From Box Blight to Tussie-Mussies through to the Salford Black Runner Bean, the Salford Angels WI members were taken on their very own time machine journey from Medieval times through to present day without leaving the comfort of St Thomas’s church or the enormous stack of homemade cakes. Members welcomed Lindsay Berry, head gardener at Ordsall Hall and listened with interest as she took us on a virtual tour of the gardens featuring the dig for victory garden, herb gardens with medieval and Tudor herbs and the late Tudor knot style gardens created at the Hall.

Lindsay started her talk on the moats and their purpose at the Hall, fresh fish and water for washing rather than a defence mechanism like we see around the castles of old. While the water has gone the Hall still features the outline of the moat and includes two wooden causeways.

Lindsay struck a note close to our own green hearts when she mentioned that the entire garden is managed through organic practices, and shared the use of Whole Milk as a defence against box blight! Today we take it for granted that we can just nip off to town or even the supermarket and pick up some new clothes, Lindsay introduced us to woad, madder and weld – plant roots grown in Medieval times and used to colour home spun wools blue, yellow and red. And so to the Tussie-Mussie, a small flower bouquet given as a gift in Medievel times, typically carried or worn around the head or bodice of ladies and still featuring prominently in our English wedding ceremonies!

So what next for our intrepid time travellers? We’ll be getting a bit dirty with a Keep Britain Tidy clean up on Gilda Brook Roundabout on Saturday 28^th March.