Whortleberry is a regional name for the Whinberry ,often mis pronounced as Wimberry.
They grow on Whins , strong shortish springy stalks .
In Shropshire it was a way of augmenting the family income.
Women and children went up the hills and picked baskets full.
A trader would be waiting for the pickers who would expect a price .sadly that often had dropped from the one promised before the women set out ,a real cheat.
The money earned bought new boots for the older children whose outgrown ones were passed down to siblings , and candles, lamp oil and new wicks, for the dark nights.
Small baskets were used as they are very tender and squash easily.
The Stiperstones Range was very rich and also for cranberries,not the Ocean Spray sort,they need water in which to grow.
A bright red berry which grew among the Whinberries on stalks with very different leaves to the Whinberry ones.They are lovely but need oodles of sugar.I used to get just enough to make a small saucer tart for my auntie who loved them.
So traders would hire girls to,pick Whinberries ,probably jam making firms .
I can remember that up to the early 1950’s.
After that Polish one’s were imported ,but often were very wet, they are tender little fruit.
Viktoria.
