Contributed by Gillian Bark of the UK

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Nah then, Linda,
After thinkin' about tates, or taties, ahv remembered what mi muther used to do
to roast 'em. She wud put the joint in the roastin' tin and put some watter and
laard round it.   When the joint had bin cookin' forra bit then in went the tates, 
in fairly big pieces, none o' that muckin' about parboiling 'em.  They'd cum out 
ever so nice, and she tipped the fat floatin' on the top into an enamel dish after 
the meat wus cooked to mek drippin', then the chips wud git fried in it or we 'ad
luvly drippin san' wiches, later in the week, as a snack if we were 'ungry.  Every 
Sundiy dinner we 'ad to 'ave dried peas, that is after they were soaked overnight 
before an' then boiled, so Chris'mas day wud be no exception, my dad insisted on 
'em. I alwiys said I would never 'ave 'em when I got married an' I ant nyver.  O' 
course we allus 'ad fresh veg too, and mashed tates, and muther's lovely gravy.  
She wus a gud cook.  She also luvved bakin' and we wus nevvva short o' jam taarts,
spunge cakes and pies, I used ta luv 'er apple pies espeshly.  One day when me 
bruthers and I were kids she was mekkin' the gravy in the roastin' tin on the cukka 
top, an' she knocked it onta the floor some'ow.  Well, the naughty wirds rolled out 
thick an' fast  whyel she clea-anned the floor an' made fresh gravy quickly as dad 
was due 'ome forris dinner, an' she lyekked it reddy.  Me an' our Keith were bent
down behint the servin' atch in the livin' room killin' ourselves wi' laffin', cos she 
nivver let us say no naughty wirds.  Annuther thing we 'ad as kids wus "tates in 
jackets" sometimes mum wud empty the tatie bag right down to the bottom to find 
sum guddens, then on wud go the oven before we even went to school, she sed it 
wus easy as she cud do 'er housewirk while dinner cukked.  They wud be ready 
when we got 'ome,smellin' luvly,  and we 'ad tinned beans wivvem, and marge o'
course, (not butter, we wus a bit poor;) then a luvly milk puddin', we used to go back 
to school full to bustin'.  She fed us well.  Good job we walked else we'd 'ave ended 
up the size o' tanks.  Poor or not, me muther luvved carin' forrus, she nevver 
complained and we were cosseted, kept warm, clean an' well fed.  We nevva went 
'ungry as she wus a gud maniger.  The fonniture was not posh but it wus 'ome.  We 
were blessed.

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*** New 10-January-2008 ***