18 April 2009

Temple

So there we were riding up the "Mid Levels Escalator" which takes workers and tourists alike up the steep hill from "Central" Hong Kong towards "The Peak" that towers above this skyscraping city. We were heading for Hollywood Road and SoHo for an evening meal. Approaching Staunton Street, I was momentarily speechless. Like Fred Flintstone, I dragged my Wilma off the mechanical pavement and twisted her head to gaze upon something I had never expected to see - a bar/restaurant called not "The Hong Kong Fooey" but named after me - yes me - "Yorkshire Pudding". There was a Rolls Royce pulled up outside. Then I remembered - to avoid carting my backpack around - I had left my camera back at the hotel. Typical! But wait a minute - no problem - Shirley could use her mobile to photograph this temple erected in my honour. "I left it charging at the hotel," she trembled - fearing my manly wrath.

Next day, after scaling the Bank of China Tower and the International Finance Centre Tower - not like Spiderman but in high-speed elevators - and after exploring "The Peak", we found ourselves back at"Central" with time to spare. Naturally, we re-ascended the human conveyor belt and again reached Staunton Street. I rubbed my eyes. It had not been a dream. It really existed - a bar/restaurant called "Yorkshire Pudding".

With trepidation, we entered the establishment and ordered coffees. It felt strange being inside myself. We sat at the bar but to our right there was some kind of interview going on with a photographer in attendance. The lady being interviewed was Rosemary Torrance, marketing manager for the Staunton Group of businesses. Apparently, my bar had only opened three months ago and the local press were interested.

Rosemary was delighted that two random tourists had wandered in in the late afternoon and even more delighted when I told her I was not only from Yorkshire but that I was the real "Yorkshire Pudding". I also spoke with the Chinese journalist, Li Ming Kit. Next and quite bizarrely I had to tuck into an illustrative meal of Yorkshire Pudding with beef, roast potatoes and veg whilst supping on a free pint of Murphy's Stout. Shirley had "Spitfire". I tried to point out that Marston's "Black Sheep" would have been more appropriate but it was too late - the photos had already been taken and next week I am due to make my debut in a Chinese language newspaper. Have any other bloggers got bars named after them? I think "The Rhymes With Plague" would surely be too sophisticated for most redneck citizens of Georgia while "The Last Visible Dog" would be famous for its delicious roast kiwis and accommodating sheilas...
By the way, the little red cross does not indicate a first aid centre - it is in fact the cross of St George. I have instructed Rosemary to change this to a beautiful white Yorkshire rose. Far more appropriate. If visiting Hong Kong, ladies are required to use the front entrance. No gentlemen will be allowed in through the back. Sorry Mr Clewley!

11 comments:

  1. I humbly refer you to this article. Note especially the sentence, "The Brague is 21 km long."

    Read it and weep.

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  2. I have an area of Cornwall named after me, and my southern most regions have a tin mine named after them - The South Crofty Tin Mine.

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  3. recognition at last for your efforts in the promotion of all things Yorkshire & Pudding!
    Good to have you back...

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  4. York, yer one funny dude! :-)

    felt strange being inside yerself, indeed! :-) BWAAAAAAAA-HAHAHA . . .

    thank you for the fun post,

    ..
    .ero

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  5. That's my kind of happy hour!

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  6. I'm sure you're aware of the 'Bangkok Booths' even if you haven't quite managed to get round to sampling them. (try google)

    And surely it should be either East Riding or Humberside Pudding?

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  7. RHYMES I have heard that The Brague is heavily polluted and choked with weed...
    CROFTY Is that what you say to your wife? Time to visit the South Crofty Tin Mine darling! "Oh no! Not again! You insatiable brute!"
    DAVID As an envoy of Yorkshire, it is your duty to civilise as much of NZ as you can but don't telle 'em about Morley!
    BARE EYED SUN I'm glad that one visitor spotted that slightly surreal moment of joviality. Thanks.
    SAM Are you by any chance an aloholic?
    BANGKOK BOOTHS. Remember to pack yellow shirts as well as red - just in case. Why not throw in a couple of blue shirts too?

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  8. Actually, two visitors spotted the slightly surreal moment of joviality, but one of them was not so uncouth as to mention it.

    I don't even want to know anything about Bangkok Booths, especially color codes....

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  9. I also noticed the slightly surreal moment on joviality but since others have mentioned it first, I won't.

    I also won't take issue with any comments aimed disparagingly at New Zealand, endangered kiwis or New Zealand women, because I know you would like to visit here but can't afford to go any closer than Hong Kong. Which incidentally *I* had already visited at the age of 11.

    So there.

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  10. Congratulations on your new restaurant! How thrilled they must have been to meet the real YP in person.

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  11. 'Marstons Black Sheep' !? I hope you are drawn behind dray horses over the cobbles of Masham market place before being hung over the mash tuns of Paul Theakston's Black Sheep brewery and then quartered and made into shepherds pie in the brewery cafe for that misrepresentation of fine yorkshire ale as midlands chain-pub corporate theme beer - They may own jennings over the hill in Cumbria but let them try and come over the Pennines and take over our local and proud North Yorkshire independants!

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Mr Pudding welcomes all genuine comments - even those with which he disagrees. However, puerile or abusive comments from anonymous contributors will continue to be given the short shrift they deserve. Any spam comments that get through Google/Blogger defences will also be quickly deleted.

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