BEEF STROGANOFF and DAVID JOSEPH

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As I said in my Previous Post (Non-Music Post) being Second Chef had its Advantages and it's Dis-advantages!


Now for One of the Dis-advantages, This was around Winter Time in 1984, some Years previously I had been doing my Chef Training College Courses from 1974 to 1979.


Two of my College Tutor's Stand out in my mind, as to being the Best Cookery Teacher's I had, while doing my 5 Year's Training, One Being a Chef by the name of "Lee Mills" and the other was a Chef named "Brian Thompson"


Why I mention this is, because One Night while being in Charge of the "Casino Kitchen" I was on the "Stove" and an Order came in for A "Beef Stroganoff" amongst other Dishes, I believe it was a Party of about 4 People!

So I did the Order and everything was Fine (or so I thought it was) and a little later, the Waiter came into the Kitchen, and said to me "the Chap on Table 5?" reckons He used to be your Teacher and would like a "Word with you" 


So when I had the time to spare, I went out into the Restaurant to see Who it was, now "Head Chef Peter" was Good at the sort of thing, I was Not, I liked being behind the Scenes!


To my Surprise when I got to the Table in Question, I saw my Ex-College Teacher "Brian Thompson" sitting there, immediately I thought he was going to say "What a Lovely Meal, Lee, I taught you well!


But he didn't, In front of everybody, he started going on about, "I Taught you how to make Beef Stroganoff properly, all them Year's ago, and you Dished this up for me, what the Hell's going on!

I was Stunned, to say the least, but I quickly got my thoughts together and in front of everybody at his Table and in the Restaurant at that time, I said, That was back then, I now Work here for "Peter", and I will Cook Meals how he wants me to Cook them, after all, they pay my Wages!


I then Walked back into the Kitchen, and that was the "Last Time" Brian Thompson, Spoke to me, I have seen Him a Couple of times around town , since then,  I don't know if he see me or he just didn't speak!


That all Happened some 28 Years ago, so if I saw him tomorrow, Would he Speak, I don't know!

About the "Beef Stroganoff" what was He moaning about, to tell the Truth I cant remember, but I think it was something to do with the "Fresh Single Cream" I had used!


Incidentally, he was also my Head-Chef (Brian Thompson) when I worked at the "Sandringham Hotel" about  2/3 Years previously!


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As for some Music, the Year earlier in 1983, David Joseph, the Ex Lead Singer with the Brit-Funk Band "Hi-Tension" Released his First Solo Single.


It was called "You Cant Hide (Your Love From Me)" on the "Island Record Label" it was Written by "David Joseph" and Produced by "Godwin Logie"

What a Great Track this was, I remember thinking back then, when I first heard the Record, this is very "American" and He (David Joseph) was English! 


Here's the Full 12" Version.

BEEF STROGANOFF & CHANGE!

Around July of 1982, I was getting on Alright at The Sandringham Hotel, but things were starting to get a bit awkward, As I said in Previous posts, my Head Chef was my Former Teacher at College, a few Years earlier, and when I went for the Interview, I did state about not Working too many Nights, which he Agreed to!


Anyway with other People off work (sick) and things picking up, I was being asked more and more, to work Nights here and there, which at first was not too bad, but after about 1 Month, it was Happening all the Time, so in the end I had to go and see the Head Chef, now I cant exactly remember what Happened, I think he might of said "its Tough" but in the end I had to see the Hotel Owner, who asked if I could stick with it, for a little while!


This I did do, but in the end, it was just liked I worked all the nights I was working, so in the end,  I handed in my Notice  and left within a few Weeks!


I remember the Head Chef was not too happy, but I did get a Reference from him, although He did have a little dig about Working nights, and he also got his own back a few Years later!


About 5 years after, this incident, I was Working in another Restaurant, as Second Chef (although this night I was Acting as Head Chef, as He was off Duty) when I was asked to go out into the Restaurant to meet Somebody, who said he knew me!


So when I got into the Restaurant, I was Surprised too see the Head Chef from The Sandringham having a Meal, which I had Cooked, this was the first time I had seen him, since we Worked together. 

To my Surprise, in front of who ever he was Dining with, started to go about how I had cooked his Meal and it was not how he had taught me at College (years previous) I believe he had eaten "Beef Stroganoff"




I had used Fresh Cream in the Dish, which he never did! Most Chefs do things slightly different!


My answer to him was "I work here now and this is how my "Head Chef" wants this dish prepared and Cooked, so this is how I will do it! and then I went back into the Kitchen, I bet he did not leave a Tip that night!

He did not like that, and I think that was the last Time he spoke to me, but on saying that I cant remember the last time I saw him!                          

HAPPY DAYS!

As for Music around this Period, CHANGE had their Third Album (out of 6) Released, it was called" Sharing Your Love"


It was their 3rd most Successful Album in the U.S, The Best Track on Album was "The Very Best In You" it reached Number 16 in the U.S R&B Chart!


Of course "Changes" first Album featured Luther Vandross on Lead Vocals.


DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM

1977 / 79 PHOTOS and THE BROTHERS JOHNSON

Something a bit different this Week, I found up some older Photos of me and Susan from 1977 and 79. These first 3 Photos were taken Outside and Inside of the Shop, where  Susan used to work,  it was Her Father's Shop, it sold Leather Good's, for example, Bags Purses etc, it was called Regent Leathers, the other Photos are on a Day trip to London! Some are a bit damaged, but still great Memories!

Susan worked there for a couple of Summer's, the first being 1976 and 77, in early 1977 was when I came along, although I did actually go to the Shop in September of 1976, I took a College Friend down to have a look at Susan, who was working, little did I know some 35 years later, we would still be Together!

That was a Great period of my Life, I was working in a Great Hotel, I had no Debts, no worries, I had a Car and I had a Great Girlfriend! How things were going to change for me in about 1 Year's time!

I used to spend a lot of time in the Shop, I sometimes used take Susan to work in the Car and Pick her up after Work, one Day I remember Driving her to work about 9 am, and I smashed into the Car in front of us, I still remember it was a Volvo!

That was a Great Car I had, it was a Morris 1800, We called it "Bessie", I remember I had  stickers above the Window Wipers on front windscreen, it read "SPRINT 1800" What a Child I was!


The other 2 Photos were taken in London, we had a Day Out with Susan's sister and her Boyfriend, it was, I believe our first time out without nathan who was Born about 8 Months previously, we were having a Drink outside a Cafe!

It was a Coach trip, we went around "Madam Thussand's" Buckingham Palace etc, another place we went to, was "The Planetarium"  I remember this well, as I fell asleep during the Show!


Another thing that always sticks in my Mind concerning this day was, as I said about us being away from Nathan for the first time, well it was also my Mother's First time at looking after Nathan, on her own!

And what a Mess, she made of that, when we got Nathan home, he was Crying a lot as I remember, so Susan went to change his Nappy, well I will always remember, the state of Nathan's Bottom, I don't think My Mother had changed his Nappy all the time we was in London, his rear was RED RAW, he had Bleeding Blisters on there, all this and I thought my Mother said she was Great with Kids!


This I'm afraid was what we were going to get from my Mother, over the Years!
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Music from 1977, there was a Great Album Release from "The Brothers Johnson" called "Right On Time" It was their Second Album to be Released on Qwest /A&M Records, it was Produced by Quincy Jones, it also contained the following 3 Singles! with US R&B and US Pop Chart Placings:

"Strawberry Letter # 23"	1	5	-	Right On Time
"Runnin' For Your Lovin"	20	107	-
"Love Is"	50	-	-

The Album Tracks were as  follows
Runnin' For Your Lovin'
Free Yourself, Be Yourself
"Q"
Right On Time
Strawberry Letter 23
Brother Man
Never Leave You Lonely
Love Is

The Best tracks on the Album were "Strawberry Letter 23, "Right On Time" and "Love Is"


Create a MySpace Music Playlist at MixPod.com

NATHAN BACK IN HOSPITAL!

Our one room Accomodation!

Within a couple of weeks of Moving into our One Room Accomodation, Nathan was ill again, he was taken to the Local General Hospital on the Baby Unit.

He was not keeping his Bottle down and being Sick all the time and he was badly Dehydrated!

Within a couple of days, Nathan was sent back to the Hospital where he had his Stomach Operation a couple of weeks previously!

Now at this time, we never had a Telephone, because of the type of place we lived in, I cant even remember there being any type of Communial phone in the house either! So we gave my Hotel Telephone number and my Mother's phone number in case of Emergencies, this has it turned out was a mistake, given them my mother's number!

My Mother most of the time found out things before us this way, so when the Hospital tried to contact Me and Susan, they phoned both my Mother house and my work to tell us about Nathan, saying "Nathan was sent back to the original Hospital, for further Tests etc" she was at the Hospital before us, all gowned up and holding Nathan, so when we got there, she had already been told all about Nathan's condition and knew everything that was going on etc!

Now this was not right, but very Typical of my Mother! to this day She is still like that or should I say the last time we saw her she was, but that several years ago now!

In fact I now have Grandchildren, with the oldest being 11 years old and my Mother has never ever seen Her! So that will explain to you what she is like!

Anyway because of my Mother's actions it caused a row between Me & Susan and my Mother and Father, I put this down to us being young and Naive, because if it happened now, my Mother would have firmly been put in her place by Me and Susan!

Back to Nathan, he was all wired up again with tubes for feeding and Montoring tests etc
So we for next couple of weeks were backward and forwards to the Hospital, all the time, plus I was still at Work and College!

NEW ACCOMODATION and the LAUNDERETTE

The old Launderette we used to use and it's still going strong!

We finally moved into our new place around last week in September 1978, things at that time were fairly hectic as I recall, I was also back at College, one day per week and still working at the same Hotel, It was hard for us with a Baby living in just one room most of the time!

But we did have one particular friend in the House we shared with about 9 other families, her name was Shirley (she was the person who seemed to keep things going along in the house), she I remember helped me and Susan out several times during our stay!

One thing I do remember was having some sort of bother with the Washing of Clothes, I remember there was only one machine for all the families, so being a bit particular where we washed our clothes! it was my job to go to the local Launderette, which was about 5 minutes away, so every couple of Days we were over the Launderette, washing ans drying our clothes.

We used to use Nathan's pushchair to take to laundry backwards and forwards, it was a bright Orange colour! ................. Married life was Bliss!

Another thing I remember about this period in time, I didn't have my Music Center with us, because of space etc, it was left at my Mother's House, but I still brought the odd Vinyl Record to play at a later date!

One Record I remember buying was the Rose Royce Single, "Love dont live here anymore"
this was a Number 2 in U.K in September of 1978! I still have the Single to this day in our loft!

Things were about to change again for us, with Nathan still not right after his operation!

CHRISTMAS AND THE BIGGEST SHOCK OF MY LIFE!

By now around late 1977, I was back at College, doing the second two year part of my Catering Course, things were going well at my new Job, I still had my Car and me and Susan were still seeing each other!

We had, had a Great Summer, as I said Susan worked in her Father's Shop, during the Summer Season, I used to go in there all the time and sometimes help out! but that Work had now finished and the Winter months were now upon us, I remember we used to Baby Sit for several of Susan's Brother's and Sister's on a weekly basis, to think now all them Kids we babysat for are now, are in their middle to late 30's!

That Christmas was my First with Susan Really, although I knew her the Year before, this was our first together! Being single I can remember us buying each other loads of Presents, one item in particulary I remember buying Susan was a red and multi striped coloured Robe, I think it was for Bedtime!

But all the Excitement of Christmas was not going to prepare me for what Susan told me while we were sitting at the back of her Mother's Front room, I think it was Christmas Day when she told me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"I'M PREGNANT"

What a SHOCK this was, I was just 19 and Susan was 18, this obviously this was going to change our lives forever! I cant honestly remember how this News affected that Christmas,

We were both in Shock!

How the HELL would we cope, we were Still Teenager's ourselves, I know nowadays it seems to be the Norm to have Kids Young, but back then it was unusual to have Kids at that Age!

CHANGES ALL ROUND!

As I said in earlier Post, things were going to change this Year! Susan was working in her Father's Shop during the Holiday Season, but by around August time Susan and her Family moved House, to an area about 5 miles away from our Town, I still had my Car so that was no problem!

While working as a Trainee Chef, by now it was for nearly 3 Years, I was going to Catering College on Day Release from Work, I had about 4 Months earlier Passed my First 2 Years Exams and was thinking of Changing Hotels before College resumed in the coming September!

So I was having several Interviews at Hotels in our Town and the next Town, about 5 miles away! I ended up going to the Biggest Hotel in our Town, it was on the opposite end of the Seafront where I had been working, and were my previous employers biggest rivals!

As it turned out my new Hotel wasn't a patch on my previous Hotel, but the work was easier, and the Money was better! and what I was about to find out in about 3 Months time, I would need all the money I could get!

See Pictures at top of both Hotels!