Oh what a joy to meet in person the lovely Lauren Hairston Collado of the glorious food blog The Past on a Plate. Lauren was in London from Wichita and I was so thrilled to meet her in person. I’ve been following Lauren’s blog since the day I discovered that she was a fellow fan of Vincent Price’s Treasury of Great Recipes. I found her post about Vincent’s recipe for Manicotti alla passetto and I was immediately hooked.
I used to think it was odd that people could consider folks they only knew through the internet as friends, but there is something very good and old fashioned about having virtual chums through the web. We can be friends because we are (as my chum Heather puts it) “of the spirit”. We share something fundamental. It’s indefinable but it is there.
By way of illustration, I searched for “friends through the ether” via the internet and this picture came up in Google Images. It is my kind of picture and this in turn took me on a trail to the Kitschy Coo blog and although I do not sew I am in awe of those who do, hence I spent a good half an hour or so perusing the Kistchy Coo universe. The internet for me is a great big ocean of loveliness. I ADORE dipping my toe in. And I am such a nosey parker I just love the miniature snapshots into other lives blogs can give. Viva the blogger.
So anyhow, meeting Lauren was a bit like meeting a pen pal that you have had for a few years and have been corresponding with for no other reason that you like the cut of their gib. I have seen the inside of Lauren’s kitchen cupboards through the internet. I have experienced her triumphs and failures in the kitchen and I have been given a sneaky peek into her love of English traditions, classic Hollywood movies and food from the past. Obviously we are sisters of the soul!
So meeting Lauren in person was a lovely experience. We had lunch in the Hawley Arms – not the most salubrious of venues but famous in its own way, and close to where I work as it was a quick lunchtime meet. I hope that next time she comes to London I can have her and her hubby to dinner at Silver Screen Suppers Towers. I would cook many things from The Treasury of Great Recipes and we’d have a fine old time.
Ahh, the good old days of the Hawley Arms…
So to end, here’s a picture of me and my blogging chum Lauren in our short lunchtime of talking about food, American politics and handsome hillbillies with our pies and booze. Lovely to meet you Lauren!
I know exactly what you mean about being ‘of the spirit’. I feel that I’ve made great friends with fellow bloggers. Both for our mutual interests and support over the time I’ve / they’ve had a blog. How fab to get to meet a fellow blogger from so far away. Here’s to many more meetings. GG
Definitely GG! It was really good to meet you at Food Blogger Connect – can’t afford it this year alas, are you going?
Fabulous! I hope you both had a wonderful lunch.
I still think we need to have a vintage/retro food convention somewhere.
Ooooh yes. We need a midpoint between Baltimore, Wichita, London and wherever Brian from Caker Cooking is! I’ll get my globe out…
I had an absolutely FANTASTIC time. Loved the Hawley Arms. I’m missing London already and have started scheming up another trip. Fingers crossed that Paul will have another business trip soon.
Thank you thank you again for lunch. Next time, it’s on me.
Whoopee! Come back soon xx