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Dines with cousins
Feb. 5th, 2007 08:27 pmMy father was the youngest of five brothers from Sunderland, none of whom stayed in the town. His eldest-but-one brother, whom I remember as a quiet, studious man, devoted to his garden and fond of books, was also a keen supporter of Sunderland football team, and it was this that he passed on to his children - as one of them remarked, "He couldn't get us interested in gardening...". Once a year, this family of five (four brothers and a sister), or as many of them as are able, come to Sunderland for a weekend, go to the match, go out for a meal, have a drink, a walk on the beach, a little sightseeing - and if we are free, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
durham_rambler and I join them.
So on Saturday, after a fine bright day on the hills above Hamsterley forest, we went to Sunderland, to meet three cousins, one husband, one wife, and her brother and sister-in-law.
Of all my cousins, these are the family I knew best as a child, but we never saw each other often, and still less often as adults. Yet we slip easily into conversation, exchange news of family, holiday plans, reminiscences and interests. A. - who played me Bert Jansch's first album when it was new, is still a regular at his local folk club. We discover a friend in common with S.'s new husband. E. still travels around the country, staying with relatives, to see Sunderland play - as he used to stay with us in East London, forty-odd years ago, when they were playing Leyton Orient. And increasingly I value the fact that we share memories of the same people and places, that we all holidayed in my grandmother's house, that we knew and remember each other's parents.
We had booked an Italian restaurant which was recommended by A.'s B & B - a big, low, brick building just off the sea front, with a large neon sign promising a café, bar, restaurant - its web site does a good job of conveying the first impression (unless you view it, as I do, on an 800 pixel wide screen). Inside it was busy, noisy, full of young people - it was, after all, Saturday night and the home team had won. The menu was a pleasant surprise - as well as the long list of standards, there was a specials menu, with a choice of four or five dishes for each course, with some more interesting choices. I had a starter of chunks of duck in a tangy balsamic vinegar sauce on green salad, and a main course of cod wrapped in pancetta (the pancetta papery crisp, the cod meaty and perfectly cooked) on spinach in a buttery lime sauce. I'd go there again (though if it was my birthday, I'd keep quiet about it, on pain of the full sparklers and tambourines performance).
durham_rambler and I join them.So on Saturday, after a fine bright day on the hills above Hamsterley forest, we went to Sunderland, to meet three cousins, one husband, one wife, and her brother and sister-in-law.
Of all my cousins, these are the family I knew best as a child, but we never saw each other often, and still less often as adults. Yet we slip easily into conversation, exchange news of family, holiday plans, reminiscences and interests. A. - who played me Bert Jansch's first album when it was new, is still a regular at his local folk club. We discover a friend in common with S.'s new husband. E. still travels around the country, staying with relatives, to see Sunderland play - as he used to stay with us in East London, forty-odd years ago, when they were playing Leyton Orient. And increasingly I value the fact that we share memories of the same people and places, that we all holidayed in my grandmother's house, that we knew and remember each other's parents.
We had booked an Italian restaurant which was recommended by A.'s B & B - a big, low, brick building just off the sea front, with a large neon sign promising a café, bar, restaurant - its web site does a good job of conveying the first impression (unless you view it, as I do, on an 800 pixel wide screen). Inside it was busy, noisy, full of young people - it was, after all, Saturday night and the home team had won. The menu was a pleasant surprise - as well as the long list of standards, there was a specials menu, with a choice of four or five dishes for each course, with some more interesting choices. I had a starter of chunks of duck in a tangy balsamic vinegar sauce on green salad, and a main course of cod wrapped in pancetta (the pancetta papery crisp, the cod meaty and perfectly cooked) on spinach in a buttery lime sauce. I'd go there again (though if it was my birthday, I'd keep quiet about it, on pain of the full sparklers and tambourines performance).
