Eating in the Archives

The Liverpool University Centre for Archives Studies (LUCAS) run a yearly public event showcasing archive items that relate to a particular theme. Called In the Archives, previous events have looked at Shopping in the Archives (held at Lewis’s Department store), On Holiday in the Archives and Crime in the Archives.

This year, to coincide with the Memories of Mr Seel’s Garden project, LUCAS hosted Eating in the Archives at Croxteth Hall, in part so attendees could also visit the Hall’s beautiful Victorian Walled Garden.

There was a great range of speakers who looked at local food from a variety of angles. Michelle Bastian from the University of Manchester and Transition Liverpool was up first and gave a short presentation on the background to the Mr Seel project and some of the things we’ve found so far.

We’ve been following the Scottish Council on Archives recent project called The Edible Archive with some interest and were very pleased to have Ben Bennett in Liverpool to tell us more about it. The project has been collecting heritage receipes from around Scotland, both from the range of Scottish Archives and from private individuals. They also hosted an event where there were cookery demonstrations, workshops and speakers and members of the public had the chance to try Locust Bread, Sheep’s Head Broth and the Butler’s Gingerbeer. If you want to find out more or download some of the recipe cards just go here.

While intereviewing people in Everton we found that there were lots of fond memories of the Co-op and we were amazed how many people could still recite their co-op number! Adam Shaw from the National Co-operative Archive did a bit of background research for us and gave us a lovely overview of the history of co-operative food shops in Liverpool, as well as showing us some vintage advertising and packaging.

Last but not least, Marion Hewitt from the North West Film Archive brought a selection of fascinating films, including one from the Co-operative society showing the process of making CSW Cream Crackers at the Crumpshall Biscuit Works. We also loved a film made during WWII that showed members of the land army cycling off to the countryside after work to help with the harvests. Some great graphics showing the interdependencies between the urban and the rural and a suprisingly high percentage of veg provided to Manchester from within a 50 mile radius.

Thanks to all the presenters for a wonderful afternoon and to everyone who came along. Thanks particularly to Croxteth Hall for hosting us.