Domestic Science- 1960’s.

I have a very old cookery book about "Canapes and Cocktails" by golly they didn't half knock back the Gin in those days.

I also passed GCE O-level Nutrition & Cookery! There were two boys in the class but the Woodwork teacher, ‘Chopper’ would not allow any girls into his classroom.

Were you allowed to study two foreign languages as well as cookery? We weren’t. So I didn’t study cookery.

We had to choose two subjects from history, geography and cookery. I love history but the teacher was rather difficult so I chose the other two. At my brother’s school they were expected to do three languages - French, German and Latin.

I would happily have sacrificed geography given the chance!

We could only study a third language in the sixth form. Russian, or Latin if it wasn’t one of the two we had chosen at 11 (French was compulsory and the second language was chosen from Spanish, German and Latin).

I can say quite honestly that what I learned in geography lessons has been of minimal use in my life. Cookery, though, I have been unable to escape almost every day of my adult life.

When I got married in 1966 (aged 18 - no, I can't believe my gaucheness either!), my MIL gave me a second-hand Good Housekeeping Cookery Compendium with absolutely everything in it, plus pictures (ovens, saucepans, dishes, utensils - I still have no idea what some of them are). I learned to cook from that book - from eggs on toast to wedding cakes) and I still consult it even now. Proper cookery should be on every school curriculum, for boys as well as girls, and it should be offered as an add-on module in universities.

All the recipes that I have in my old collection of cookery books (dating back to 1900 ,some thirties up to the sixties )are heavy on double cream and butter .
Alcohol is used liberally too .
I don't recall anyone being fat or being even vaguely plump .
I think it's because they didn't watch hours of TV or spend hours browsing on their phones .
If you were sitting you were sewing or knitting .
They were busy ,busy ,busy .

I had a similar book as a silly teenage bride. I still have it. All the basics are covered and that was my ‘Bible’. I still use it occasionally.

Yes, all girls and boys should be taught how to cook and budget, and also taught basic finances. Everyone needs to be able to eat and know how to manage their money (unless they are billionaires I guess).

I think it all depended on what subjects the staff they employed could offer in those days.
I remember our old DS teacher coming to live in the village when I'd been married several years, and I told her how terrified I'd been of her. She laughed and replied 'not as terrified as I was of facing a class of 30 teenage girls when I'd never taught domestic science in my life'!
Her qualifications were in Art and Sewing, but the school had been let down at the start of term by the incoming DS teacher and she'd been expected to step in because she had a free period.
Poor woman.
I imagine we were only given choices of subjects that available teachers were able to offer. Not all the teachers had degrees either.

My DB bought me a Good Housekeeping cookbook when I was married. I'd had cookery lessons at school and the book helped me along with feeding a young family. Good, nourishing and inexpensive meals and not a pizza in sight.
I seem to remember dinner plates were smaller? I may be wrong.

Before we could begin cookery we had to sew an apron!

I did domestic science in the early 70s. The cookery department had a "flat". A little dining room and kitchen. We took turns to get the flat for a day. We had to plan the menu, buy and cook the food for a three course meal and invite the teacher of our choice for a meal.

We weren't allowed to do wood or metal work and had to do typing which I hated.

Yes AGA, dinner plates were definitely smaller. I still have a few old ones, not used now for a main meal.

I have an old Be-Ro recipe book which was my mums and dates back to the fifties. I have a newer version but still go back to the old one. My favourite in it is the Madeira cake but I just add some lemon essence to it. All the recipes are simple no fancy additions to anything.
I remember making my xmas cake and adding a drop or two of dolly blue to the icing to make it really white.

I think that the small recipes were the teachers not wanting to put too much expense on parents
And yes portion sizes were much smaller than they are today you have only got to look at the size of dinner plates back then
I enjoyed cookery lessons we had a fun teacher and I went on to study nutrition and dietetics

AGAA4

Before we could begin cookery we had to sew an apron!

And embroider it! 😂

I have got a mrs beeton cookery book somewhere in my loft.(F.I.L gave it to me years ago when M.I.L died.
Some very strange recipes .
I had a margaret patten book which i used when i first got married.
Always remember the domestic science classes late 60s.
I remember my very first cookery lesson.
Had to make cheese on toast and a cup of cocoa.
I was the only one to burn the toast and the saucepan of milk boiled over🫣.
I never got on with cookery lessons.
So i decided to do the Office Practice C.S.E. course.

I hated cookery lessons as we called it I was useless.

My cookery O'level was a disaster. I had to make a chicken dish. So I made a chicken salad. My ginger cake looked OK, but it didn't have any ginger in it and my fresh orange juice was steaming. I'd forgotten to make it, hurridly boiled water and mixed the orange juice and sugar and left it for the judges.

I don't think any of them tried it!

I'm glad I did domestic science at school, it was hugely transferable. Learning to make a roux for a basic white sauce, was an early lesson, and as our domestic science teacher related when demonstrating, always have a balloon whisk to hand and your sauces will be silky smooth. Once I launched myself on the domestic front, I have never been without one. wonderful advice launching a 1000 dishes, (or felt like it) in my culinary future, everything from basic macaroni cheese, lasagnes. fish pies and even a savoury soufle or two.

Our school cookery book was called Look And Cook! I remember cooking something called Baked Mince Roll - think it was suet pastry. Not tasty!

AGAA4

Before we could begin cookery we had to sew an apron!

So did we! Plus a matching Alice band with our initials embroidered on the front.

I failed O level Domestic Science. My children are not surprised.

The best cook in my O-level group failed the exam because she messed up the theory paper.

Ladyleftfieldlover

The best cook in my O-level group failed the exam because she messed up the theory paper.

I managed an E because of my excellent theory!

I could write reams about it but that was as far at it went.