Mouseman

The slow-ripened, windfall apples in the Broken Clock recipe come from the idyllic gardens at Shandy Hall in Coxwold, North Yorkshire. Just a short stroll across the fields is the hamlet of Kilburn and the old workshop of Robert “Mouseman” Thompson.

Thomson was a talented oak furniture craftsman in the early 20th century and was part of the then burgeoning arts and crafts movement. This year marks a century since a chance remark from a workmate about being “as poor as a church mouse” gave Thomson the idea to carve a mouse into the wooden screen they were working on.

Thompson went on to include this trademark creature in every piece he subsequently carved, gaining him infamy and his curious nickname “Mouseman”. His masterful work can still be found in churches, stately homes and public houses across Yorkshire and beyond... and is appreciated by enthusiasts across the globe.