Fish for Lent

I support my local fishmonger in an effort, thereby, to support our dwindling band of fishmongers, our unhappy fishing fleet, and all those who encourage them to stay in business. If this part of our national life and ancient heritage goes the way of coalmining and ship-building, we will be well on the way to becoming a nation of supermarkets, service industries and theme parks.

But my other reasons for shopping at our local fishmonger, two or three times a week, are far from altruistic. I do it because we like to eat fish, and I enjoy cooking it. Occasionally, I even get a bonus. Once, as I was buying undyed smoked haddock and a thick piece of cod fillet, the man next to me, an American, was saying not to worry about the roe with the scallops that he was buying, as he threw that part of the scallop away. This is a strange American habit, one I have never been able to understand. In the end they were given to me.