Think Hardeep – remembering the seventies
“It was the height of the summer holidays and all the kids on the estate ended up playing together in the street. The craze that summer was for home-made ice lollies. It seemed every freezer in every house contained moulds filled with any variety of frozen concoction.”
That’s one of the things Hardeep remembers about growing up in the seventies. He also recalls what it was like being a second-generation British Sikh:
“Sunday was our day to be Indian. After a week of mundane Scottish life, my mother would wrangle her three sons into smart clothes and assault us with a damp facecloth before tramping us off with our dad to experience the delights of the gurdwara, the Sikh temple. I never understood why we had to be smartly dressed to visit the temple. If, as my mother so very often told me, God (who was omnipotent and omniscient and all other words beginning with omni-) judged who we were rather than how we appeared, then why did we need to ensure that our trousers were freshly pressed and our shirts free of ketchup? This philosophical musing of an eight-year-old was often met with the counter-argument of a skelp across the back of the thighs.”
June 5th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Summers spent with our house oozing cousins, who’d travelled from Ireland to the sunny Dorset South Coast. And, of course Uncle George taking an impromptu dip in the sea in his purple Y fronts…yes they don’t make summers like that anymore.
Question for Hardip
I’ll be at the Churches Media Conference next week. I write a column for a Bournemouth Magazine – Listed ( a what’s on and what’s hot publication 20K joint circulation – readership 18-30s) and I host a community radio show (www.hopefm.com). Any chance of a 10 minute interview to promote the book
Have a great weekend, Fiona
June 18th, 2009 at 12:21 am
I wasn’t born in the seventies but I really enjoyed reading the extract to your book. I like your words. Hopefully I’ll be able to make it out to the show you’re doing in Birmingham. Keep rocking
June 21st, 2009 at 1:43 am
I think my 70s was much the same as yours . Lollipop moulds in the freezer . Wasnt 76 the time when Saints won the cup . I dont remember much bout it,til someone reminds me . I think in 79 i was in sixth form college .
Keep up the good work Hardeep ,i think your BRILL. Any chance of coming to Southampton
August 24th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Hardeep came to see you at the Fringe Festival and being a fellow Glaswegian I had the best night and you made me laugh so much, I was desperate to come and sample your salmon that Jenny had brought along!!! Look forward to seeing you on home ground in the near future…
Thanks for the giggles
Amanda
August 27th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Hi Hardeep,
Apologies for contacting you through here but couldn’t find your contact details on another website. i was through to see your show in Edinburgh on Saturday 22nd August (from Dundee). I was the guy with the green chillies! We had a great time and just wanted to say thanks for a really good show. I was also the guy who clapped when you mentioned the homeless show. I wanted to explain why. I was impressed by your handling of the heroin addicted drug dealer. Most people who have said, “sorry to hear about your addiction.” but you confronted him about the amount of other people in Glasgow/Scotland who are addicted to drugs because of people like him. I like your style and hopefully we’ll be able to see you in Dundee soon.
P.S. Just listened to your interview with Les Ross. What a complete and utter to….!
Cheers
David Robertson
November 12th, 2009 at 1:48 am
Hi Hardeep’
I was watching the ‘wright stuff’ When you mentioned about the old fashioned sweets you liked,well there is such a place,right here in the North West,here in Lancashire.It is called Stockleys Sweets..,and it is located within Oswaldtwistle Mills.Hope this is some help.John
December 6th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Saw your show at the Arts Depot. Pretty good. You should do more on the observational comedy on the Indian community like your take on Gujerati food.
March 29th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
Hi Hardeep, my friend Kerrie & I came to see you recently at the Rothes Halls in Glenrothes and really enjoyed your show. You mentioned making an apple appetizer dish that would change our whole experience of eating a curry but I can’t remember what you said, any chance you could put it on your website? cheers Ruth xxx
April 15th, 2010 at 11:01 am
Hi Hardeep
Saw you on the Wrightstuff today, You said you would like to befriend someone who feels isolated, shunned and excluded from society. I am all that AND I am housebound with disability AND I am old. You can come and visit me and even hug me, metaphorically if you like,think how good that would make you feel.
No? Oh dear. You said you only want to hug a paedophile.
Lucky paedophile.
Hannah
April 24th, 2010 at 12:26 am
Hi Hardeep, came to see your show in Leeds a few hours ago, my first ‘night out’ after having a baby (16 weeks old now) and had a really good time, haven’t laughed so much in a long time!! Thank you sooo much!!!!
Sorry to contact you like this, can’t find any other way, but felt it was important to correct you on something you said. Being a public Sikh figure I think it’s important that the Sikh part is represented correctly. You made a comment about going against Sikhi and eating beef. This is a misconception, there is nothing in Sikhi that says you cannot eat beef or that cows are sacred.
Some Sikhs do not realise this but it is simply a combination of respect for the Hindu religion and not understanding the difference between culture (heavily influenced by Hindu religion in India) and religion that leads them (their elders) to believe we are not allowed to eat beef – it’s not true! From all of my learnings, I am 100% sure that we are not supposed to eat meat but if under dire circumstances we must, then it cannot be Halal – nothing about cows!
The show was great and can’t wait to finish reading the book (in Madras at the moment)!
To make people laugh is an amazing thing – keep up the good work!!
May 2nd, 2010 at 1:03 pm
I especially remember our dad buying a maroon Bedford van and fitting seats in the back for us four children. Mum made cushions (with maroon piping) and matching curtains too so it felt like a little house on wheels. Dad made the van squeal going round bends and we would all squeal with delight! PS We really enjoyed The Nearly Naked Chef in Chesham 30/4/2010 – and the occasional waft of cooking that reached us in Row K just added to a great night’s entertainment – though we were not quick enough off the mark to sample your fare! Regards Hardeep
May 16th, 2010 at 10:58 pm
was at the show at salford on friday14th sat at the back,but i could smell the curry from where i sat .do any of your books have recipes in ?also why didnt we see more of the tv series you did about running a restraunt in glasgow?
May 22nd, 2010 at 1:24 pm
Hardeep,(firstly apologies for contacting you on here – couldnt find any other means)- just wanted to say thanks for sharing your journey in Indian Takeaway. It touched me on many levels. I grew up in Wales with Welsh father and Italian mother. I was not considered Welsh as my first language was Italian, then English when I went to shcool. I now live in England. Growing up I took a lot of abuse for being “Italian” and having a mother that spoke oddly and cooked wierd things (amazing cook). I sadly lost my father 3 years ago, and the way you spoke about yours is very toutching. I wish mine was still here to answer my many questions about his life that I never got round to asking. He was a wonderful man who also loved to travel, loved good food and good wine (hence the Italian wife?). Sadly my mamma is still here but suffers with Alzheimers and doesnt know me any longer and is unable to even make a cup of tea these days. Memories of her cooking will never leave me though. I used to hate being “Italian” growing up and wanted to be like everyone else, but these days I’ll tell anyone that’ll listed. I hope the big fella is still with you at time of writing. Cherish him. I hope you get to spend some time in India with him. I recently returned to India and visited Goa and Mumbai. I have previously been to Kovalam, Cochin, Delhi and Agra. I love India with a passion and your journey made me long to return to discover more of that fascinating land/people/food. I took the “short” train journey from Goa to Mumbai and I savoured every moment. I also grew up in the seventees, jetting off to Italy for the summer when air travel was still only for the rich to visit big extended family that we never really experienced in Wales. It felt like going home, but I was always the “little English girl” there. Anyway, sorry I’m waffling…just wanted to say a big thank you for the pleaseure of reading your book. I read the last paragraph with tears rolling down my cheeks because I didnt want it to end. Good luck with whatever you do in the future – hopefully that will include one or two more books!
Cheers
Amanda
June 1st, 2010 at 5:53 pm
I’ve buy your book in Italy in my language. My english is very bad. It’s difficult for me explicate my sensation reeding the history but i’m an italian man, lightly overweight and loving eating every food.
I think that the italian food is the better in the world but eat is a plasure everywhere. I have taste your travel with my taste and live your experience with my hart and stomach.
I think you are a good man, more indian that english for your empaty with people. i don’t know indian or english people, but i think that Italy is in a middle of both.
Many greetings for you from an italian friends
Alberto
June 17th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Dear Hardeep,
You were absolutely fantastic at South Shields last night.
As a fellow Punjabi brought up in the Newcastle, I certainly could identify my own experiences as yourself.
You are like a breath of fresh air and I am so proud to be a British Punjabi !
My daughter Risha(23)being the next generation could not stop howling with similar resonance.
Hardeep, you have done the British proud and keep it up.
Raj Bedi