A plastic Jock speaks.

I have been lying awake for the past hour thinking about the independence referendum and feeling the need to throw my tuppence worth into the debate.  For months I have watched as friends on both camps (although mostly the Yes team) have posted links, articles and comments about Scotland's future and I have kept my head below the parapet, not wanting to stir up anger and risk friendships, but it occurred to me in the wee small hours of the morning that this fear is what sums up the whole problem with the debate.  I think there are probably more No's out there who, like me, would rather say nothing then come out and say they actually quite like being a part of the UK. So, sod it, here's what I think.

First of all let me state that I was born in England and am about to miss the vote because my family have moved to Abu Dhabi (ironically to find work as economic migrants, in a small oil rich country so we can one day dream of paying off our Scottish debts and having a decent pension). That's the elephant in the room.  However, distance and difference gives perspective, so I don't think I should be excluded from holding forth, even if I can't vote next month. Although I was born south of the border, I have lived in Scotland for half my life and I love it. I love the landscape, the people, the cities, the culture, the humour, the food and drink, the whole shebang.  I have a Scottish husband, son, daughter, in-laws, degree and mortgage.  I have benefitted from the Scottish health service, education, political and legal system and think its brilliant.  I have bristled at every biased news report, weather forecast and sports commentary I have heard, and every ignorant London focused business meeting I have ever attended. In short, I think Scotland is an often overlooked and amazing country with an unparalleled heritage that I am immensely proud of and consider my home. But I truly believe that being part of the UK is a massive part of what makes our country as a whole so amazing.  

When I first moved to Scotland one of the things that astonished me was the need people seemed to have to draw boundaries between everything. North/south, East coast/west coast, Protestant/Catholic - at 18 it had not occurred to me that these things could or should be issues. I still feel the same. As an English girl who grew up on the Welsh border and has lived the majority of her adult life in Scotland I see myself as truly British and I want to stay that way.  I don't think I am the only plastic Jock who feels like this.  When I look at what is going on in the world around us I really can't see how creating more division can help. The UK is the most amazing example of what can be achieved and created when you embrace different nationalities and beliefs and work together. It is not perfect, and it got there the hard way, but it is a unique and wonderful thing.  Rather than rebuilding walls, we should be leading the way to show others how life can be better when you take them down.  That is the kind of world I want my son to grow up in. He is 6, and raised to be a proud Scot and an even prouder Brit.  I will always be outnumbered in my own home when Scotland, or anyone else, play England (in everything) but we will celebrate the things we do together with equal joy and pride.  I asked him last night whether he thought Scotland should stay part of the UK or be on its own and his response summed it up for me as only a child can: 'I think Scotland should stay because otherwise the Red Arrows will be much less colourful'.  It is our differences that make us special, let's embrace our crazy, patchwork, beautiful, colourful country and keep it together.

The Prime of Mrs Helen McGougan

Well, girls (and boys), this month the student has become the master and I have been let loose on the general public to share my love of all things breadlike & yogic. 

On 17th February I held the first Hels' Bakehouse bread course and taught 4 willing victims how to make their own Real Bread in the very chilly but lovely and brilliantly equipped kitchen at Killearn Village Hall.  I'm so used to baking from my sweltering home kitchen that it never occurred to me that a proper commercial kitchen might actually be cold! The next course will be at the end of March and focuses on Sourdough, a logistical exercise that will test my lesson planning skills to the max but it's going to be fun.

I was also invited to share my knowledge of running a micro bakery as a co-host on this months BreadChat on Twitter which was an hour of riotous fun with bread lovers across the world. Then, last but most definitely not least, I started my first official yoga classes as a qualified teacher with a new joint weekly class in the village as The Strathblane Yoga Club, an afternoon seasonal flow class at YogaJo's in Milngavie, and weekend workshops scheduled at Halo Pathways in Kirkintilloch.

This all fills me with a great deal of pride and an equal amount of fear as I try to fight down my very British sense of self-doubt at the absurdity of teaching others when I still have so much to learn myself.  Instead I am choosing to focus on the fact that actually I do know quite a lot, and that it is my passion for what I do and my love of sharing that with others which is most important and will hopefully shine through.

I remember I once had a conversation with a friend where they laughed at the idea of me ever becoming a teacher of anything. Not because I don't know my onions, but because in the past (and often in the present) I have not been known for displaying a massive amount of patience with others. Still, I have surprised myself over the last year with how much we can change if we really want to, and I'm hoping these new ventures will prove that point. After all I am, of course, a woman in my prime. 

Hels' Bakehouse Annual Review

So this week see's the first birthday of Hels' Bakehouse, and what a year it has been. I've baked over 1200 loaves and made an awful of a lot of granola in my little home oven. I've also made some great friends along the way. The high points include the Hot cross bun pop up shop, baking with the Strathblane Guides, the bread demonstration at Edenmill Food Festival, monthly fun at Killearn country market and spreading the Real Bread message of 'true loaf'' throughout the local community.  There have been lows too; realising I hadn't got enough ingredients at four in the morning (several times), nearly burning the house down when I fell asleep in a bread coma, attempting to bake sourdough in a heatwave...

It's all been great though. I've learnt a lot and I've loved every minute.

So what now?

Well, I'm taking a break from farmers markets for a little while and concentrating on getting more beauty sleep, indulging in my other passion for yoga through my alter ego of MLH Yoga, and passing on my love of baking to others with 'Bread courses from Hels'. The first 'Introduction to Bread Making' course runs on Monday 17th February at Killearn Village Hall, with a Sourdough course scheduled for the 31st March and Italian breads on the 28th April.  The Bread Club continues to be very popular, and I'll be working on some new recipes to keep my bread clubbers hungry for their weekly loaf, whilst bringing back some old favourites from the past year.  As part of my birthday celebrations I asked the bread club members to let me know what these were and promised to make some of them again over the next month. Here's the list so far:

Potato & Rosemary

Apple & cider

Fig & fennel

Chollah

Beer bread

Orange & mint

Sage & Onion

Malted brown

Rye & Raisin

Spelt & honey

Cheese & apple

Poppy seed

Looks like I am going to be busy, and I wouldn't have it any other way! Thanks to everyone for your support over the last year, it has been a pleasure baking for you.

Hels xx