I first came to Jersey in 1972,summer working holiday during my first year of A levels. I was a thin gangly innocent 17 yr old and worked as a kitchen porter at L'Hermitage family run hotel (now a nursing home). I returned the following year and worked as a barman at the Hotel Magnolia, having bluffed my way into the job. I had a glorious summer in a very refined if somewhat traditional old fashioned hotel where guests still dressed for dinner and had pre-meal sherrys and pimms cocktails in my little but well stocked bar.
The owners ,Capt D C Sydney ex Colonial officer who walked around in his white suit and boater and his ''very prime of miss jean brodie'' scottish wife and aged mother were kind to me beyond belief.
The Irish chef was well red haired with a temperment to match but his food was to die for and so was well loved by the owners and guests. He took me under his wing and showed me some of his cooking skills. I was always ready to give him a helping hand as I had plenty of free time. We became firm friends but lost contact as I travelled the world and succombed to the evils of women and drink in that order.
For years I have searched the web,facebook etc trying to track the chef down and then suddenly his name popped up at a hotel in Limerick. His place of birth. I fired off an email and within days received a reply. It was my old mate Pat MacSweeney and we are now arranging to meet in Jersey or Eire and as he puts it ''have a guinness and share the craic''.
Just thought I'd share this little tale of a person who meant so much to me as a very young 18 yr old and who shared his passion of cooking and friendship with me. The web has many advantages
