Between the ages of 18 months and 10 years, my son avoided 'normal' food and existed on an exclusive diet of toast and Marmite;  at age 27 he is studying for his professional chef's qualification.  So blow the winds of life.  This evening I attended a public dinner prepared by my son and his fellow students which was, filial associations aside, absolutely first league.

To add to the atmosphere of the evening, the diners (about 30 of us) were allowed exclusive, hands-on access to memorabilia worth approximately £1.5 million from the private collection of Jersey (UK) resident David Gainsborough Roberts. 

I'm going to shamelessly mention a few names here:  Oscar Wilde, Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, Mae West, Elvis Presley.... I could go on, but I'll bet that I have your interest by now.

Starter: Salad of Jersey Lobster & Avocado with pesto dressing
Wine: Chardonnay/Viognier 'Family V' Graham Beck, Robertson, South Africa

Jersey restaurants are smoke-free, hallelujah, but three cigarette cases from the past set the scene:

• a silver case given to Oscar Wilde by 'Bosie' (Lord Alfred Douglas) engraved with 5 lines beginning "The Phoenix riddle hath more wit ...". This cigarette case, and little else of value, was found on Wilde's person after his death in 1900.
• a silver-gilt case made to look like a parcel, complete with string, stamp and and seal (marked HB) given to Humphrey Bogart by his first wife Mayo (m. 1938).  The relationship was, to say the least, tempestuous (think: knives and guns in a domestic setting).
• a silver cigarette case made for Chesterfield and given to Rita Hayworth, wife of Orson Welles and Prince Ali Khan (among others).

Blood Orange sorbet

• a set of keys marked FOX INTERNATIONAL, LOT 4, HOLLYWOOD CA.  DRESSING ROOM 5.  Just Marilyn Monroe's dressing room keys.
• a delicate (white gold?) and diamond ring given to Marilyn Monroe by her mother.
• a further set of keys belonging to Samuel Hennings, lamp fitter.  Oh, perhaps I should mention that Mr Hennings was lamp fitter on the Titanic, and one of the few passengers to survive.

Main course: Roast rack of new season's English lamb, ratatouille, Savoy cabbage parcels and minted Jersey Royal potatoes
Wine: Cabernet Merlot, Hawkes Bay, Babich Estate, New Zealand, 2004

What next?

• Mae West's diamond necklace.  Well, it started out as diamonds but financial necessity meant the occasional visit to the jeweller and the replacement of the odd diamond with something visually similar but financially different!
• From the same era but utterly different: a ruby & diamond pendant with M (Queen Mary) and G (King George V) surmounted by a crown.  Stunning understatement by Plante of Bury Street, London SW.
• A pendant given by Queen Alexandra  (wife of King Edward VII) to Lady Keswick.  Coincidence of the evening?  Edward's long-term mistress, Lillie Langtry, is buried no more than a quarter mile from where we sat to eat.  Unsurprisingly, the pendant was also by Plante of Bury Street.

Dessert: Strawberry shortcake with vanilla creme anglaise
Wine: Brut Rosé Sparkling 'Tache' Taltarni, Victoria/Tasmania, Australia 2004

• a tie pin given to David Gainsborough Roberts by James Brown, "The Godfather of Soul".
• a pair of cufflinks;  but these were given to the Beatles by the organisers of the Ed Sullivan Show (those in our hands belonged to John Lennon).
• another pair of John Lennon's cufflinks (how many celebrity cufflinks can one man have?), but this time given to JL by Brian Epstein.
• did I mention Elvis?  Perhaps I should.  A pair of cufflinks given to Elvis by Governor Wallace of Alabama for efforts in the field of drug abuse. Ironic, eh?
• Elvis's emerald pinkie ring, given to his fiancée (Ginger Alden's) sister.  Of all the exhibits, I could happily have pocketed this. 

Coffee and petits fours.

         Time for home and bed, I think.

If you enjoyed this entry, send me a Comment. Nigel.

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