Lunch
We enjoyed a special lunch today - partly as another celebration of my seventy second birthday. We went to "The Silver Plate" restaurant which is within the main Sheffield College building. There, post sixteen students mostly pursue work-related courses ranging from engineering to hairdressing. One of the departments specialises in food and hospitality and the main point of "The Silver Plate" is to give students real life opportunities to experience meal preparation and table service. The young people are carefully supervised and over many years the department has developed a reputation for excellence. The dining room is spotlessly clean and the tables are expertly laid out with polished cutlery, glasses and small flowers in vases. Shirley and I were assigned a young waiter called Thomas. He is just eighteen years old and we were the very first diners that he had ever served as he only began his course three weeks ago. He was really nervous so we had to assure...