Buried beneath an auction ‘lot’ of assorted cutlery …
… and a pile of old road maps …
… was a bundle of old books.
I almost missed them.
Three handwritten recipe books …
… and a cookery book …
… entitled Miss Tuxford’s
Cookery for the Middle Classes.
Handwritten recipes that have been passed down …
… generation to generation …
… mother to daughter.
Tried and trusted recipes used again and again.
One book, stuffed with magazine cuttings …
… carefully glued onto the pages …
… and hastily written notes penned on scraps of paper and
envelopes ...
… stuffed loosely in the back.
Pages stained with food debris showing the firm favourites.
The oldest book is written in the most beautiful script.
A fascinating insight …
… into the housewife’s life in the early 20 century.
With no supermarket to pop to …
… or the vast array of ‘off the shelf’ cleaning materials …
… to choose from …
… the book contains, not only recipes for dinner …
… but formulas and procedures for houswifey things …
... in the kitchen ...
... and the smallest room ...
… patterns to knit garments for the little ones …
… starching collars and cuffs for hubby’s shirts …
… keeping your hats in tip top condition …
… as well as attending to the families ailments.
And for the ‘me time’ away from the daily chores …
… perfecting your handwriting …
… and keeping a note of those favourite love poems and plays.
The cookery book offers recipes that ‘’ensure …
… dainty,
wholesome and nourishing dishes’’ …
… the Delia of their time?
... perhaps not - stewed eel – yuk!
Maybe something for the newlyweds …
… as well as the adventurous …
… cucumber marmalade and carrot jam?
Really?
.. and measures in coinage – how utterly inventive!
… and very handy dandy …
… if you misplace your weights.
***
