The date was April 1, 1982. Noon. John, Margaret and I were driving to the Atlantic coast. In John’s honor, we planned to sail our 30-foot sloop to Okracoke Island and visit the British cemetery. Four English seamen, washed ashore in World War II, are buried there.
John Turtle, then BBC’s Head of Radio Training, looked at the North Carolina restaurant menu and pronounced, “I’ve never heard of, or eaten, a ‘hush-puppy.’ What is it?” We explained. After Carolina chefs cook meat, they roll dough, put the ‘hush puppy’ in the pot to cook and absorb remaining culinary juices.
John decided. “Perhaps, I should try one.”
The month before, John and I had discovered we were sailboat skippers when we met at a Las Vegas broadcasters’ convention. When we first met in Las Vegas, we talked broadcast a few minutes. John had previously telephoned me from London to say our University of North Carolina broadcast training program was recommended for one of his four visits. I was the UNC broadcast chairman, and I liked the British broadcaster’s compliments.
Then John said he sailed with the BBC Yacht Club. Forget broadcast training. For three days we talked sailing. We planned then to sail when he came to North Carolina.
We ate our bar-b-que beef and hush puppies then drove east. By the time we reached our sailboat, a ‘Norther’ blew in. Even John, whose birthplace was the stormy coast of Norfolk England, admitted “it’s a bit cold.”
“Besides, Dick, this hush puppy on my stomach isn’t hushing.’ John said he didn’t want to take his hush puppy any farther—that’s not exactly what he said, but you wouldn’t broadcast his stated discomfort.
We limited our sail to nearby Beaufort. We moored in front of several waterfront restaurants. John ate very little dinner and proclaimed, “I must say, I’m not very hungry. Besides, your hush puppy is growling.”
The next morning John said his stomach was “a bit quieter”. We decided to breakfast at a dock-front café. When we walked in, the café radio was broadcasting news that started with a fanfare.
John stopped. Put a finger over his mouth. “That’s the BBC World Service News.”
We listened. “…Argentina has invaded the Falkland Islands…” England was at war. The date was April 2, 1982.
photo credit: The Cookin Chicks
