The Friends of Beamish Museum.Another Weekend Away for the Friends.
(From Friends Newsletter Summer 2004)
Off We Go.
Here we go again on our Annual Pilgrimage! Up at dawn, then off to Stanley Bus Station on a morning which wasn't as cold as I was expecting, and thankfully, not raining.
The Annfield Plain/Stanley coach picked up at Durham this year instead of Chester-le Street so we had a different mix of passengers and after eyeing each other with some suspicion at first, we realised that we'd actually met them before, that they weren't too bad, and in fact we'd got on quite well in previous years. All this before 7 a.m.
The weather began to deteriorate, with rain and fog, so we settled down to find out where we were heading. It wasn't long before we pulled in for early morning Tea/Coffee, or even the Full Monty - Bacon, Eggs, Sausage, etc., etc.. then onwards down to Leicestershire to visit the Snibston Discovery Park, to be met by the Curator, Steph Mastoris, who, after welcoming us and giving an overall picture of the site, sorted us into 4 groups to be shown over different sections in rotation.
Dead Canaries and Loud Bangs.
Our first treat was to be shown around the Coal Mining area. Snibston had been an important part of the Leicestershire coalfield, and although we didn't get underground, much to the dismay of some of the ladies, we were entertained by Peter Poyser, an ex-pit deputy, who, having spotted a couple of likely lasses, proceeded to scare the life out of them with resuscitated dead canaries, loud bangs in the POWDER STORE, amputated fingers and other interesting things.
Having escaped without serious injury we were then led to the oddly named Sheepy Magna Wheelwrights shop, rebuilt like some of our own buildings at Beamish, brick by brick, but leaving in the same messy interior which had been found by them. I felt an intense desire to tidy the place up, clear the work-benches and do a bit of work, but there are two distinct views on this subject. Do you leave it as you found it? Or do you put it back to what it was when it was in use? And then use it.
The workshops were used mainly as a Wheelwrights, but they also did other carpentry, made coffins, put shoes on horses, and no doubt anything else which came along.
The Century Theatre.
Another interesting exhibit was the Century Theatre, where Nick Pell showed us round their Mobile Theatre. It was truly mobile, on wheels and towed around the area as far as Keswick, where it was known as the Blue Theatre, to be re-assembled complete with lights, changing rooms etc. This continued for many years until anno domini and transport costs forced it to return to base.
Our First Treat.
Our final treat was a short railway ride on a line that was built by Robert Stephenson (yes, our Robert) in 1833. He built the railway to transport their coal, then, with other investors, financed an enlargement of the mine which continued until 1953.
We just had time for a quick look around the exhibition area with Fashions from the 17th Century, snack bar, etc. when it became time to return to the coaches for the onward journey to the Hilton Hotel, Leicester where there was time for a shower and to change for Dinner.
Diets Are Not on the Menu.
I won't enlarge of the meals - as someone who lives mostly on (relatively) small quantities of healthy food, these weekends of ours are like being let out of school for a short holiday - make the most of them! Sadly, it was reported to me that one lady had been seen flashing her eyes at one of the young waiters, in order to get a double helping of Apple Crumble. Another confessed to liking Brussels Sprouts, even as a child. The mind boggles.
The Duxford Day.
SATURDAY WAS DUXFORD DAY. For anyone who doesn't know, Duxford, near Cambridge, is a branch of the Imperial War Museum, showing mainly aeroplanes, of which most are military aircraft used during WW2. For someone like myself, whose love affair with aeroplanes began at about twelve years of age, this was a dream come true.
They were all there - Hurricanes and Spitfires, Tiger Moths and Lancasters, Sunderland Flying Boats and my favourite, the Catalina, right through to the modern jet fighters and bombers. We even had the opportunity to go aboard a Concorde. What an aeroplane that is.
Flying Yanks that Stayed Here.
One hangar is devoted entirely to American planes ranging from the Dakota, Liberator bombers, Flying Fortresses (including Memphis Belle) and that monstrous beast, the Stratofortress. I could happily go on to mention every plane which is there, but my social secretary reminds me that there are people who do not know one plane from another (Peasants!) so I'll dream on in my own time.
Before leaving, I would like to enviously mention that one of our party, and I won't mention your name Eric, actually went for a flight in the De Havilland Dragon Rapide, the twin engined, fabric covered biplane, which I used to cycle miles to watch as it took off on the mail run to Stavanger in Norway. What a beautiful sight that was.
The Famous Colins' Raffle.
Ah, well, back to Leicester for another tuck-in, followed by Colin's annual prize-giving. The Raffle, of course. There he was, like Santa Claus with his sack of goodies, handing out gifts left, right and centre. Mind you, I was rather disappointed at not receiving the star prize, the flight in the Spitfire, which he had practically promised would have my name on it!! In fact, I don't remember anybody winning it. Perhaps I should have read the small print!
The Last Bell Maker.
Our last day saw us heading Northwards, but only as far as Loughborough, to see the John Taylor Bell Foundry. There are very few Bell Makers left in the world, and only two of these are in this country, so it was a priviledge to be able to see a rare trade like this.
Our guide, Robert Bracegirdle, gave us a run-down on the Foundry, the finishing and tuning (yes, they need careful tuning to get that mellow, resounding tone) and led us through the whole foundry, from the moulding of the metal to the packing ready for sending to wherever in the world they are required.
One was to be sent to Sri Lanka to replace the original destroyed in the unfortunate military action which is at present marring the beauty of what was once a peaceful island.
Next Stop Woolaton Where the Boots Come From.
Time was a flying, so onwards we went to the next stop, Wollaton Hall in Nottingham. Built in 1588 it has undergone many changes including occupation by the Boots (yes!) family and is now a listed building. Our arrival must have been signalled ahead as there was a tractor staffed by two stalwarts in overalls waiting to meet us and guide us, through the parkland, to park the coaches close to (where else) the Industrial Museum.
Here we were greeted by the Arkwright Society Huttingham Branch with a Welcome and Tea and Biscuits - both most appreciated. Here our paths diverged. Some to see engines in steam and others fuelled by petrol/paraffin.
Animals in the Wood.
For those of a gentler nature, there was the Natural History Museum which includes one of the largest collections of Taxidermy in the country. These animals, I should say, are constructed from wood, not the original animals.
There were also the Formal Gardens, beautifully situated on the sheltered side of the hillside, as well as a lake. There is also a Red Deer Park with a hundred resident deer, which very wisely kept out of our reach.
Finally, it was time to leave and we were played off the field by an orchestra of whistles from the Steam Ploughing Engine amid promises that they would come to visit us in Beamish next year or the year after. I hope so.
The Knitters of Nottingham.
We still weren't ready to go home. There was another, rather quaint, treat in store for us. At Ruddington, in Nottinghamshire, there is a little backwater containing the Ruddington Framework Knitters Museum. Dating from 1829, it represents an early part of the Industrial Revolution, when cottagers left their individual Framework Knitters and banded together to begin factory production.
They placed their machines in the workshops instead of at home, and built up a prosperous industry for the next 100 years. The museum staff were on duty to show us how the machines operated, knitting 'tubes' of stocking to the required length, turning them at the heel to finish them off. They even let us have a try on the machines, but they were much too complicated to be explained to the uninitiated!
The houses, including two back - to - back, were very small but still managed to house twenty six people. To get to the attic bedroom you needed to go up the stairs on hands and knees - and come down the same way. The visit ended at the restored Methodist Chapel across the street. Built in 1928 it has been restored as a resource centre for the Museum, and they make a nice cup of tea.
Harry Ramsdens Revisited.
By this time, we were not very far from Harry Ramsden's Fish and Chip Emporium, where we felt obliged to do justice to the delicious food on offer, including the bread and butter pudding. Aahhh!
What Next?
Well, that concludes the report on our 2004 Meander. As usual, the organisation was excellent, the hotels seem to get better each year, the company is good and we are all looking forward to finding out what Colin has on offer for us in 2005.
Incidentally, for those readers who have not yet been on these week-end trips, you can be assured of an interesting few days seeing parts of the country you'd very likely never come across on your own, and would be welcomed by those of us who go regularly into the unknown.
Jim Douglass