Uses for a Black Pudding

 

This week I was reminded of an old free-association exercise favoured in creativity workshops

Uses for a Brick

The old exercise was to list uses of a brick. According to research at the time, skill at generating multiple ideas of various kinds was an indicator of creative fluency and flexibility.

 

Uses for a Dead Cat

 

A darker version on Uses of a Dead Cat, was later turned into a book

 

Uses for a Piece of Black Pudding

 

And so to this week’ s news story, (about time, you may be thinking). It refers to an unexpected uses of a piece of Black Pudding, a delicacy in the North of England, as well as in other parts of Europe where the local gourmets have developed a taste for blood sausage.

 

If you did not catch the story, you may have trouble ‘brainstorming’ what happened, however many ideas you think up.  I leave it as a brain teaser. Suggestions from LWD subscribers (with moderate censorship according to editorial judgment) will be found in the comments section.

 

Uses of a Blogpost on Uses of a Piece of Black Pudding …

 

Now that’s a tougher challenge altogether.

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Me and the Black Pudding man

This morning I learned a lesson in customer service from Mike who delivers Black Pudding, a local delicacy, to shops in the North West of England

Our paths crossed when I came across his rather large van blocking my much smaller Tudormobile which was thus prevented from leaving a shared but tight parking area. As I approached, I could see indicator lights flashing the ‘I will not be long‘ message.

What might have happened

I might have uttered a cutting remark such as: ‘Prithee kind sir, canst ye not back thy wain,so as to permit me to go on my way?‘  But as the words (or something more churlish) were forming on my lips, a cheerful tradesman approached me, with a smile upon his face.

What happened next?

‘A thousand pardons, kind sir,’ quoth he. ‘I am Mike, of the Bury Black Pudding Company. I shall soon have ye upon thy way. But first, prithee, take this gift of my wares, as a token of my sorrow for the inconvenience thou hath suffered.’

And at that, he thrust a small package into my hands.  ‘ T’will go very well with the egg and fried potatoes planned for our evening fare‘ I jested merrily.

On my return home, I found that I had indeed received the promised and tasty-looking morsel of black pudding. Its contribution to our repast will be reported in the goodness of time.

Disclaimer

This post was written in admiration for the manner in which Mike dealt with a situation which too often turns into blocked driver’s rage, a well-known clinical condition. I have not received any payment for its writing, unless you count the tasty-looking item of Black Pudding mentioned in my account above.