God heavens Shaw do you know Bill Woodcock? I somehow doubt it (Teribus does though).

But yes I was referring to bygone days and stated so clearly in my post, which oddly enough was agreeing in part with what you said about few people eating "Full English".

Odd thing about you and food Shaw, you are an expert and can state without equivocation where to buy the best pork sausages - yet you say you only eat them rarely as a treat - so where is the basis for comparison to say what is "best". Likewise, you are an expert on Cornish, or should that be Kernow, Pasties and can state similarly without equivocation who produces the "best" - yet you say you only eat three a year tops - so no basis for comparison there either.

David Carter(UK) you would be amazed at what foods were both cheap and common in those bygone days. Cheese most certainly was one of them - produced on damn near every single farm or toun in the country. What did you think they did with the milk produced? Sell it to the supermarket? Milk provided curds, whey, butter, cheese - Or did you think that "cottage cheese" and "ploughman's lunch" were modern day inventions by some celebrity chef?

"If a farm labourer had a hot meal at the end of the day then they were quite a well off farm labourer. And cheese seems at the luxury end too, I will give you bread and beer."

How much manual labour do you think you would get out of a man if all you fed him was bread and "small" beer (Note the "small" refers to type not size or quantity - very weak, the general population of England drank it before tea became common - more like flavoured water but at least it had been treated in the brewing process to kill off any bugs). Bet you are similarly of the mind that horses don't need feeding as they crop at grass. While the men were working the fields their womenfolk got fires going and cooked and baked and washed. First cooked meal of the day was a version of what we now call "a full English" - mainly because it was easy to do and provided what was needed for the rest of the day. Snack for lunch, the fires and later ranges were kept going during the day and the fuel would not be wasted so of course there was a hot meal in the evening it sustained and fortified but it was very simple, not talking three courses with fine wine here Mr. Carter, but a plate of thick soup or a broth, or a meat and vegetable stew. All very cheap all ingredients readily available.