My website jennyridgwell.co.uk describes my history in food education and writing. I've just finished my second book about teaching cooking in the 1970s in an East London comprehensive. A reviewer says:- 'A fascinating and valuable social commentary on a time when the ‘ old order ‘ was changing and new horizons were just coming into view.' I'll tell stories of my teaching, London life, living in a bedsit, and trying to 'get off the shelf' at 23 years old. Boys learnt to cook for the first time, but textbooks were written for girls to be good housewives. We went metric - the families said my recipes wouldn't work. They learnt how to stuff lamb's hearts, bone and roll breast of lamb, and gut herrings to souse. Cookery was the only lesson that required students to bring materials to participate. The Head expected me to cook the Governor's tea and make 300 mince pies for the Carol Service. Textbooks wrote that vegetarians suffered from 'enlargements' from eating beans. And we had the three day week and blackouts. Another review 'Loved humour and dry wit in these books' which I hope comes through in my talks.