The Return of Wimpy
In the dull grey smog of the early 1960s, when family dinners were all embroidered table-cloths and I had to say "Please may I leave the table?" at the end of every meal, suddenly I discovered a whole new world.
It was before Ronald McDonald was born, at least in the UK. But someone took me to a Wimpy bar, and I loved it. It had a slight air of un-Britishness about it, at the time when a curling ham sandwich was regarded as the only proper British fast food. Hamburgers! Chips! They were never "fries", they were most definitely British.
For me, for years, a trip to a Wimpy bar was a very occasional treat with a few disapproving "tuts" coming from my parents' lips throughout.
I thought that Wimpy bars had all gone, replaced by McDonalds and Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Hadn't seen one for years.
And then, at a service station near Chester on the way home from Tenby, we came across one and tried its produce, for old times' sake.
And I still loved it. A burger in a brown bun (trying to add healthiness, presumably!) with a bit of salad and a slice of processed cheese. There are times for this kind of thing, and this was one of them. The chips weren't bad, either.
Apparently they haven't been called Wimpy bars for years and years: nowadays they are just called Wimpy. Though not by me, oh no. To me, they will be Wimpy bars for ever.
Even though the staff were clearly trying to kill us by overdosing us on salt. Here's a photo of the salt that we were given for four people, inside the wrappings with our burgers:
Perhaps they've been infiltrated by McDonalds and this is their Cunning Plan to get rid of all Wimpy's customers, and do away with Wimpy bars for ever.
It was before Ronald McDonald was born, at least in the UK. But someone took me to a Wimpy bar, and I loved it. It had a slight air of un-Britishness about it, at the time when a curling ham sandwich was regarded as the only proper British fast food. Hamburgers! Chips! They were never "fries", they were most definitely British.
For me, for years, a trip to a Wimpy bar was a very occasional treat with a few disapproving "tuts" coming from my parents' lips throughout.
I thought that Wimpy bars had all gone, replaced by McDonalds and Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Hadn't seen one for years.
And then, at a service station near Chester on the way home from Tenby, we came across one and tried its produce, for old times' sake.
And I still loved it. A burger in a brown bun (trying to add healthiness, presumably!) with a bit of salad and a slice of processed cheese. There are times for this kind of thing, and this was one of them. The chips weren't bad, either.
Apparently they haven't been called Wimpy bars for years and years: nowadays they are just called Wimpy. Though not by me, oh no. To me, they will be Wimpy bars for ever.
Even though the staff were clearly trying to kill us by overdosing us on salt. Here's a photo of the salt that we were given for four people, inside the wrappings with our burgers:
Perhaps they've been infiltrated by McDonalds and this is their Cunning Plan to get rid of all Wimpy's customers, and do away with Wimpy bars for ever.
posted by Daphne at 9:11 pm
4 Comments:
I didn't realise there was a Wimpy near Chester! You learn something every day. ;)
I trust you know Wimpy was a character in the Popeye comic strip!
"I'll gladly pay you 50 cents on Tuesday for a hamburger today."
Shoot...I was going to say 'I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today'......someone beat me to it...never was a 50 cents part though.
Sometimes you just have to have those things...for old times sake. It's nice when they're as good as you remember.
Rob and I went to the one in Wapping on 10 April 1999 and hashed out the ground rules for our relationship. I've been very fond of Wimpy ever since.
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