In memory of Clarissa Dickson Wright
After reading scores of tributes to the wonderful Clarissa Dickson Wright, who died last week, I was stunned to discover that my daughter and her friends had never heard of her.
It seems like no time at all since former barrister Clarissa and her trusty sidekick Jennifer Paterson were entertaining us all with their brilliant Two Fat Ladies TV series. When I checked though, I discovered that 20 years have passed since the formidable pair were charging through the countryside, Jennifer on her motorbike and Clarissa in the side-car.
So the moment I read Michael Virtue’s memory of Clarissa in The Times this week I showed it to my daughter. I’d laughed out loud when I read it because it perfectly summed up Clarissa’s larger than life character – and sure enough, my daughter adored the story too.
Virtue remembered meeting up with the Two Fat Ladies in the coffee shop at Harvey Nichols to arrange a signing for their first cookery book.
“Those were the days of smoking in restaurants,” he wrote, “and Jennifer lit up. The coffees arrived and the waiters pointed to the little plastic sign on the table and commented ‘Sorry madam, this is a non-smoking table.’
“’Well it isn’t now,’ boomed Clarissa, opening the front of her voluminous blouse and dropping the plastic sign inside it.”
One thing’s for sure. They don’t make them like Clarissa any more.
Clarissa was Diane Chantea’s shyer sister!
I have a brief flash of a memory of wandering through Covent Garden and they were there doing a cookery demonstration. I’m guessing they were being filmed and I’m guessing it was about 20 years ago. All I know is that I recognised them as being cooks from the telly! I do hope we get some re-runs now as it would be lovely to watch them again.
I’d love to see those programmes again, Jacquie. They were SUCH fun!