AT their December meeting members of Morchard Bishop Gardening Club were treated to a fascinating talk by Mandy Vellacott, an holistic beauty therapist.

Mandy explained that essential oils have been used for their medicinal and beauty enhancing values since ancient times. As well as being prized by the Greeks and Romans, essential oils were a core element in the Indian Ayurvedic natural healing system which blended spiritual and practical elements.

It was at first thought that 17th century French thieves broke into houses of plague victims to loot the corpses of valuables. It turned out that they were a family of spice merchants who anointed their bodies with essential oils to protect the living from the deadly bacteria.

Indeed there is a modern blend of oils called “Thieves”, a synthesis of cloves, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus and rosemary, which is reputedly effective in supporting the immune system.

After this historical analysis, Mandy explained the beneficial properties of essential oils in our modern busy lives.

Here are some uses: a drop of lemon oil in water before a morning cup of tea cleanses the digestive system, peppermint oil is a wake-up remedy which refreshes the breath and lavender oil is a natural treatment for burns and can also be used as an alternative to deodorant.

Lemon oil is particularly versatile. It can be used to flavour a gin and tonic or chicken or even as a chewing gum remover!

Samples of these oils were passed around the audience and the scents wafting around were intoxicating.

Whether it was a result of Mandy’s spirited and humorous talk or the reviving effect of the oils, members of the audience were soon emboldened to ask questions and discuss the possible benefits of these oils for themselves.

The discussion continued over a cup of coffee and a mince pie to end an intriguing evening. If you wish to try a treatment, Mandy runs a health and beauty practice in Yeoford.

Her website is: www.healthandbeautybymandy.co.uk and telephone number 07702 044 357.

Everyone was pleased that Harold Webber won the Christmas Hamper after having run the Gardening Club raffle every month since the club started.

Karin Moffett