The Shirley Temple Cantonese Restaurant, Birmingham

Back in April I blogged about the rather mild controversy stoked up in the UK paper’s over the marvellous TV show The Hour written by Abi Morgan (disclaimer: Kudos TV who made The Hour have now optioned my book Midnight in Peking). The row was over the use of the phrase, in the BBC of 1956, of “going for a Chinese” as a way of indicating everyone was off for a Chinese meal. Not a phrase used in 1956 say some while others disagree. I got fairly close to evidence in my post quoting from Eric Ambler’s 1938 book Cause for Alarm – but no actual citation of the phrase yet.

However, one reader, originally from the beautiful urban landscape that is the Midlands did respond that he thought it possible that the phrase was used and that he remembered going for a Chinese in the 1950s to his local Cantonese restaurant in the suburb of Birmingham (the English one obviously) called Shirley. The restaurant was, inevitably, thus called The Shirley Temple and if anyone wants an argument about immigrants coming to Britain and not successfully and wholeheartedly adopting British culture, sense of humour and the language then I give you The Shirley Temple Cantonese Restaurant in, yes, Shirley (sort of near Solihull). Now that is superb and can only be described, in the local vernacular of those Midlands parts, as bostin!!

And it’s still in business showing that both the food and the pun have enjoyed great longevity!!

And so…first

Here’s a picture of the Shirley Temple from the 1960s or 1970s;

Then, the Shirley Temple these days (complete with patriotic England flag in window!)….A must visit for anyone in the Greater Birmingham/Solihull Area

And, of course, a gratuoitous excuse to post a pictire of Romola Garai from The Hour….