The Picnic is by no means exclusive to Britain but it is certainly a tradition of this country. Although now under pressure from the trend towards fast food outlets and motorway services, the picnic remains a popular British pastime during the spring and summer months.
Traditionally, the food is carried in a special wicker basket known as a hamper. This sturdy basket was usually made with a lid that allowed the food to be covered and kept fresh for longer. Nowadays, the traditional Hamper has been largely replaced by plastic coolboxes, which allow the use of special frozen blocks to help keep the food cool and fresh all day. It is also customary to bring a table cloth to lay on the ground or picnic table as appropriate. In the image conjured of picnics of yesteryear, this is nearly always a gingham check table cloth. Modern versions are often plastic, allowing for ease of cleaning and reuse. The meal prepared would certainly include some form of sandwiches and usually the food is contributed to by several of the participants of the picnic; although I am sure that the mother would have had done most of the work for small family picnics in days gone by.
The origin of the word picnic seems to have come from the French ‘pique-nique’, the first known mention of which is from 1692. This was used to describe the practice of eating in a restaurant and bringing your own wine. It then developed into its current usage after becoming associated with meals where several participants contributed to the meal.
Picnics are mentioned in the works of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens , showing that they were popular in England during the 18th and 19th centuries. Austen refers to a disappointing picnic in ‘Emma’ and in Dicken’s ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’, Miss Twinkleton contributes herself and a veal pie to a picnic which takes place in the story.
The countryside is a popular destination for picnics and London ’s many parks are also attractive spots for a bit of eating out in the open. A number of the well-heeled food halls cater for those who wish to do this in style. Harrods , as well as Fortnum and Mason , offer pre-packed picnic hampers as well as made to order baskets. The seaside resort is another favourite traditional spot for a picnic. Although once again, the sight of families unpacking their food among the dunes is less common now with the spread of fast food outlets to almost every corner of the land.
More British Institutions
Afternoon Tea
Allotments
April Fools Day
Big Ben
Binge Drinking
Black Cabs
Bonfire Night
British Sense of Humour
Brown Windsor Soup
Burns Night
Cadburys
Castles
Changing the Guard
City of London
Coronation Street
Cowes Week
Cricket
Crufts
Dad’s Army
E-Type Jag
Eccentricity
English Country Garden
Fish and Chips
Fish Fingers
Fox Hunting
Full English Breakfast
Gin and Tonic
Glastonbury
Glorious Goodwood
Grand National
Grouse Shooting
Harrods
Highland Games
Hogmanay
James Bond
John Bull
King Arthur
Land Rover
Lloyds of London
London to Brighton Veteran Car Rally
Marks and Spencer
Monty Python
Morecambe and Wise
Old School Tie
Oxbridge
Panto
Picnics
Pimms
Point-to-Point
Punch and Judy
Queueing
Real Ale
Red Arrows
Red Telephone Boxes
Remembrance Poppies
Robin Hood
Rolls Royce
Royal Ascot
Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Savile Row Suits
School Discos
School Sports Day
Seaside Piers
Speakers’ Corner
Stag Nights
Stiff Upper Lip
Strawberries and Cream
Street Markets
Summer Festivals
Sunday Roasts
The Archers
The BBC
The Beano
The Boat Race
The Brass Band
The British Bobby
The Bulldog
The Church of England
The Cup Final
The Curry House
The English Rose
The Garden Shed
The Honours System
The Kilt
The Last Night at the Proms
The London Bus
The Mini
The National Trust
The NHS
The Oak
The Pub
The Queen’s Speech
The Rolling Stones
The Royal Christmas Message
The Spitfire
The V Sign
The Village Fete
The Weather
Travelling Fairs
Trooping the Colour
Village Greens
Wedgwood
Wellington Boots
Wimbledon
Wine Gums
Yeomen of the Guard
Brit Quote: |
|
On this day: |