Cod With Worms And The Kindness Of Strangers

Just fancy piping hot chips...sprinkled with plenty of salt. And a piece of fish in crispy batter. The sort of batter that leaves little bits lurking at the bottom of the paper parcel.

I found a worm once...in a piece of Cod from the chippy. It was very, very long...made me shudder and feel sick actually. It was stone dead of course...would be after frying in hot grease I suppose.

Didn't eat Cod for years and years after that.

We were staying on a campsite once...Himself and me...there was a little shop on the site and Himself overheard two women talking...one said to the other...'We need some grease for tomorrows breakfast'...it amused Himself so much he still tells the story today...even when you've heard it before...a hundred times.

His daughter Teresa is the same about butter.

When she and her husband Reuben were here one summer we went to the Museum and then had something to eat in the tea-rooms...one of the ladies serving behind the counter asked a customer 'Would you like buteeeer on your bread' in a very strong Mayo accent.

Teresa almost collapsed with giggles and had to go outside to calm herself down.

She still laughs when she says 'Would you please pass the buteeeer'

I was once taken to Harry Ramsdens fish and chip cafe...in Yorkshire I think it was...wasn't in the least impressed actually. The place was stuffed with people...the tables were too close together and the food was nothing special. And the tea was stewed.

When we first came to Ireland on holidays, we spent some time in Dublin and had our supper one night in Beshoff's...it's a famous fish and chip cafe. It was lovely. Scalding hot tea and a plate heaped with fresh soda bread...the fish was delicious with not a worm to be seen and the chips were just right. The waitresses wear proper little pinnies and scoot about with laden trays.

Did I ever tell you that it was the same evening of a football match...we were a bit worried about being out on the street with hordes of supporters going by singing football songs and jostling each other.

One lad broke away from his group of friends and darted into a MacDonald's...he came out with some food and a can of drink and went straight to a young girl sitting on the pavement with a begging bowl in front of her...crouched down and gave her the food and drink...then dashed back to rejoin his friends.

That simple act of pure kindness made me want to cry.

I remembered that incident again today when I read the beautiful short prose RubyRed put on about the Starfish...one simple heartfelt act really can change an animal or persons world.

[mmzetor]

you made me want to go to hunstanton for some fish and chips tonight until you mentioned the worm lol . I know what you mean about harry ramsdens went to one in great Yarmouth not very nice and way over priced

[knitter]

Yikes Vashti, guess what I just had for my tea!

[cofdrop-UK]

I used to go to Harry Ramsdens as a kid when it was basically just a hut. They built it up and it got a really good reputation, so much so coach loads used to go there. They sold out however, and the standard went down so low, it was awful. I could never understand why they kept taking coaches there. It's in Guiseley, Leeds btw.

It has now been bought out by the Wetherby Whaler and we gave it a try. It is fabulous. WW fish and chips are lovely anyway but the inside of the building is gorgeous. They have kept the original windows but internally the windows are etched with lovely views. The have kept the original chandeliers and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday their is a pianist playing. There are some other f and c shops who carry the name HR but to be honest I wouldn't personally want to go to them.

cx

[Hidden]

Being a Manchester lass I love fish and chips with a passion. I went to Harry Ramsdens once up there and it was very nice but not as great as it was built up to be. My favourite fish and chip shop of all time was a little one in West Hampstead very near to where I lived. The chips were just right and the fish was to die for.... x

[Azure_Sky]

There are so many good chippies in Norfolk, especially on the coast. There is a marvelous one called Broadland in Stalham and a couple in Wroxham.

We are well served in Norwich too.

There are an awful lot of chippies with silly names around.

Regarding the worms they are quite common in cod, especially the big ones. Personally, I have never been a fan of it. My favourite is plaice,

When I was a kid, apparently, the only thing I wanted to eat, when we went out was fish and chips. I can clearly remember having lunch, in a posh department store. I was

perplexed by the breadcrumbs that replaced batter. The dainty lemon slices and fresh green peas.

[emmo]

Now this is just plain unfair! I don't drive and the walk - up and down hill- is

too much for me and I sit and drool about my favourite fish n chips! Friends

and family know by now that if we are out for a meal I will usually order -

you guessed it - fish and chips.

[mskpjb]

Vashti ! I`ll never eat battered fish again !!!! Mind you I remember as a very young girl, eating an apple in the Saturday matinee at the pictures. I happened to glance down during a bright scene and there was a very much alive worm waving from my apple ! I`m shuddering as I write and from that day (many, many moons ago) to this I peel and slice an apple before I eat it. Keep on writing, we love it, Sheila x

[ERINDOORS]

sometimes just talking to the 'pavement people' as I call them is enough to bring a smile at least , they dont all expect you to cough up! but like you say a sandwich or even a bag of crisps lets them know you see them as people not scroungers , the way things are going on the employment scale here I think we will be seeing many more . Please dont judge them all by a few .