Fruit and other foods.

I have just had the excitement of an examination (physical ) and therefore the need to fast for a day. I missed my fruit more than anything else. That made me think about fruit in the past. We didn't have the range available that we have now. I remember:

- being given 6d (that's 2 1/2p) by the van driver, whose name was Ivor, and who always had a drip on the end of his nose, to go to the green grocer and get myself an apple. It was a Golden Delicious. It was perfect, big and round and crispy.

- having a star fruit, the next door but one neighbour was a pilot who flew with BOAC, and he once brought a bag of exotic fruit back and we all tried some. I wasn't impressed, but it would have been sitting in his bag for hours.

- bananas were always a treat.

- other fruit came in tins, heavily treated with sugar syrup. My mother used to make her trifle with black cherries from tins . They were canned with the stones in, and we had to stone them before using. My hands were stained purple for days. Now I make it with mandarin oranges, also from tins, as William doesn't like cherries.

Food was more expensive, I remember when the price of steak hit £1 a pound. It was a scandal.  Mother was a good cook, being German her style was continental, the vegetables were not watery and the meat was on the rare side. I remember the shock I got when I went to boarding school and was expected to eat overlooked everything. I lived on biscuits and bread. 

Knitting is moving on. I am on another cowl to go with my new coat. The coat was acquired to replace one I have lost. Don't know where, although that is illogical, as if I knew where it wouldn't be lost. Anyway the new one is greys and greens and reds so a grey and brown cowl. An interesting pattern Called 'In the Loop'. Maybe I should call mine Loopy Loo. Almost half done. Easy and fun. Now finished, sits well and warm and cosy. Will go well with my coat.