Living on rations

My friends Jamie and Chris are trying to live on World War 2 rations for a month as an experiment. So far they are still alive. No doubt it helps that Jamie is an excellent cook. Follow their progress throughout January at On The Ration.

Let them eat cake

I popped into Waitrose yesterday to get a few odds and sods, not including booze as we had enough of that for now.

Looking at my half-full trolley, I guessed I had probably spent about 40 quid, or 50 at the outside.

Here is the bill: £92.95. I thought the lady at the checkout must have made a mistake, but no, it all adds up.

Happily, the boyf and I are on reasonably good pensions. How the poor are supposed to manage, I have no idea.

The Czech Restaurant

Dinner last night at what is said to be London's only Czech restaurant. It's in West Hampstead and it's called, er, The Czech Restaurant.

We had wild boar. Good filling nosh and good value. Good red wine fairly cheap.

The dining room has its original 1946 decor and the whole place feels completely unfashionable -- not a foodie in sight -- just what I like.

74 West End Lane, NW6. Tel. (020) 7372 1193.