As a kid we would have lunch outside. It was either a Saturday or a Sunday. But there was a table outside, and we'd have take the dining room chairs, set up and we would sit under the tree, there were always two roast chickens, roast potatoes, roast veg, and Auntie May and Aunt Ellen would be fetched.
The most important thing that happened was, the radio was brought out, and... the Goons show was playing on the radio. We had to be seated by 1 o' clock on the dot. It was British radio comedy programme. Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers. All through lunch, half of us didn't know what was going on, but the adults, they would laugh their way through. There was usually wine or some alcohol and definitely always Malva pudding. Afterwards everybody got involved with the cleanup and dishes. This is how the weekend was.
Nowadays, you wake up, and you have a cup of coffee, things are a bit slower. You get dressed in your Sunday best and off you go to church, pleasantries with the community and back home for Sunday lunch, it doesn't matter what it is. But there's a little bit more care given, and there's a few more people around the table. There's this special feeling about it. It's just that it's an occasion.
I think if you've been brought up with one of the weekend days being an occasion, an event, it follows you through life. In South Africa for as long as I can remember there was a television programme on Sunday evening called Carte Blanche and after that at 8 o' clock there was the Sunday movie. You knew you had school the next day, or work. But hearing the Carte Blanche theme tune - it was the great, last awesome free moment of your weekend. It created a feeling that still resonates.
