Glenelg's Mars twinning hook-up gets its just dessert!
A BAKING enthusiast reckons her rhubarb crumble is just out of this world - and could be a fitting treat to help a Ross-shire community mark a quirky twinning arrangement with Mars!
As previously reported, Glenelg is marking its namesake valley on the Red Planet with a special space-themed day this coming weekend.
The $15billion mission to Mars using the space rover Curiosity has fired the imagination of people from around the world.
Locals in Glenelg have got behind plans to mark their link to Mars with a Space, Stars and Mars event, which will bring NASA astronaut Bonnie Dunbar and the Astronomer Royal for Scotland, John C Brown, to the area to give talks.
The Ross-shire Journal meanwhile has been contacted along with "the town of Glenelg" by Harriet Lyall of Merchiston Crescent in Edinburgh.
Harriet's imagination was captured by the story - more so when she saw the results of a dessert she concocted. She told the Journal: “Some weeks ago, I created a rhubarb ginger crumble which, when cooked, bore a remarkable resemblance to the photos one sees of the surface of Mars.
“The reason it looked so red was because I’d added extra ginger pow-der, muscovado sugar and crushed ginger biscuits to the crumble mix.
“I sent the pictures to the office of Professor Brian Cox, at the Department of Astrophysics, Manchester University, in case they would be of interest to the astronomers.
"Professor Cox’s Office sent me back a most polite message to say that, although the photos were probably not of any significance in terms of astrophysics, they thought it looked like a very good rhubarb ginger crumble (which it was).
“If you are intending to lay on Martian-themed refreshments for your event on October 20, I can give you the recipe if you would like?”
The Journal will pass on the recipe to the Glenelg and Arnisdale Development Trust which has been pulling out all the stops to be ready for its big event.
Among the attractions lined up are Mobile Planetarium shows, a Rover Experience, Geocache Glenelg, Starlight Night Walk and Kids’ Bushcraft event.
In more traditional style, the celebrations will hit a high at a Tartan Martian Ceilidh where visitors will hear a message from veteran British astronomer Sir Patrick Moore.
