large booking at restaurant- how to split the bill?

BarryBlue

The idea of drinking from jam jars came about in the war. Pubs were short of glasses so sometimes substituted jars, especially if they had suffered bomb damage. It's where the expression 'going for a jar' came from.

mumps

fierystormcloud wrote: »

I really seriously doubt anyone has ever HAD to drink out of a jam jar! I have known a lot of big families, and no-one has ever done that.

My mother grew up in the 1950's too, and said that never happened. My grandmother who grew up in the 1930s, said the same.

Glasses and cups and beakers have never been expensive. There would be no need for anyone to drink from a jam jar.

You can get 'trendy' 21st century ones like THIS!



But I seriously doubt anyone has had to drink out of a jam jar because they didn't have a glass, cup, or beaker!

I'm guessing anyone claiming this, will also claim they walked 5 miles to school in 6 feet of snow, and that they cycled to a job that that was 20 miles away, and worked 99 hours a week at.

I suppose it depends how you define "had to" The families I knew, I can think of one where there were twelve kids and a dad who never worked. I suppose if he had spent his benefit money as he should his kids would have had alot of things that they didn't in fact have including enough mugs/cups/glasses. Whatever your mother might say there were families in the 50s who did this, I don't suppose she knew every family and she certainly didn't know the one I am referring to.

pigpen wrote: »

Clearly it had.. but import cost for materials was still high.. and the shortage after the war made things even more expensive or in low supply and high demand.. Then we joined the EU and have benefitted from reduced cost trade agreements saving us more money (around 25%) .. given this country now produces nothing at all we have nothing to counter trade and we have to buy everything in.. mass production in modern factories with lower outgoings mean we benefit from even lower prices.

This is why we are able to buy a dinner service for £5, a set of glasses for £1.. mass produced, easy to transport, subsidised trade agreements.. mean we benefit... thats really not hard to comprehend.

There were cheap cups etc in the 1950s. You could buy them down the market for pennies. The families I am talking about were large families with no one in the house working and his dole being spent for the father's benefit not the childrens. I knew other families who had their priorities right and they didn't need to use jam jars.Thats really not hard to comprehend is it.

Glad you have sorted out the timeline on the industrial revolution, might mix your kids up if you told them it happened after the 2nd World War.

Ames

AubreyMac wrote: »

I don't like making porridge with a microwave as like with soup, the outside gets cooked then you need to stir half way. Also dealing with any splatters and struggling to hold a scolding hot bowl is not my idea of 'convenience'. However, I do have a really old microwave though (15 years old) and perhaps they've evolved to cook more evenly now but unless it's broken beyond repaid I'm not going to replace it.

The Lakeland mug is deep enough that it doesn't splatter, and it has a handle so it's easy (and safe) to carry. Then again, I use the huge Whittard coffee mugs instead of bowls for hot food, I have problems with my joints and it's just safer using something with a handle.

I've never had 'proper' porridge, made on the hob, though. I didn't really have breakfast as a kid (we were never up in time) and as a teenager I couldn't be bothered. Not that porridge was ever bought anyway, it was always Kelloggs stuff. So porridge in a mug in the microwave is actually a huge step in the 'eating proper food' stakes for me.

mumps

Ames wrote: »

The Lakeland mug is deep enough that it doesn't splatter, and it has a handle so it's easy (and safe) to carry. Then again, I use the huge Whittard coffee mugs instead of bowls for hot food, I have problems with my joints and it's just safer using something with a handle.

I've never had 'proper' porridge, made on the hob, though. I didn't really have breakfast as a kid (we were never up in time) and as a teenager I couldn't be bothered. Not that porridge was ever bought anyway, it was always Kelloggs stuff. So porridge in a mug in the microwave is actually a huge step in the 'eating proper food' stakes for me.

My favourite breakfast in Shredded Wheat, well the Aldi version, with fresh fruit, usually an apple or pear, chopped up on it and a handful of flaked almonds and some cold skimmed milk.

Spendless

Spendless wrote: »

We've been invited to our Godson's 21st at a restaurant. His parents say they will pay for 2 courses for each guest, any additional courses plus our drinks we need to pay for ourselves. That's easy enough to sort money-wise. Some guests are having main plus dessert and others starter plus main. The ones not having starters will have to wait through that course until the others have finished. I'm not having a dessert because I am diabetic but I do find a dessert course easier not to join in with because I can have another drink or a coffee whilst the others eat.

Interestingly out of the 16 or so guests invited, only 2 have gone for 3 courses. Everyone else has opted for the 2 courses being paid for by the hosts. The 2 exceptions are both teenage boys including my own son.

missbiggles1

pigpen wrote: »

Put the pan in the fridge overnight while soaking, same as you would a jug!

And eating out of pans is just vile! .. you fill a sink to wash one pan, you can wash one pan and a bowl in the same soapy water.. there is no excuse!

Why would you hand wash a pan if you have a dish washer?

mumps

Spendless wrote: »

Interestingly out of the 16 or so guests invited, only 2 have gone for 3 courses. Everyone else has opted for the 2 courses being paid for by the hosts. The 2 exceptions are both teenage boys including my own son.

Well if anyone can put away three courses it will be a teenage boy. I have three sons and remember it well.

missbiggles1

mumps wrote: »

Well if anyone can put away three courses it will be a teenage boy. I have three sons and remember it well.

Maybe I'm a pig (quite probably:o) and maybe it's where you go but I just don't get the idea that 3 courses is an enormous amount to eat.

I'm in France at the moment and went out for a pretty average lunch yesterday which consisted of 2 slices of foie gras (about 2oz) with some fig chutney, a 4oz portion of cod with a herb sauce a spoonful of creamed potatoes and a spoonful of herbed root veg followed by a couple of scoops of sorbet. Would most people think that a big meal to get through in a couple of hours with a couple of glasses of wine?

It's pretty typical of what I'd have for an average lunch out in many different countries and, as one of the set meals, it was what everybody around me was eating but I thought of this thread (don't worry, it didn't spoil my lunch:)) and did wonder whether lots of people on here would think we were all pigs.

consultant31

missbiggles1 wrote: »

Why would you hand wash a pan if you have a dish washer?

I never put my pans in the dishwasher, they are expensive ones and the dw does them no favours. In any case, probably because they are such good pans, they are no trouble to clean and nothing sticks....even stuff like porridge

suki1964

missbiggles1 wrote: »

Maybe I'm a pig (quite probably:o) and maybe it's where you go but I just don't get the idea that 3 courses is an enormous amount to eat.

I'm in France at the moment and went out for a pretty average lunch yesterday which consisted of 2 slices of foie gras (about 2oz) with some fig chutney, a 4oz portion of cod with a herb sauce a spoonful of creamed potatoes and a spoonful of herbed root veg followed by a couple of scoops of sorbet. Would most people think that a big meal to get through in a couple of hours with a couple of glasses of wine?

It's pretty typical of what I'd have for an average lunch out in many different countries and, as one of the set meals, it was what everybody around me was eating but I thought of this thread (don't worry, it didn't spoil my lunch:)) and did wonder whether lots of people on here would think we were all pigs.

Someone posted earlier on about this, it's portion sizes

The place I cooked in, I would share a meal because of the portion size. To give an example, for £12.95 you got three courses and the most popular choices were as follows

Starters, 5 battered mushroom or 3 chicken goujons

Mains a mini mix grill - large chicken fillet, pork chop, bacon, sausage, fried egg, tomato, peas, mushrooms, crispy onions and pepper sauce. Plus side of chips, champ or mash

Dessert- huge slice of chocolate fudge cake or a massive pavlova


Now if I was shown that lot lined up in front of me I'd run for the hills, but I would eat what you had for lunch quite happily

Over here, unless you are doing the fine dining, it's pile it high