Pinkietessa the Crinoline Queen . . . and curry sauce.

Pinkietessa on the left,  in trademark pink crinoline  

Whilst out and about filming with Carrie Ann from Artisan Tearooms today I was thinking how CA reminded me of the wonderful Pinkietessa.

Pinkie and I used to sign on together at the dole office above the Job Centre on Camden High Street in the 80's (not all of the 80's, I did work sometimes). Pinkie would flounce in, full crinoline a-flowing with her Little Bo Peep parasol and perfectly kiss-curled hair.  Brave, brave lady.

Years later I exhibited her cartoons at the Young Unknowns, the gallery famous for exhibiting human foetus earrings.  Then there were the wild nights at Heaven watching Pinkie on stage swinging a la Fragonard and singing her heart out.

At one point in my illustrious career I decided I would host transvestite tea parties at the Candid Gallery in Islington.  It never got further than the planning stage but at one point I gathered together a formidable group of girls and boys willing to get involved - Pinkietessa, Paula the booker from Elite model agency, a mad little thing in hotpants who was Vivienne Westwood's PA (Viv had her cutting rooms around the corner in Greenland Rd, Camden) and a very young looking boy who said he was about to start a magazine with a photographer called Rankin (we knew Rankin because he had shot me and the ex for his Blow Up series at the Milk Bar).  Yes, that youngster was no other than Jefferson Hack and he was about to launch Dazed and Confused.  Pipe dream, we thought.  Who would have known that he would have grown up to marry Kate Moss?

So what's all this got to do with the price of bacon, you're asking?  Yes, this is supposed to be a food (ish) blog.  Well, Carrie Ann arrived today looking as striking as Pinkietessa of old. We were filming at Holts fish and chip shop in Nelson because they make their own curry sauce to a secret Chinese recipe.  Secret until we filmed it, that is.  So I may as well tell you that it's made by boiling cinnamon, star anise, chilli and garlic flakes, curry powder and various vegetables in boiling oil.  Flour is the final ingredient before the whole lot gets cooked up for a couple of hours.  Et voila 400 portions of curry sauce.  Hopefully, this will all be coming to a TV screen near you soon.