[MrsRobinson]

Originally Posted by Tiggywink

Amazing isn't it - I have watched Mary Berry umpteen times on the Bake off and never imagined that she had polio as a child - I thought she had maybe arthritis in her hands. I never imagined that she had known such devastation in the loss of a child. You just never know, do you.

I have just watched this last part of Mary's story as I was out earlier so recorded it and I knew she'd had polio as she told us last week but I didn't know she had lost her son and seeing her at the cemetry brought tears to my eyes.

Isn't she just the most adorable lady... she looks and sounds like she doesn't have an angry bone in her body and sees something good in everything and everyone, especially in the GBBO. Hard to think she's 77-years old.

[MrsRobinson]

Originally Posted by CreamPuff

Am not a fan of fish pie but even I fancied that. Made me want a potato ricer too.

I have a potato ricer, there is something very satisfying in pushing those spuds through the holes, far better than a masher, and no lumps. I have a very strong urge to buy a Mary Berry cook book now.

I've got a potato ricer and I love it. For mashed potato, I don't boil potatoes in water, I always cook them in their skins in the microwave, then either skin them before putting them through the ricer,or cut them in half put them in the ricer (cut side down) and the skin is left in the ricer so I scrape it out and give it to my dogs and put the rest of the potatoes through it.

I beat in hot milk and butter with a wooden spoon and the texture is lovely and creamy and so much better for the potatoes having been microwaved, not boiled....

Here endeth my mashed potato lesson!!!

[Creamtea]

Just wanted to add my two pennies worth. Having watched both episodes I can only say what a lovely lady Mary Berry seems. Down to Earth and with a sense of humour. It was almost too much to bare watching her well up over her son. Long may she reign on Bake Off!

[PixieGray]

What a fabulous example of elegance and humilty she is! A simply lovely woman who carried two hours of television without succumbing to unnecessary drama and me, me, me hysterics like you have to endure so often with many tv personalities.

And I love her partnership with Paul Hollywood (is it just me, or is he quite attractive? ). They complement eachother so well and she never tries to steal the limelight from the competitors....she just does her job and does it very well, always with kindness and grace.

Sheer class

[Christa Ellen]

I'm really glad I watched this programme, Mary Berry is such a gem.

It was so sad to hear her talking about William, I cried.

[LIZALYNN]

Originally Posted by Valene1

I haven't made fish pie for a long time but after seeing Mary's I think I'll make one soon.

Oh how my mouth was watering when she brought that fish pie dish out of the oven and her lasagne also looked very tasty too.
I definately hope Mary writes yet another book for all the recipes she had used in this two part series.

[MRSgotobed]

A lady who has a true passion for food, cooking, family and a very special knack for teaching, she always made things look simple, whereas I could never quite get to grips with Delia. The negative comments she received from her headmistress seem to have had quite an effect on her. So sad that she felt as though she were a disappointment to her Dad as she was not academic, then seeing her photo with him on the horse looking down at her and she said,'He did love me after all.'
She seems to have taken all that life has thrown at her, even the sudden loss of a son, with dignity and grace, not a trace of self pity.I always respect her comments on Bake off as she offers encouragement and only constructive criticism when judging and there is that sense of humour of course.

[Agent Krycek]

Originally Posted by PixieGray

What a fabulous example of elegance and humilty she is! A simply lovely woman who carried two hours of television without succumbing to unnecessary drama and me, me, me hysterics like you have to endure so often with many tv personalities.

And I love her partnership with Paul Hollywood (is it just me, or is he quite attractive? ). They complement eachother so well and she never tries to steal the limelight from the competitors....she just does her job and does it very well, always with kindness and grace.

Sheer class

Trust me, it's not just you

Yeah, lovely classy lady, really great programme, and yes, I was shedding a tear when she was talking about her son

[HHGTTG]

Oh dear! My faux pas earlier on, when I said ' your can't make a silk purse out of a sour's [sic] ear'.
Quite rightly, I was corrected and Sow's ear is what I meant and what I really knew, except when originally typing my contribution and this aberration crept in.
Apologies.

[HHGTTG]

Originally Posted by Agent Krycek

Trust me, it's not just you

Yeah, lovely classy lady, really great programme, and yes, I was shedding a tear when she was talking about her son

Same here and I am usually an emotionless person

[PinkPetunia]

Mary is a real lady and I could listen to her for hours .Even her handling of the youg teens in the cookery lesson was so kind and gentle .

[PixieGray]

Originally Posted by Agent Krycek

Trust me, it's not just you

So, I have competiton! *makes appointment to get roots done*

Wish he'd lose the pastel shirts and jumpers though, they're a bit bleurgh...

[tvfanny]

Originally Posted by PixieGray

Wish he'd lose the pastel shirts and jumpers though, they're a bit bleurgh...

Yeah, but the blue ones go so well with his eyes!
Apparently Paul picks up Mary on his way to filming in the West Country and they go down there together. He also calls her Bezza!

[johnnymc]

Sheer class should be given an obe by the queen

[SolarSail]

Originally Posted by johnnymc

Sheer class should be given an obe by the queen

Agree with the sheer class comment. You might like to know that Mary is already in receipt of the CBE, which as 'Commander' is the highest of the Empire honours

[junnja]

Funny how you never see her and Bruce Forsyth in the same room, at the same time.

[newkid30]

I too loved last nights episode.
What dignity and grace, when she said loosing her son she looked at the plque on the wall in the church and seeing another woman who had lost 3 children in the War, she realised how lucky she was to still have 2.
She has such a wonderful outlook on life and has a fabulous work ethic and is just such a charming and humble person, a joy to watch.

[oulandy]

What a lovely woman. She has so many sterling qualities: natural charm, unassuming grace, modesty, humour, kindness and a thoroughly genuine niceness. I didn't know until I read this thread that there had been an earlier programme. Now I will watch that as well.

[lundavra]

Originally Posted by tvfanny

Yeah, but the blue ones go so well with his eyes!
Apparently Paul picks up Mary on his way to filming in the West Country and they go down there together. He also calls her Bezza!

There was a report last year of him stopping off for a burger at one of the fast food chains. He said he needs something like that after eating sweet things all day, needless to say she did not partake!

[lundavra]

Originally Posted by oulandy

What a lovely woman. She has so many sterling qualities: natural charm, unassuming grace, modesty, humour, kindness and a thoroughly genuine niceness. I didn't know until I read this thread that there had been an earlier programme. Now I will watch that as well.

They are both repeated at the weekend, BBC2 15:30 on Saturday and 15:40 on Sunday.

[katherine500000]

The beauty just shines out of this lady.

[oulandy]

Originally Posted by lundavra

They are both repeated at the weekend, BBC2 15:30 on Saturday and 15:40 on Sunday.

Great. Thanks for the info.

[jamtamara]

Originally Posted by MRSgotobed

A lady who has a true passion for food, cooking, family and a very special knack for teaching, she always made things look simple, whereas I could never quite get to grips with Delia. The negative comments she received from her headmistress seem to have had quite an effect on her. So sad that she felt as though she were a disappointment to her Dad as she was not academic, then seeing her photo with him on the horse looking down at her and she said,'He did love me after all.'
She seems to have taken all that life has thrown at her, even the sudden loss of a son, with dignity and grace, not a trace of self pity.I always respect her comments on Bake off as she offers encouragement and only constructive criticism when judging and there is that sense of humour of course.

Just what I would have said and now you've said it for me.

She should definitely get a Mary Berry potato ricer manufactured now!

[PixieGray]

Originally Posted by tvfanny

Yeah, but the blue ones go so well with his eyes!
Apparently Paul picks up Mary on his way to filming in the West Country and they go down there together. He also calls her Bezza!

He could call me anything he likes

[Welsh-lad]

Two things that spoke volumes in this programme - the way her family was always about, children always home for the weekend.
I think she's just a truly affirming and warm person to be around.

The Aga school of cooking was never advertised, just thousands of people drawn to her and then recommending her to others.

She's one of life's good ones, I think.