Our final interview comes from the current manager of Baldwins, Steve Dagnell. Steve recalls growing up with the shop, working there with his father and how the business has changed over the years. A fascinating listen!
Thank you Steve and interviewer Irene Payne for this great interview. And thank you to everyone who has taken part in The Roots Oral Histories over the past year, for putting together such an amazing collection of memories and stories.
And thank you for listening!
In our penultimate interview the wonderful Cynthia Smith shares her memories of the Jamaican herbs and remedies of her childhood.
Thank you Cynthia and interviewer Michael Holland for this interview.
In this short and sweet interview Anne Critchley talks about her use of Bach flower remedies. To hear about Anne’s memories of Baldwins, click here.
Thank you to Anne and interviewer Bibi Saffina Zafar for this lovely listen.
In these two new oral histories Lorna Lucas recalls her time growing up in Jamaica and the “bush” remedies which she used there…. and later discovered again in Baldwin’s!
Bush Remedies
Discovering Baldwins
Thank you to Lorna and interviewer Andrea Sinclair for this lovely listen!
Join us on November 9th for an afternoon celebrating the work of The Roots project and those who have taken part.
Come and view beautiful artwork by students of Walworth Academy, listen to our fascinating collection of sound recordings and take away a copy of our project booklet documenting the fascinating history of G Baldwin & Co and the use of herbal remedies in Southwark’s many communities.
Saturday 9th November
12 – 4pm
The Pullens Centre*
184 Crampton Street, Walworth SE17 3AE
(On the corner of Iliffe Yard)
*Please note that disabled access is limited. Do contact us if you are a wheelchair user, have mobility difficulties or need assistance getting to or from the venue.
Hope to see you there!
We came, we watered, we weeded, we planted and sowed.
The herb and heart gardeners are growing, amongst other things, beetroot for the Pasley Park Fair on Saturday 7th September from 12-4pm.
It’s feeling a little more like spring every day now – and we’ve been back in the herb garden at Art in the Park getting ready for it, clearing the beds for planting.
Inspired by The Roots project and the herbs and plants we have been learning about, an older artists’ group at Art in The Park have created these bright and beautiful paintings.
Some really beautiful works of art everyone!
And we’ll be running some more herb gardening workshops with Art in the Park over the next few month.
Some more photos from our wonderful (if slightly damp!) trip to Chelsea Physic Gardens last year.
Some more herb gardening at Art in the Park back in September!
Have you heard of chickweed? Chickweed is a little known herb thought to have a great variety of medicinal uses. It is also an edible plant which can be used in cooking or to make teas, (in tea form it is supposedly an excellent acne wash). And with its high content of vitamin C, calcium, magnesium and potassium it is rather good for you! Chickweed is sometimes applied to the skin to relieve pain and to aid healing, and is often an ingredient of various ointments and salves. Chickweed can even be added to a hot bath to help with sores, rashes, boils and burns.
One of our volunteers gave us this recipe for Chickweek Ointment, for dry or irritated skin.
Do not use in place of advice from a doctor or trained medical practitioner. Use extra caution if pregnant – check dose and suitability before use.
Chickweed ointment
Ingredients and equipment:
* Double saucepan or basin in a saucepan of boiling water
* Shallow wide necked screw top jar
* Sieve
* Odourless vegetable oil, grape seed is best
* Handful of chickweed, which you will find growing on soil that has been cultivated.
* Beeswax. (If you don’t know a beekeeper, Baldwin’s sell this)
* A few drops of essential oil e.g. lavender (optional)
Method:
1. Remove any roots, dirt or dead leaves from the chickweed and cut into approx 2 inch lengths and place in an oven proof bowl. Press down and cover with vegetable oil. Put in oven at 150c degrees or less. Meanwhile, you can make a batch of shortbread, and by the time this is cooked, your chickweed will be ready for the next stage.
2. Place a piece of beeswax about the size of an eyeball into the top of a double saucepan, add boiling water to the bottom half of the saucepan to melt the wax. Remove from heat. Strain the oil off the chickweed. Squeeze out the last drops of oil, then throw away the chickweed. Allow the oil to cool a little, then add to the melted beeswax in the double saucepan and stir.
3. Remove the top part of the double saucepan and leave to cool and set. You want this mixture to set into a thick cream. If it is too hard, re-melt and add some more oil. If it is still runny, re-melt and add some more wax.
4. When the consistency is right, re-melt and add some drops of essential oil to make it smell nice. Lavender is good.
5. Pour the melted mixture into the jar and leave to cool.
6. This ointment is good for dry or irritated skin. I keep a jar in the kitchen to use after washing up.
7. There are no preservatives in this ointment, so you should only make up a small quantity so that you can use it.
image via science.bayercropscience.co.uk
In September we took a trip to the Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret near London Bridge, where we were given a fascinating talk on the history of herbal remedies. We were also able to explore some of the beautiful, 300 year old rooms in the old Saint Thomas Hospital where herbs and medical equipment was stored.
Thank you to the Herb Garret for a wonderful and informative afternoon!
