at least one loose one at the front. Vet Anne Norton came into the consultation room to check Polly’s heart murmur. The two vets decided to take bloods on the day to check that she had the best chance possible. Gulp.

The day arrived. Polly was left with the team of vets and nurses, who were by now Margaret’s best friends, or so she felt. Polly was accompanied by Margaret’s sock, which goes with her if she has to separate from her pal, Rosie, and the grown ups, Margaret and Dick. Glory be, all went well but Polly lost more than one tooth, in fact rather a lot of the little rascals had to come out but in herself was fine.

Poor Isabella had been so worried – these vets and their team care, you see; their empathy, and committment is obvious and comforting, and we also have continuity of care; our pets see the same vets and nurses which is not always the case in other veterinary clinics. The receptionists are also ever helpful, especially Cathy who sorts out the insurance claims.

Off we toddled home, with Polly and her sock. Within days she was her old self, and tucking into her food, seemingly managing beautifully with fewer teeth. So much so,  and I whisper it in case she hears, I fear she must go on a diet.

But hang on, yet more exciting  news  just in from Thirsk Veterinary Centre:

Matt Smith, the vet, is joining Thirsk Veterinary Centre. Matt features on The Yorkshire Vet alongside Julian Norton – whose latest book  Adventures with a Yorkshire Vet: Lambing Time and Other Animal Tales  is delighting children everywhere – these are the winter tales. The summer tales are out soon, and Frost will report on this.

Matt seems to exude energy and has the same empathy that is inherent in ‘our’ vets (we animal parents are very possessive ) so everyone is absolutely delighted and excited.

Matt  will bring a wide experience and knowledge to the team, along with a passion for exotics. Steady, steady… not that sort of exotic, I mean exotic animals, birds and so on. It also seems Matt, and this is extremely important news, has another passion alongside  helping  our pets; he  LOVES custard creams everyone – just saying.

They will now be brought in by the sackful.

Lucky lucky Thirsk and surroundings. We so love our Thirsk Veterinary Centre and all the wonderful team.

Incidentally, Frost Magazine will be shining the Spotlight on another newbie to Thirsk in a day or two.

For more information:   Thirsk Veterinary Centre

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Joffe’s book of the week is a cracker, a  brand-new crime thriller from bestselling author David Hodges — WATCHER ON THE LEVELS, the latest thriller featuring detective Kate Hamblin, which is out now for the special launch price of just £0.99 | $0.99*.

Sunbathing on the beach in Mexico, detective Kate Hamblin receives a disturbing text message. Is someone watching her? Kate is relieved to escape the unwelcome attention and return home. But back in Somerset, she reaches into her coat pocket and finds a scrawled message: See You Soon, Kate.  Has her stalker followed her home . . . ? Now we chew our nails, get ready to turn the pages, quickly.

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NEWS

Don’t know about you, but I’d like to learn more about David Hodges …

So, let’s see if he can describe his novel in just three words. 

Game of death.

Which author would you most like to have dinner with?

Lee Child (for his Jack Reacher novels) or my old friend, the late Colin Dexter.

Who would you pick to play the main characters from your novels?

Rose Leslie (from Game of Thrones) as Kate Hamblin/Lewis and Brendan Gleeson (from Banshees of Inisherin) as Hayden Lewis.

I first watched Rose Leslie in Game of Thrones and immediately saw her as my key character, Kate, in the way she played the dynamic, sexy and forceful wilding, Ygritte. As such, she is the perfect fit for Kate.

Brendan Gleeson for the way he looked in Banshees of Inisherin — his untidy appearance and his moody, brooding nature — was Hayden to a T. The only slight issue would be his Irish accent, as Hayden is a posh, articulate character like Boris Johnson (on whom I originally based him).

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve had to research for a book?

Research into poisonous spiders (which I hate) for the novel Venom On The Levels. In particular, the Brazilian Wandering Spider was certainly interesting!

What are you currently reading and watching?

Reading = Agatha Christie’s Dead Man’s Folly.

Watching = Poirot on ITV3.

Of course there are many more wonderful novels available from Joffe Books. Find out more HERE

A short week at the CCA but a busy one, so let’s get started. Grinders removed the concrete from the external wall ready for the repointing.   At eight on the dot the lads arrived to re-point the wall. It’s a big one, so it wasn’t to be a quick job, but David and Chris set too as though “The Great Wall of Brady Square” was nothing. Then came the rain, so out came the plastic sheeting which needed to be held down with sandbags.

Dyno-Rod arrived to put the cameras down the drains, for a full survey, and all was well. They just need a good clean out. So the CCA are waiting for … another quote. So what’s new. 

JLA came to assess the electrical work which is yet to be completed, Richard, the CCA’s lovely surveyor met Gary from ACT, who popped in to tell CCA that the scaffolding is due to come down Monday next week. Marion is delighted, because now the windows can be cleaned, inside and out.

Blinds are being fitted Thursday of the coming week; and it really does seem as though everything is all starting to come together.Tthough, as with all such projects, there is still a little more to do. Wonderfully,  another delivery of hats for the Sea-farers arrived and the team is still in awe of the kindness of the  community.

Brian Mason, has been steadily working on the CCA’s new signage though it’s not quite ready, but the team is enormously grateful for the push, pull signs Brian has made and which are placed on the swing doors. In fact, Marion insisted to Margaret that Brian is a star. Heavens, high praise indeed. 

Cultural Creatives are starting their courses this week: ten weeks every Wednesday and an eight-week course every Thursday. The girls were amazed when they came in and saw how much progress had been made since their last visit.

Aimee and her dancers are taking the opportunity to get some extra practice in while on school holidays, and before Aimee jets off to Benidorm for a Hen Party. Benidorm, yes Benidorm. Margaret wonders if we should warn Benidorm. Marion told her not to be a party pooper. 

Phil and Dean are here to plaster the internal side of the door that was blocked up. It will be painted  when dry and then the CCA will have a  computer room up and running.

Marion and the team have quite a photographic gallery along the walls: framed photos of the many who have been involved in the project, with people strolling down the corridor to see who is up, and looking for themselves. As Marion said, ”Let’s hope we don’t offend anyone, it is not intentional, we are working through a multitude of pictures that bring happy memories of our journey together.’ 

Friday is the CCA’s free coffee morning with prize bingo, pies, cakes, cream scones and much more. ‘The chit chat is amazing,’ says Marion. ‘It is always a reminiscence session which we love, takes us back to childhood days in good old Brady Square, a bit of nostalgia, hide and seek until dark, conkers, penny sweets and picnics with jam butties and a bottle of water to share among us all. Happy days.’

Margaret and Dick turned up to join in the chat on Friday. Margaret had some photos of her mum, Annie Newsome, and her Uncle Stan and Auntie Isobel. One of which was of Uncle Stan in his arab headress. It was taken, Margaret thought, in the war when Stan was stationed in North Africa. ‘Mum always said she thought Stan imagined he looked like Peter O’Toole in Lawrence of Arabia! It always made her giggle. 

Margaret chatted to Geoff Millington, who initiated the original mural painted by the children of the then Biddick Primary School in 1983. Geoff (shown with the CCA print, hanging in the Brady Square Room) has promised to write the story of the mural in more detail and the CCA cannot wait. While chatting to Margaret, Geoff realised that sitting nearby was the mother of one of the children, so off the pair of them went, recapturing memories. Frost Magazine was thrilled to see the magic of the the Columbia Community Association in action. How hard the team have worked to reawaken the centre to provide a central meeting place. Applause please. 

Everyone clearly had a great time at the coffee morning, including Margaret and Dick who were thrilled to be back, and to be guzzling lemon drizzle cake. Such a shame they had to nip off before the bingo, with its fabulous boxes of Thorntons for the winners. Why? They had to snatch some fish n chips then dash home or two small dogs would sulk for eternity, as they would accuse ‘the grown ups’  of being away ‘forever’. Margaret and Dick will be back in a few weeks, to listen to memories of Brady Square, and try to gather them together to be kept at the CCA for all to read, and maybe others will add their own. How great that would be. 

Information: Columbia Community Association  Columbia uk Community Forum

Memories of Brady Square