Silver darlings

No, not the fishermen (although the weather-beaten older man does have a certain charm) - they are the herrings that were being sold on the quay today, straight off the boat. At the other end of the harbour is a sculpted shoal, I blipped once before, a tribute to Fishguard's former reliance on these fish as a way of life in a past age: a provider of food, occupation and trade.

Silver darlings was the name by which the fish were known on the east coast of Scotland in particular, and the title of a historical novel by Neil Gunn, a minor classic about the cruel life of the fisherfolk following the Highland clearances.

It's good to see local herrings for sale here again and at only 50 pence each they are an excellent cheap source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Here's a link to a nice wartime promotion of herrings with recipes and hints on how to fillet them.

Note: the blue fish box is from Mevagissey (in Cornwall) and the red boxes, probably containing crustaceans, are labelled high-energy supplement for pregnant ewes. Recycling lives (and never died) in the business of fishing.