At lunchtime today, I dropped Shirley off at the "Age Concern" charity shop where she volunteers twice a week and headed back home. As there was an empty parking space close by, I called in at our local post office to post a couple of items and buy some books of postage stamps. They are going up again next month.
Leaving the post office and heading back to Clint, I decided to do something I had not done in quite a while - buy my lunch from "Neptune's" fish and chip shop. They used to do a great lunchtime deal - £3 for mini fish and chips with mushy peas.. Of course that particular treat has also gone up.
Waiting for my battered fish to fry, I got talking to the couple who now run the establishment. They are in their late forties and came to England back in 2013 when the Greek economy was on its knees. They arrived with two young children and headed up to Sheffield where they had a connection with another Greek family. That was eleven years ago.
Their children settled into school here and now their daughter is at university. Their son hopes to follow her. He is now eighteen and plans to pursue a law degree.
The couple spoke warmly about how they'd been welcomed in this city and how neighbours and new friends had been so kind to them. They also spoke of how proud they are of their kids and how pleased they have been with their schooling. Though the husband and wife team still pine for their homeland, they are happy here and have no plans to return to Greece except for holidays.
It was so nice to hear their positivity and I could have stayed chatting to them all afternoon but I had a battered cod fish to eat, mushy peas and a huge pile of chips (American: fries). Actually, there were so many chips that I saved most of them in a casserole dish and this evening we had them with our evening meal. I tossed the cold chips in a little rapeseed oil and spread them on a baking tray before heating them for twenty minutes in the oven. They turned out perfectly.
It had been very nice to hear an immigrant story that was not wet with tears - nor pulsing with underlying resentment. They had made their brave move and then made the best of it. It would not surprise me if their two children now speak with Yorkshire accents.
"Yassou!" I said as I left. It means "Good health!"
from Yorkshire Pudding https://ift.tt/K8i1DJH