Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Not In My House
Still lamenting my lack of computer skills in being unable to open the file containing a couple of posts on floppy disc, I decided to google Rick Stein, who was the inspiration for one of the posts I wrote.
Now I'm sure that pretty much everyone knows that Rick split from his wife Jill after 27 years of marriage after Jill found out that Rick was having a relationship with Sarah Burns. Being a fan of his cooking programs, it was always poignant to watch the end of each episode, where Jill and Rick had stood together on a hill looking out over the countryside and after the split Rick stood alone.
Now what I'm about to relate happened six months ago, but this is the first I've heard of it.
Jill is nothing if not the canny business women and even though she considered the marriage over, told Rick that she would continue in her executive role running the businesses they had set up over the years. There are so many businesses in fact that some refer to Padstow where they had their first restaurant as Padstein due to their large presence. In Jill's words neither could afford to buy the other out and they owed it to the local economy and their some three hundred employees to keep going.
But there was a condition; Rick must never bring his girlfriend Sarah to any of their eateries. Or as Jill said, "I have always told Ricky, 'Don't you dare bring that woman into our restaurant or I will kill her'. Fighting words indeed and you would have thought that Rick had heard the old maxim that Hell hath no fury like a women scorned.
So what does Rick do?
He brought Sarah to the flagship restaurant, the rest was tabloid heaven. Apparently after unleashing a torrent of abuse, Jill finished by called Sarah a ****ing bitch and slapped her. Rick said something like 'that was a bit stupid' and copped his whack too. It seems that the restaurant staff and customers all cheered her actions.
Now a part of me shudders at the physical violence involved, indeed there was even a column I found that frowned upon Jill's actions. But there was also a part of me that cheered for her too. Was not bringing his girlfriend to the restaurant Jill and Rick had started from scratch, too much to ask? I don't think so.
How do you feel?
Now I'm sure that pretty much everyone knows that Rick split from his wife Jill after 27 years of marriage after Jill found out that Rick was having a relationship with Sarah Burns. Being a fan of his cooking programs, it was always poignant to watch the end of each episode, where Jill and Rick had stood together on a hill looking out over the countryside and after the split Rick stood alone.
Now what I'm about to relate happened six months ago, but this is the first I've heard of it.
Jill is nothing if not the canny business women and even though she considered the marriage over, told Rick that she would continue in her executive role running the businesses they had set up over the years. There are so many businesses in fact that some refer to Padstow where they had their first restaurant as Padstein due to their large presence. In Jill's words neither could afford to buy the other out and they owed it to the local economy and their some three hundred employees to keep going.
But there was a condition; Rick must never bring his girlfriend Sarah to any of their eateries. Or as Jill said, "I have always told Ricky, 'Don't you dare bring that woman into our restaurant or I will kill her'. Fighting words indeed and you would have thought that Rick had heard the old maxim that Hell hath no fury like a women scorned.
So what does Rick do?
He brought Sarah to the flagship restaurant, the rest was tabloid heaven. Apparently after unleashing a torrent of abuse, Jill finished by called Sarah a ****ing bitch and slapped her. Rick said something like 'that was a bit stupid' and copped his whack too. It seems that the restaurant staff and customers all cheered her actions.
Now a part of me shudders at the physical violence involved, indeed there was even a column I found that frowned upon Jill's actions. But there was also a part of me that cheered for her too. Was not bringing his girlfriend to the restaurant Jill and Rick had started from scratch, too much to ask? I don't think so.
How do you feel?
11 Comments:
Good for Jill! It's not like she didn't ask 'politely' first. But it would seem that Rick does not have respect for what is left of their relationship.
Btw, I luuuurv your blog. I've been reading it for a while and enjoy the fact that it's not the photos that makes your blog so entertaining. Thank you for always sharing with us out here...
I don't have to know anything more about this one to know Jill is the one in the correct position. How can somebody fail to have so little understanding or maybe Zam is right how about just a tad of respect for what was left of the relationship.
Staff and customers got it right.
From a completely unemotional standpoint, I can see what the writer of the article is saying, but as a woman who has been scorned in the past - if I were in Jill's shoes, I would've done the same, if not worse.
Out of ALL the restaurants they exist, taking his mistress to their flagship is blatantly waving his infidelity in his ex-wife's face. Not good form.
There is two ways you could see this ; one, that Jill's vindective was only what she said she would do anyway and totally justified, which of course means that Rick was asking for it, and his new squeeze. Two, that Jill should have practiced restraint because, despite her warning, her actions showed that she was scorned, and was therefore giving Rick and his girlfriend too much cred. Much better to have found a way to humiliate him on a more subtle level, but that's just my opinion.
All 3 made that moment explode, so there are 3 perspectives, each as wrong as they are right ... *grin ...
Maybe J benefitted from expressing the scorn she had restrained (though who knows what preceded this public display) She may also have felt obliged to perform, having declared her intentions previously.
Why did R & S go there in the first place? False complacency, insensitivity, challenge? A set-up for publicity? Maybe R was in that unenviable position of being asked to prove S is his partner now? Maybe she thought it was time to step centerstage? A perverse and futile attempt to validate her place in R's life? Maybe he was weak, stupid or so up his own backside he never thought about the consequences. Or maybe he wanted to remind J that he had offered to dump S if she would take him back - she turned him down.
Revenge humiliates everyone, i think, but when people don't own what's driving them, how can they give a good account of whatever they do? I expect the divorce will get messy now, which is a shame.
So much we don't know about all this, or indeed any relationship that crashes, no matter its longevity. I don't think there are any sides to be taken - it must have been a huge *ouch* for all 3 of them and a voyeuristic snigger for observers.
OMG, what a ramble! lol
Good to see you back, Neil! I've missed your posts here!
What differing persectives and I please to say I can relate to all. There really is always more than meets the eye and more than one way to see things. Only time (or maturity) allow us to behave ourselves.
Yes, I blush Neil I had you RSS set to show last months posts...well, duh. Hope you are getting your technology issues covered...not that we are ever free from that.
They're all carrying on like a bunch of teenagers.
Jill is wrong to think she can take part in Rick's life without ever seeing Sarah. Blatantly or not, it was always going to happen and she cannot dictate the terms.
Sarah is wrong in failing to have any sense of tact. She should have asked Rick if there would be issues and should have been able to sense the answer by his manner in replying. And if not, the relationship is doomed anyway.
Rick is an idiot for allowing himself to be played by two women.
I just hope someone is looking after Chalky.
First, I say that any woman who would accept a man who has cheated on his wife gets what she deserves. (Same for men who would accept a cheating woman.) If you're not happy, get a divorce and then find a new person. I hate dishonesty. Still, I think slapping is a bit elementary schoolish. I don't think I would have given her the satisfaction of seeing me behave like that.
Hi zam, glad you're not lurking anymore. We did get a new camera for xmas, but it might take a while to figure it out.
Hi tanna, haven't quite got the hang of the tech thing yet, I nearly got those posts onto the memory stick, having another go tonight.
Hi elie, I felt the same about the article too, but I understand where Jill was coming from. You would do worse, what, with a boning or filleting knife? ;-)
Hi greg, I think that Jill put herself in a difficult position with her dire threat and when Rick and Sarah turned up, she had to choose to be true to her word or scurry away.
Hi shell, I think you covered that very well. I'm certain there was a subtext going on just by the actions of all three, but we will probably never be privy to that.
Hi kitchen hand, good points, though my teenagers never carried on like that. Your suggestion that the relationship between Rick and Sarah could be doomed may prove to be prophetic. I think chalky is looking after the rabbits.
Hi kalyn, I completely agree with you about how you should leave someone, that's the way I did it. I think it helped to establish better relationships later on, especially with my ex and her family. Which is better for our kids.
Hi helen, that was some walk!!!
Mmm, I'm on Jill's side. If I was Jill, I would probably feel that I have to do 'something' to hold my head up high, especially since he's been warned (in the news and all).
That said, not that I condone violence or anything, a slap is less violent than a stab in the chess or a slice across the face. Plus, it's more embarrassing to be slapped across the face than decked ;)
ps. Happy belated New Year Neil. It sounds like the lady sold you a dud floppy since floppy disks should all come formatted and ready for use.
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