I have hot hands, can't make pastry or anything else with rubbing-in method. Very good reason to teach Bb and his sons
Mainly used for crumble but Bb is also brill at Delia's quick rough-puff, used several times for special Christmas sausage rolls
Normal pastry we use so rarely I just buy it, it's hardly expensive
Gravy, no, no, no Wm, nothing like yours, and I was taught by ex-fil who was from Derbyshire
Proper, proper gravy, made with meat juices which have been flavoured from start of meat cooking, by placing it on bed of carrot, onion, herbs, optional garlic. Squish all that then remove; add flour to fat in roasting dish over heat, stir like mad. Gradually add potato water (from par-boiling pots for roasting), bring to boil, scraping round the tin, taste, season if needed...if you're lucky it's perfect.
I don't actually do it like that these days, but that's proper gravy
Really it only works if you have a big joint of meat, which we don't.
There are several ways of making seriously good gravy