School Lunches

Photo © Rob Jones

Down With Skool.

The four books written by Geoffrey Willans & illustrated by Ronald Searle were my staple bedtime reading growing up. I loved laughing at the rebellious, disdainful but wise public schoolboy, Nigel Molesworth. He had forthright opinions on many topics including teachers, matron, friends, enemies & his brother - Molesworth 2 - not to mention the food at St Custard's about which he wrote a story:

"The school prunes, weary of the disdain they encounter among all schoolboys, stage a revolt."

For me, I rather looked forward to seeing what would be served up at lunchtime. Some days it would be the school lunch:

Mince & Mash

Soggy Runner Beans

Spam Fritters

Fishfingers & Peas

Steak Pie

Chips (always a good day)

Soup (various)

Ham Salad

Jacket Potato with Cheese

Followed by:

'Concrete' Pudding with Pink Custard (shortbread)

Ginger or Chocolate Sponge with Normal Custard

Blancmange (flavour undetectable)

Bread & Butter Pudding

Trifle (at Christmas)

Fresh Fruit (rarely bothered)

**

Other days it would be a packed Tupperware lunch from home:

Sarnies (could be any of the following; cheese & toms/cheese & onion/haslet/beef or chicken & coleslaw/peanut butter & jam/Golden Syrup - that was a sticky, dribbly affair)

Sweet Treat (Penguin/Trio/Breakaway/Orange or Mint Club/United/Wagon Wheel/Taxi - always a disappointing sight/Mint Cracknell/Viscount Mint - the very best)

Fruit  (apple/banana - brown by lunchtime)

Juice (Ribena/Nesquik/Quosh/Aqua)

There would be comparing & swapping of contents between friends.

No one ever wanted a spare Blue Riband bar. Those were a chiz which is a swiz or swindle as any fule kno.

AMM