I am afraid that these days I am a refugee from my home country. A refugee from political correctness and urbanisation: I grew up near an area now known as Milton Keynes . It was in that area, now sprawled all over by that horrible conurbation, which I played in when I was but a lad. No drink driving rules, polite fellow drinkers, women who expected to be asked and hunting with hounds on whatever day you liked! Some people say it is progress: but I am not sure: but, of course, everybody getting to middle age looks back and wonders why their lifestyle has been surpassed. My Father always used to mutter about the 3d pint and could not understand the Stones. That was when a pint was 1s 6p, and it is now ?2 and the rest. However I must stop whinging because one thing that has happened is that good restaurants and edible pub food now abound. In the days of the sub two bob pint you could certainly not say that!

I go back to England at least once a year: to see old friends and family and try out a few new restaurants. I suppose my bitch with modern restaurants is there is too much experimentation and not enough doing the classic dishes properly. George Lang (see old Eastern Europe ) is man who knows food and recipes inside out: his summary is there is no such thing as an original recipe just bad research. However, with the greatest respect to George, he never imagined somebody would put lemon grass with calf's liver, or something similar. I like experimentation but often would prefer the original method of cooking good food. There are thousands of traditional recipes out there: I just wish we would perfect them before moving on and screwing up perfectly good victuals. Because to me that is what English cooking is all about: first class ingredients cooked simply to allow those basic ingredients to be presented in their best light. And that is what makes good English cuisine among the best in the World!

So there are only few restaurants in this section and it will only be added to when I visit the UK and visit new places. Feel free to add your comments on the restaurants. I would make one proviso that comments are polite!