‘In 1966 I bought Elizabeth David’s Italian cooking book, because all you could get in restaurants – affordable ones, that is – was transport caff food.’

‘I couldn’t believe it when I first saw my sister cooking real spaghetti in 1964: I was astonished when I saw her feeding these long, stiff strands of pasta into a pan of boiling water, because I’d only ever seen or tasted tinned spaghetti before that.’

‘People were just starting to go out to eat. I remember the Berni Inn in Worcester, where we’d go on Friday nights to have chicken in a basket and a glass of red wine, followed by an Irish coffee. Great fun.’

Extracted, with permission, from The 50s & 60s: The Best of Times – Growing up and being young in Britain by Alison Pressley, publishedby Michael O’Mara Books Limited.
Copyright © Alison Pressley 1999, 200, 2002, 2003; compilation copyright © Michael O’Mara Books Limited 1999, 200, 2002, 2003. All rights reserved.