Saturday 8 March 2008

Passing the Thyme


You may remember I got overly emotional about the disappearance of the Norfolk Stuffing Mix packet (Remembrance of Tins Past 26/2/08). This was the one with the smiley pig and his endorsement of the product as 'Highly Recommended'. Well, as you can see, all is not as lost as I'd imagined. Those of you familiar with this blog and its environs will know that a certain butcher in Uppingham is rewarded with many walk-on parts, mainly for his pork pies. The shop stands at the eastern end of the High Street, with a bright red blind and a green and cream door open at the top like a stable. I was standing in there this morning, glad that there were a few people in front of me so that I could cast my eyes over the scene. Much chopping and hacking on a big butcher's block, meat in various stages of dismemberment like a Tibetan sky burial. String suspended from the axe and cleaver rack, carrier bags with farmyard animals on them. And then my eye casually rose above the pork pies (oh yes) to the top shelf. And there he was, Mr. Pig from Norfolk. They've modified his smile to be more of an expression of pathetic resignation, but I shall take his new recommendation of being 'The Original & Best' and make sure I get a good stuffing tomorrow.

3 comments:

Diplomate said...

Oh the joys of losses found, memories re-visited, hopes plucked from despair, history re-visited. The thought that your pig was lost and now is found, fills us all with hope. MORE STUFFING.

Ton Tom said...

I am very worried you left the butchers with just stuffing. It needs to go in something, preferably a raw meat cavity. Pork pies won't do.

Peter Ashley said...

Oh I did Tom. The main reason for my undignified presence there was for a big bit of pig for tomorrow. Mmmm. I'll tell you how it turned out, if I don't set fire to the Ashley Towers kitchens.