A Cultural Culinary idea

"There are so many things on locally, and we never seem to get round to doing any of them". So began the conversation in the local pub (The Phoenix at Denmark Hill Station, London SE5 for those of you that like to place these things in a geographic context) when I met my partner Bren and my friend Louise for a post-work beer last week. Within the space of 30 minutes it had been decided to introduce a little oasis into the desert that was our cultural social life, by booking tickets for an open air production of Shakespeare's "A Winter's Tale" to be performed by a touring cast from the Globe Theatre in Dulwich Park.

Culture having been decided upon, Louise's thoughts immediately turned to the food we would all be preparing as, in Louise's book, no outdoor event, whether cultural or not, could be attended without an interesting food offering in tow. It was agreed that further thought would be given to this issue - food not being a subject to be rushed! Victuals having been put on the back burner, thoughts turned to the weather. Anybody reading this in the UK will know that Mother Nature has decided to dispense with Summer this year, preferring instead to replicate November on a monthly basis. However, there were rumours of a "nice weekend" and so with confidence levels high, it was decided that we would go to the first performance in the park which was to take place on Sunday evening.

We were buoyed to discover from the Globe's website that performances would take place in "all but the most extreme weather conditions" and that the BBC weather forecast promised no more than light drizzle at worst on Sunday.

We left the pub with promises of liaising on the food offering and with Louise intent on drumming up some further recruits for a balmy evening with the Bard.