Being brought up by my grandmother a woman of Romany Gypsy heritage in the 60’s and 70’s surrounded me with home made remedies, a garden full of fresh fruits and veggies and a constant stream of people arriving at the house for wart removals, poultices, relaxing lavender pillows and back ache creams.  There was always a pot of soup on the go and a pot of tea made with loose leaf, essential for a tea leaf reading.  Nan was also an excellent forager and every year she prepared pots of jams, jellies and chutneys from the hedgerows.   Looking back I wish that I had written it all down and paid more attention, but I did the rebellious thing and disowned my heritage for many years.  However, things caught up with me when I became ill with stress and realized that I had to end my teaching career.  Since then I have been reclaiming my Naturopathic lifestyle and embracing my roots.