Around 1938 an unusual but highly successful fundraiser – a cookery book compiled by enterprising Teddington Ladies entitled 500 Recipes and Household Hints Tested and Found Good, was published and sold to help raise funds for an up-to-date Children’s Ward.
The book sold for 1 shilling, and the first edition of 4,000 copies quickly sold out.
It’s been reproduced as a modern fundraiser and is on sale in the hospital shop – make sure you pick up a copy; it is a fascinating part of our local social history.
The Preface
The book’s preface gives an excellent insight into the fundraising thinking of the time.
‘The production of this book has been a labour of love on behalf of the Children. An up-to-date Children’s Ward is a vital necessity to the Hospital in order to separate those of tender and impressionable years from the sight and sound of the unavoidable suffering of older patients.
The purchasers of this book will be helping not only the Building Fund but will be gaining something of exceptional value in their own homes.’
Check out some of the recipes of the time and some of the more unusual household hints.
Recipes and Household Hints
Here are a few of our favourite recipes and hints from 500 Recipes and Household Hints Tested and Found Good
Meats and Entrees
Make sure you look up that recipe for Boiled Calf’s Head on page 23. Yum!
Puddings and Tarts
The recipes didn’t just come from Teddington Ladies. There is a recipe on page 52 for Knowsley Pudding submitted by A Chapman Esq., Manager, The Buttery and Kitchens, Pembroke College, Cambridge.
Jams and Preserves
Even the aristocracy submitted recipes. See the recipe for Mincemeat on page 98, which came from The Countess of Ypres. (The title is now extinct).
Cocktails
Amazingly, cocktail recipes were submitted from America; see the recipes for a Martini and a Manhatten on page 110 from Miss M.A. Taylor of Pennsylvania, USA.
A very few old Recipes
There are recipes in this section dating back to 1789, for example.
Golden Balls 1868 (See page 119)
1 oz sweet almonds, 2 bitter blanched and powdered, 3 tablespoonfuls apricot jam, two ozs fine breadcrumbs, two well-whisked eggs. Mix well together, then add 1oz butter melted to the consistency of cream. Half fill some buttered cups with the mixture, and bake for 20 minutes in a gentle oven.
Household Hints
Who needs ‘Mr Sheen’ or ‘Miracle Gro’ with these household and garden hints?
Furniture Polish
When you’re not sure what to use that old cigar ash for! (See Page 120). Equal quantities of linseed oil, vinegar, methylated spirit, and white of egg (not beaten).For removing the white stains on polished furniture caused by hot plates etc rub well with slightly damp cigar ash. Cigarette ash is of no use. Mrs E.A. Baker, Teddington
Garden Hints
The Cheapest Fertiliser for the Garden (page 124)
A load of sludge can be obtained from the sewage works, by permission of the surveyor, on payment of cartage.
Cooking Hints
One final hint, which is quite helpful, is on page 125. Eggs, when hard-boiled, will be found to peel quite easily if cracked at either end instead of around the middle.
It’s a fascinating read, even if you don’t want to try all of the recipes!
You can pick up a reprinted copy of 500 Recipes and Household Hints Tested and Found Good from the hospital shop or drop us an email at info@friends-tmh.co.uk if you would like us to send you a copy.