Happy New Year!

So it’s January 1st 2018, the darkest month begins, I’m already longing for spring and today I found it, yes hooray for catkins, hazel ones I believe!

Here’s a little winter tip for you from Mrs Beeton, she suggests that,

‘At this time of year sensible females should examine their paper or muslin bags of seeds for mould, maggots and other such undesirables’

In case you’ve begun the year feeling under the weather, in 1968, The National Federation of Women’s institutes shared an Old Channel Island remedy for coughs,

Collect 20 snails from crevices in walls, half a pound moist brown sugar. Leave snails in a bowl to clean themselves. Remove and place live snails in muslin bag with the sugar. Leave to drip overnight. Bottle liquid and use a tablespoon as required.

Do you think it was meant to be swallowed or rubbed in?