Penelope Keith’s Apple Chutney

Who would have thought that Tom and Barbara Good’s neighbour, Margo, would make chutney?

Of course, I know that Margo is a character and Penelope is a real live woman, but it is truly difficult to separate the two when you grew up at a time when she was the biggest style icon on British TV…

What an absolute GODESS! I would wear every single one of these outfits.

When my beloved neighbour Lady Jane snuck up my front steps and left a bag of apples from her garden on my doormat,

I ate LOTS of them, made some into an apple cake and took it to my pottery class,

then made the rest into this chutney, gifting a jar back to her.

I realise I gave Margo an extra t, but the chutney was good! Very trad!

I absolutely LOVE neighbours who grow stuff then give me some!

On the Saturday after I made this, I was thrilled to spot in the Radio Times that there was a 90-minute documentary about The Good Life on Channel 5. I am guessing that those outside the UK might not be aware of this glorious series, but me and Mr R laughed like a drain at all the clips, and Penelope Keith was just a delight talking about her role as Margo.

At one point during an ad break, Mr R sat at his computer looking for DVDs of the show, saying, “They are disappearing before my very eyes”, as so many people were having the same idea. As the ads finished, he said, “I appear to have bought all four series.”