English Summer Pickles

Belgravia is London's most exclusive residential area, an island of peace. Leafy squares, each a miniature private park with private key to enter, bordered by stately Regency houses painted in creamy white.

Belgravia's side streets are home to a multitude of art galleries, such as that of equestrian sculpter Jonathan Wilder, fine antique dealers, small exclusive boutiques and restaurants.

It is bounded to the north by Apsley House (No.1 London), at Hyde Park corner, to the east by Buckingham Palace, to the south by Victoria and Pimlico, and to the west by Sloane Street, and once bohemian Chelsea.

When I lived in Kinneton Street in the '60s it wore a rather raffish air. A perlustration today however will reveal a brightly painted street of expensive residences occupied by exclusive Interior Decorators, Designers, Dealers in Used Rolls Royces, and well manicured poodles.

My favorite West End watering hole is hidden away in Kinneton Street. One of London's best kept secrets, The Nag's Head, is a tiny friendly pub, as old as the street itself which was built at the beginning of the 19th century to house the ostlers, horses and carriages attendant upon Regency and Victorian Belgravia.

We regulars always refered to the Nag's Head as "Len's" after the then proprietor. Old Len was vast of girth and had a heart of gold hidden beneath an affected gruff and surly demeanour. Towards the end of the month he became banker to many of his regulars including me, loaning cash from a bulging back pocket bankroll against our postdated checks.

Old Len has passed on now, and his landlord's mantle has passed to Kevin, a retired stuntsman, who pulls a fine pint of Adnams Bitter in between regaling you with hair-raising stunt stories.

It was at the Nag's Head that I acquired a taste for pickled eggs, pickled onions, pickled Walnuts and the great Melton Mowbray Pork Pie. Washed down with a pint of cool Guinness they made a perfect snack.

Eggs and onions are quick and easy to pickle, and can be prepared at any time of the year. Walnuts take longer. Unfortunately you must prepare them when they are still soft and green - late May or early June in Northern Europe, which means that if you miss that "window" for picking you are going to miss out on the most scrumptious of all home-made pickles.

Go To Page: 1 2 3