Vintage Cookery Books and Pottery

 Hello Friends!

Thank you to those of you who have clicked on the Follow button lately.  The more, the merrier!  It's lovely to have you here.

Before I forget, those of you who asked about the Kitchen Sink cake I wrote about here, you might like to know that it freezes very well indeed.

On the subject of baking, I found some old, vintage cookery books and pamphlets.  Look at the first one, 2/6d {two shillings and sixpence} pre decimalisation!  I wonder if Woman's Weekly is still in print? I remember that magazine, and also Woman's Realm as regular, weekly purchases Mum made from the little newsagents on the bottom of the Cross Square in the village.

The newsagents, called Gwalia, was run by two spinster sisters, the Misses Williams, who lived above the shop.  During the Second World War, my grandmother delivered newspapers for them, and, apparently, they would swap their coffee and tea rations.  Later, the business passed into the hands of Mr and Mrs Hurley.  My mother worked there during the 1960's and 70's. 

My own memories of Gwalia are the wonderful window displays at Christmas, filled with books, annuals, quality toys and other seasonal things to tempt the village children. Standing on our tippy toes, we children would press our eager faces up to the small windows for a closer look, in excited anticipation that Father Christmas would bring us at least one lovely thing in our stockings on Christmas Eve.  

The owners, rather sensibly, ran a Christmas Club, and Mum always saved, putting in a regular, weekly amount, so come Christmas week, the house would slowly fill with sweets and treats as she spent her Club. I recall, fondly, the boxes of chocolates: Milk Tray, Dairy Milk, Black Magic, and Terry's All Gold, along with chocolate covered Brazil nuts, and Turkish Delight. A proper, old fashioned Cadbury's Selection Box for Daddy and me to share on Christmas morning, and always a book that would suddenly appear, half hidden under the tree after Christmas dinner was over. 

Since then, the premises has expanded into what was once the downstairs sitting room, and has been a number of things, including a café, a grocery shop, and it is now a tourist style gift shop occupying all the former living quarters.  In the annexe there once was a small clothes shop; it is now a tempting chocolate boutique. 

I digress, but it shows how things change over the decades.  Nothing remains the same.

Here are the books and pamphlets I found.

This one came with our very first electric cooker.  Great was the excitement, and Mum was even encouraged to join in a evening class in the local school on Cordon Bleu cooking.  We ate very well!

This tickled me, I had never heard of Brochette Cookery, and all I can hear is Hyacinth Bucket saying Brochette in her own, inimitable style.

These have some interesting recipes, and I may try some out in the future. They are fairly basic, but it might make an interesting project for the Winter months. The Hartley's Book of Interest is full of tips, puzzles and games.

Final booklet for today, How to Decorate a Cake.  This is a skill I have never mastered.  My rosettes and shells always increase exponentially in size as I go along.

What do you do with a sweet little teapot, slightly chipped and missing the lid?  Why, plant it up with a tiny piece of cactus that fell off a plant, of course.

I am slowly going through boxes of belongings which have been packed away for ages.  I live in fervent hope of finding another "Ollie the Owl" {fans of the Antiques Roadshow will know what I mean} so that I can retire, but no such luck, yet.  The treasures of my forebears may not yield much in money, but they hold the memories of life times of love.

I remember these!  Every Christmas, they would come out of Mum's box of decorating bits and bobs. There were always two Christmas cakes, as well as a Chocolate Log.  One was painstakingly decorated with patterns of perfectly and patiently drawn, delicate lines of royal icing, embellished with rosettes, shells, and swirls, all in white with silver dragees.  Nothing short of pure elegance.  Then, just for me, a small cake with a frosty, whipped snow scene of robins, snowmen, holly, a Santa with his reindeer and sleigh, and these two, tiny pottery ornaments.

Then, I found this jar, possibly a honey pot or jam pot for the breakfast table.  No markings, just "Foreign" stamped on the bottom, but a quaintly charming, bucolic scene of haymaking in delicate colours.

Finally, for today, someone at one time must have collected Toby jugs, for there are many, some quite tiny and would only hold an ounce.  They aren't my cup of tea, but here's an unusual one, and as a seamstress I suppose I feel a connection to this fun little Toby of a Tailor.  It is Made in Staffordshire, England, numbered 781 TAILOR, and is marked Roy Kirkham Pottery.  

I Googled the name and apparently the company was established in the early 1970's, producing character jugs and figurines.  What they produce today, which you can see here, is very different, and very pretty and desirable.

I love the knowing way he peers over his spectacles, don't you?  It's there whichever angle you look at.

Until next time

Stay safe, stay well

Deborah xoxo