Middle Class Problems

(Sorry, off again!) anno - Shakespeare, not Wordsworth; Lear:

"Half way down
Hangs one that gathers samphire, dreadful trade!
Methinks he seems no bigger than his head:
The fishermen that walk upon the beach
Appear like mice."

Now off to lie down in darkened room...no I'm not - last time I said that it turned into a drunken orgy bit of a party. [ smile]

Could we have a translation, please, gracesmum?

Sorry GM yes to a lot of those.
Does a merc b count as a big car?


Love the French pickled samphire! Super with cold meat etc. think it's called salliicorne?

For those of us who don't speak or read German:

self-awareness is the best evidence-

"selbsterkenntnis ist die beste erkenntnis" from German

Stimmt!

What is so funny is that so many things that were for the very poor in Ye Olde days are now so fashionable with the rich. Samphire was very much poor man's asparagus. Same for so many local peasant regional dishes. Or thatched houses, or wooden chalets, etc, etc.

But for many very hard working women at the top of their game, a nanny is essential to give stability and safety, and allow some flexibility. Daughter is often delayed at last minute because something goes wrong with a project, or because the trains are not running, or somebody has jumped on the line, etc. Are we saying that it is 'middle class' for a woman to want to reach the top of their career - and still be loving and devoted mums, but with flexibility built into the system?

Thanks!

I don't think anybody is saying it is wrong to do any of the things mentioned, including having a nanny. The jokey list just included it as one of the things that suggests a person is middle class - and what is wrong with being middle class anyway?

I have no problem with it. I've always assumed I am

Our Waitrose dpes sell samphire, but DD's local Asda in King's Heath had it first!

does

granjura this is a humorous thread about a humorous subject not an attack on big cars etc. Weird British humour about a section of society who sometimes take themselves rather seriously.

ASDA selling Samphire does any of their clientele know what to do with it?
I don't think ASDAs in The Potteries are ready for that. I will look on Friday.
Samphire stuffed Staffordshire oat cakes! Yes ! Perhaps that could be the next fashionable thing! Along with Lobby and Wrights pies.

I know, I know

We used to pick samphire off the salt marshes in Norfolk. Our favourite dish was pasta with boiled samphire tossed in butter and garlic with black pepper. Not posh, not even vaguely middle-class, just could peasant, well fisher-man's free wild food.

The Twitter account was created by a comedian and people have tweeted funny remarks. I don't think anyone is getting at anyone. It just amused me.

I accept I'm middle class (private schools, cleaners, dinner parties, big cars) I even used to go beagling a long time ago. Hate to admit that now. But I am quite happy to happy at myself. Secure in my own skin, as they say.

Now I really must go and polish the silver and crystal for that dinner party I'm planning for the weekend. Just popping out to Fortnums for foie gras !!!

They have samphire in Tesco here..... so common!

granjura Love the sound of your pasta and samphire recipe. Yum!

Amazed there is any samphire left on the salt marshes of the UK.

Nellie

Our local fishmonger sells Samphire I must admit I've never had the urge to try it. I did try Laver Bread once (for a dare) from Camarthen Market I wouldn't give it to my worst enemy.

My late mum would think I had become dreadfully posh because I do my main shopping in Sainsburys.

Sorry to be serious here but I am rather worried about the ecology of this. If these natural rescources have suddenly become a fashionable and lucrative food crop this is likely to attract irresponsible collectors out to make a fast buck.

I hope someone is looking at the possible environmental impact of this.
This is not like picking the berries off a blackberry bush.
The plants could be badly weakened by constant cropping and may not be available for wildlife. Added to this the removal of this vegetation might act to destabilise the soils or sands and lead to serious erosion problems.
There are lot of possibly serious consequences if this product is being exploited.
Does anyone know if its farmed?

The ecological impact was mentioned in one of my earlier posts. Same thing happened when wild mushrooms became fashionable- and areas like Richmond Park were stripped daily by gangs of pickers for the top restaurants (resulting in a total ban a few years later).

Some top Chefs have been asking for more ethical use and more care not to overpick and destroy the environment.

Waitrose samphire is grown commercially rather than collected from the wild. As I would expect.

Thankgoodness for Waitrose! Not sure how I would cope without my Samphire and the Organic Polenta. I must just pop into the kitchen and put the Alessi whistling bird kettle on to boil, then I just have to drop a fair trade tea bag in my Emma Bridgewater mug and I can settle down for an evening with BBC 4.

I've switched to ocado! Better choice! Less substitutions!
We were really having problems with our local waitrose?
Hope they may have learnt the lesson as a lot of people have complained according to the delivery man

Oh dear, Deeda. I'm not crazy about samphire or polenta. My kettle doesn't whistle and is a Wilkinson's cheapie. I'm drinking PG tips in a Tesco mug and watching BBC1. I'm such a middle class failure

Don't worry merlot, so am I! My kettle's a Russell Hobbs and I think my mug's from Asda....