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A big thank you to those who voted for Brexit

(790 Posts)
Dinahmo Thu 07-Jan-21 16:03:15

I've just been reading about the additional charges that people buying goods from the UK are having to pay on purchases arriving in EU countries. So much so that many retailers are no longer selling to people in the EU. The list is long but includes M & S, John Lewis and Fortnums. I buy a variety of things from the UK, including clothing and health supplements. I am no longer able to do this. But it's not just me and other Brits living abroad, it's everybody in the EU.

So, those cheesemakers will have a hard time and I will no longer be able to buy the very good quality cheddar from my local supermarket (which the French like to, not just Brits) because it will be too expensive.

Mollygo Wed 20-Jan-21 16:23:12

The Supermarket part of this thread is really interesting. We lived in Liverpool in the early 70’s. The only really big supermarket was Tesco, but also within walking distance we had quite a large Co-op, Fine Fare, Axelrods, Hargreaves and an early Kwiksave. I don’t remember if Fine Fare had fresh food, but the others certainly did and Axelrods had an amazing variety of foods, possibly because it was in a largely Jewish area.

GrannyGravy13 Wed 20-Jan-21 16:00:57

Curry is not a word used in Indian, Chinese, Thai or any other Asian language that I am aware of.

Chow Mein and Chop Suey both evolved in America.

Cuisines change as the population moves around the Globe, folks taking a little bit of their home culture with them and incorporating it with the food culture of the country they have arrived in.

MaizieD Wed 20-Jan-21 15:31:34

Callistemon

It's interesting - perhaps curry was introduced to HK via India and Singapore by the British then brought over to Britain.

Yeah... and I suppose that Jamaican Jerk is really curry introduced by the Indian 'indentured labour' introduced to the island in the 1840s to replace those ungrateful freed slaves who wouldn't work as hard for their former masters as they had been forced to when slaves...

Who've thought that curry was so very influential on world cuisines...

MaizieD Wed 20-Jan-21 15:26:59

Ellianne

Thai curry anyone?

Oh, FFS, Ellianne. ?‍♀️

Callistemon Wed 20-Jan-21 15:26:56

It's interesting - perhaps curry was introduced to HK via India and Singapore by the British then brought over to Britain.

Ellianne Wed 20-Jan-21 15:22:10

Thai curry anyone?

MaizieD Wed 20-Jan-21 15:16:33

GrannyGravy13

Definitely had Chinese and a Indian restaurants in the part of London I lived in circa 1963 my earliest memories of going to them as a ^treat-

I'm not querying the Chinese takeaway. I'm querying the bl**dy curry.

I have had spicy Chinese food, but never a curry. Nor, until the last 2 or 3 decades have I seen curry on a Chinese takeaway menu.

Our (i.e my home town, 60 miles from London, a commuter town) first Chinese restaurant was opened in about 1965. The food was lovely; no curry...

I am now preparing for a flame load of posts telling me of Chinese curries galore in the far flung reaches of the UK in the 1950s. I still won't believe you... grin

GrannyGravy13 Wed 20-Jan-21 14:59:42

Definitely had Chinese and a Indian restaurants in the part of London I lived in circa 1963 my earliest memories of going to them as a ^treat-

Callistemon Wed 20-Jan-21 14:50:02

Curry? From a Chinese takeaway? In the 50's?

Have you never had a Chinese curry?

Callistemon Wed 20-Jan-21 14:48:58

I remember a Chinese restaurant opening in our provincial town C1960
Although the first Chinese restaurant in London was opened in 1908, the real spread of Chinese restaurants began in the late 1950s and 1960s with the influx of migrants from Hong Kong. These proved very popular

The 1960s also saw a dramatic rise in the number and spread of Indian restaurants in Britain, especially in London and the South East. During rationing it had been very difficult if not near impossible, to obtain the spices required for Indian cooking but with the rise in immigration from the Indian subcontinent and the end of rationing, this was no longer a problem and the restaurants flourished.

Curry was part of my Mum's repertoire of menus in the 1950s and 60s.

Casdon Wed 20-Jan-21 14:31:46

It’s true!
www.britishchineseheritagecentre.org.uk/timeline/british-chinese-food
I’ve found a lot out on this thread, the history of British supermarkets and takeaways, interesting stuff.

MaizieD Wed 20-Jan-21 14:12:20

petra

We had Chinese take aways in the 50s. Mind you, you had to take your own containers. That could be anything that would hold a curry. Ours was usually a saucepan ?

Curry? From a Chinese takeaway? In the 50's?

Where was that?

I'm beginning to think there's a bit of fantasising going on here.

Lucca Wed 20-Jan-21 13:57:29

gangy5

Some time ago I realised the futility of commenting on any posts concerning Brexit. I read them and it is as much as I can do to sit on my hands and refrain from posting. I knew it wouldn't be long before a 'certain someone' felt the need to spread her doom and gloom on here. Anyone with any sense cannot expect short term improvements and we were all aware that there would be initial hiccups. Optimism is lacking. My thanks to allies lemongrove and Urmstongram

I’m not commenting on Brexit but why be coy about “a certain someone” Have the courage of your convictions and name the. Or address them in person FGS.

MawBe Wed 20-Jan-21 13:50:53

I wonder where some people were living in 1970. (Reference to East Germany)
We married in 1970 , lived in Blackheath and our weekly shop was done every Saturday at Lewisham Sainsbury’s, but even before we were married I can remember nipping out to the Victoria Street Sainsbury’s for my future MIL from their Westminster flat.
A year later, living in Richmond I had a choice between side-by-side Safeway’s and Waitrose a short bus ride along the Upper Richmond Road from us in East Sheen.
In the 1960’s Wm Lows in St Andrews (known to us all as Wimlows) in Market Street was also a supermarket -albeit small- with a wide choice.
Come to think of it, my grandparents lived in Berlin and I visited East Berlin in the early 60’s, and no, nothing like.

petra Wed 20-Jan-21 13:32:08

Callistamon
That was good to see, wasn't it?
We are doing our small part. Just sent off for another box of fish from the Cornish fishermen.
What I also like about these boxes, is, they are insulated with wool and not @$*<##% styrene.

varian Wed 20-Jan-21 13:32:03

Musicians have hardly been able to work because of the pandemic. Not all musicians are as wealthy as Elton John. The cost of abblying for numerous visas for all the members of a band or orchestra. plus all of their support staff will be crippling for many. The loss of our free movement within all of the countries of the EU is hardly "a storm in a teacup"!

petra Wed 20-Jan-21 13:24:46

Varian
Friends of my daughter own a business which involves flying these musicians round the world. These tours are not taken on the spur of the moment, it's probably 1/2 years in the planning.
I doubt very much if the likes of Elton John etc are picking up the phone to all the embassies involved. The most they will get involved in is signing their name.
Storm in a teacup.

Callistemon Wed 20-Jan-21 13:18:31

But the little shops have also prospered in the pandemic too. Many bakeries, fishmongers, farm shops do click and collect or home deliveries now. I'm alternating them with supermarket deliveries. It is easy to to both. The British food market is very entrepreneurial, open to changing ideas and looks for other avenues and openings. I think that is lacking in Europe.

Yes, they have, Ellianne and it's good to see.
I mentioned the Cornish fishermen who are now delivering their own catches locally and making more per kilo - very enterprising

petra Wed 20-Jan-21 13:09:07

We had Chinese take aways in the 50s. Mind you, you had to take your own containers. That could be anything that would hold a curry. Ours was usually a saucepan ?

varian Wed 20-Jan-21 13:04:05

More than 100 well known musicians have signed a letter protesting that the Brexit agreement does not afford musicians the right to perform in th EU without individually applying for a visa for each country.

They include classical musicians such as Sir Simon Rattle and Nichola Benidetti and also pop stars such Sir Elton John and Ed Sheeran.

Roger Daltry. who was a prominent brexiter has signed the letter. Apparently he; like so many leave voters. had not realised the consequences of brexit would include a huge increase in the burden of beurocracy.

www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/musicians-brexit-letter-visa-travel-touring-b900408.html

Ellianne Wed 20-Jan-21 12:59:23

Oh gangy5 there are many of us, even on Brexit threads, who won't be beaten down and who come up with optimistic interesting posts.

Ellianne Wed 20-Jan-21 12:57:05

Interesting GG13 my aunty and uncle from Wales opened a Welsh dairy in Portland Place in the 60s selling butter, cheese etc. It soon became apparent people wanted sandwiches at lunchtime, deli style, so they adapted and sold drinks too. It was very successful.
Things evolve according to current trends and demands. That is where the UK is very receptive to new ideas.

Opal Wed 20-Jan-21 12:53:20

Yes I agree gangy5, I came to the same conclusion months ago. Leave them to their pessimism smile.

Ellianne Wed 20-Jan-21 12:49:10

Do you still receive those glossy weekly booklets via the postman with "promotions" in Welshwife?
They used to make my day!
You're right France doesn't seem to do supermarket deliveries?

GrannyGravy13 Wed 20-Jan-21 12:48:02

I can remember that in the late sixties, Selfridges, Harrods along with Fortnum and Mason sold all sorts of what was probably classified as exotic fruit, vegetables and food products.

There were Sainsbury’s, Tesco’s, Co-Op and Waitrose supermarkets around from mid sixties (London and Essex)

My parents had pubs with restaurants and I can remember eating smoked salmon, avocados, a variety of shell fish/fish along with most items that are commonplace nowadays.

The UK food wasteland which is being described on here is not one I recollect.