....take aways on the way out?

I read in today's newspaper that there are about 10,000 curry houses in the UK and 10% face closure in the next few years or so.

This is a result of rising costs and the changing immigration policies which make it harder for Bangladeshi owned businesses to recruit new staff from the sub continent.

Like most things there is a bit more to the story than just costs and immigration laws. How about a Polish curry house chef? And perhaps eating habits are changing such that we are tiring of having our tonsils burnt out every Friday night.

I reckon one of my best friends is the champion curry connoiseur of these parts. Some of you know him well. I guess he may have seen quite a few of those 10,000 curry houses in his time.

I can always tell when he has had a special blast. And it is not the noises off I am thinking of. It is that tell tale circular motion of his hands over his stomach. Clockwise for a top class treat which he savours 24 or more hours later ; but anti clockwise when the experience has left him with a gripe or two or may be three, being the most polite way I can put it.

I often wonder if all this would be reversed if he went to taste the curry houses in Oz.

Curly Al and I enjoyed his company this lunchtime in the Halfway House and not a curry in sight. Come to think of it too he mentioned having a Chinese later in the day.....

.....so may be it is not just newspaper talk after all and the curry houses are really on their way out!