The last week or so has been turbulent and troubled, by any standards. The world may still be revolving on its access, the word seismic has been overworked, but it definitely feels a little wobbly - like an old fashioned spinning top that is losing momentum.
A referendum was called to ask the man in the street (RIP Sid Vicious) to make a judgement on something that he/she was far from qualified to do and the resulting bitter campaigning and final outcome rocked the establishment that set the ball rolling.
We now have a governing party whose leader has stepped down, and with a backbiting contest to find a successor.
Meanwhile the Opposition are led by someone who claims to have the backing of tens of thousands of party supporters, but who cannot fill his own front bench.
Throw the English football team's dismal performance in the Euros into the mix alongside the nosediving pound and you may feel like pulling the duvet over your head and waiting for Christmas.
I was about to add that nobody died, but of course, that's not true. We must not forget the senseless murder of the MP, Jo Cox admired and respected across the political divide.
Of course, things could be worse, we are not at war and the sky has not fallen in, so let's look for reasons to be cheerful.
The Welsh football team have put in their greatest performance since 1958, when a young player called Pele put paid to their progress.
All credit to the whole team - many said before the tournament that it was Gareth Bale and 10 other blokes heading to France, but those 10 blokes have more than proved themselves. As have the Welsh fans, who have conducted themselves admirably and of course, proved to be the best singers there.
And whilst they beat England, you have to cheer on the Icelandic team, drawn from a nation of just over 350,000 people.
What I'd give for a Wales v Iceland final :-)
As for the Netherton crew, last month, we were fortunate to have been invited to the official opening of Finnebrogue's new facility in Downpatrick, just outside Belfast, where the guest of honour, ceremonially cutting a string of sausages, was Arlene Foster, First Minister of Northern Ireland.
This is a remarkable success story and we are delighted to be associated with some of the team who made this happen.
We love owner Denis Lynn's philosophy:
Offer something truly different and unique. Really understand your competition and work out how to do it better.
Once you know how to do it better, then sell the story. Nobody will buy your products unless you can articulate your unique selling points.
Deliver both margin and volume. Avoid getting into the commodity trap by selling cheap basic products at low margins just to get volume through the factory.
Never Stop. Innovation is continual. Keep working on the next big thing and put as much energy into long-term as short-term.
Get a reality check: It is easy to get caught up in the world of innovation and product development, but unless you connect back to the real world, and the customer, then you can drift off course. Listen to the customer.
Don't innovate for innovation's sake. Ask good questions and listen to real people.
He has followed his own advice to create truly wonderful products and we believe that our aims are the same.
We came away from the launch with a sackful of their top quality sausages, with which to create some new dishes.
This caused much amusement when our rucksack passed through the scanner at Belfast Airport - how many sausages!!!!!
In the interests of national harmony, I have used our English pan to cook Northern Irish sausages, made with Welsh Cheddar to produce a hybrid of two of my favourite comfort foods; shepherd's pie and bangers and mash. Because this is made with pork, rather than lamb I have named it the Swineherd's Pie.
2 onions, peeled and chopped
1 apple, cored and chopped - no need to peel it
1 pack of Asda Extra Special Pork, Welsh Cheddar and spring onion sausages
300ml dry cider
4 medium potatoes
100g strong cheddar cheese.
Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC
Put 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil into an ovensafe frying pan and put on a medium heat.
Once the oil is warm, add the chopped onions and cook gently for 5 minutes.
Chuck in the apple and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel the skin off the sausages and discard.
Once the onions start to take on a little colour, put the sausages into the frying pan and break them up with a wooden spoon.
Cook for around 5 minutes.
Pour over the cider and simmer for 20 minutes.
While the sausage mix is cooking, peel and chop the potatoes and boil until soft.
Drain and place back on a low heat to drive off any residual moisture.
Crush with a potato masher or fork - this is not going to be a smooth mash, so don't overdo it.
Stir in the cheese.
Pile the potato mix on top of the sausages and place the pan into the oven for 20 - 30 minutes, until the top is golden.
Pour yourself a glass of cider and tuck in!
© Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2016
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