October
2015 has been an interesting month for me, working as a Forensic Mental Health
Practitioner, working as a Counsellor in private practice, beginning a visiting
lecturer position at a London University and attempting to write regular bog as
well as baking number of artisan breads, I was asked by a colleague ‘How long
have you been baking?’ I said four years and when I thought about it a little
more, I realised that I have been baking for a little over 8 years. Cakes were
my initial interest and Dan Lepard’s Banana
Bread was a firm favourite. It’s a foolproof recipe and delivers an
aromatic hum of delight every time I bake it.
Whilst
on my final year of my MSc course I struggled with writing up my research ‘A
Son’s Journey’. A thought came to me about trying my hand at baking bread. I
knew nothing about bread baking and sought an easy recipe. I came across an Irish Soda
Bread recipe and after about 3 attempts could turn out loaves of this simple
bread every time as well as I could have desired. My bread baking experience grew
and I was able to follow Dan Lepard’s recipes with success every time. The
current favourite in my household is a Cheese
and Onion baguettes recipe that I have altered to a sundried tomato cheese
and onion loaf. Baking bread has become a way to relieve stress and process
client material into something edible. I see baking bread like alchemy only my
product is edible gold.
2 Years
ago I developed and ran a baking workshop with a group of African Caribbean men
for Family Health Isis in Lewisham.
One of the attendees at the workshop asked ‘So where is the therapy in doing
this?’ I replied ‘It’s in what is happening right here and right now, the smile
on your face and the faces of everyone here, the fact that you are all going to
learn how to bake a simple bread and be able to take it home and share with
friends and family. The therapy is in the doing.’ With this in mind I turn my
attention to the Great British Bake Off of 2014.
The most
recent season ended a few weeks ago and I am pleased that Nadiya won. She
simply outshone her competition and the most accomplished baker won. I felt the
spark and nuance of the show is starting to become a little worn. This years
contestants were experienced bakers who all came with their ‘A’ games ready to
shine. Compared to last years tumultuous affair with Ian and Baked Alaskan-Gate
I anticipated similar episodes this year.
In light
of Ian's departure from The
Great British Bake Off 2014 on Wednesday 27th August, I am
considering what it was about his implosion that grabbed interest. As a Psychotherapist/counsellor
there was a particular quality to the event that I would like to pick up on
which is that of Transactional
Analysis and use this as a basis to understand what may have had me
recognise and make note of Ian’s actions.
Was it the fact that another contestant had sabotaged his efforts at completing his signature bake by removing the baked alaskan from the freezer and not informing him of this? Albeit for 40 seconds ruining the chances of it setting once and for all!
Was it to do with the fact that after all his efforts the finished article did not stack up to previous bakes he had been successful with?
Blowing out of the Bake Off tent to cool off was his only strategy, or it was the strategy he took. Before he left the tent he took his prize bake and chose to put it in the bin!
On reflection my interpretation of Ian's actions are this. Given the idea that he could not meet the judges expectations (parent) he chose to hide (child) his efforts by throwing the cake in the bin. I registered shock on his face as he realised what had happened to his cake. Unbeknownst to him it had been removed from the freezer and it hadn’t set. He switched from shock to confusion to outrage and then to an act of restrained violence! Unfortunately/fortunately for him he took his angry feelings out on himself, by binning the cake (sabotage). It looked like the only option available to him even with Sue saying that he shouldn't do that. He then feeling shame leaves the tent. (Shame Violence Intervention) SVI
A better scenario would have been to put the cake in the freezer and walk out. Then calm down and present the cake. Then talk to the other contestant about the events of baked Alaskan-gate and how to share freezer space. Then witness another baker like Norman leave the competition and then regroup for the following week.
I feel that Ian had nowhere else to go with his feelings but to vent. The camera's eye was on him and so he took matters into his own safe/unsafe hands by upstaging the proposed Saboteur by throwing the cake away. I felt the perpetrator of the initial attack of the cakes demise did look a little guilty.
As he walked up to the judges with the bin Ian appeared red faced and sorry (child). Mary and Paul (parents) gave 'supportive' comments but Ian had sealed his fate (adult) facing the consequences of earlier (child) reactions to a set of unfortunate circumstances.
What also struck me about the event is how quickly things descended into a state of chaos. This was not helped by meltingly hot conditions of the Bake Off tent. What surprised me was the inaction of other contestants to what they could see of Ian's shallow swan dive. I would have liked to have seen a few people speak up about what had happened to the Judges re: Freezer – other contestant- Baked Alaskan-melting or asked Ian to take a walk and talk with them and calm down before the cake entered the bin.
Unlike last year’s Bake Off 2013 events appear to be (imagined mostly on my part) more pressured in the tent and with less humour. The show has always been about baking and presenting the good and otherwise outcomes of using an oven to cook with, but with the additional side offerings of humour, innuendo and double entendres. (Perhaps this has all been side-lined to the extra Slice on Friday’s with Jo Brand). What this show in August 2014 presented me with was how an individual can become unstuck when baking a difficult cake.
Was it the fact that another contestant had sabotaged his efforts at completing his signature bake by removing the baked alaskan from the freezer and not informing him of this? Albeit for 40 seconds ruining the chances of it setting once and for all!
Was it to do with the fact that after all his efforts the finished article did not stack up to previous bakes he had been successful with?
Blowing out of the Bake Off tent to cool off was his only strategy, or it was the strategy he took. Before he left the tent he took his prize bake and chose to put it in the bin!
On reflection my interpretation of Ian's actions are this. Given the idea that he could not meet the judges expectations (parent) he chose to hide (child) his efforts by throwing the cake in the bin. I registered shock on his face as he realised what had happened to his cake. Unbeknownst to him it had been removed from the freezer and it hadn’t set. He switched from shock to confusion to outrage and then to an act of restrained violence! Unfortunately/fortunately for him he took his angry feelings out on himself, by binning the cake (sabotage). It looked like the only option available to him even with Sue saying that he shouldn't do that. He then feeling shame leaves the tent. (Shame Violence Intervention) SVI
A better scenario would have been to put the cake in the freezer and walk out. Then calm down and present the cake. Then talk to the other contestant about the events of baked Alaskan-gate and how to share freezer space. Then witness another baker like Norman leave the competition and then regroup for the following week.
I feel that Ian had nowhere else to go with his feelings but to vent. The camera's eye was on him and so he took matters into his own safe/unsafe hands by upstaging the proposed Saboteur by throwing the cake away. I felt the perpetrator of the initial attack of the cakes demise did look a little guilty.
As he walked up to the judges with the bin Ian appeared red faced and sorry (child). Mary and Paul (parents) gave 'supportive' comments but Ian had sealed his fate (adult) facing the consequences of earlier (child) reactions to a set of unfortunate circumstances.
What also struck me about the event is how quickly things descended into a state of chaos. This was not helped by meltingly hot conditions of the Bake Off tent. What surprised me was the inaction of other contestants to what they could see of Ian's shallow swan dive. I would have liked to have seen a few people speak up about what had happened to the Judges re: Freezer – other contestant- Baked Alaskan-melting or asked Ian to take a walk and talk with them and calm down before the cake entered the bin.
Unlike last year’s Bake Off 2013 events appear to be (imagined mostly on my part) more pressured in the tent and with less humour. The show has always been about baking and presenting the good and otherwise outcomes of using an oven to cook with, but with the additional side offerings of humour, innuendo and double entendres. (Perhaps this has all been side-lined to the extra Slice on Friday’s with Jo Brand). What this show in August 2014 presented me with was how an individual can become unstuck when baking a difficult cake.
My work
with Family Health Isis and supporting a group of African Caribbean men baking
bread highlighted for me that baking can be a hugely therapeutic and rewarding and
affirming experience. Baked Alaskan-Gate emphasises for me the need to remain
flexible in light of success or failure.
