Vive la révolution!
West End s tar sings the praises of Les Mis at 40
Traitors winner backs God’s faithfulness
What is The Salvation Army?
The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity seeking to share the good news of Jesus and nurture committed followers of him. We also serve people without discrimination, care for creation and seek justice and reconciliation. We offer practical support and services in more than 700 centres throughout the UK. Go to salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church to find your nearest centre.
What is the War Cry?
The Salvation Army first published a newspaper called the War Cry in London in December 1879, and we have continued to appear every week since then. Our name refers to our battle for people’s hearts and souls as we promote the positive impact of the Christian faith and The Salvation Army’s fight for greater social justice.
From the editor’s desk
With The Celebrity Traitors starting on TV this week, there will be more deception and scheming taking place in Ardross Castle as well-known faces try to win money for charity.
If it were allowed, Harry Clark could give the game’s ‘traitors’ and ‘faithfuls’ some useful hints. It was Harry who, as an unknown member of the public, won the second series of The Traitors. Taking part in the show changed his life and brought him celebrity status, leading him to star in other reality TV shows and write his autobiography Staying Faithful
As he explains in an interview in this week’s War Cry, the book not only contains details of his television experiences and his time in the military, but also highlights the importance of his Christian faith.
‘I speak to God, even while I’m driving my car,’ Harry tells us. ‘I treat God like my mate, and say: “I’ve messed up here, I’m sorry about that.” It helps make my faith my own, and personal.’
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All Christians have times when they get things wrong and need to say sorry to God. And the idea that God can help us start again and give us new opportunities features in the storyline of the musical Les Misérables, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary in London’s West End.
Shan Ako, who plays the part of Éponine in the show, tells us how the story ‘explores forgiveness and love, which are the foundations of Christianity’. A Christian herself, Shan says: ‘My relationship with God allows me to walk by faith, to surrender myself to him and to not stress about tomorrow.’
It doesn’t matter what may have happened in our past, God will forgive our mistakes and help us to put right the things that have gone wrong. Then he will give us new direction and purpose – if we’ll stay faithful to him.
When you’ve read the War Cry, why not pass it on ➔ ➔
Cast member SHAN AKO celebrates 40 years of Les Misérables in the West End and explains why faith is at the heart of the show
Interview by Claire Brine
Do you hear the people sing?
Theatregoers packing the stalls at London’s Sondheim Theatre certainly can, as the cast of Les Misérables take to the stage to celebrate the musical’s 40th anniversary. With belters including ‘One Day More!’, ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ and ‘On My Own’, it’s no wonder the show holds the record as the West End’s longest-running musical – leaving fans with a heart full of love and the urge to cry out: ‘Vive la révolution!’
‘To mark 40 years is such a landmark moment,’ says actress Shan Ako, who is playing the role of Éponine as part of the Les Mis special anniversary cast.
‘Even though I’ve played this role before, I’m still pinching myself and saying: “Wow! I can’t believe I’m a part of this.” It’s a very special show to me, and
Turn to page 4 f
Shan Ako
From page 3
so I want to treat it with great care.’
First performed at the Barbican on 8 October 1985, Les Misérables was written by Alain Boublil and ClaudeMichel Schönberg. Based on the 1862 novel by Victor Hugo and set in 19th-century France, it tells the story of Jean Valjean, a convict who is granted parole after 19 years in prison. Though he walks free, he feels angry at the world for the way it has treated him, and it isn’t long before he robs a bishop who shows him kindness.
When Valjean is caught by police and forced to face the bishop he wronged, he cannot believe his ears: the bishop offers him forgiveness. Not only that, he gives Valjean a gift of silverware and challenges him to start life afresh, with God as his guide.
Valjean is determined to make the most of his second chance – and sets off to become a new man with a new purpose.
‘I feel like everyone can relate to the characters in Les Mis,’ says Shan, commenting on the show’s enduring popularity. ‘They face the things that we all go through in life. We may feel like little Cosette, when she’s all alone; or like Fantine, who’s a mother; or Valjean, as he faces the trials of life; or Inspector Javert, who feels that he’s failing because he’s not fulfilling his duty as he thinks he should.
‘The show also explores forgiveness and love, which are the foundations of Christianity. As a Christian myself, I love the scene between Valjean and the bishop because it’s so powerful. The
grace of the bishop to choose to forgive Valjean is amazing. And when Valjean receives that forgiveness, it’s a huge moment for him. It changes everything.’
The next time the audience sees Valjean, years have passed and he’s the owner of a successful factory as well as being the mayor of Montreuil. Later, he meets Fantine, a former employee who lost her job unfairly and became a prostitute in a desperate attempt to make money in order to save her sick child. When Fantine is dying in hospital, Valjean promises her that he will take care of Cosette as though she were his own daughter.
Éponine gives her life for her friend
‘Raising Cosette gives Valjean a purpose,’ says Shan. ‘I love his relationship with her – and with Fantine too. He takes a big step of faith to go and find Cosette and then raise her by himself.
‘Then to be bold and selfless enough to let her go into the arms of the man she loves is beautiful. There are so many beautiful stories in Les Mis.’
But there’s also a lot of heartache. When Cosette grows up, she falls in love with a young man named Marius, who is part of the student group behind the 1832 Paris Uprising. One of the comrades to lose her life in the brutal conflict is Marius’s friend, Éponine.
Shan reflects on how she plays the character.
‘Éponine is streetwise, but she’s also pure and has a soft spot for Marius. When she interacts with him, the audience gets to see her more feminine, caring and selfless side. She lets down her walls.
‘Ultimately, Éponine is someone who gives her life for her friend. And I think the little moments that they share together – even the moment when she dies in his arms – are so precious to her. It’s the best moment of her life.’
Éponine’s big moment in the spotlight comes at the start of Act II, when Shan takes centre stage to sing ‘On My Own’. In every performance, as she waits in the wings to make her entrance, Shan takes a moment to pray.
‘It’s a song in which I get to step into Éponine’s world and express to the audience how she’s feeling – which brings me to tears by the end of it,’
‘Les Misérables’ is performed at London’s Sondheim Theatre
DANNY
KAAN
Shan, in character as Éponine, sings of her love for Marius
Fantine (played by Katie Hall) dreams of a better future
After his release from prison, Jean Valjean (played by Killian Donnelly) starts a new life
Embracing childhood
Claire Brine gives her take on a story that has caught the attention of War Cry reporters
The social media trend in which people use AI to generate images of them hugging their younger selves has caught my eye. At first glance, I found it a bit strange to see a picture of my grown-up cousin cuddling herself as an eight-year-old. But I couldn’t help but feel that there was also something lovely about it.
Celebrities have been uploading their own ‘hug yourself’ photos too, alongside their thoughts. Podcaster Fearne Cotton posted on Facebook that the image of her wrapping her arms around herself as a young girl ‘brought up a lot’. She said that she had often imagined hugging the younger version of herself, explaining: ‘I have welcomed her into my arms and asked her to help me take life less seriously.’
She also suggested it was essential to look after our inner child: ‘We need to tell her/him that it’s all going to be all right, and even in moments when it’s not, that you’ll still get through it.’
God will always be with you
I started thinking about my own younger self and what I might say to her, given the chance. Some of the advice would be basic: You’ll never need to use simultaneous equations in your working life, so don’t worry about them. Get your grandparents to share the stories of their childhood with you, as they won’t always be around to ask. Find a better driving instructor.
I’d give the younger me other words of wisdom to help her through the ups and downs of life: Don’t get too attached to one idea of how you think your life should be, because it will be different, and that’s OK. Some of the things you worry about won’t happen – but some will. And, though they will hurt, you will cope.
I’d also like to offer a younger Claire some advice on faith. I’d say that God will always be with you – even when it feels like he’s not. That there is nothing you can do to make God love you less. And that a faith in which you make mistakes (and sometimes have doubts) can still grow up to be strong, comforting and full of hope –as long as you stick with it.
talk talk Team talk Team talk ‘ ’ j TEA M TALK
WAR Videos build on Bible stories
A video clip produced by a UK-based Christian charity which creates Lego stop-motion animations of Bible stories has gone viral, after the recent launch of its Spanish-language platform.
A 60-second Lego clip from the Go Chatter Studios video The Paralysed Man has gained more than 90,000 likes online.
Since being launched as a charity 11 months ago, Go Chatter Studios has released numerous animations based on Bible stories including Adam and Eve, David and Goliath and The Good Samaritan. One of its most popular videos, about Jonah and the big fish, has amassed more than 380,000 views on YouTube.
Lego artist Joshua Whitehouse, who founded the charity, said: ‘We want to portray Bible stories in a way that is engaging and accessible to a wide audience and especially a younger generation.’
Jesus and his disciples in one of
WAR CRY
Singing star’s ‘prize’ is his faith
Pop star Justin Bieber posted a message about his faith to his millions of followers on social media.
On X, the 31-year-old singer wrote that ‘our effort’ in life is ‘simply a response to the gifts of life and forgiveness’.
He added: ‘Jesus becomes the prize. And growth becomes something you desire because of the grace we have received.’
Bieber, who was baptised in 2014, has frequently spoken about how his Christian faith has transformed his life.
The post quickly went viral, gaining more than 22 million views.
Support for grieving families
Bereaved families affected by baby loss can find a supportive space to grieve at an annual memorial service held by the Salvation Army team in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.
Life Remembered, which takes place on Sunday 19 October, is open to the entire community and will include times of silence and candlelighting. Lizzie Cox, who will lead the service, set the event up eight years ago after her own experiences of baby loss.
Garden to honour Beatles producer
Strawberry Field, the Liverpool site run by The Salvation Army and immortalised in the Beatles’ song ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’, has begun work on a memorial rose garden in honour of the group’s producer Sir George Martin and his wife, Lady Judy Martin.
The garden will feature a curved Portland stone wall engraved with Martin’s biography and 30 discs commemorating the 30 UK No 1 singles he produced. It will also include a water feature, seating areas and rose bushes that were personally chosen by Lady Martin before she died.
‘We are delighted to honour Sir George and Lady Judy Martin in this special place,’ says Major Michelle Lovegrove-Huggins, the mission director at Strawberry Field. ‘Visitors will be captivated by the rose garden, which will enhance the peaceful atmosphere and serve as a place of tranquillity for both local and international communities.
‘It’s another way we’re preserving the rich musical heritage of this unique site while continuing The Salvation Army’s mission of service and love.’
People attending will receive a keepsake gift to mark their loss and will be invited to share in a meal after the service.
Lizzie says: ‘When you lose a baby, you don’t get the chance to say a proper goodbye. This service was created to fill that void. It’s a safe, gentle space for any family member affected by a loss at any stage, whether recent or many years ago, to come together and know they are not alone in their grief.’
The service will take place at the United Reformed Church chapel in Little Dean.
Yours faithfully
As BBC1’s Celebrity Traitors gets under way, previous
Traitors winner
HARRY CLARK reflects on his own experiences of the competition and reveals how, in the tough days after he left the castle, a pilgrimage set him back on the right path
Interview by Emily Bright
Let the mind games begin! A new group of guests have arrived at Ardross Castle in the hauntingly beautiful Scottish Highlands for BBC1’s Celebrity Traitors. But some will meet an untimely end as they take part in the murder mystery-style game based on subterfuge, betrayal and instinct.
There are 19 contestants who have signed up for the psychological reality competition, with the prize pot – of up to £100,000 – being split between the charities chosen by whoever survives ‘murder’ or ‘banishment’ and makes it to the end.
An important skill needed to succeed in the show is the ability to ask the right questions. It’s an art which, as a journalist, I like to think I’ve mastered. But when I meet Harry Clark, who won the second series of the regular format of The Traitors, I start our Zoom call with an obvious one: What was your favourite part of being in the show?
He replies with a refreshingly honest, if bemused: ‘I think it’s pretty easy isn’t it? Winning.’
But he softens, elaborating: ‘I was overwhelmed and grateful for the whole experience. Getting chosen as a “traitor” meant that I could play my game, but all it takes is for someone to tell a lie and try to get you out, so there was a God watching over me.’
God has played an important role in
Harry’s life – a subject which he talks about in his autobiography, Staying Faithful. As well as exploring his upbringing, his experiences of military life and his appearance on The Traitors, the book highlights how he grew up going to church with his family. He was interested in faith from a young age and enjoyed discussing the Bible at Sunday school and on Christian retreats with his friends.
I had an escape through my faith
Although Harry has moved on from The Traitors to other projects, I’m intrigued to find out what role his faith played in the TV show that catapulted him into the public eye. I wonder how he reconciled his beliefs with the programme’s requirement to deceive. He equates it to playing Monopoly with his family – albeit with higher financial stakes.
‘I just saw The Traitors as a game,’ he explains. ‘Some people go wrong and lose their heads because they take it too seriously. But I always knew that I wasn’t physically murdering people – and if the shoe was on the other foot, other contestants would do the same. I wasn’t stressed, because I gave it everything and I couldn’t have done any different.’
Harry’s faith also contributed to his
healthy perspective on the competition.
‘It kept me strong,’ he says. ‘When I was in the castle, I was praying for God to keep my mind clear, provide strength and watch over me. It gave me a sense of calmness, because that’s what faith has always been in my life.
‘Prayer also gave me a sense of relief and took me away from the game. I think that was the biggest help, because I wasn’t overthinking or overcomplicating it. And, because I had an escape through my faith, it allowed me to sleep when I could and be re-energised for the next day.’
It would be tempting to typecast Harry as the traitor depicted on our TV screens. But, aged 24, he has crammed a lot of other experiences into his life, including years spent serving as a helicopter engineer in the British Army.
At one point during his army career, he went through an exceptionally tough time. His school sweetheart broke up with him, and he spiralled into unhealthy eating and drinking. He was sent home as unfit for work. Not long after, in October 2021, he was physically assaulted and taken to hospital with an orbital fracture and a bleed on the brain.
‘During my darkest times, it seemed
Harry Clark
like one thing went bad, then things got worse and worse,’ he tells me. ‘I dug a deep hole and I became lost in it. I lost confidence in myself. And if you can’t love yourself, how can you love the people around you? I felt like a burden on everyone that loved me.
‘My mum, being the superwoman she is, said: “Well, what’s the one thing you know how to do?” And it was to pray.
‘Initially I was just angry while praying, like: “I’ve always had faith, I’ve always trusted in you, God, so why is this happening to me?” But gradually, I’d go into thanking God. I realised that I was much luckier than a lot of people in the world who are getting on with it. I had so much love to give, and I had so much love that had been given to me.
won £95,000 on series two
‘Increasingly, I was no longer praying for stuff I needed or wanted. Subconsciously, I was thanking God for everything good in my life – my family, having a bed and access to clean water. I would also pray for strength, and that he would be by my side.
‘I began praying to see my little sister’s birthday. And that’s how it was: just let me see this next milestone. When I got there, I felt stronger. Then I would ask God to see tomorrow, next week or my next sister’s birthday. That was essentially what saved me.’
Gradually, Harry began piecing his life back together.
‘Through the grace of God,’ he says, ‘I went on a boxing camp, which made me sort myself out physically. So now I was saved not just mentally,
but physically as well. I started getting stronger.
‘I like to think that God tests his toughest soldiers. I’ve been through a lot of tests in my life, but now I wear God as my armour, as my shield.’
Shortly after his recovery, Harry met his girlfriend, Anna, and returned to the army. But within a couple of years, he realised that he wasn’t enjoying his job as much as he used to. He wanted to live closer to Anna so they could spend more time together.
Then, out of the blue, he received a social media message from one of the casting team of The Traitors. Initially suspecting it was a scam, he ignored it. But after verifying that the message was legitimate, he decided to pursue the opportunity, as he craved a new adventure. In the summer of 2023 – after a vigorous selection process – Harry boarded a train to Inverness to take part in the TV show.
‘The Traitors was one of the most amazing things,’ he reflects. ‘It changed my life massively. It has allowed me to do things not just for myself but my family that I would never have been able to do before.’
The public profile that came with his win prompted other offers of TV work, including Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. Sadly, he was unceremoniously booted off the programme, for allegedly lying.
He confides: ‘After that show was the worst I’d ever been mentally. I felt like I had let everyone down: the Army, my family, myself. I thought that everyone was going to hate me when the show came out. After having probably one of the worst summers of my life, I put on so much weight, and I was lost – I prayed for a sign.’
It’s said that God works in mysterious ways. The sign Harry received was an invitation to take part in the BBC2 series Pilgrimage, where he would join other celebrities in walking a 300km medieval Christian pilgrimage route through the Alps.
He remembers: ‘My
Harry
of ‘The Traitors’
manager rang me and said: “Are you religious by any chance? We’ve just had Pilgrimage come across our desk.” I couldn’t have asked for a better sign. My faith was always strong, but it was sort of foggy, so Pilgrimage was like the wipe that cleared that lens.
‘The pilgrimage made me feel like I was on the right path, but also that my religion and faith felt right. I knew who I was, what I was supposed to be and what I wanted to do with my life. Pilgrimage was one of my favourite things ever, because it didn’t feel like a TV show. It felt true to who I was.’
Harry stays true to who he is by connecting with his faith, through prayer and going to church with his family.
‘I speak to God, even while I’m driving my car,’ he says. ‘I treat God like my mate, and say: “I’ve messed up here, I’m sorry about that.” It helps make my faith my own, and personal.
‘Community in church also makes
me feel closer to God. Again, there’s that sense of calmness. I go to church with my mum or my little brother. It’s great, because we’re connected to God through prayer. So I feel close to God through prayer and church. But in everyday life, I do too.’
God always knows what’s going to happen
Harryexpands on what his faith means to him – being someone who is fully known and loved by God.
‘I like to think of myself as a vase that someone has pushed off a table and which has shattered into multiple glass shards. But they’re all different sizes and shapes. Each person in my life has a different shard of glass or knows a version of me. But they don’t truly know what all the shards put back together looks like.
‘So I put my faith in God, who is the only one who knows what that vase looks like with every shard stuck back together. Trusting in him gives me the calmness to keep going, to know that there is a plan for me.’
Harry’s faith also gives him optimism for the future.
‘Everything happens for a reason and can make me strong, because I can learn from my experiences,’ he asserts. ‘God always knows what’s going to happen down each path, and that gives me a sense that, no matter how bad things get, I’ll be all right.’
Harry and his fellow celebrities take part in the BBC2 series ‘Pilgrimage’
Prayerlink
jBecoming a Christian
There is no set formula to becoming a Christian, but many people have found saying this prayer to be a helpful first step to a relationship with God
Browsing the Bible Nigel
Lord Jesus Christ,
I know that I have done things in my life that are wrong and I’m sorry. Thank you that I can ask you for forgiveness because of the sacrifice you made when you died on the cross.
Please forgive me and help me to live a better life in the future as I learn how to love you and follow your way of living.
Thank you, Lord Jesus.
If you’ve prayed this prayer, scan the QR code or contact us using the coupon on this page
The War Cry invites readers to send in requests for prayer, including the first names of individuals and details of their circumstances, for publication. Send your Prayerlink requests to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk or to War Cry, 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ. Mark your correspondence ‘Confidential’. Address
Bovey gives chapter and
verse on each book of the Scriptures
Haggai
The story of Haggai gives insightful background to the resettlement and rebuilding of Jerusalem towards the end of Judah’s exile in Babylon.
In 539BC, the Babylonian Empire fell to Persia. Shortly afterwards, Persia’s King Cyrus released 50,000 Jews, under the leadership of Zerubbabel, to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple previously destroyed by the Babylonians (see Ezra 1 and 2).
In about 520BC, during the second year of the reign of Persia’s King Darius, God calls Haggai to speak to Zerubbabel, because he has four messages to convey.
The first is simple and practical. Cyrus’s desire to see the Temple rebuilt had been frustrated by opposition from Jerusalem’s Samaritan population (Ezra 4). Now, says God, it is time for work to recommence. God’s argument is pointed: How fair is it that you are living in panelled houses, yet my house is in ruins? (Haggai 1:4).
God also points out that the hardships the returnees are suffering are down to their inactivity on the Temple restoration (1:5–11). The leaders and the returnees recommence work (1:12–15).
Haggai’s second message is that the Temple must be built carefully (2:15). In return, God will ‘fill this house with glory… The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house’ (2:7 and 9 New International Version). In this new house, God promises he will ‘grant peace’ (2:9).
The third message is that there is a connection between obedience and blessing. God recognises that it is easier for people to be unholy than righteous (2:10–13). Now that they set their priorities right by rebuilding the Temple, God promises to bless them (2:15–19).
Haggai’s final message is to Zerubbabel personally. God says he will ‘shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms’ (2:22). When that happens, he says, he will make Zerubbabel ‘like my signet ring, for I have chosen you’ (2:23). In other words, not only has Zerubbabel overseen a new start for the nation, but also God will do a new work through him and his descendants.
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War Cry 1 Champion Park London SE5 8FJ a
QUICK QUIZ
Friends reunited
Characters return to explore life’s storms
Feature by Ewan Hall
SWhich historical character does James Norton play in the BBC TV drama King & Conqueror?
Which singer last month achieved his ninth No 1 album with Play?
Who played runner Eric Liddell in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire?
What does the Arabic greeting ‘marhaba’ mean in English?
Which historian and broadcaster wrote the book Black History for Every Day of the Year with his siblings?
How many months of the year are 31 days long? 1 2 3 4 5 6
ix years after their last adventure, four unlikely friends are braving the wilderness once again in a new book, Always Remember: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse and the Storm, published this week. Carrying on from his award-winning first illustrated book, Charlie Mackesy’s curious boy, cake-loving mole, wary fox and wise horse wander the landscape, discussing life lessons, love and the everyday challenges they face. As they journey together, unsure of what they are even looking for, they comfort and support one another with gentle words of wisdom.
However, there is trouble on the horizon. The book describes how the friends notice a storm brewing.
‘“Those are dark clouds,” said the Boy. “Yes,” said the Horse, “but they’ll move on… The blue sky above never leaves.”’
When the storm finally descends upon the group, the boy finds himself lost and alone. As fear creeps in, he must remember what he has learnt to make it through difficult times.
The boy may be alone, but he isn’t alone in knowing what it is to face a storm in life. We all may encounter moments of fear, uncertainty and loneliness that leave us feeling lost. While our storms may not be visible to those around us, they are no less real. And in turbulent times, it’s often hard to ask for help and see the blue skies above the clouds.
However, even when life seems very dark, we are not alone. God is with us. In the Bible, one group of people hears God say to them: ‘Do not fear, for I am with you’ (Isaiah 41:10 New International Version).
The words apply to us too. When we put our faith in God, we will find that he is there to comfort us through every difficult situation. He knows our fears and doubts, yet never turns away. Instead, he gently reminds us that the darkness will pass and the light will return.
We don’t have to brave our storms alone. Even when we feel lost or are even unsure of what we’re searching for, God is already beside us.
Quick CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1. Plaintive cry (4)
3. Obtain (3)
5. Couple (4)
7. Instantaneous (9) 9. Walk lamely (4) 10. Lease (4) 11. Odour (5)
Respond (5) 15. Knock down (5)
Say (5)
18. Deep sorrow (5) 19. Terminated (5)
20. Criminal deception (5)
23. Discover (4)
25. One of a like pair (4)
27. Police baton (9)
28. Lengthy (4)
29. Make mistakes (3)
30. Bird of peace (4) DOWN
1. Fleece (4)
2. Lantern (4)
3. Glow (5)
4. Test (5)
5. Track (4)
6. Rant (4)
7. Intolerant (9)
8. Bed cover (9)
11. Pack tightly (5)
12. Additional (5) 13. Enticed (5) 14. Tattered cloth (3)
16. Performed (3)
21. Scope (5)
HONEYC
Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number
22. Cinema attendant (5)
23. Dupe (4)
24. Narcotic (4)
25. Narrated (4)
26. Naked (4)
O M B
Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these figures associated with Black History Month Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9
Irritable
Squat 3. Wax stick for drawing 4. Front of a building
Funeral car 6. Not far away
5. Hearse. 6. Nearby.
28. Long. 29. Err. 30. Dove. DOWN: 1. Wool. 2. Lamp. 3. Gleam. 4. Trial. 5. Path. 6. Rave. 7. Impatient. 8. Eiderdown. 11. Stuff. 12. Extra. 13.
QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Wail. 3. Get. 5.
MANDELA
MAKES 24 PIECES
Lemon and blackberry traybake
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
3 medium eggs
150ml sunflower oil
175g caster sugar
2 lemons, grated rind, plus a few curls, to garnish
225g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
2 medium cooked beetroot in natural juices, drained and coarsely grated
150g blackberries
For the topping
150g icing sugar
1 lemon, juice
INGREDIENTS
3 large sweet potatoes, cut into large chunks
2tbsp coconut oil
1 white onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed Salt
400ml can coconut milk
500ml vegetable stock
150g blackberries
1tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
1tsp lemon juice
2tbsp honey
2tbsp balsamic vinegar
2tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Line a 28cm x 18cm loose-bottomed rectangular cake tin with non-stick baking paper.
Whisk the eggs, oil, sugar and lemon rind together in a large bowl, until just mixed.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour and baking powder together, then add to the egg mixture with the beetroot. Whisk everything together, until smooth. Pour into the tin and spread in an even layer.
Arrange the blackberries over the cake mixture in 3 rows, then cook for 30-35 minutes, until well risen. Leave to cool in the tin.
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, then gradually stir in the lemon juice to make a smooth icing. Drizzle over the cake.
Leave for 30 minutes for the icing to set, then sprinkle with the lemon curls, to serve.
Sweet potato soup with blackberry and basil sauce
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas Mark 6.
Melt 1tbsp coconut oil in a roasting tin and coat the sweet potato in the oil. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
Heat the remaining coconut oil in a pan and sauté the onion, garlic and a large pinch of salt for 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk, roasted sweet potato and stock. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the blackberries, basil, lemon juice, honey, vinegar and a pinch of salt in a pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Crush the blackberries with the back of a spoon and cook until the sauce reduces by half and thickens.
Blend the sweet potato soup and top with the blackberry sauce and parsley, to serve.
COME WHAT MAY, GOD IS ABLE
Martin Luther King Jr