Trifter

Concern about excessive drinking is nothing new.  In 19th century England there was no tax on alcohol and alcoholism was rife. The problem of men drinking away their salaries every Friday night led to growing enthusiasm for the Temperance Movement, especially among long-suffering women.

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Non-alcoholic bars aimed at providing a lively social scene without the temptations of alcoholic drink were opened across the country.  They were known as temperance bars, and soon became the focal point of many urban communities, especially in the north of England.  It was in these bars that Vimto cordial (invented in Manchester as ‘Vim Tonic’) was first sold, long before it was available in shops.

In the 1880’s, the Fitzpatrick family migrated to Lancashire from Ireland.  As a family of herbalists, they seized the opportunity to build up a chain of temperance bars across the county selling their own non-alcoholic drinks.  Today, the only surviving bar is Fitzpatrick’s Herbal Health in Rawtenstall, which was opened in 1890, and was once just one of 24 shops owned by the family.

This tiny, quirky store was run by members of the Fitzpatrick family from its opening until 1980.  Standing proud on one of the small town’s shopping streets, it is a haven for health enthusiasts, historians and foodies alike.

The store is a vintage treasure trove full of delights such as boxes of Reckitt’s Crown Blue Soap, jars of Mason’s Dog Oil, original cordial bottles and a gleaming copper boiler.  Every wall is a mass of shelves crammed with all sorts of interesting-looking and wonderfully-labelled bottles, boxes and packets.  From here, original recipe cordials with such evocative names as ‘blood tonic’, ‘sarsaparilla’ and ‘dandelion and burdock’ can still be bought and enjoyed, as well as traditional sweets like mint balls and gum drops.

The current owner’s aim is to see cordials made to the Fitzpatrick family’s original recipes return to the market for anyone to buy.  Let’s hope they are successful in reviving these wonderful traditional tonics.

For more quirky places and people, check out these articles:

• Romania’s Painted Monasteries
• Famous for all the Wrong Reasons