JACQUELINE’S DREAM BIRTHDAY PARTY
I try to fend off my sweet tooth as much as possible, but for a treat I would go somewhere like Maison Bertaux on Greek Street in Soho. It’s a wonderful old French patisserie that serves the most divine cakes. I can never decide on one, so I’d have at least three: definitely a fresh cream fruit tart, maybe a couple of coffee éclairs and a delicious cake with ricotta cheese – which I’m not sure if they make anymore, but maybe they’d do it specially for my birthday party! And champagne to celebrate.
Food matters a great deal to children. In my books I always describe exactly what they’re eating. I vividly remember what I ate as a child – the disgusting as well as the delicious. My mother thanked Captain Birdseye and we also had things like Findus Crispy Pancakes. She went out to work and had a busy life, so it was much easier to bung something in the oven. Mostly the kids I write about share the same sort of background as me – nothing posh whatsoever – and food is an important part of their day.
I used to sit and silently weep over school dinners. There was mince that was mostly gristle, stew with great lumps of fat floating on the top… Those meals were so awful. They sat you in front of it aged five or six and you were unable to have your pudding until you ate it. It just congealed and became worse and worse. The puddings weren’t so bad, apart from the custard, which always managed to be lumpy. Anything fatty, gristly or lumpy still makes me heave. It’s vastly different for children now. They’re allowed to leave things they don’t like and can choose what to eat.