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BILL OF THE WEEK
A step back in time for this week’s bill from 11 November 1918, which can be seen as part of an exhibition at Dr Johnson’s House on Gough Square from tomorrow until 30 July. When the gathering of 31 distinguished diners – including the first Viscount Northcliffe Alfred Harmsworth, founder of the Daily Mail, the Lord Mayor of London and detective author GK Chesterton – sat down at a banquet at Dr Johnson’s house near Fleet Street, they put away 36 cocktails, six bottles of Corton Burgundy, seven bottles of Pontet-Canet claret and six bottles of Cockburn’s 1896 port, while their food included turtle soup and “the famous rumpsteak, kidney, lark and oyster pudding”. Converted into today’s money, the bill works out at about £6,750.