Does anyone remember and did they ever patronise the GOLDEN STOOL in the late 60s which was situated on the former site of Modi's Convenience Store on Chiswick Lane?At that time I once had a chat with the proprietor, a charming chap from Ghana by the name of Asantahene Prempeh, who named the restaurant after the Golden Stool of Ashanti, a region of Ghana in west Africa. (The Ashanti tribe were addicted to human sacrifice, were dishearteningly unresponsive to Christian improvement, and always reluctant to cough up the financial tributes they were required to pay to the British Royal Family). He told me that the Golden Stool, which was made from solid gold with a crown of thorns on top, had fallen from Heaven and was so sacred that no-one was ever allowed to touch it with their bare hands. It became the Royal Throne, and during coronations was carried on a pillow to the new king who, fully naked, was raised and lowered over the Golden Stool. Quite often, apparently, the Queen Mother would have to advise him about his conduct. The Golden Stool is considered to be so sacred that no-one is alllowed to sit on it, so whenever I passed the restaurant I wondered whether a replica had been brought to the UK to form the centrepiece of its decor.I never dined in the place myself because the dishes described on the typed-up menu stuck to the window looked very unhealthy, but perhaps the odd Chiswickian (and thankfully there are still some very odd ones still about) can tell me what the food was like; whether the wine list was up to scratch; and whether the Golden Stool would have qualified to be counted in the Top Ten Now Defunct Restaurant list.
Roger Talbot ● 2355d