Watch here for details of our 2007 tour

We plan to be in London Coventry Hull Leeds Stockport Manchester Dublin
details to follow

Aberdeen

We drove from Perth to Aberdeen with the help of a take away curry car picnic. I'm terrified of driving but Nana was very reassuring. Nana and Sister Comfort sang us some beautiful hymns as we drove, one of which they'd taught me. When Natasha and myself struggled with Come by ya and 10 green bottles the ladies decided sleep was a safe option.

After a night in a bed which Nana decided was fit for a queen. We headed to breakfast for our usual fayre of Scottish fou fou(porridge). Nana wanted some sugar and there was much hilarity after having dismantled the salt grinder into her tea she discovered it was salt.

Today our only official engagement was a phone interview at 5.30. So the day was their's to shop with. Aberdeen had some great charity shops. In Oxfam we even found a dutch a man who spoke Twi. Both ladies found some "effe paa" fine clothes. I think my favourite was Nana's retro 60's turquoise suit for £5. After all that shopping and since it was St Patricks day we went for a cheeky Guiness before heading back to pack and wait for the interview. A fish and chip supper with some Ghanaian sauce, a good chat, and we were already for bed.

The Fair Trade Fair at Aberdeen music hall was a hugesuccesss. The event was packed with thousands of people. All keen to sample Divine chocolate and the other Fairtrade goods on offer and be inspired by the Fairtrade fashion show. The local children, who'd been learning about Fairtrade asked the producers questions on what life is like for a cocoa farmer and how Fairtrade had changed their lives. The high point for me was hearing Comfort and Comfort sing their Fairtrade song again, truly beautiful. As one onlooker commented later what a voice!

Ghanian Feast

After days of searching out rice and plain chicken takeaways that Comfort Asara Kwabi (sister Comfort) could eat with pepper source brought from Ghana. We decided to let the ladies show us how cooking was done. We were pretty sure we wouldn't find yam or casava, but we tried the biggest store around just in case. For our Ghanain feast we ended up buying

4 chicken thighs,
4 tomatoes
3 onions
one garlic,
one stem of ginger
3 chillis
one chilli powder
chicken stock cube ( Sister comfort had to start again she was so upset the the taste of the veggies one.)
one tin of tomatoes concentrate
two tins of chopped tomatoes
One can of pilchards
3 green peppers.
one cabbage.
sunflower oil
1 kg of white rice
Macoroni
corn on the cob.

Unfortunately no cocoa yam or casava. The comment on the supermarket was that everything was already prepared, I confessed we were a lazy nation.

We headed back to my house. Where both Comforts greeted my parents with big warm hugs. After watching a little rugby, the roughness of which perplexed Comfort Asara kwabi who was pretty adament that her son wouldn't be playing it. Comfort and Comfort got going in the kitchen with Tasha and myself being pretty feeble sous chefs. We all chopped the veg, pounded the spices and then fried all the ingredients. Natasha and I were astounded at the amount of salt the Comforts used. But we figured in Ghana you probably loose a lot with the heat. Since my house is currently at Ghanain temperatures we went a long with it. The result was incredible, a meal truly fit for a queen mother.

Both Comforts seem to have enjoyed being at home. I asked Nana to stop doing the washing up as she was the guest. Nana replied "No, I am not a guest I am at home".

The only slight worry was our dog. Sister Comfort was terrified of our giant black poodle. However, after realising he was called Ben, and that what she thought was clothes were in fact his hair, they now enjoy conversations through the saftey of a window.

Today is the day for weighing the suitcases on the bathroom scales to make sure they'll be allowed on the plane.

The Queen Mother lives on…

Inverness has been fantastic, and we are sorry to leave. As usual, the two Comforts have made a big impact from opening fashion shows, entertaining school kids to reducing the Oxfam Area Manager to complete hysterics - they even convinced our lovely guesthouse to convert to Fairtrade.

Over a breakfast of Scottish FuFu (see previous blog post) Comfort ’s Kwaasibea told us that her home town in Ghana wants to bestow on her the revered position of ‘Queen Mother’. This is the highest position in the village which comes with perks and privileages, but Comfort is running scared from the rules and responsibilities.Apparently laughing and eating in public is deemed inappropriate for the Queen Mother. Also the Queen Mother should only talk to people through special intermediaries. Anyone who knows Comfort, will know that these three rules alone are totally unfeasible! But in the long car journeys and waiting between functions/events, we have been winding Comfort Kwaasibea up by calling her ‘Nana’ (the name for Queen Mother in Ghanaian Twi language), opening doors for her and generally being as subservient as possible. Nana is loving it!

As Fairtrade Fortnight draws to a close, the two Comforts and the Divine Chocolate team are feeling a cocktail of emotions - sadness, relief and a heavy dose of exhaustion! Comfort Kwaasibea and Comfort Asara-Kwabi have become a major part of our lives over the last two weeks and it will be such a loss when they are gone. However, we are hoping to be invited over to Ghana to the Coronation of the next Queen Mother…

In search of FuFu!

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Just like we might hanker after a ‘proper’ cup of tea when we are away from Blightly, the two Comfort’s cannot stop thinking about their FuFu! Conventional west African FuFu is made by boiling starchy foods like cassava, yam, plantain or rice, then pounding them into a glutinous mass, usually in a giant, wooden mortar and pestle.

We are trying our level best to find FuFu replacements for the Comforts…with varied success! The Tarka Dall from a Tandoori in Inverness was left untouched last night. But this morning we might have struck gold with a good old fashioned bowl of Scottish Porridge (or Scottish FuFu as it has been renamed!)

The two Comfort’s are on great form in our grand tour of Scotland. We have just returned from a trip to beautiful Ullapool, where the Comfort’s wowed the audience! Comfort Kwaasibea is really pleased to see that she has own clothing label in the UK. She keeps noting ‘CK’ printed on t-shirts!

Rain, Rain, Rain!

Snow gave way to rain - and a very slushy drive to Dundee.

First an early appointment with My Weekly magazine - published by the venerated published DC Thomson here in Dundee. We met the My Weekly features team and their charming photographer Gordon, and the Comforts gave an interview all about the ups and downs of life as a cocoa farming woman in Ghana, for an article due out in May.

Our next engagement was a Fairtrade Celebration reception at Dundee's City Chambers, hosted by Lord Provost John Letford JP, and organised by Alison Anderson. There was a really good turn out in the grand hall, flanked by huge protraits of past Provosts, and impressive stained glass. Amongst the audience were Shona Robison MSP for Dundee West, local retailers and wholesalers, members of the council and the local Fairtrade Forum, and the head of Tayside Police - who was very committed to Fairtrade. After hearing from Comfort K and Comfort A there was some brisk business, with several enquiries about selling Divine in canteens, and to the catering trade.

Snow Snow Snow !!!

Woke up to nearly a foot of snow.... and news of more to come. The car was wedged in solid, and the day's event cancelled - no-one could get there. The Comfort's were wide-eyed, and had a go at chucking a couple of snowballs as we slithered along the path to breakfast. Holed up for the day - with nothing to do but chat, blog, do a bit of work, sleep and eat. I think the Comfort's welcomed the chance of a day off - though they get easily bored and see the potential of another afternoon shopping!

The Glasgow Fairtrade Experience

Next stop was Glasgow for the Fairtrade Experience event organised by New Consumer magazine. It was in Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall, and we found a fantastic multi-coloured, multi-cultured market of Fairtrade goods from around the world, all doing great business with hordes of Fairtrade friendly Glaswegians. Comfort and Comfort were due on at 2.00pm so we had some time to wander around, catch up with people from Oxfam, the Co-op, the Fayre Trade people, as well as Rachel and Fiona from One World Shop, and feel extremely pleased at how many stands were selling Divine!

We were introduced by a local Councillor, Alistair gave his intro, and then Comfort Kwaasibea let rip to a rapt audience, followed by an equally animated Comfort Asare-Kwabi telling her story in Twi, translated as she went along. Then they surprised everyone by giving an impromptu rendering of a 'Fairtrade song' - complete with dance moves! They were quickly joined by two of the African musicians there for the show, for a fantastic finale to thunderous applause. Where did that song come from, I asked afterwards. "We made it up last night in our bedroom," said Comfort K.

A brief turn around the shops and we were off to Stirling for the evening event - A Fairtrade Wine and Chocolate tasting at the University. The event was a sell-out, and cheeks soon became rosy as we worked our way through a series of choice South African and Chilean wines - all now bearing the Fairtrade Mark. Alistair doubled-up in his role as wine expert, and Divine Tour leader - leading up to the main star of the evening Comfort K, who left no-one in any doubt about what their Fairtrade pound could do.

It's Getting Chilly !!

The weather turned cold, and the downpour of rain seemed to follow us from Edinburgh through to East Dunbartonshire. However as we entered the council offices in Kirkintilloch we got a warm reception from Councillor Morrison and a team of council staff who had set up an event for the launch of the East Dunbartonshire Fairtrade directory.

We made a brief presentation and showed an extract from the PaPaPaa DVD before Louise asked Comfort K and Comfort A about life as a cocoa farmer and the benefits of Fairtrade to cocoa farmers in Ghana.

This was followed by two excellent presentations from local schools where pupils had learnt about Fairtrade and had set up co-operatives within the school to sell Fairtrade products.

The event was a huge success, attended by around 70 councillors, local business people and students. Sylvia Grey, Sustainable Development Officer for East Dunbartonshire Council and secretary of the local Fairtrade steering group stated that she was "delighted to see the number and diversity of local people attending" and that it was "good to hear first-hand of how Fairtrade can make such a huge difference to cocoa farmers".

With little time to gather our breath we were meeting up for an interview with Colin Blane for BBC World Service. It can sometimes be a little difficult to tell your story with a microphone being held so close to you, but Colin had a way of putting the Comforts at ease and made the whole experience good fun.

Scottish National Parliament

An evening reception at the Scottish National Parliament proved to be a very interesting experience. Not only were we wowed by the fantastic building, but the overall support of the event, and interest in the lives of our cocoa farmers was quite overwhelming.

The evening was the official launch of the 'Edinburgh Fairtrade City Consumer Guide' and was hosted by Sarah Boyack MSP, shown here talking with Comfort and Comfort.

One World Shop Edinburgh

We were delighted to be invited to attend a meeting at the One World Shop which has been supporting Fairtrade for more than 15 years. The staff had prepared a Divine chocolate cake to celebrate the second anniversary of Edinburgh becoming a Fairtrade City.

The Edinburgh Lord Provost Lesley Hinds helped with the cutting of the cake.

Being a photography expert (not) it seemed sensible to follow the professional and take the same shot! Here both Comforts get to try some more Divine chocolate outside the shop.

Food is Interesting

A favourite food in Ghana is fufu.
In Northern Ghana fufu consists of yams and in Southern Ghana it is made of cassava and plantain. Both types of Fufu are pounded with a huge wooden mortar and pestle until the foodstuffs gluttonise into a big ball of, well, fufu. This is eaten at most meals so you can imagine what the girls made of our favourite dish! They have now tried English KFC, Indian and Italian what’s next?

Heading North

After a long drive north from London, including a brief stop in the Meadowhall Centre Sheffield, where Comfort K snapped up a bargain in Poundland and purchased a hand-held vacuum-cleaner with built-in torch; our two Ghanaian farmers eventually reached the outskirts of Newcastle and were personally greeted with open arms by one of the reigons leading landmarks – The Angel of the North. After a brief stop we headed back into the rush-hour traffic towards Newcastle’s only Fairtrade restaurant ‘The Open Kitchen’. Here we were welcomed by the smiling Chris Jewitt who presented us with the Open Kitchen's latest Fairtrade creation – A Divine Chocolate Torte, using three types of Divine chocolate, drizzled with a Divine white chocolate mint pesto. Obligingly we ‘got stuck in’ and our own travelling chef, and food critic, had only one word to describe it. Divine!

(Don’t worry readers we’re working hard on the Open Kitchen boys – trying to secure the recipe for the divinechocolate website)

If it's Tuesday it must be the Treasury

4.00pm prompt on Tuesday and we were being ushered inside the inner sanctum of HM Treasury with an entourage of press photographers and cameramen! The Chancellor had kindly agreed to meet up with Comfort K and Comfort A, and they had brought a fabulous piece of woven Ashanti Kente cloth to present to him, the kind usually worn by Ashanti Chiefs (+ lots of Divine and Dubble of course). Comfort Kwaasibea formally announced she was there to represent over 45000 Kuapa Kokoo farmers who were benefitting from Fairtrade, and to thank him for his commitment to fairer trade with Africa, which they hoped would continue.

It was a very upbeat meeting - and we all thought Gordon Brown was rather charming!

The new Dubble website gets the thumbs up!

It was great to see that Comfort Kwaasibea and Comfort Asare-Kwabi loved the new Dubble website! They were really excited to see young people getting active about Fairtrade!

It's tiring work being media stars!

What a speech! Comfort Kwaasibea stole the show at the official press launch of Fairtrade Fortnight last night. Her words enthused people about the benefits of buying Divine and Dubble chocolate, and also got people laughing into their Fairtrade glasses of wine with some classic jokes! She shared the platform with amongst others Stuart Rose, the top man at Marks and Spencers who have recently announced the launch of a Fairtrade cotton clothing range. When Stuart mentioned in his speech that M&S sell Fairtrade chocolate, we all looked a bit mystified! We have been trying to get M&S to stock Fairtrade chocolate for ages, and to our knowledge they currently don't!

From public speaking to media stardom! A car picked up Comfort Kwaasibea from her hotel at 5:30am this morning and whisked her to the GMTV studios. She appeared live on GMTV twice this morning with Harriet Lamb (Director of the Fairtrade Foundation). Comfort welcomed the heat of the studio lights, it reminded her of Ghana! She said that she was really nervous for the first interview, but Lorraine Kelly really put her at ease for the second interview. Comfort learnt by the second time round that it doesn't really matter what questions you are asked by the interviewer, you just need to tell your story - she is fast turning into a media expert! The photo shows the two Comfort's having a snooze in the Divine Chocolate office.

Sainsbury's

Comfort and Comfort made sure staff at Sainsbury's HQ knew why Divine chocolate was called Divine.

It was their first engagement but they got stuck in straight away grabbed some plates of chocolate and offered it to staff coming into work. Comfort explained they were the farmers that grew the cocoa for it and how Fairtrade had changed her life. Every one loved the smooth taste of Divine chocolate especially the Orange Divine which matched rather well with the Sainsbury's logo.

I had a lot of fun. The farmers actually got me singing a Ghanaian gospel song in the lobby of Sainsbury's. To their delight I managed to recall this whilst we relaxed munching away on joloffee rice on the hotel room floor at 10pm last night. Talking about how much everyone had enjoyed Comforts speech.

The Grand Divine 2006 Cocoa Farmer tour!

We're delighted to announce that two cocoa farmers, Comfort Kwaasibea and Comfort Asare-Kwabi (I think it will have to be Comfort K and Comfort A from now on!) have arrived safely in the UK and are busy acclimatising, ready for the start of the Fairtrade Fortnight tomorrow.

First stop Teddington - and after making sure they've both got something warmer to wear - we're all off to Tesco to marvel at the crazy amount of choice we British have, and buy a few essentials - tights, toothpaste, soap etc.

Then we popped into to the local Oxfam so they could see all the Divine and Dubble on offer. I explained to the two young girls manning the till that these were two of the farmers who grow the cocoa for Divine, and in unison they said "You mean they're from Kuapa Kokoo? We learned about it at school!!!" What a result! The Comforts ask whether everyone in the UK knows about Kuapa Kokoo. "Not everyone.... but they will soon!" I say.

(NB in the pic you can see both Comforts sporting some rather natty hats we spotted in Oxfam)

Comfort K has been to Britain before, but for Comfort A - this is all a totally new experience. She can't decide what's the biggest surprise....she lists the "nice buildings, nice cars, nice roads, nice lifts!"