TDF Day 6, Pots of tea, coffee and Museums

Today was a little different as I had to renew my museums friends membership at the Ruddington Framework Knitters Museum which is just outside Nottingham. The website link is here and this video explains things a lot better than I could.

As it was a quiet day in the museum, after a cup of coffee I was able to wander around the machine shop on my own and take photos.

and one of the machines so you can see the whole thing.

I also popped over the road to the village museum as it is only open two hours a week ! like many small museums, its an old school house containing artifacts rescued from various buildings.

The chip shop caught my eye, abandoned when the owner went to war in 1941 it was rediscovered in 1985. the owner had lived a recluse since returning and after his death, family members were astounded to find the cip shop still in the parlour exactly as he left it in 1941, fat still in the fryers, money in the till and his coat hanging up. The fryer, counter and all the other implements ar now in the museum.

The pharmacy cupboards etc were rescued from being destroyed when the chemist was refitted so they form an interesting corner.

The museum  is very hands on, things are passed down off the shelf to you, children have mole hunt map ( looking for the stuffed toys)

Looking through an assortment of pegs, dolly pegs, gypsy peg with the tin bindings, I found these. Anyone know why they have a hole in them?

A very small amount of spinning was done over coffee at the museum

cold fingers

 I'm sorry that this post is a little late but we have been busy moving things around so the gas men can install a new boiler which involves rerouting pipes etc and trying to destash as we go. 

So far I've reduced the contents of the airing cupboard by more than 50 percent and managed to take a car load of stuff to the tip/recycling centre. Three boxes are sat in the porch ready to go to the charity shop and I will have more to send in the next few weeks.

However, I did get to take a day out just over a week ago to visit the newly reopened Ruddington Frame knitters museum. They have acquired another building which now accommodates the new cafe and shop which also links access to the chapel exhibition space,

The main reason for visiting was to look at the current knitting exhibition and check out the refurbishment of the workers cottages.

Many of Jen's pieces are worked with metal wire which makes them 3 dimensional.

Other parts of the exhibition included knitted lives, where people had been given the opportunity to knit a square ( or not) to put on show,

Typically I forgot to take a photo of the empty card and the reason !!

A stroll round the rest of the museum reminded me of the terrible working conditions that existed, the knitting frames as so close together that you sometimes wonder how people actually got to them to work on them.

You also have the opportunity to have a go on a sock machine and explore some of the museums collections.

The workers cottages have been renovated to show the living standards of the workers and the managers office.

I took the opportunity to sign up as a friend of the museum so I can visit again and receive updates on the progress,

That's about it for now, the workmen have got all the doors open and it feels like about 5 degrees in here so I'm off to get a cup of coffee to warm my hands up xx

another day in a park

 Hi,

The weather is proper spring like this week so on Tuesday I ventured out to Ruddington on the outskirts of Nottingham. As the main attractions (museums ) weren't open I crossed the village green and headed to the country park for some fresh air.

I'm not sure whether I've already mentioned this but the places that I am visiting at the moment are all within a day rider ticket on the busses in Nottingham ie £4.20 fare.

Again, this is a park with a railway running through it. The big difference is that in non-covid times the railway still runs at weekends.

After lunching near the small lake I headed back via the local charity shop :-) I will be returning to Ruddington later in the summer once more restrictions have been lifted.

Speak soon xx

Victorian Christmas at Framework Knitters Museum

Yesterday my friend Angela and myself found ourselves back at the Framework knitters museum in Ruddington giving a spinning demonstration as part of their Victorian Christmas event. No, we didn't dress up partly because we don't have costumes but also because it seems to classify spinning as a lost art only seen at reenactment days.

We made ourselves comfy on the balcony of the old Wesleyan chapel where the collection of knitwear is housed including Queen Victoria's stockings that were recently featured on the Antiques Road Trip programme here in the UK.

The examples of Framework knitwear are quite stunning.

 

 

During the afternoon we were entertained by the Ruddington Comminity Choir ,  and the Maids of Clfton Morris dancers

 Children were entertained by Father Christmas and story telling in the old workshop, I was taken with the knitted Christmas decoration made using the sock machines.....

.........Hot Chestnuts and crumpets toasted by the fire!

As darkness fell, the lanterns were lit creating a magical place for children to come to visit Santa.

I hope you all had a good weekend x