Story Donated By Sarah Howells

Fancy going to the sort of tea party where plates are piled high with sandwiches, crusts cut off (naturally), with a marker is stuck in to help you with your choice. Tongue anyone? Egg ‘n’ cress? Ham? Cheese & Tomato?

Naah, I’m having Fish Paste. These are china, pure class, and cost 50p for the lot, Barnardos, Harehills, ages ago.
Sarah Howells

Story Donated By Martha and Hesta

Once upon a time, many years ago, there was a Sweetie Jar on a second hand stall. Martha and Hesta both paid ONE POUND each to guess how many sweeties were in the jar.

The both of them guessed one hundred and seventy four.

And they were both right! This meant that they had to SHARE the sweeties (and the jar) and they have stayed friends ever since!

Awwwwwwwwww!
Love From Martha and Hesta

Story Donated By Jean

Jean bought a Ewbank Carpet Sweeper from the PDSA (Peoples Dispensary For Sick Animals) in Bramley. She prefers it to the hoover because its not so heavy. She does her excercises at the same time as cleaning the floor - but not the splits! She’s bought two in the past year and given one to her daughter and kept the other. She thinks her sweeper is a cracker!

Jean

Story Donated By Sarah Howells

Not a combination that immediately springs to mind when considering a snack, this Cheese Sardine Set is very prescriptive for a somewhat challenging taste sensation (in my book at least).

It is a celebration of stainless steel and teak, and, judging by the picture on the box they should have called it Sardines in Tomato Sauce and Edam Set - but if you felt rebellious I am sure you could serve something else on it. I’m sad enough to look at the box and really wish I also had that formica topped table that the set has been photographed on.

This was another 20p (!) purchase made eagerly by me, whilst the lady behind the counter of The Community Shop, Armley, tried gamely to hide her incredulity at my enthusiasm.
Sarah Howells

Story Donated By Claire Anderson

I rescued these scales from the flea market in Shipley a couple of years ago. They cost 50p and I had to buy them cos I felt sorry for them. They now live on the top of my cupboards collecting dust.. However, they came in extremely useful a few months ago cos I used them, on several occasions, to weigh my little baby.

Being a second born, I didn’t get around to attending clinic for her regular weigh-in sessions, so whenever I was curious about how much my bundle of joy was growing, I popped her into the handy baby-sized tray, and bob’s your uncle.

They’re now back on top of the cupboards collecting dust.
Claire Anderson

Story Donated By:
HRH Self Appointed Lady Mayoress Of Armley

Recently on a trip to Poverty Aid, I happened upon the rather wonderful box of delights (pictured here). For a mere £1.00 I had bought trip aboard the memory train to childhood.

For me the 70’s were a dirge of orange, taupe, and brown, occaisionally enlivened by my attempts to wreck the kitchen. The constant background chuntering of Radio One DJs (Simon Bates, Jimmy Saville, Fluff Freeman) serenaded me as I cut my culinary teeth making pastry and biscuits and other starch laden goodies. Margueritte Pattens’ box of delights reminds me of the transition we went through in our house, when ‘continental food’ replaced goblin meat pies, and we threw parties with our neighbours where exotic Chinese, Italian and Indian dishes were created in the spirit of adventure not satisfaction.

The taste rarely mattered as these delights were accompanied by demijohns of homemade wine, which doubled as paint stripper. To this day these same themes are ever powerful, cheesy music, toxic drinks, cakes and biscuits, and breaking bread with the neighbours.

I have plans for these cards; think 70’s stylee Safari Suppers! Anyone care to join us?

PS - if you zoom in on the sausage rolls to the bottom the picture credit is the Lard Information Bureau (great name for a band if ever i heard one)

HRH Self Appointed Lady Mayoress Of Armley

Story Donated By Jo Dix

A very old breadboard bought at Julia’s Junk Shop in Bingley, West Yorkshire circa 1972. Been with me through thick and thin and wholemeal. Countless lunches,toast and supper have been prepared on this venerable board. It’s probably the antithesis of a clinically clean surface but we’ve all survived. By now it must have a flavour of its very own … a combination of tomatoes, peanut butter, onions, sardines, herbs and, of course , toast.

It’s also had outings to campsites and barbecues . Yes it’s really lived and that’s only the part I know about. As to its previous life…………
Jo Dix
PS Julia’s Junk shop was a true junk shop a glory hole of Edwardian treasure at knockdown prices, sadly no more.