“The Best Cake Ever.” BBC Breakfast presenter Sally joined our Friday baking group

Muriel with some baked goodies

Earlier this year the famous Friday baking group lost one of our long-standing and much-loved volunteers, Muriel Gosling.

Muriel also volunteered at our Bromborough, Allport Road, shop and was, in everything she did, a generous, fun and dedicated member of our hospice family.

On a sunny day in January her family, friends, hospice patients who knew her, hospice staff and volunteer colleagues, including her fellow baking and craft volunteers, the Golden Girls, gathered to bid a fond farewell.

At the drinks reception following the funeral, Muriel’s daughter, Vicky, spent time reminiscing with the Golden Girls, Fiona, Maggie, Pauline, Sandra and Sue, and introduced them to her best friend from School (Upton Girls), BBC Breakfast presenter, Sally Nugent. Brilliant!

Sally and Vicky were delighted to listen to the ladies’ happy memories of Muriel and promised to pay a visit to bake a lemon drizzle cake at the hospice, to Muriel’s renowned recipe, in her honour when diaries allowed.

When they came, it is fair to say that they wowed the patients and Golden Girls with their commitment in re-creating Muriel’s Lemon Drizzle.

Soon, hospice tabards were adorned and the mixing began; baking spread, caster sugar, self-raising flour, two medium sized eggs and the grated rind of one lemon were soon beaten, gently, into a creamy mix.

Thirty minutes later, gas mark 4, 160 degrees, the cake had risen nicely for its final flourishes; juice of half lemon and granulated sugar, then cooled for 15 minutes. DELICIOUS!

Cracking stories filled the time in between, featuring variously, George Clooney, Tom Cruise, Dame Mary Berry, Dame Patricia Routledge and everybody remarked how easy Sally, and Vicky, “hasn’t she got her mum’s mannerisms,” were to talk to.

A lovely morning was had by all and some photos you can see here, and some which were personal to patients, were taken and everyone resolved that we should do it all again in the not-too-distant future.

Muriel’s Christmas Cake, anybody?