Stephen Markwick

Towards the end of 1973, an advertisement appeared in the personal columns of The Times inviting those who might be interested to apply for the post of general assistant at a small restaurant overlooking the Helford Estuary in Cornwall. The restaurant – called, appropriately, the Riverside – would be reopening in the spring of the following year under new ownership. The advertisement was quite particular about the applicants it sought. They had to be ‘fast moving, good looking, clear thinking, artistic, determined and kind’. As an afterthought, the notice also suggested that ‘some cooking experience could be useful’.