D25 #100WorkingDays Project work

 As expected one task I had to complete at college was a report on an aspect of catering. I’m unclear why I chose hospital food, but I did. I wrote to my local hospital in S London, to Great Ormond Street and a couple of other hospitals. Their catering teams were welcoming, knowledgeable, and helpful, often working in old kitchens that needed at least, refurbishment. 

On a small budget per head of patients they produced food on an industrial scale. They were trying new things too where there was willingness to invest in making efficiencies. I don’t have a copy of the report I wrote in the end but I was left impressed with the efforts made. Even so hospital food had reputation that was reinforced by jokes. 

So here I was visiting various hospitals and never thought much about what else was going on. Hospital catering did not attract me nor did any other profession based there. Why didn’t I recognise what was happening around me? 

D23 #100WorkingDays Enjoyment

 The teen years did have high spots as well as the low times. There was a local church based youth club that gave us time to expend energy in games on summer evenings, as well as volleyball or badminton indoors on darker evenings. We helped older people with decorating, and cut back vegetation in the churchyard. Sometimes we’d visit someone’s house too and sit around listening to new records by artists like Simon and Garfunkel.

At some point I tried cigarettes but the after smell, on me and my clothes and my limited finances soon meant an end to them. Under age drinking started though not as young as some of my contemporaries. There were parties with school friends that meant visits to their homes. As we were dispersed around south west London there were occasional all nights out, or a long walk home after the last bus or train. Amongst food memories the first taste of pizza stands out, when a group of us in the sixth form visited our English teachers. My dad had set an example at home of jam and marmalade making and decorating cakes. This encouraged me to cook and when I started a Saturday job in the delicatessen I had access to nice food I could cook for family and friends. 

At home the TV was upgraded to colour making Morecambe and Wise a must see show. Their specials at Christmas preceded a prolonged family gathering at a relatives large apartment. We’d have parlour games there too. And the host would give us snowball drinks form his little bar. And speaking of the ‘boys’ M &W, one friend got a number of tickets to see them live and several us spent a hilarious evening in their presence. These were the happier days.