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December 26, 2024
Sublime Rambling
English Epistle #5
By Vicki L. George
The Bandera Prophet
Jan. 19, 1998
My folks told me many times about the Depression. It was really rough on them. Dad tried his hand at many different things to make a living. One of the things he and Mom tried was a Wimpy stand. Wimpy was Popeye’s friend, of cartoon fame. He was always seen with a hamburger in his hand. Someone got the bright idea of starting a hamburger chain called “Wimpy’s.” Mom and Dad got into that, but it didn’t do well so they moved on to other projects. In my life, I really don’t remember ever seeing a Wimpy place, not in America. But Wimpy’s is very big here in England. Wimpyburgers everywhere! Remembering the stories I grew up hearing, I got pretty excited and vowed not to leave England without eating a Wimpyburger. Well, I have, twice now, and it’s no great shakes; but I love remembering the story and my mom and dad.
For New Year’s Day, our family has the tradition, like so many southerners, of eating black eyed peas. I looked in several stores before finding them here and they’re called “black eyed beans.” One of the men who works with Hubby is also a southerner and we shared our “beans” with him. He said he sure appreciated that — he wouldn’t have felt right not eating them, either.
Baked potatoes are “jacket potatoes” because, you see, they are still in their jackets!
You either “eat in” or “take away” (not carry out).
We’re really getting into the swing of things here and enjoying it. It’s a crazy country with funny people, and we mean that in a good way. We like England and the English.
Well, I have to take back what I said about mashed potatoes. We’ve found three eating establishments that offer them. The Two Bridges Hotel at Two Bridges, in the middle of the Dartmoor National Park (the moors) offers them as “hash browns,” which are what we grew up calling potato pancakes or potato patties.
The Wellington Hotel in Boscastle offers them as a dish called “Bubble and Squeak.” Of course, I had to ask what that was. The manager chuckled as he explained. He said it’s a London dish and, as he’s from London, one that is dear to his heart. It’s made up of mashed potatoes, peas, carrots, cabbage and beans. Therefore, once you eat it, it begins to “bubble” and, after a time, you begin to “squeak.”
Hubby and I have become quite fond of the British.
But enough about food!
Well, this past week has been fun! The cable customer stopped the American part of the job for one week. Hubby and I decided to take the opportunity to explore more of England.
We started off by taking a train to Plymouth. It’s two hours one way. Plymouth is the nearest large city in the west country, Cornwall. We spent the better part of the day there and saw as much as we could. We walked what they call the Hoe, which I would call a promenade. There they had some beautiful war memorials and a lighthouse. We walked by the Royal Citadel. I believe it’s like our citadel — for the training of elite military. The front was wonderful and I wanted a photo. The guard out front was carrying a machine gun! So, I asked permission first. I never argue with a man carrying a machine gun!
As we walked around the point we saw the Mayflower stone and steps — some of our ancestors departed England from that very spot in 1620. As I looked out from there across the harbour I tried to imagine what they thought about the long journey ahead of them and how the harbour must have looked at that time.
When we left that spot and headed into town we passed through the Barbican, the fish market and piers. After lunch we continued to walk about as I had heard there was a lovely old church nearby and the only synagogue (apparently) in Cornwall. We found both and the church was very old and more like a cathedral. The synagogue was very low key in appearance but has beautiful stained glass windows. By the time we got back to Penzance it was well after dark.
For New Year’s Day, our family has the tradition, like so many southerners, of eating black eyed peas. I looked in several stores before finding them here and they’re called “black eyed beans.” One of the men who works with Hubby is also a southerner and we shared our “beans” with him. He said he sure appreciated that — he wouldn’t have felt right not eating them, either.
Baked potatoes are “jacket potatoes” because, you see, they are still in their jackets!
You either “eat in” or “take away” (not carry out).
We’re really getting into the swing of things here and enjoying it. It’s a crazy country with funny people, and we mean that in a good way. We like England and the English.
Well, I have to take back what I said about mashed potatoes. We’ve found three eating establishments that offer them. The Two Bridges Hotel at Two Bridges, in the middle of the Dartmoor National Park (the moors) offers them as “hash browns,” which are what we grew up calling potato pancakes or potato patties.
The Wellington Hotel in Boscastle offers them as a dish called “Bubble and Squeak.” Of course, I had to ask what that was. The manager chuckled as he explained. He said it’s a London dish and, as he’s from London, one that is dear to his heart. It’s made up of mashed potatoes, peas, carrots, cabbage and beans. Therefore, once you eat it, it begins to “bubble” and, after a time, you begin to “squeak.”
Hubby and I have become quite fond of the British.
But enough about food!
Well, this past week has been fun! The cable customer stopped the American part of the job for one week. Hubby and I decided to take the opportunity to explore more of England.
We started off by taking a train to Plymouth. It’s two hours one way. Plymouth is the nearest large city in the west country, Cornwall. We spent the better part of the day there and saw as much as we could. We walked what they call the Hoe, which I would call a promenade. There they had some beautiful war memorials and a lighthouse. We walked by the Royal Citadel. I believe it’s like our citadel — for the training of elite military. The front was wonderful and I wanted a photo. The guard out front was carrying a machine gun! So, I asked permission first. I never argue with a man carrying a machine gun!
As we walked around the point we saw the Mayflower stone and steps — some of our ancestors departed England from that very spot in 1620. As I looked out from there across the harbour I tried to imagine what they thought about the long journey ahead of them and how the harbour must have looked at that time.
When we left that spot and headed into town we passed through the Barbican, the fish market and piers. After lunch we continued to walk about as I had heard there was a lovely old church nearby and the only synagogue (apparently) in Cornwall. We found both and the church was very old and more like a cathedral. The synagogue was very low key in appearance but has beautiful stained glass windows. By the time we got back to Penzance it was well after dark.