Meet the Homeshare UK team! To celebrate the launch of Homeshare UK Merseyside and Homeshare UK North East we’ve been talking about our home comfort throwbacks; a recipe, an ornament, a piece of furniture – anything nostalgic that reminds us of a home.
Catherine – Homeshare UK Service Manager
“My home comfort throwback is battenburg cake, I remember EVERY Sunday when I was little, we would have a picnic tea, sat on a rug in the living room, watching Bullseye or Masterchef on TV (back in the day when Lloyd Grossman presented)! Battenburg always got centre spot as it was my favourite, I used to call it wallpaper cake as you could peel off the marzipan!”
Becci – Finance Officer
“Every Autumn, without fail on a Sunday we would take a walk somewhere in the New Forest to go blackberry picking. It became a bit of a tradition to go every year and every weekend whilst the blackberries were still in season. I would then go home to make jam or crumble or even scones with whatever we had foraged.
“I also have fond memories of a rocking chair that my Grandad had. I only saw him a handful of times in a year as he lived far away from us, but we would always sit in front of the Rayburn with a cuppa tea, telling each other stories every time I visited.”
John – Homeshare UK Social Franchise Manager
“When I think about home comforts from my childhood, I think about two specific things, with a close link. The first was a telephone, with a dial (remember those?) that we had in our kitchen – and it was attached to the wall. So, when I wanted to speak to a friend, I had to do so in the busiest room in our house with absolutely no privacy at all!
“The second was in the same room, and it was my Mum’s ‘chip-pan’. We didn’t have a deep-fat fryer, or anything so advanced in the 1970s and early 1980s, and my Mum would often make the most delicious chips using her chip-pan. Well, she did so until June 1985, when she managed to set fire to the kitchen! Then, she picked up the phone (still in the kitchen!) to call the Fire Brigade. I had to drag her off the phone to call from next door – by this point, the whole kitchen ceiling was coming down. Nobody was hurt, but sadly the chips were burnt, and the chip-pan was no more.”
Jo – Homeshare UK Network Support and Development Officer
“In my granny and grandads house growing up, for as long as I can remember there has been this funny shaped spoon in the sugar jar. It only ever lived in the jar and never came out. Now, my aunty lives in the same house and the same spoon remains in the jar (different jar, more modern). The rule is it’s only ever used to put sugar in drinks, never to stir. Whenever I make a cuppa in her house and see the spoon it just brings familiarity and reminds me of being little and us all being together as a family. Such a little object but so much history.”
Emily – Homeshare UK Service Coordinator North East
“My home comfort throwback is my grandparent’s sheep tea cosy! I used to spend a lot of weekends during my time at university at my grandparents’ home and there was nothing quite like that first cup of tea back at home!”
Jemma – Homeshare UK Administrator
“I was a very fussy child, so when going to my Nan’s for Sunday dinner she would cook me my own special dinner which included the most glorious home-made chips. I don’t know what she did to those potatoes, but they were magical.”
Ben – Homeshare UK Development Officer
“My home comfort throwback is my dad lighting the log burner in the winter. I’ve got very fond memories of sitting in front of the fire watching the A-Team with my brothers!”
Debs – Head of Homeshare UK
“My sisters and I all piling on a chair with dad on a Sunday evening whilst he read us Swallows and Amazons. A book I still love.
“I also remember waking up to the smell of fresh bread every morning – I was lucky enough to have a stay-at-home mum.”
Kayleigh – Homeshare UK Development and Delivery Officer – Clarion Project
My home comfort throwback is cheese on toast with ketchup on top cut into four squares followed by vanilla ice cream from one of those cardboard blocks with chocolate sauce –I had both of those without fail at my nans every Friday during every summer holiday when I was little.”
Tim – Homeshare UK Development Officer – Wales
“I remember when I was young that my bed was up against a radiator and on a cold night I used to put the soles of my feet on it to warm myself up!”
Mel – Homeshare UK Service Coordinator North West
“My home comfort throwback would be playing domino’s with my Grandma. She lived at the bottom of my road when I was a child and I’d often turn up unannounced particularly on a rainy day when I was bored. We would play domino’s, put on a pot of tea and if I was lucky, she might cut me a slice of Bara Brith. I can’t look at a box of domino’s or eat Bara brith without thinking back fondly to those days. She definitely kept me out of trouble!”
Jess – Homeshare UK Communications and Marketing Officer
“My home comfort throwback is my nan’s cherry pie (using tinned cherry pie filling!) Nearly every Saturday when growing up in the 90s I would visit her flat with my parents and we’d have a roast follow by cherry pie – ending the night with my most-requested movie – The Wizard of Oz!”
Phoebe – Head of Communications
“Mine would be my mum’s lasagne – it was so delicious with all the tomatoes and cheese – I’ve never been able to recreate it!”
Share your home comfort throwbacks with us on our Homeshare UK Merseyside and Homeshare UK North East Facebook pages!