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I've just read the autobiography of one of my all time heroes, Keith Floyd, and was quite affected by it. He finished writing the book a couple of weeks before he died in 2009, and his collaborator in the venture wrote an epilogue as the final chapter, explaining the circumstances of his death, which was very poignant.
His life was chaotic and a bit of a car crash, he had lots of personal problems, but his contribution to the appreciation of good food in Britain shouldn't be underestimated. I think his TV series in the eighties were an important catalyst for social change in that area of life. He certainly changed the cooking and eating habits of this particular working class boy from Port Talbot in those dark days! Good bless you, Keith.
EDIT: Just re-read that, and thought I'd better elaborate, because it sounds a bit ponsey. My mother didn't really cook anything other than the basics and I was brought up eating a very narrow range of typical working class food of the time, basically chips with everything. When I got married and moved away, the weekly shop was still centred around pies, pasties, chips, bacon, etc, etc. Floydy introduced me and I guess thousands like me to exotic items like pasta, vegetables, fish, rice, and the continental approach to cooking them. Things youngsters take for granted now on the food front were unheard of in my youth. Back me up, Perchy.
A legend in my eyes as well. I love watching the re-runs of his shows.
A further good read is the book his producer David Pritchard wrote called "Shooting the cook" - it mentions loads about Floyd and a little on Rick Stein.
Always fancy a slurp when watching Floyd. Dis you ever see the episode when the Ostriches caused carnage?
A legend in my eyes as well. I love watching the re-runs of his shows.
A further good read is the book his producer David Pritchard wrote called "Shooting the cook" - it mentions loads about Floyd and a little on Rick Stein.
Always fancy a slurp when watching Floyd. Dis you ever see the episode when the Ostriches caused carnage?
No, didn't see the ostriches one, but I think he mentioned it in the book.
The one that always sticks in my mind was a simple one in France where he was cooking the local dish, some kind of omlette with peppers in it, in a borrowed kitchen. Some old French bird who owned the kitchen was watching him and basically criticising everything he was doing, in French of course.
He was quite amused by it all and was giving a running commentary on her remarks. When he finished, he offered it to her to taste. She ate some and poured scorn on it. Instead of taking umbrage, he agreed with her, tipped it in the bin on camera, and asked her to show everyone how it's done. She cooked it, he tasted it and declared it a hundred times better than his. Typical of the bloke, no side on him, just a brilliant cook and a great man.
He came across as one of those types that you would genuinely enjoy the company of!.........Seemed a genuine down to earth larger than life sort whom I bet would have been very interesting conversation indeed!.....There seemed to be none of the phony crap and phony crap vibe you get from many other modern celebrity(s).
Im hardly a cook but him on the Dordogne in a tiny boat with an even tinier stove was classic tv and was influencial in my love of France .
His series were entertaining beyond anything these days and its so sad he finished up as a he did.
Personal problems/ego/tantrums? we all have them but he really did make people feel happy.
According to his book, his main problem was his failure in personal relationships (four marriages, four divorces), and turning to the bottle for solace. That, and a disastrous mis-management of the big sums of money he earned through his life.
I m indeed blessed with the love of a still beautiful woman who understands my many needs.
Seem to have escaped punishment for my many sins and abuse of the English language, Welsh Nationalism, The Mark Gower is really pretty ordinary posts and for being moody and difficult .
It wont last though as Im expecting eternal damnation with my good buddies Warwick and WAYNE .
That episode with the French omlette was a classic, along with his American pie series where he tried to make a tequila sunrise and the juice kept on sinking to the bottom.
The archive footage on Saturday kitchen live with James martin - brilliant brunch time viewing, I'm sure my comrade PERCH will agree
A legend in my eyes as well. I love watching the re-runs of his shows.
A further good read is the book his producer David Pritchard wrote called "Shooting the cook" - it mentions loads about Floyd and a little on Rick Stein.
Always fancy a slurp when watching Floyd. Dis you ever see the episode when the Ostriches caused carnage?
He used to torture his camera man Clive 😂😂😂
No, didn't see the ostriches one, but I think he mentioned it in the book.
The one that always sticks in my mind was a simple one in France where he was cooking the local dish, some kind of omlette with peppers in it, in a borrowed kitchen. Some old French bird who owned the kitchen was watching him and basically criticising everything he was doing, in French of course.
He was quite amused by it all and was giving a running commentary on her remarks. When he finished, he offered it to her to taste. She ate some and poured scorn on it. Instead of taking umbrage, he agreed with her, tipped it in the bin on camera, and asked her to show everyone how it's done. She cooked it, he tasted it and declared it a hundred times better than his. Typical of the bloke, no side on him, just a brilliant cook and a great man.
That episode with the French omlette was a classic, along with his American pie series where he tried to make a tequila sunrise and the juice kept on sinking to the bottom.
The archive footage on Saturday kitchen live with James martin - brilliant brunch time viewing, I'm sure my comrade PERCH will agree
PIperade, mun. I thought you shopped at Waitrose...
Classic stuff. Hugely influential and entertaining, I never tire of the repeats.
Floyd was my all time hero, I have most of his books and the man could do no wrong in my eyes. I would go further and declare him a culinary God and may I always worship at altar of Sir Keith.
What I know of him, he loved good food, drink and women. And he had the Stranglers as part of the sound track for his programmes. He would have made fine company.
"After the war is over I'm going to buy a British radio set - then at least I'll own something that has always worked". Hermann Goring, 1943.
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