This week Friends Restaurant continues its stay in North Devon.

You will remember that last week I had been visiting the Cleeve House Hotel in Mortehoe.

Seek out a traditional old seaside country pub and you can still count on finding a salty old fisherman to tell you about his adventures. Very often they can give you cookery tips as well. When I met old Harry, he was showing off a very fine pair of monkfish that his wife was going to good this week’s receipe with. As we talked he began to grow morose so I asked him why. He said that some days when he caught nothing, he just felt the fish were laughing at him.

“These, for instance.” He indicated the monkfish.

“ I got ‘ em from the fishmonger. I mean what kind of fisherman buys his fish from a fishermonger?”

He got up to go. As he reached the door, I noticed he had forgotten his fish. “What about these” I called to him.

“Oh yes. Chuck ‘em over will you’

I did so.“Thanks Terry” he said. “I never lie to my wife.

Now I can go home and tell her I caught two beautiful monkfish today!