Post me your Favourite Corset

Small ad seen in an old Women's Institute magazine from 1952:  "Post me your favourite garment - Corset, Brassiere, or Corselette, no matter how old fashioned you may think it is.  I will gladly send you a free estimate for copying it.  Satisfaction or money refunded."

I found this image on pinterest
though i have lost track of where it originated.

I bought the magazine from an ebay seller. 

I don't belong to the WI, but Miss Read was a very active member for much of her life, so I want to scan and greatly enlarge some items which I think may be of interest to her.    She may be losing her sight, but she is most definitely not losing her 'marbles'.   

I think she will enjoy doing a bit of 'time-travelling', she may even remember some of the events and discussions which are mentioned, though the only mention I can find of our village is that three members gave a demonstration on pastry-making and pastry fillings. 

Meanwhile, just five or six miles away, a Dr B gave a talk about his alpine adventures with Lincolnshire schoolgirls, which was probably much more fun than the talk given by Mr L on the care of the feet.   There was a  talk on electric cleaners, another on dress-making, though I think I would probably have enjoyed the talk which ex-Police Sergeant R gave on 'A Policeman must have nerves of iron', rather more.

During her reminiscences Miss Read has often made mention of the plays which were performed in the village hall and the magazine is full of advertisements for play scripts, comedies seeming to be the most abundant.     There is an item on theatrical makeup, another one about village drama and the coronation, drama reviews and, most helpfully, what to cook when funds are low.

It makes for an interesting read for me and, I hope, for Miss Read.

Wonky Vegetable Box

This is a Lidl's wonky vegetable box, bought this morning, for £1.50.   Not a wonky or mouldering vegetable in sight!   Everything is fresh, firm and wholesome.

Broccoli spears, asparagus, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, onions, a swede, clementines, satsumas and lemons.    Excellent value, wonderful quality. 



Today was beautifully mild and sunny, once the early morning frost had cleared away.  Toby found himself being taken for some extra walks, for I find it impossible to stay indoors when it is fine weather.

Just as well I made the most of it, I hear the weather is going to break at the weekend.

Wooster and Dolly were making the most of the sunshine and couldn't be bothered to do more than half open an eye.


The last time I took that  route, a few days ago,  Dolly refused to leave her stable at all, but    Wooster insisted on coming over to have a conversation and a nose rub.     


I don't know much about Dolly, but Wooster is about 30 years old.    He looks his age these days, but he had his glory days and won lots of competitions in his youth.

He is a lucky lad, getting to live his life out in peace and comfort.


Dolly, who is as round as it is possible for one little pony to be, keeps him company.


He is content with his lot.

This is what I am reading today.   Published in 1935, it is a collection of history, tradition, folk lore, flower names and herbal lore, gathered together by Members of Dorset Women's Institutes.   Not a recipe in sight!

So far I have only had a quick skim through but it looks fascinating - no recipes, perhaps, but I have just discovered a couple of pages of old remedies...violets to treat cancer, Madonna lily to treat whitlows, and Groundsel as a cure for boils.

"Here's to you and yours
The good you and yours
Done to we and ours
If it be in our powers
To do the good to you and yours
You and yours done to we and ours
We'll do it."
x

Magpies, Wombles, and Books, Books, Books

This motley collection of books are a few of the ones I have plucked from my bookshelves this week.    Most have cost just a few pence, from charity shops, book sales, etc. 

The weather lore book on the right hand side is the youngest of them, it was published in 1981 and is packed with 1900 sayings from the English countryside.    Interestingly, they have also been 'tested' and star rated as to their truth!

Following on from Sue's post about Magpies I thought it would be fun to add these sayings:

For anglers in spring it is
always unlucky to see single
magpies; but two may always be 
regarded as a favourable omen.
And the reason for this is, that in cold
and stormy weathr one magpie
alone leaves the nest in search
of food, while the other one
remains sitting with the eggs or
young ones; but when two go out
together, it is only when the 
weather is mild and warm, and
favourable for fishing.

Star rating: *


Magpies flying three or four
together and uttering harsh cries
predict windy weather.

Star rating: *



Given the particularly mild and sunny days we have enjoyed this week, the following saying is a bit worrying - especially as it is given a star rating of ****.


If there's spring in winter, and
winter in spring
The year won't be good for anything.


February is fast running away with us, but tomorrow, 24th February, is St Matthias' Day, apparently he is the patron saint of alcoholics.

Sayings for his day:                               

If it freezes on Saint Matthias' Day,
it will freeze for a month together.   

Star rating: *



Saint Matthias breaks the ice;        *
If he finds none, he will make it.    **


Saint Matthie
Sends sap up into the trees.


The Hand to Mouth book is an old Women's Institute cookery book,  originally published in 1933, my copy dates from 1944. 

The Lotions and Potions book dates from the 1960's, another Women's Institute one.    It is fascinating, full of very old recipes for creams, unguents, medicines and cures, many dating from centuries ago.

Today has been spent bread making, visiting family, and doing a little Wombling.


I decided I could no longer ignore the discarded aluminium cans, coffee cups, bottles, sweetie wrappers, chocolate wrappers, plastic bags, dog dropping bags (full), old lottery tickets, and general detritus, which was strewn along the lane.


I hitched up Toby, grabbed a rubbish bag, my litter picking stick, and set to work.     I cleared both sides of approx 500m of lane and ended up with a large bin bag full of trash.   

The vodka drinker seems to have stopped drinking though, or perhaps they have moved, for there wasn't a single alcohol bottle, whereas previously there would have been at least half a dozen, sometimes more.

A short time later, I went back up the lane to buy some eggs from one of our neighbours.   On the way home I had to pick up another can which someone had discarded since I cleared the verges.

Hey ho!

Stitching Presidents

At a recent informal gathering
an older lady, a former village schoolteacher,
 came in to the village hall
hauling an enormous shopping trolley behind her.

We knew it must contain something interesting
because it had taken a lot of effort to drag it there
and
she only lives next-door-but-one to the hall.


A large and unwieldy bundle of white sheeting was extracted
and laid gently on the tables...

...carefully unfolded
 to reveal a large pure wool tablecloth
which has been embroidered with the names of all
the past Presidents of our village branch of
the Women's Institute.

The branch was formed in 1920
 and
 was extremely well supported for many years.

That support gradually dwindled
and
in 1998 the village branch was closed.

The corners have some white embroidery motifs which really lift the piece.

It's a really excellent piece of village history
of which
the woman with the trolley (a former President, for many years)
 has been guardian
since the branch was disbanded.

She feels that as it is a piece of village/WI/village hall history,
it should be out on display,
for the village
and
not left hidden in her wardrobe.

We all agreed.
I emailed the chairman of the Village Hall Committee
and he also agreed.

It will be displayed on a wall
for all to see and enjoy.

Such a shame that there is even less support for village hall activities
than there was when the local WI was disbanded.

Even the village hall committee has diminished in numbers
 people are dropping out like flies,
and
 others are reluctant to join in.

Signs of the times.




ps  I like the fact that one of those former presidents lived in this house,
many years before we bought the place.