The Tingle Factor Box

They Must Have Gone Blind - Candle Holder and Snuffer

Imagine, you are living in the late 1700s and it is dark. Even though you are a lady of the upper classes, you still often go to bed with the sun. After all, there is little to do when the sun goes down, and little light to do it by. Sometimes you do a little sewing, or read a little, but candle light makes your eyes ache, and it's bad enough during the day when the sun shines through the windows.

Roaming Roy Gets All Fired Up - Sydney Park

In the last week or two, Roy has had an exciting time with his cousin Toby who had been visiting from Perth. With a child to spend time with, Roy thought it was an excellent time to go exploring various sites around Sydney which he had been meaning to get to. One of these places, Sydney Park in Alexandria was a place which Roy had been particularly wanting to visit, not only because it had a really interesting history, but because it had an awesome playground too. With Toby here, it was a place which just had to be explored.

Roy Creates A Finger-Knitted Snake Toy

This week, Roy has been doing lots of finger-knitting. Some of his friends have been learning how to finger-knit, and now they are hoping for some ideas for what to do with their long strings of knitted wool. Roy has had a bit of a play and discovered that you can make a cool snake with some finger-knitting and a bit of felt. He made a couple of little snakes then decided to 'supersize' the project, and came up with a huge snake which could be used as a draught excluder to stop wind coming under the door. His friends loved the snakes so much that they asked him to show them how to make one of their own, so this week, Roy Creates Finger-Knitted Snakes.

So They Are Poisonous? Cough Medicines

Imagine, you are a child living in the early 1900s and you are sick. You have a terrible cough and a sore throat which feels like it's on fire. Mum has tried various things, like lemon juice on a sugar cube, but today she bought some lozengers for you to suck which promise to make your sore throat go away quickly. You aren't sure what some of the ingredients in them are (and think perhaps you don't want to know) but if they work, you will be happy!

Roaming Roy Goes Fossil Hunting - The Skillion

One of Roys favourite pastimes is heading out for an adventure, and one of his favourite places to explore is The Skillion at Terrigal (NSW). In fact, when his cousin Toby was visiting he insisted that a trip to The Skillion was very important. Terrigal is a place which Roy finds fascinating, not least because visiting often involves eating fish and chips on the beach. The real reason though is that Roy loves fossils. The way that fossils just emerge out of rocks, and the anticipation of finding out if anything is inside the rock is something we both enjoy and a visit to Terrigal is never complete without trying our luck finding a fossil or two at The Skillion.

Roy Creates Curried Sausages

This week, with the weather getting quite cold and frosty, Roy decided it was time to show you how to create a few favourite, old fashioned winter warmers. Winter has always traditionally been a time of thick soups and stews, hot pasta bakes and roasts, yet so many of his friends don't realise that to make these meals, you don't need a packet of flavouring, a bottle of sauce or a special type of bag to cook it in. This week, Roy thought he would begin with one of the all time favourites, so this week, Roy Creates Curried Sausages.

But . . . That's Wrong - Victorian Boys Breeching Suit

Imagine, you are a small boy living in Victorian England. Tomorrow you will be five years old and then, you will begin the process of being breeched. You aren't sure whether to look forward to it, or be frightened! Up until now, you have worn the loose clothing of young children, but tomorrow, you will be wearing your first pants. It's a bit scary!

Roaming Roy Finds Signs Of The Past - Portland Signs

This week, Roy has decided it is time to visit a place which he has found fascinating ever since he first stopped by a few years ago. Portland is a place which for a long time has been bypassed by tourists heading across the mountains towards the Central West. Roy thinks this is a real shame though, because anyone who doesn't stop by misses out on seeing what Roy thinks of as 'Portlands Open Air Historic Art Gallery' - the amazing painted avertising signs dotted around the town. There are many other things to see around Portland, and Roy will revisit to show you some more another time!

Roy Creates Macaroni Cheese

This week, Roy decided that it was time to show his friends how to cook macaroni cheese, from scratch. He was horrified to learn that so many people use jars of sauce to make macaroni cheese today, or use commercial varieties, and thought it was really important to show everybody just how easy it is to actually make this dish. His macaroni and cheese is the delux version, with some bacon, garlic and onion added for extra flavour, but you can easily leave these out! So this week, Roy Creates Macaroni Cheese.

That's Just Stupid - Smelling Salts

Imagine, you are a woman living in the 1800s. You have to wear a corset and sometimes it feels so tight that it seems like you can't breathe. These are the terrible times, times when the world becomes blurry and you feel like you are falling. Sometimes, if you are lucky, you can feel that an attack is coming on and quietly take a sniff from your bottle of salts, but occasionally, it is too late and someone else needs to administer them. How embarassing!