A SECOND cookery book centred around the parish of Dodbrooke is being launched, with proceeds going to the refurbishment of the church hall.

The book will be launched on Friday, November 11, and will be centred around the parish of Dodbrooke, past and present. Compiled by local writer Chris Stephens, Dodbrooke Christmas Dishes is a seasonal sequel to the highly successful Dodbrooke Dishes, published in 2013, which is now out of print.

Besides a range of more than fifty festive recipes, contributed by members and friends of St Thomas’ Church, this colourful edition is filled with interesting recollections, and articles from times past in both Dodbrooke and Kingsbridge.

Also included, to complement the text, are numerous photographs supplied by parishioners and the Cookworthy Museum, and images of 19th and 20th Century Christmas cards from Chris’ personal collection.

‘It has been great fun’ said Chris ‘researching obscure newspaper articles and books, to find out details of such events as Kingsbridge Piscatorial Society’s fishing expeditions or when in the early 1900s porpoises were seen playing in the estuary .

‘There is even the suggestion by one writer in “Aloes and Myrtles”, a 19th century local guidebook containing lots of “Kingsbridge Gossip”, that some benevolent teetotaller donate a refreshing water-fountain in Church Street market place, to counteract the drinking habits of farmers and traders at the nearby King of Prussia!’

The recipe book, contains some great ideas for Christmas treats, both eatable and drinkable – try making toffee vodka for instance, or even royal game pie and Frangipane mince pies. There is even a recipe, cooked by a contributor to make sure it worked, for a 1916 trench cake, which it is said could reach the Front Line, within five days of being posted in Kingsbridge.

A local wine merchant’s wife, Mrs Hingston from the Hermitage Inn, had already sent a Dartmoor Hog’s pudding to young Charles Cleverly Paine, a Dodbrooke carpenter working in London in October 1862. This fact was reported in Crispin Paine’s collection of his great-grandfather’s diary writings which have recently been published by Meskel Press.

The recipe book will be on sale at the Dodbrooke Christmas Coffee Morning on Saturday, November 19, at the Market Hall, and at Donovans and Wordwise and Kingsbridge Country Market during the Christmas season, or from Chris Stephens on 01548 853998. All profits will go to the almost completed refurbishment of Dodbrooke Church Hall.