ODE TO DORSETSHIRE
Eighty years ago, a couple nicknaming themselves Mouse and Jumbo set off on a pre-war gastronomic tour of Dorset.
I know this because the Dorset Archives Trust recently bought Mouse's diary, which laments 'dully lit dining rooms, inferior port and the usual devastating English salads'.
So no surprises there, but an Oxford professor of English Literature has dubbed it 'an invaluable trove', in the tradition of Pepys, when all Mouse does is to enjoy scoffing at locals – especially in my parish of Corfe Castle.
She has rivers of contempt for Swanage's 'bright young things', who are 'large, vulgar and determined to enjoy themselves at all costs'. They must have all been down at my Aunt Nancy's hotel, the Wolfeton; her tipple of choice was sparkling red…
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The Oldie (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2025