St George’s Ladies Group

Street Pastors

On 11th February two Street Pastors, Pat and Elly, came to our Group to give us a talk. Pat and Elly are from St Simons. They start their walkabout from the Oasis Centre in Arundel Street, Portsmouth.

The job of the Street Pastors is to patrol along the area where the young people like to go to clubs in Guildhall Walk. They are in this area from Friday and Saturday evenings 9.pm to 12. Then they have a little break and carry on until 3.am in the morning.

The Street Pastors work closely with the Police. If they see a fight, they may try and intervene and take the people aside who are involved, they will talk to them, if they think the situation is going to get nasty again then they will contact the Police who will perhaps remove them and take them to the Police Station.

Some people may not need their help. Then CCTV is in operation to keep an eye on certain people and situations, eg. an elderly lady of around 80 was on a bench with two bags. It was midnight, cold and Pat tried to persuade the lady to spend the night in a warm and comfortable place. She would not do this. She seemed a well educated person. All he could do for her was get her a warm drink and move her to another bench out of the wind. CCTV was on her all night, just to make sure she was safe.

Pat and Elly wear thick heavy blue coats with “Street Pastors” on the back, blue caps and carry rucksacks in which they have bottles of water, tissues, plasters and flip flops. These are given out to young ladies who may be walking around in bare feet where there may be broken bottles and glass. So far around 300 flip flops have been given out.

The young people are so appreciative of them, that they make a point of thanking Elly or Pat the following week for the loan of the footwear.

Some people may need a “shoulder to cry on, eg. one lady was walking around on her own, her friends had left her. Her children were at home. Her mother had been murdered by her brother. Her brother was in prison, she felt she had lost two people who she loved from her family. So they talked and prayed. She started to feel much better, and got a taxi home. The Street Pastors felt they had helped her by just being there to talk and listen.

Street Pastors started in 2007. They work together in groups. Their ages range from as young as 18 to 75.

Elly has been asked “What do Street Pastors do?” She will say back to them, ‘As God looks over us, then they will look after them.’ They don’t care what colour, creed, Male or Female you are, everyone who needs help will get it.

Colman’s Mustard

Steve Harris came to give us a talk on 25th February. It was titled A bit on the Side. We were surprised that the last time Steve came to our Group was in 2005.

The talk is about “Colman’s Mustard”. As long ago as 3,000BC mustard was used in India and even the Romans used it to rub on their joints.

Mustard would grow to 6ft high and the ladies would have the job of putting it in stacks.

In 1814 Jeremiah Colman first created this brown mustard (Brassica Juncea) and white mustard (sinapis alba) at a water mill in Stoke Holy Cross. The Colman factory moved to Carrow on the outskirts of Norwich in 1850.

It was in 1855 the bull’s head logo appeared on the company’s English Mustard and was introduced as the brand’s trademark.

Young Jeremiah James Colman took over the Colman’s business following the death of his uncle Jeremiah Colman the company founder, and his father James just three years later.

Jeremiah James Colman was something of a visionary with employment ideas ahead of his time. In 1864 before any form of education was compulsory, he built and subsidised a school for his employee’s children. Also in 1864 the firm employed a nurse to help sick members of staff - a social revolution at the time.

Although the Mustard Mill was one of the first buildings to appear on the new Carrow site, the transfer of the full Colman’s business was not finally completed until 1862. As well as mustard and flour, starch initially made from wheat was also produced by J & J Colman. In the 1940’s rice was substituted for wheat, and Colman’s No 1 Patent Rice Starch became as famous as their mustard.

Striking designs on tins, enamel signs, labels and mustard pots helped to reinforce the connection of the Colman’s name with quality. The river adjacent to the Mustard Mill at Carrow provided direct trading links to both Yarmouth and London. Filled, brightly coloured tins of Colman’s Mustard would start their journey by railroad or river for their final destinations around the world.

In 1851 J J Colman took over the business. By 1865 production had transferred to a large factory at Carrow on land bought from the Norfolk Railway Company to the south of Norwich where the firm still operates today.

In 1973 Colman’s opened the Mustard Shop in Norwich to mark the 150th Anniversary of Jeremiah Colman taking his nephew James into partnership. The Colman’s part of the business was demerged in 1995 and Colman’s became part of Unilever UK Ltd.

Mustard came in all different kinds of containers like tins which would be washed out and used as a tea caddie. Jars would be used for flour, salt or sugar.

Mustard used to be used as a pulse on the neck or chest. It was often put with jam and honey as a cough medicine. It was also put inside shoes to keep your feet warm. Dry mustard was also used to remove stains from tablecloths.

Steve told us that his wife every year whilst making the Christmas pudding always puts a tablespoon of mustard into the mixture. She has always done this, her mother used to do the same.

We look forward to Steve coming next year with another interesting talk.

Priscilla Barlow

Easter and Spring Edition 2010