I taught them to cook vidya4 - Flipbook - Page 34
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Autumn Term
Then it’s on with the sandwiches.
Peeled, hard boiled eggs, mashed smooth with salad cream,
mixed with mustard and cress then spread onto soft Mother’s
Pride white bread with the crusts removed and cut into
quarters.
We drain precious mushy spears of asparagus from the cans
and place them on buttered brown bread, roll them tightly and
cut into small portions. Canned asparagus is expensive and
portions cannot be too generous.
The sandwiches go on a plate with a plain d’oyley. D’oyleys
matter in my cookery world. Plain for savoury, frilly for sweet,
and these rules must not be broken.
Another hostess trolley is piled with sandwiches, buttered
fruit scones, brandy snaps, and butterfly cakes.
The rest of the class gathers to coo over Carol and Vicky’s
work, amazed that these two can produce anything edible. The
feast is finished with hot brewed tea and we wheel the trolleys
into the headmaster’s study. The Governors smile but I’m more
thrilled at the surprised looks from the teachers on the school
panel who know this unruly pair from their wanderings around
the school corridors.
Carol and Vicky return with me to my cookery room. I’m too
tired to ask them to clear up. Instead I give them a bag of spare
sandwiches and cakes.
‘Thanks girls – you’ve been great. Impressive cooking. Oh and
have you got my shopping change?’
Vicky offers me a handful of coins then they throw down their
overalls and resume their usual scruffiness as they wander off
into the dark night, cackling through mouthfuls of sandwich.
The next morning I arrive early as usual, to start a busy day.
In despair, I see the hostess trolleys, parked outside my room,
piled with dirty teacups, empty plates, crumpled napkins and
teapots full of cold tea leaves. As my form group catches up on