Wakes Week was the annual summer holiday,
each town having slightly
different dates. The word originates from medieval times, a night of
solemn prayer on the anniversary of the local church's saint. When
cotton mills arrived, the week was a convenient time to close. Many
organised events were staged, coconut shies, hoop-la, freak shows,
boxing booths, travelling zoos, snake charmers, dancing bears, waxworks,
tug-of-war and bull baiting are all recorded in the 19th century.
It was also an opportunity to 'Spring clean' the house and get new
clothes for the family.
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Ingredients
1 1/2 lb flour a pinch of salt
1 lb sugar carraway seeds
a few currants 1 teaspoon carbonate
2 tablespoons cream of ammonia
1 lb butter
Method
Beat the butter and sugar to a cream and add 1 teaspoon
carbonate of ammonia. Stir in flour and a few currants and
carraway seeds and 2 tablespoons cream. Roll out thinly and
cut in rounds. Bake in a moderate oven 360°F to a pale brown.
Note the use of carbonate of ammonia, the fore-runner to
bicarbonate of soda. The difficulty is to remove the
ammonia flavour during cooking.
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A traditional Bonfire Night cake from the north of England.
No doubt this recipe goes back much further than Guy Fawkes,
probably to the Celtic festival of 'Samhain' which was
celebrated in early November.
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THOR CAKES |
for November 5th, from Wirksworth |
Ingredients
1 lb fine oatmeal 2 teaspoons baking powder
1 lb plain flour 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 lb sugar 1 teaspoon salt
2 oz candied peel 1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 lb butter 1 lb warmed treacle
Method
Mix all the dry ingredients, rub in the butter and add
the treacle. Knead the dough a little and roll out fairly thinly.
Cut into large rounds and bake in a moderate oven 360°F until
golden.
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