The Tingle Factor Box

Roaming Roy Finds A Little Piece Of China - Chang Lai Yuan Chinese Gardens

This week, Roy wanted to visit somewhere beautiful in the great outdoors. Roy loves the beautiful bush surrounds of his home and of course which are to be found elsewhere, but he also loves the more manicured beauty of carefully tended gardens. The question was, where to go. I reminded Roy that he had been meaning to visit the Chang Lai Yuan Chinese Gardens in Doonside for some time, and we decided this was the perfect opportunity to do so.

If you would like to visit the Chang Lai Yuan Chinese Gardens, they are located in the Nurragingy Reserve on Knot Road in Doonside, not far from Blacktown itself. The garden is located near the Currawong, Magpie and Ibis picnic areas in the park, and are a beautiful oasis with a stunning water feature and plenty of room to enjoy a picnic, a stroll or just relax and enjoy the view.

The Chang Lai Yuan Chinese Gardens are a beautiful place to spend time relaxing and soaking in the culture and history of Chinese garden style. The gardens were cooperatively designed, forging links between Blacktown City Council and the Liaocheng Municipal Government in China. Liaocheng, which is in the Shandong Province of China, is Blacktown’s sister city and the garden is a visible sign of their friendship and support. The name of the garden itself is very significant, being a combination of the old name for Liaocheng and the Chinese name for Blacktown. Before Liaocheng became known by its current name it was known as Dongchang while Blacktown, when translated into Chinese, is called Bu Lai Ke Cheng. The word Yuan means garden.

The garden features many of the traditional elements of Ming and Qing Dynasty gardens, and the architecture within the garden also reflects this era of design. The garden includes a stunning gateway, a beautiful seven arch bridge over the lake, a Light Mountain pavilion and a waterfall gazebo. Each of these features is essential to the overall design of the garden, and the significance of the various elements is clearly explained in Bilingual signs which are dotted around the garden.

Roy Creates Glorious Garibaldi’s

This week, Roy decided he wanted to try his hand at creating a type of biscuit which he has heard about several times, but never actually seen a recipe for. Roy has been fascinated by the idea of Garibaldi Biscuits since he noticed how often they feature in old English stories and when he noticed a recipe for the biscuits hiding in a tatty, thin recipe pamphlet he knew he would have to give them a go. The results were delicious and remarkably easy to make. Roy was unable to find out why they are called Garibaldi Biscuits, other than they are named after the famous Italian leader, but they are an English style biscuit - so he was left rather confused. They were delicious none-the-less though, so this week, Roy Creates Glorious Garibaldi’s.

You Will Need:

• 120 grams of self raising flour
• A pinch of salt
• 30 grams of butter
• 30 grams of castor sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons of milk
• Vanilla essence to taste
• 60 grams of currants
• Extra flour for rolling

Method:

• Line biscuit trays with baking paper and preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius
• Stir together the flour and salt

• Add the butter and rub in with the tips of your fingers (or a pastry cutter) until the mix looks like fine bread crumbs

• Stir in the sugar and a little vanilla essence
• Mix in the egg yolk and 1 and ½ tablespoons of the milk, making a stiff dough
• Generously flour a clean surface and roll the dough out to about 2 to 3 millimetres thick. Try to keep the dough in a roughly rectangular shape
• Cut the dough into two roughly equal pieces

• Sprinkle the currants over one half of the dough and press down
• Cover with the other half of the dough and press to seal

• Roll the dough, full of currants, out to approximately 2 or 3 millimetres thick
• Cut into squares about 5 centimetres by 5 centimetres and transfer to the baking trays (leave a little room between the biscuits to allow them to rise and spread)

• Score each square, deeply, on the diagonal (this will allow you to snap the biscuits into two pieces when they are cooked)
• Brush the biscuits with the remaining milk
• Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden and delicious smelling
• Cool and store in an airtight container
• Enjoy!

It's So Beautiful! Marcasite Earrings

Imagine you are a stylish lady living in the 1930s. You are almost ready to go out for a night on the town, but first you really must put the finishing touches to your outfit. Jewellery is, of course, something which you simply must wear, and you have a splendid new set of marcasite  which will be ideal. You are constantly amazed by the variety and intricacy of the marcasite jewellery which is available today!

When I showed the children these marcasite earrings, they thought they were just beautiful. The earrings had such intricate patterns and the ‘stones’, though old, continued to shine so brilliantly. The children at once assumed that they were tiny chips of some precious stone, and that the earrings must be very valuable and were amazed to discover that actually, it was essentially ‘costume jewellery’.

Many people associate marcasites jewellery very closely with the early to mid 20^th century, and particularly with the Art Deco movement. Yet marcasite has been used to create jewellery since ancient times, being popular with people ranging from the Ancient Greeks to the Incas. It wasn’t until the 18^th century that marcasite began to gain popularity in England though, and during the 1700s it became increasingly used for lockets, brooches and cameos. It was Queen Victoria who really brought it to a popularity boom though. After the death of her beloved husband, Queen Victoria went into a period of deep mourning. Marcasite, with it’s dark hued ‘stones’ set in silver toned metal (sometimes silver, sometimes not) was perfect and soon became popular with the middle classes. It continued to rise in popularity through the early 20^th century and during the Art Deco period was very common.

Although the children immediately assumed the tiny marcasites in the earrings were some sort of precious stone, marcasite is actually quite common, but what exactly is it? Marcasite is a type of iron disulphide. In nature, there are two ways in which iron disulphide can form crystals, one of which creates marcasites and the other of which creates pyrite, which is more commonly known as Fool’s Gold. Yet it isn’t the real marcasites which are used in marcasites jewellery as they are far too brittle. Instead, it is actually fool’s gold which creates the lustrous shine.

Roaming Roy Finds A Valley With A Beauty You Can't Better - Kangaroo Valley

This week, Roy decided he would like to head South for an enjoyable day out and about in some beautiful surrounds, and of course soaking in a little history. He thought about many different places which he could visit, but decided the Kangaroo Valley would be perfect. Many of his friends have heard of this place, but only a few have visited and Roy hopes that more might take the windy route through the valley, and soak in the beautiful scenery and fascinating history to discover.

If you would like to visit Kangaroo Valley it is located in the Illawarra, to the South of Sydney. To get there, follow Moss Vale Road which will lead you not only through the beautiful scenery of the area, but also through Kangaroo Valley township itself. There is plenty to see and do in the area, with the historic Hampden Bridge, plenty of cafes and shops to explore, and many bushwalks to discover. If you are feeling like it, you can even hire a canoe and paddle along the Kangaroo River!

Many of the early colonists to sight Kangaroo Valley apparently thought of the area as an Aboriginal paradise and indeed the area was well known to the Aboriginal Wodi-Wodi people who had occupied the valley for up to 20,000 years. Europeans did not come to the valley until comparatively recently, with surveyor and explorer George Evans being the first non-Indigenous man to see the valley in 1812. Evans stayed overnight on a local mountain (Mount Tapitallee) and was amazed by the beauty of the valley which he could see below. He is reputed to have said it offered a view which ‘no painter could beautify’. Permanent European colonists arrived in 1817 when Charles Throsby (an explorer) and Captain Richard Brooks began to open the area to white settlers. Soon the cutting down and exporting of timber from the rich forests around the valley, particularly of cedar, was a thriving trade.

Today, many who drive through the area around the Kangaroo Valley will notice the abundance of cows to be seen in paddocks along the road. Dairy farmers had moved into the valley by the mid 1840s. The dairy farmers of the valley specialised in making butter, because taking the more perishable dairy goods like milk on the treacherous journey out of the valley and to other settlements was very difficult. By the 1870s though, the area where the village itself is today was becoming the centre of activity in the valley. Many of the most prominent buildings in the village were built by 1910 and the village has changed little since then. You can still see the historic bridge, walk routes which are Aboriginal paths thousands of years old, and see the cattle which are such a part of local history. Yet there is one aspect of valley business which is long gone – moonshine. Once, the crystal clear water of the Kangaroo River was used for making a potent drink, but the last moonshiner, Grannie Humphries, died in 1932.

Roy Creates Aunty Neva’s Quick And Tasty Choc Almond Meringues

This week, Roy wanted to try out one of the recipes which his Auntie Neva had recently shared with him. Aunty Neva is an amazing cook and her recipes are not only absolutely scrumptious, but also very easy and quick to make. The question was, which recipe to make - so many delicious things to try, and so little time. He eventually settled on making her scrumptious looking ‘Quick Almond Meringues', and scrumptious they were indeed! So this week Roy Creates Aunty Neva’s Quick And Tasty Choc Almond Meringues.

You Will Need:

• 3 egg whites
• 1 cup of almond meal
• 1 cup of castor sugar
• 1 tablespoon of cocoa
• 3 drops of vanilla essence (or you could use almond if you wanted to increase the almond flavour – this is what Aunty Neva does)

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 190 degrees celcius and line patty cake trays with patty cases

• Beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks

• Slowly add the essence and sugar, continuing to beat all the time

• Add the almond meal and cocoa and beat

• Spoon into the paper patty cases
• Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through
• Cool and enjoy!
• These last well if stored in an airtight container - if they aren't all gobbled up!

It's Beautiful - Egyptian Revival Cigarette Case

Note: The author in no way endorses smoking. This post is purely focussed on the Egyptian revival style of the case.

Imagine you are living in the late 1920s. Your birthday is approaching and you hope the hints you have been dropping to your friends and families will have done the job. You would dearly love to be given some Egyptian style presents. Egypt is such a fascinating place and is the absolute height of fashion right now.

When I showed the children this cigarette case, they were fascinated by it. They were amazed by the detail and intricacy of the designs, and could easily identify the influence of Egypt in the decoration. They were highly disapproving of the use of the case (as one child put it ‘didn’t they know, smoking kills you, or at least makes bits of you fall off?’) but couldn’t deny the beauty of the decoration. Many thought it would be a lovely case for keeping something else in (and indeed, I use it for business cards).

When people think about Egyptian Revival, if they know what it is at all, they tend to think of the 1920s and 30s, and of the influence of Egypt on Art Deco design. It is true that after the discovery and opening of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 Egypt became increasingly ‘trendy’. In fact, Egyptian motifs and design ideas became an important part of modern culture and Art Deco Style, right up until the mid 1930s. Yet this was not the first time that ‘Egyptomania’ or Egyptian Revival style had become an important part of design history. In fact, Egyptian Revival is something of a recurring theme in design history.

The first wave of Egyptomania hit in the early 1800s, following Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign of 1798 and 1799. Artists, scientists and other experts flooded into Egypt to catalogue the amazing sights. Soon enough, the public became intrigued by and enamored of Egyptian art, and when the Rosetta Stone was translated in 1822 interest simply increased. Soon, Egyptian motifs and styles were influencing the production of all sorts of thing, but particularly architecture. In the 1870s another wave of Egyptian Revival hit, as people became interested in the exotic and other cultures. At this time the interest wasn’t just focused on Egypt, but also Japan and China, but Egyptian motifs became common in decorative arts, furniture and even in jewellery. At the turn of the 20^th century, other decorative styles like Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau became the ‘in style’, but with the opening of King Tutankhamun’s tomb, Egyptomania raged again, and although the fashion has waned somewhat, Egypt is yet to go completely out of style!

Roaming Roy Finds A Place Of Folly - Folly Point

This week, Roy decided to spend some time out and about, exploring a few of the fascinating places to be discovered in Sydney. Roy loves exploring Sydney because there always seems to be something to be discovered and when he visited Folly Point, he found this area was no different. Not only is Folly Point a fascinating place, but from the point you can even spot some shipwrecks!

If you would like to visit Folly Point, it is located in Cammeray, North Sydney on the North Shore of Sydney Harbour. To get there take Cammeray Road and continue along the road essentially until you run out of road – this is Folly point. From here you can explore the small parkland area on the point, and from a little further up the road, you can gaze across to Salt Pan Creek where the wrecks of two ships can be seen.

Folly Point has an intriguing history, though nobody is entirely sure what the origins of the name ‘Folly Point’ are. In fact, the exact location of Folly Point has even moved, with early maps actually marking Folly Point as the small peninsula in Primrose Park! By the 1880s though Folly Point was located where we know it today and was a perfect waterfront location for boatsheds and the various associated services like tea rooms. In the 1890s though, Depression struck and Folly Point became home to hundreds of out of work men and their families living rough in basic shacks and tents. ‘Tin Town’ as the settlement became known grew up in the bush surrounding Folly Point and was actually still in existence during the 1930s Depression, when the population of the shanty town again grew.

Folly Point itself is not the only attraction in the area though as it is from slightly further up the road that you can gaze into Salt Pan Creek. Once, Salt Pan Creek was actually known as Old Shipwreck Bay, hinting at what lies on the sand flats – ship wrecks. A number of ships found their final resting place in the bay, though there is one which is the most visible, the Barque Italia. Italia was actually in Newcastle when disaster struck. In 1906, the boat caught fire and eventually exploded, and the remaining hulk was towed to Sydney and abandoned in Salt Pan Creek. Another ship which was visible when Roy visited, but is apparently difficult to see at higher tides, is the Coraki which was abandoned on the mudflats in 1946, after serving the country in the Second World War. There are apparently more wrecks within the creek, but they are not so easy to spot!

Roy Creates Aunty Jills 'Apple Kuchen' Slice

This week, Roy decided he would like to try out a recipe which his Aunty Jill had shared with him. He knew it was a popular slice which many of his friends loved, but he had never made it himself. He thought he should remedy this situation and share the quick and easy, but delicious, cake. The results were not only delicious, but Roy was amazed by how quick and easy the cake was to make. Indeed, so good were the results that Roy forgot to take a photo before it was all gobbled up! So this week, Roy Creates Aunty Jills 'Apple Kuchen' Slice.

You Will Need:

• 1 packet of plain butter cake mix
• 125 grams of butter or margarine
• ½ a cup of dessicated coconut
• 1 large tin of pie apples (about 825 grams)
• A generous ¼ of a cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 300 millilitres of sour cream
• 1 egg

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius and line a lamington tray with baking paper
• Mix together the coconut and cake mix

• Melt the butter and mix into the cake mix and coconut.

• Transfer the mix into the tin and press down firmly
• Mash the apples slightly (if needed) and spread over the cake mix

• Mix together the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over the apple mix, reserving about 1 tablespoon of the mix for later.
• Mix together the sour cream and egg

• Pour over the top of the apples
• Bake for 30 minutes or until set and cooked through
• Sprinkle reserved cinnamon and sugar over the cake
• Allow to cool completely in the tin.
• Serve and enjoy!

They're Just Flags - Flag Card Collection

Imagine you are a child living in the 1940s. You are eagerly awaiting your father, hoping he will bring the newspaper home with him. Recently, they have been publishing a series of flags, and you have carefully cut each out and pasted it into a special book. Flags are fascinating things, full of meaning and symbolism and you are constantly amazed by how many different flags there are around the world. You wonder which country’s flag you will be able to add to your collection this week.

When I showed the children this book of flags, carefully cut from newspapers and pasted onto the black pages, they wondered why anybody would have bothered. ‘They’re just flags’ as one child pointed out. They had never really thought about the history of flags, or about the symbolism which every flag is made up of and were amazed to think about this hidden dimension.

Flags have an amazing history, dating back over 4000 years though these early flags were certainly not like those we recognise today. One of the earliest we know of was made in about 3000 BC and comes from Iran, but it isn’t made of material, but of metal. We know about other flags from their appearance on Roman and Greek coins and even from decorations in Egyptian tombs. Many of the earliest flags were what are known as vexilloids which are poles with carvings on the top. Then, about 2000 years ago people began to add material and fabric to the carved centrepiece of the vexilloid and the flag as we now know it began to appear. Most countries today have at least one flag, but flags are not only associated with countries. Some flags are used to send messages (such as the white flag symbolising surrender) while others have been used in battle to help soldiers identify their friends and enemies. Other flags still are associated with a club or group.

So what exactly is a flag? A flag is a visual way to provide information and today are most often made of fabric. They are an incredibly complex mix of symbols, and in fact every element of every flag has been carefully thought about and decided upon, from the colours used to the number of points on a star. Designing a flag is a very important job and the flag designer has to think about how to convey the message in the best possible way with the smallest amount of writing and symbolism. Of course, some flags become very famous because of what, or who, they symbolise. For example, the Jolly Roger, associated with Pirates, is one which struck fear into the hearts of those who saw it, but there was more symbolism built into the flag than simply the association with pirates. For example, the use of the colour black symbolised that pirates would show no mercy to people who resisted them.

Rover Finds A Fabulous Factory - Wyong Milk Factory

This week, Roy was looking to have a day out and about, not too far from home, but in an area where he could enjoy great food, great scenery and of course, some history too. I suggested heading up the coast to Wyong and checking out the Wyong Milk Factory. One of Roys friends had visited and told him it was a wonderful place, so he thought it would be perfect.

If you would like to visit the Wyong Milk Factory, it is located in Wyong, not far from Gosford on the NSW Central Coast. The Milk Factory is at 141-155 Alison Road, and is not only easy to find, but has plenty of parking. There is a cafe, a fabulous playground, and interesting shops to visit (including Little Creek Cheese Factory and Luka Chocolate Shop) as well as a gym and boats for hire.

The Wyong Milk Factory dates back over 100 years. Wyong itself was established in 1888, taking advantage of the Sydney to Newcastle railway and it wasn’t long before people were farming in the area. By 1907 there were over 50 local farmers and 56 of them worked together to create a Co-op. They established a butter factory which at the time was a simple structure with a boiler room, engine room, butter working room, cool room, testing room, office and store room. There was no provision for milk – the factory was purely for making butter in these early years. The factory was an important hub of local industry though and employed a number of local people. Over time it gradually evolved, becoming not just a butter making facility, but a complete milk factory, where milk was bottled for market.

Then, in 1921, disaster struck. The entire factory was burned to the ground in less than two hours and the fire was so fierce that it is said that exploding butter could be seen and heard up to 10 kilometres away! That wasn’t the end of the factory though and from the ruins the co-op, now made up of over 200 dairy farmers, rebuilt a bigger, better equipped and more modern milk factory. In 1938  a fodder store was added, allowing the farmers to buy food for their animals at the factory itself and in 1946 the factory was extended, allowing it to process and sell still more milk and butter. In 1953, by which time the factory had turned its focus completely to milk, ceasing production of butter entirely, a bottling machine was added and in 1959 the factory began to use refrigerated tankers to collect the milk from the various farms. The factory finally closed in 1994 but today the site has been restored, rejuvenated and reopened to the public.