Clive Arthur <clive@nowaytoday.co.uk> wrote:
> On 07/08/2023 15:38, Kate B wrote:
>> On 07/08/2023 09:41, Penny wrote:
>>> On Mon, 7 Aug 2023 08:23:42 +0100, John Armstrong <jja@blueyonder.co.uk>
>>> scrawled in the dust...
>>>
>>>> I also once saw, many years ago before metrication, a weight declaration
>>>> on tins which read "18 ounces 1¼ lbs".
>>>
>>> Um, no.
>>> "20 ounces 1¼ lbs"
>>> or
>>> "18 ounces 11/8 lbs"
>>
>> Was it a Merkin tin? They have funny ounces over there.
>
> They have a different fluid ounce, but their weight ounces are the same.
>
> Q. Which weighs more, an ounce of feathers or an ounce of gold?
>

You’re paying Sir, which would you like it to be?

--
Toodle Pip, Mike McMillan

J. P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
> In message <kjbli2Frc1U3@mid.individual.net> at Mon, 7 Aug 2023
> 08:41:53, John Armstrong <jja@blueyonder.co.uk> writes
> []
>> I bought chicken soup and tomato soup on the same day, a few months
>> ago. Tomato is BB Jan 2024, and chicken BB Jan 2025. Reason (I think)
>> is that tomatoes are very acidic and will tend to attack steel more
>> quickly than chickens! I wouldn't be concerned unless the tin showed
>> signs of being "blown", or the contents smelled or appeared bad on opening.
>
> I thought (a) tins were made of tinplate[d steel], hence the name - or
> were originally (and tin turns powdery in _very_ cold temperatures, thus
> causing problems in an early war - Dardanelles or something? - which had
> a harsh winter: not a problem then, but was in the subsequent summer),
> and (b) they have a thin plastic liner these days?
>
> I agree, I wouldn't worry unless there was obvious damage or smell or
> appearance.

Yes, it was very cold ‘round the Dardanelles! ;-)))

--
Toodle Pip, Mike McMillan

In message <3fc1dilk71ukg4e47771ejdo3l0f5np15l@4ax.com> at Mon, 7 Aug
2023 10:21:46, Penny <spam@labyrinth.freeuk.com> writes
[]
>The change to labelling to be more specific was the important bit, not the
>classification numbers.

Indeed.
>
>OTOH, I am still greatly amused by the list of flavourings on the lid of a
>tub of sweets manufactured in Turkey:
>"nature identical flavour according to sort (lemon, apple,
>orange,blackberry, rose, cinnamon, peppermint, handkerchief, together,
>banana)."

Did you ever find out what "handkerchief" was?
>
>I'm not convinced the E numbers on the colours list were helpful. It's
>easier to remember tartrazine than E102, sunset yellow than E110 and allura
>red than E129. Tartrazine was the one most mums I knew were checking for in
>the '80s.

Different people have different memory glyphs. I find numbers easy to
remember - certainly than fanciful names for colours, though when it's a
sort of chemical one like tartrazine, I remember that too.
>
>The red dye/food colouring cochineal (E120) (made from crushed scale
>insects) has now (from 2019) been dropped completely for use in food, even
>though it had been used for centuries. I'm not aware of any adverse effects
>from it.

It's been used for ages, therefore must be bad.

I cite saccharin: a decade or two ago (I think), there was some scare
over it (probably carcinogenic* - that's the usual claim), and various
alternatives appeared - all costing several times as much, of course.
But since I can still get saccharin (1000 for a pound from a brand sold
in Morrisons [including the dispenser]!), I presume the fears were found
to be baseless, or at least that it's no worse than the others (maybe
they've found similar fears for the others).

(Yes, I knew where cochineal came from, and it's never bothered me.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

"Tolerating intolerance is not a virtue." - Barry Shein

In message <kjcadjF493vU2@mid.individual.net> at Mon, 7 Aug 2023
14:37:54, Steve Hague <stevehague82@gmail.com> writes
[]
>It's a similar thing with monosodium glutamate. It's not bad for you in
>reasonable amounts, and I'm told the body produces it naturally. It's
>often listed in products as "flavour enhancer". I confess to having a
>tub of it in my cupboard, and use a pinch or two in casseroles and slow
>cooked meals.
>Steve

It's the scientific name that puts (some) people off; it's like calling
salt sodium chloride. MSG has a common name (which I forget) in the
cultures that use it. I had a bag of it too, many years ago; can't
remember why I didn't replace it when ended - probably some combination
of I didn't find it made _that_ much difference and not seeing it for
sale anywhere I was when it ended. (Or, as it probably _was_ available
in certain shops, having forgotten the common name.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

"Tolerating intolerance is not a virtue." - Barry Shein

In message <uar0r3$2t8hq$1@dont-email.me> at Mon, 7 Aug 2023 15:58:42,
Clive Arthur <clive@nowaytoday.co.uk> writes
>On 07/08/2023 15:38, Kate B wrote:
[]
>> Was it a Merkin tin? They have funny ounces over there.
>
>They have a different fluid ounce, but their weight ounces are the same.
>
>Q. Which weighs more, an ounce of feathers or an ounce of gold?
>
I think we'll have to ask Helen about that one.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

"Tolerating intolerance is not a virtue." - Barry Shein

In message <uaqi6q$2qt3i$1@dont-email.me> at Mon, 7 Aug 2023 10:48:58,
Mike McMillan <toodle.pip1@virginmedia.com> writes
>Penny <spam@labyrinth.freeuk.com> wrote:
>> On Mon, 7 Aug 2023 08:23:42 +0100, John Armstrong <jja@blueyonder.co.uk>
>> scrawled in the dust...
>>
>>> I also once saw, many years ago before metrication, a weight declaration
>>> on tins which read "18 ounces 1¼ lbs".
>>
>> Um, no.
>> "20 ounces 1¼ lbs"
>> or
>> "18 ounces 11/8 lbs"
>
>A-bean, a bean, half a bean…
>
My mum always said (to show she knew how many beans made five): two
whole beans, two half beans, a bean and a half, and a half bean. I don't
know where she got it from, but it has a nice rhythm if you say it
quickly. (Yes, it does add up to five!)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

"Tolerating intolerance is not a virtue." - Barry Shein

On 06/08/2023 17:53, Vicky wrote:
> I had to stay for an hour after the op having coffee and biscuits
> before B could drive me home.

We got hot buttered toast at Wrexham Maelor!

--
Jenny M Benson
Wrexham, UK

On 07/08/2023 17:00, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
> In message <uar0r3$2t8hq$1@dont-email.me> at Mon, 7 Aug 2023 15:58:42,
> Clive Arthur <clive@nowaytoday.co.uk> writes
>> On 07/08/2023 15:38, Kate B wrote:
> []
>>>  Was it a Merkin tin? They have funny ounces over there.
>>
>> They have a different fluid ounce, but their weight ounces are the same.
>>
>> Q. Which weighs more, an ounce of feathers or an ounce of gold?
>>
> I think we'll have to ask Helen about that one.

Why, does she have some peas?

--
Cheers
Clive

J. P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
> In message <3fc1dilk71ukg4e47771ejdo3l0f5np15l@4ax.com> at Mon, 7 Aug
> 2023 10:21:46, Penny <spam@labyrinth.freeuk.com> writes
> []
>> The change to labelling to be more specific was the important bit, not the
>> classification numbers.
>
> Indeed.
>>
>> OTOH, I am still greatly amused by the list of flavourings on the lid of a
>> tub of sweets manufactured in Turkey:
>> "nature identical flavour according to sort (lemon, apple,
>> orange,blackberry, rose, cinnamon, peppermint, handkerchief, together,
>> banana)."
>
> Did you ever find out what "handkerchief" was?
>>
>> I'm not convinced the E numbers on the colours list were helpful. It's
>> easier to remember tartrazine than E102, sunset yellow than E110 and allura
>> red than E129. Tartrazine was the one most mums I knew were checking for in
>> the '80s.
>
> Different people have different memory glyphs. I find numbers easy to
> remember - certainly than fanciful names for colours, though when it's a
> sort of chemical one like tartrazine, I remember that too.
>>
>> The red dye/food colouring cochineal (E120) (made from crushed scale
>> insects) has now (from 2019) been dropped completely for use in food, even
>> though it had been used for centuries. I'm not aware of any adverse effects
>> from it.
>
> It's been used for ages, therefore must be bad.
>
> I cite saccharin: a decade or two ago (I think), there was some scare
> over it (probably carcinogenic* - that's the usual claim), and various
> alternatives appeared - all costing several times as much, of course.
> But since I can still get saccharin (1000 for a pound from a brand sold
> in Morrisons [including the dispenser]!), I presume the fears were found
> to be baseless, or at least that it's no worse than the others (maybe
> they've found similar fears for the others).
>
> (Yes, I knew where cochineal came from, and it's never bothered me.)

Don’t suppose the beetle was very impressed about it though. (N,IDMVW!)

--
Toodle Pip, Mike McMillan

On 07/08/2023 16:46, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
> In message <kjbli2Frc1U3@mid.individual.net> at Mon, 7 Aug 2023
> 08:41:53, John Armstrong <jja@blueyonder.co.uk> writes
> []
>> I bought chicken soup and tomato soup  on the same day, a few months
>> ago. Tomato is BB Jan 2024, and chicken BB Jan 2025.  Reason (I think)
>> is that tomatoes are very acidic and will tend to attack steel more
>> quickly than chickens!  I wouldn't be concerned unless the tin showed
>> signs of being "blown", or the contents smelled or appeared bad on
>> opening.
>
> I thought (a) tins were made of tinplate[d steel], hence the name - or
> were originally (and tin turns powdery in _very_ cold temperatures, thus
> causing problems in an early war - Dardanelles or something? - which had
> a harsh winter: not a problem then, but was in the subsequent summer),
> and (b) they have a thin plastic liner these days?
>
> I agree, I wouldn't worry unless there was obvious damage or smell or
> appearance.

I remember being told that the Scott expedition to the South pole was
badly affected by this phenomenon as it caused the tins containing the
paraffin they used as fuel to leak out of the cans before they got to them.

Mike Ruddock

On 7 Aug 2023 14:33:54 GMT, Sally Thompson
<thompson.stonybrook@gmail.com.invalid> scrawled in the dust...

>Mmm, chestnut ice cream! I make a lot of ice cream when my hens are being
>kind to me with eggs, but haven't tried that. Off to research purée de
>maroon...

My mother used to make it for special occassions/guests, served with a
covering of whipped cream and called Mont Blanc. I haven't had it for many
years but the intention is there in my cupboard.
--
Penny
Annoyed by The Archers since 1959

On 07/08/2023 15:33, Sally Thompson wrote:
> Penny <spam@labyrinth.freeuk.com> wrote:
>> On Sun, 6 Aug 2023 06:53:06 -0700 (PDT), Nick Odell
>> <nickodell@bigfoot.com> scrawled in the dust...
>>
>>> I think someone upthread was talking about "serving suggestions" and I
>>> have this impression that they may have been asking whether or not it
>>> appears on tinned goods? While I was in the pantry earlier, I checked a
>>> few tins and all of them which showed the foodstuff prepared in any way
>>> had "serving suggestion" printed in the margin of the picture. Meat,
>>> fish, vegetables, everything. Those tins which showed the unprepared
>>> contents did not have anything written there.
>>
>> Yes, I wondered vaguely if there was a rule about it and when it 'came in'
>> if there was.
>> I don't buy much in tins but just checked my cupboard. The butter beans
>> show butter beans all over the tin with no suggestion of how to serve them.
>> The mixed beans show a bowl of beans, a tomato and an onion - apparently
>> that counts as a suggestion. Cheap chopped tomatoes have no picture,
>> pilchards have a drawing, as does the somewhat ancient can of puree de
>> marron (mmm, chestnut ice cream...).
>> John West suggest a tiny sprig of parsley on their sild. Lidl's vorschlag a
>> tiny amount of red lettuce, three basil leaves and a sprig of dill with
>> their zarte heringsfilets and the laverbread suggests a sugar basin with
>> slices of red and green peppers, a sprig of parsley and a tea spoon.
>> The only suggestion I like is the millionaire shortbread shown on the
>> condensed milk - but I won't be making any. Oh dear, that tin is way out of
>> date, maybe I will investigate the marron and give that ice cream a go...
>
> Mmm, chestnut ice cream! I make a lot of ice cream when my hens are being
> kind to me with eggs

Are they marans?

john

On Mon, 7 Aug 2023 16:55:02 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk>
scrawled in the dust...

>In message <3fc1dilk71ukg4e47771ejdo3l0f5np15l@4ax.com> at Mon, 7 Aug
>2023 10:21:46, Penny <spam@labyrinth.freeuk.com> writes

>>OTOH, I am still greatly amused by the list of flavourings on the lid of a
>>tub of sweets manufactured in Turkey:
>>"nature identical flavour according to sort (lemon, apple,
>>orange,blackberry, rose, cinnamon, peppermint, handkerchief, together,
>>banana)."
>
>Did you ever find out what "handkerchief" was?

Nope, nor "together".
Maybe a Turkish speaker could figure it out.
--
Penny
Annoyed by The Archers since 1959

On 07/08/2023 17:24, Jenny M Benson wrote:
> On 06/08/2023 17:53, Vicky wrote:
>> I had to stay for an hour after the op having coffee and biscuits
>> before B could drive me home.
>
> We got hot buttered toast at Wrexham Maelor!
>

I had a long wait before the op, but that was ok, they had a waiting
room. It was because the drops they use to immobilise your eye take a
while to work. This is a good thing. Just think what might happen if
your eye was swivelling about during the op. After the op, I was sent
straight home, wofe driving. I might have been offered tea or coffee,
but I don't drink tea at all, and coffee rarely.
Steve

J. P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
> In message <kjcdmiF56boU1@mid.individual.net> at Mon, 7 Aug 2023
> 14:33:54, Sally Thompson <thompson.stonybrook@gmail.com.invalid> writes
> []
>> Mmm, chestnut ice cream! I make a lot of ice cream when my hens are being
>> kind to me with eggs, but haven't tried that. Off to research purée de
>> maroon...
>>
> You'll be in a brown study then.

Oh dear. Autocorrect strikes again. Actually, I rather like the concept of
purée de maroon.

--
Sally in Shropshire, UK

On Mon, 07 Aug 2023 18:54:25 +0100, Penny <spam@labyrinth.freeuk.com>
wrote:

>On 7 Aug 2023 14:33:54 GMT, Sally Thompson
><thompson.stonybrook@gmail.com.invalid> scrawled in the dust...
>
>>Mmm, chestnut ice cream! I make a lot of ice cream when my hens are being
>>kind to me with eggs, but haven't tried that. Off to research purée de
>>maroon...
>
>My mother used to make it for special occassions/guests, served with a
>covering of whipped cream and called Mont Blanc. I haven't had it for many
>years but the intention is there in my cupboard.

I used to make Christmas Ice Cream from the Penguin Freezer Cook Book.
It had chestnut puree in it.

Vicky <vicky.ayech@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, 07 Aug 2023 18:54:25 +0100, Penny <spam@labyrinth.freeuk.com>
> wrote:
>
>> On 7 Aug 2023 14:33:54 GMT, Sally Thompson
>> <thompson.stonybrook@gmail.com.invalid> scrawled in the dust...
>>
>>> Mmm, chestnut ice cream! I make a lot of ice cream when my hens are being
>>> kind to me with eggs, but haven't tried that. Off to research purée de
>>> maroon...
>>
>> My mother used to make it for special occassions/guests, served with a
>> covering of whipped cream and called Mont Blanc. I haven't had it for many
>> years but the intention is there in my cupboard.
>
> I used to make Christmas Ice Cream from the Penguin Freezer Cook Book.
> It had chestnut puree in it.
>

And Brussels sprouts?

--
Sally in Shropshire, UK

On Sunday, August 6, 2023 at 5:51:43 PM UTC+1, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
> In message <50bvcih2emve8kv5l...@4ax.com> at Sun, 6 Aug
> 2023 16:59:48, Penny <sp...@labyrinth.freeuk.com> writes
> []
> >condensed milk - but I won't be making any. Oh dear, that tin is way out of
> >date, maybe I will investigate the marron and give that ice cream a go....
>
> I always thought tinned food, by definition (unless it's been to
> _seriously_ cold climates where the tin turns to a different allotrope
> that's crumbly), didn't _have_ expiry. I certainly don't think I've ever
> looked at the date on an unopened tin. Did they (dates) start being
> added when the panic over such things came in? (Perhaps seen as a
> marketing opportunity - I don't mean the dates seen as a selling point,
> more making people replace perfectly good stock.)

I thought the same as you until last Saturday afternoon.

Nick
nickodell49@yahoo.ca

On Monday, August 7, 2023 at 5:11:52 PM UTC+1, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
<snip>
>
> (Yes, I knew where cochineal came from, and it's never bothered me.)
<snip>
It just crosses my mind that it's obviously not vegan and perhaps all the other E-thingamebobs are?

Nick
nickodell49@yahoo.ca

On Monday, August 7, 2023 at 7:12:10 PM UTC+1, Penny wrote:
> On Mon, 7 Aug 2023 16:55:02 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver" <G6...@255soft.uk>
> scrawled in the dust...
> >In message <3fc1dilk71ukg4e47...@4ax.com> at Mon, 7 Aug
> >2023 10:21:46, Penny <sp...@labyrinth.freeuk.com> writes
> >>OTOH, I am still greatly amused by the list of flavourings on the lid of a
> >>tub of sweets manufactured in Turkey:
> >>"nature identical flavour according to sort (lemon, apple,
> >>orange,blackberry, rose, cinnamon, peppermint, handkerchief, together,
> >>banana)."
> >
> >Did you ever find out what "handkerchief" was?
> Nope, nor "together".
> Maybe a Turkish speaker could figure it out.

Could handkerchief be from a typo in Turkish of their word for menthol?

Nick
nickodell49@yahoo.ca

On Monday, August 7, 2023 at 3:33:58 PM UTC+1, Sally Thompson wrote:
> Penny <sp...@labyrinth.freeuk.com> wrote:
> > On Sun, 6 Aug 2023 06:53:06 -0700 (PDT), Nick Odell
> > <nick...@bigfoot.com> scrawled in the dust...
> >
> >> I think someone upthread was talking about "serving suggestions" and I
> >> have this impression that they may have been asking whether or not it
> >> appears on tinned goods? While I was in the pantry earlier, I checked a
> >> few tins and all of them which showed the foodstuff prepared in any way
> >> had "serving suggestion" printed in the margin of the picture. Meat,
> >> fish, vegetables, everything. Those tins which showed the unprepared
> >> contents did not have anything written there.
> >
> > Yes, I wondered vaguely if there was a rule about it and when it 'came in'
> > if there was.
> > I don't buy much in tins but just checked my cupboard. The butter beans
> > show butter beans all over the tin with no suggestion of how to serve them.
> > The mixed beans show a bowl of beans, a tomato and an onion - apparently
> > that counts as a suggestion. Cheap chopped tomatoes have no picture,
> > pilchards have a drawing, as does the somewhat ancient can of puree de
> > marron (mmm, chestnut ice cream...).
> > John West suggest a tiny sprig of parsley on their sild. Lidl's vorschlag a
> > tiny amount of red lettuce, three basil leaves and a sprig of dill with
> > their zarte heringsfilets and the laverbread suggests a sugar basin with
> > slices of red and green peppers, a sprig of parsley and a tea spoon.
> > The only suggestion I like is the millionaire shortbread shown on the
> > condensed milk - but I won't be making any. Oh dear, that tin is way out of
> > date, maybe I will investigate the marron and give that ice cream a go....
> Mmm, chestnut ice cream! I make a lot of ice cream when my hens are being
> kind to me with eggs, but haven't tried that. Off to research purée de
> maroon...

I see lots of published recipes for ice cream which use eggs but I'm not sure why they are added as an ingredient. What do they do? The commercial ice cream in my freezer doesn't use them but it does have various other added ingredients. For what it's worth, when I make standard ice cream, I whisk up until fluffy two units of double cream, one unit of full cream milk and one unit of caster sugar with vanilla essence to taste. Then I bung it into the freezer to -erme- freeze.

Nick
nickodell49@yahoo.ca

On 07-Aug-23 21:49, Sally Thompson wrote:
> J. P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
>> In message <kjcdmiF56boU1@mid.individual.net> at Mon, 7 Aug 2023
>> 14:33:54, Sally Thompson <thompson.stonybrook@gmail.com.invalid> writes
>> []
>>> Mmm, chestnut ice cream! I make a lot of ice cream when my hens are being
>>> kind to me with eggs, but haven't tried that. Off to research purée de
>>> maroon...
>>>
>> You'll be in a brown study then.
>
> Oh dear. Autocorrect strikes again. Actually, I rather like the concept of
> purée de maroon.
>

Some like the idea of purée de Macron.

--
Sam Plusnet

On 07-Aug-23 23:56, Nick Odell wrote:
> On Monday, August 7, 2023 at 7:12:10 PM UTC+1, Penny wrote:
>> On Mon, 7 Aug 2023 16:55:02 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver" <G6...@255soft.uk>
>> scrawled in the dust...
>>> In message <3fc1dilk71ukg4e47...@4ax.com> at Mon, 7 Aug
>>> 2023 10:21:46, Penny <sp...@labyrinth.freeuk.com> writes
>>>> OTOH, I am still greatly amused by the list of flavourings on the lid of a
>>>> tub of sweets manufactured in Turkey:
>>>> "nature identical flavour according to sort (lemon, apple,
>>>> orange,blackberry, rose, cinnamon, peppermint, handkerchief, together,
>>>> banana)."
>>>
>>> Did you ever find out what "handkerchief" was?
>> Nope, nor "together".
>> Maybe a Turkish speaker could figure it out.
>
> Could handkerchief be from a typo in Turkish of their word for menthol?

Whatever it is, I'm sure it's Delightful.

P.S. The wiki article on Turkish Delight delighted me with this nugget:

"In the production process, soapwort may be used as an emulsifying
additive."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_delight

--
Sam Plusnet

Vicky <vicky.ayech@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, 07 Aug 2023 18:54:25 +0100, Penny <spam@labyrinth.freeuk.com>
> wrote:
>
>> On 7 Aug 2023 14:33:54 GMT, Sally Thompson
>> <thompson.stonybrook@gmail.com.invalid> scrawled in the dust...
>>
>>> Mmm, chestnut ice cream! I make a lot of ice cream when my hens are being
>>> kind to me with eggs, but haven't tried that. Off to research purée de
>>> maroon...
>>
>> My mother used to make it for special occassions/guests, served with a
>> covering of whipped cream and called Mont Blanc. I haven't had it for many
>> years but the intention is there in my cupboard.
>
> I used to make Christmas Ice Cream from the Penguin Freezer Cook Book.
> It had chestnut puree in it.
>

Didn’t it taste … err…well… cardboardy?

--
Toodle Pip, Mike McMillan

Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:
> On 07-Aug-23 21:49, Sally Thompson wrote:
>> J. P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
>>> In message <kjcdmiF56boU1@mid.individual.net> at Mon, 7 Aug 2023
>>> 14:33:54, Sally Thompson <thompson.stonybrook@gmail.com.invalid> writes
>>> []
>>>> Mmm, chestnut ice cream! I make a lot of ice cream when my hens are being
>>>> kind to me with eggs, but haven't tried that. Off to research purée de
>>>> maroon...
>>>>
>>> You'll be in a brown study then.
>>
>> Oh dear. Autocorrect strikes again. Actually, I rather like the concept of
>> purée de maroon.
>>
>
> Some like the idea of purée de Macron.
>

Wouldn’t that choice set a precedent?

--
Toodle Pip, Mike McMillan