David Chippy-Bound! And he brings former US first lady with him

David Chippy-Bound!

And he brings former US first lady with him

Staff at a South Shields fish and chip shop were left “thrilled” after former US first lady Hillary Clinton popped in for a surprise visit. The ex-Secretary of State was in the area to deliver the annual South Shields Lecture, talking politics with former Labour politician and South Shields MP David Miliband. 74-year-old Hillary discussed gun violence in the US, Donald Trump’s reelection bid, and her love for Channel 4’s Derry Girls at the event recently.

And the US politician topped off her visit with a meal at the much-loved Colmans, a family-run staple in South Shields for generations.

The fish and chip shop first started out as a small beach shack all the way back in 1905 before moving to Ocean Road in 1926.

Owner Richard Ord said that he “couldn’t speak highly enough” of their celebrity guest. She ordered a crab to start & the classic fish and chips, complete with mushy peas and tartare sauce. “The staff were thrilled - and she was so wonderful to all of them,” Richard said of Mrs Clinton. “She was absolutely wonderful with everybody.”

She may be famous for her proximity to the Oval Office, but Hillary has strong family ties to the Northeast.

Her great-grandfather Jonathan Rodham was a coal miner from Stanley in County Durham back in the 1800s - a fact that she was happy to share with fellow diners in Colmans.”She was very proud of her Northeast connections,” Richard recalled. “She was just delighted to be in the area.”

The former presidential candidate also paid tribute to the Queen as she gave her lecture during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, recounting what it had been like to meet Her Majesty.

“She has been a remarkable unifier and symbol for a long time in your country’s history,” Hillary said.” In meeting her she is quite funny, quick to laugh or make a quip, she is very smart and she knows a lot,” she added.

Who famous have you had in your shop? Email austen@chippychat.co.uk

The Class of ’88

By the late 1980’s the British public’s food tastes had become cosmopolitan with considerable growth in Indian and Chinese takeaway’s and gourmet food ranges in supermarkets. Nevertheless Fish and Chips still remained the Nation’s favourite takeaway with the Class of ‘88 numbering around 15,000 shops. They were attracting a more diverse range of customers who were paying around £1.60 - £2.00 for medium cod and chips. Greaseproof paper was introduced and newspaper for wrapping phased out on hygiene grounds. A BSE outbreak also resulted in many shops switching from animal fats to vegetable oils for frying. By 1988, Frymax was still the number one brand. It was exactly the same product as on launch with no additions or modifications and remained pure white palm which is additive free, contains no hydrogenated oil and less than 1% trans fats. Frymax guaranteed consistently good results and long lasting performance without deterioration in quality and had become firmly established as the Fryers Favourite.

RSPO-2-0677-16-100-00