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Author Sue No. 17 of 50 – In an effort to blend in with the other kids at school, I contributed to Harvest Festival. The problem was, everything in our kitchen cupboards was either industrial sized, foreign or both, like the tin of Bamboo Shoots I took in. It wasn’t until I saw it in assembly, displayed next to the other ‘normal’ items, that I realised just how much of a show I’d made of myself.
Author Sue No.21 of 50 – Some drunk called my mum a chinky, so Uncle vaulted over the takeaway counter and chased him down the street with a meat cleaver. I can’t tell you how smug I felt having a real life Bruce Lee in the family.
Author Sue No.16 of 50 – Mrs. Burke lived in the terraced house next door, in between us and the Indian convenience store. I used to have to take a carton of deep fried chicken leg and a tomato round for her every Sunday. It was my parents’ way of apologising for the drunken weekend thugs having fights in our shop after pub closing time.
Author Sue No.10 of 50 – This is the moment my sister hoovered the up the hamster. Rather than clean out the cage properly, she resorted to taking the brush attachment off and stuck the nozzle down the hatch. Did the hamster survive the ordeal? Ha! You’ll have to read the book!
Author Sue No. 9 of 50 – I found my parents’ wedding photos from the 1960s in an old, battered biscuit tin. They looked so young and full of hope for the future. Dad even looked like a Chinese version of Cliff Richard circa ‘The Young ones’ – what happened?!! Maybe the kids happened. Maybe the Chinese takeaway happened. Maybe nothing happened.
Author Sue No.5 of 50 – Me and my family having our tea in our Chinese takeaway kitchen 1983.
Author Sue No.4 of 50 – I lived here in Coventry in the early 80s. I was haunted by the fact we didn’t have a living room, which meant I couldn’t bring friends back. Not that I would of anyway, because I was also mortified about living in a Chinese takeaway. Oh the pains of being a teenager.
Author Sue No.1 of 50 – Our parents were never around in the 1970s. As a result we nearly burned the house down and were severely malnourished (I’ve never grown past 5ft).
Author Sue Wow – in a word. What a trip – in three. If you’re partial to art, architecture, culture, food or just being wowed in general, this breathtaking city has it in spadefuls. I couldn’t get over how everywhere you turned, art was in every nook and cranny it could possibly be shoehorned into. The highlight was undoubtedly Michelangelo’s David at Galleria dell’Academia, more overwhelming and majestic than I imagined after seeing it depicted for so many years in miniature 2D form on TV. Other must-sees are the Galleria Uffizi, Palazzo Pitti, Ponte Vecchio and the awesome panoramic views from Piazzale Michelangelo…ahhhhh. Top tip: if you’re thinking of going, go off-peak to avoid the crowds and long queues. I was lucky with the weather too with temperatures of up to 17 degrees. Besides Reykjavik, Florence is the only city I would 100% go back to in a heartbeat.
Author Sue I’d heard the Design Museum had moved from its former 1940s banana warehouse in Shad Thames to former Commonwealth Institute in Kensington High Street, so on a recent trip to London I went to take a look. The new building is impressive, although I found its minimalist architecture quite stark and uninviting. The museum’s permanent collection is on the top floor and showcases key designs that have shaped the modern world. It tells the history of mass production up to the digital age and spans architecture, fashion, furniture, product and graphic design, digital media and transport. I came across this thing as well, a jacket made from human hair! The designer Alix Bizet, is exploring sustainable and practical materials for the future, so I guess it makes sense – bit creepy though.
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2024 Sue Pickford aka Sue Cheung.