Local History

Church in Halesowen, 2009

Our street Islington was a road of old terraced houses. Everybody knew everybody. Doors were never locked. If you were ever in any trouble, there was always someone around help.

Looking back though, I sometimes wonder how people managed - with so many mouths to feed and very little money. Everything was bought on the 'tick'.

To try and make ends meet most of the women and some of the men went pea picking during the early summer.

The lorry would turn up in Islington and we'd all pile on and sit on upturned enamel buckets until we got to 'the field', pick all day, get back home about 4.30pm.

Halesowen canals, 2009

The peas would be our meal for the evening with perhaps, if you were lucky enough, a rasher of fried bacon as well.

Hard times indeed!

In those days, as I remember there were two highlights of the week: Tuesdays and Fridays.

My Great Grandmother Emma Parsons, a small, fresh faced woman made faggots and used to sell them to neighbours in Islington from her front room window.

Later in the '50s, after Emma passed away another woman took over. Every Tuesday and Friday there would be a line of people on her doorstep, waiting with their jugs and bowls to buy the faggots. She'd fill up your jug or bowl with as many as two shillings (about ten pence nowadays would buy).

Faggots in the oven

Now that was a treat!

I have the original recipe passed down through the generations:

Ingredients

• 2 lb of 'fry' (ask for 'lights' at the butchers - this is the offal used in faggots)
• Half loaf of stale white bread
• 2 medium onions
• 2 pinches salt
• 2 teaspoons dried sage
• Pepper to taste

Method

1. Soak the half loaf in water and squeeze out any excess.
2. Mince fry and onion together.
3. Place in a large bowl with the bread and combine.
4. Add the dried sage, salt and pepper.
5. Cut the 'kell' in to about 4 inch squares.
6. Put 1 square per faggot on the palm of hand.
7. Lay on this about 2 tablespoons of the mixture, fold to seal
8. Place each faggot folded side down and place in meat tin.
9. Cook in very low oven gas mark 2 on 130-140 centigrade for 1 ˝ - 2 hrs        
10. Add the juices from the cooked faggots to about 1 pt stock flavoured with oxo etc. and enjoy!