In praise of… fishmongers

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/06/in-priase-of-fishmongers

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Never mind the stiff, dead-eyed and generally unappetising creature pointing at them: the fish in David Cameron’s annual photo opportunity in Portugal bring lustre to the slimy and smelly world of politics. A fishmonger’s stall is one of the great refreshments of civilisation. It brings the unmediated wild into the middle of the city. Sometimes this can be carried too far, as the Asterix books remind us. The fishmonger’s there is the centre of every riot: no Gaulish weapon can compete with a hard-flung, well-aged fish. But a fishmonger who sells fresh produce is doing a more valuable service to the community. No other food but vegetables can be presented in such a natural state, and vegetables are less communicative. At the fishmonger’s, every gradation of sparkle and sheen, the firmness of the flesh and the brightness of their eyes all offer honest testimony to the state of what’s on sale. If only politicians were as easy to read.