When we discussed the theme of warmth, during meteorological spring, we were fixated on heat from the sun: e.g. ”Sunny side of the street”, “Surfing USA” and La fille mal guarde” later we started to think about other types of warmth.

There is the heat of the. kitchen. This comes in at least two forms of warmth. The physical warmth of the kitchen range is one. The range heated the water with its back-boiler as well as the kettle on the edge of the hob that could quickly be brought to the boil to make a welcoming pot of tea. Further it cooked the food in the oven and on the hob, and it heated the house. Warmth all year round. The second form of warmth was the sociological heat from the range. All the tender loving care that was channelled through the range for the food to be put before us. This could be whole meals of meat, potatoes, two veg and gravy followed by pudding and custard. It could be homemade bread and cakes, which in later life would be called patisseries.

Being given food was a sign of welcome and belonging. The first time my wife met my grandmother we travelled to my grandparents with my parents and arrived at ten o’clock. She made such a good impression that my grandmother loaded her dinner plate with as much food as mime. So much so that I had to decline seconds (an unheard of occurrence) after I had cleared my future wife’s plate as well as my own.

(C) Danielle Jones (Teale) Dance, Collective IDentity, written by John Leach