Saturday 16 September 2006

The Rural Museum

While Charlotte was with us we took her to see the Rural museum ,which you will be  hearing more about ,I have been invited to help out here and of course I said yes please ! What a bonus, the day we went they had a Thatching demontration going on ,it was extremely interesting ,and we learned such a lot about this ancient craft ,for instance a young man has to serve a seven year apprentice ship to become a Thatcher and then a further two years as an improver ,wow you could become a Doctor or a vet in less time ,of course in the early days of farming was all done by hand ,until some enterprising farmers bought threshing equipment and went from farm to farm ,towing their van ,to live in ,behind them .I can remember lots of haystacks used to be thatched ,too ,and there are still many houses  today with thatched roofs ,including the home of my neice Jo  and her husband Tony ,Jo as you know is Jean my sisters daughter .Apparently the oldest thatched roofed house is beneath the waters of a loch ,some where in Scotland proving how thatch can withstand the wet ! Well I hope between my words ,and the pictures I have managed to give you an insight into the old craft ,I should have posted this when we went, but we werent getting alerts at the time so I was a bit ,put out about it, so posted the entry where I was tapping my fingers, he he he !The rest of the pictures were taken as we wandered around the rural museum,and there will be more from there ,I hope you enjoy as much as we did With Love and have a good Saturday.

                 Jan xx               

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great pics, TY for sharing!
And TY for the great post card I got last evening, I love it. Makes 3 from you! WOO HOO!!!! I'll mention this latest one in my next entry & take a pic when I get a few more to include with it! :)
Hugs,
Sugar

Anonymous said...

Really enjoyed the photos. Too many lovely things to comment on  but some of those toys I remember. I adore visiting those old working museums, it's so important to keep all those old tools and the almost forgotten way of working, that's why I voted for Chadham's Yard in Restoration Village.

Linda x.

Anonymous said...

have a great weekend:)

Deb

Anonymous said...

What an interesting day out!  Great pix. Eileenx

Anonymous said...

That is certainly a great museum and reminds me a little of the one in York with the cobbled streets and old shops.  Lucky you being able to help out there.  Thank you for sharing.

http://journals.aol.co.uk/jeanno43/JeannettesJottings/

Anonymous said...

What a great day out and yes I do remember the newspaper  bit. We used The Radio Times.  Sorry forgot to say I like your new glasses in your last entry.   Love Joan.

Anonymous said...

Love the pics :o) That place looks so interesting and i love thatched roofs although i wouldn't have a house with one...If i won the lottery i would have a house built with the old red pan tiles on the roof no idea why i just always liked them   Caff xxxxx
http://journals.aol.co.uk/icklemisssexpot/Upsidesdownsidesandinbetween/

Anonymous said...

Hi Jan ,very interesting all about the thatching,and great pictures.Jo and Tony had their Ridged not long ago ,thats just the top bit ,but it still cost a lot . Chris Giddings and his mate put up the scaffolding.Pete read this posting and said she (Jan)always makes a good job of it,he noticed the wooden fishing reel(funny that!!!).........Love Jeanxx

Anonymous said...

Hi Jan a lovely interesting day out ~ and the pictures are lovely ~ the Thatchers make it look so easy ~ didn't realise it took so long to train 9 years in all ~ that is a heck of a time ~ and Lucky you being able to help out there ~ Ally

Anonymous said...

OMG! Just got ANOTHER card from you...YAHOO!!!!!
This is one with the 'R', so don't  worry, will do like I did on the other one that had a 'R', will put it in back & partially cover it with another one. ;)
TY sooo very much!
Hugs, Sugar

Anonymous said...

Hi....wow, thats along time! I love the pictures! :o)
Lisa

Anonymous said...

It's very beautiful isn't it? A lot of work goes into it, I watched a roof being thatched at Plimouth Plantation in Massachusetts. It looks like you had a great day out! The dolls pram is exactly like mine, same colour and style, but mine was a twin pram; got it for my third birthday! This entry brought back a lot of memories, thanks for showing us your piccies, glad there wasn't a queue for the loo! Jeannette xx  

Anonymous said...

I love watching the thatchers at work, there are many thatched cottages in Bucks and surrounding counties. Some of the thatchers around here make personal "logos" to sit atop the roof ridge. We have two straw cats and a pheasant adorning cottages locally. I do enjoy your entries. Thanks for a great journal.
Love Sylvia xx
http://journals.aol.co.uk/Sylviam4000/YeOldeEnglishPosy/

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing that with us, Jan, great read

Anonymous said...

hi Jan...

looks like you had a lovely day out...loved the pics...have a great weekend...best wishes!

Astra!

Anonymous said...

I used to have an old record player like the one in the pic :o)  I loved that old record player!!
Sara   x

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for the trip back in time...I enjoy things like that.  I love the traveling home...my children go camping in trailers which I'm sure were once like the traveling home.  'On Ya' -ma

Anonymous said...

That is very interesting that it takes that long to be a Thatcher. Who would have ever thought it? Paula

Anonymous said...

Jan thank you soooooo much for the post cards.  I got two of them today (Saturday).  I'm so glad you and Maurice had a good time.  Your pictures are lovely too.   Linda in Washington

Anonymous said...

i come from a family of thatchers! my grandad done it and now my uncle. my childhood was spent in the countryside watching grandad thatch and trying to help out with the preperation at his house. they were the best times ever. love Joanne

Anonymous said...

Nice pics, I love to see the farmers bales of hay all waiting to be collected in the fields, we have Rabbie Burns cottage near us and two years ago they had it re-thatched,it`s a work of art and probably longer lasting than the tiles that get blown off in the winter winds! love bella xx

Anonymous said...

Hi Jan, thanks so much for your message.  I like the new specs, which remind me that I am long overdue for a visit to Specsavers.  They are such a price, I think I will have my old frames `re-glazed'.  I shall save your entry and photos for after lunch.  Bunny

Anonymous said...

Hi Jan, that was so interesting, and my aunt lived in a thatched cottage once in Kent, she was always in awe of the 'thatchers' and what a long apprenticeship to become a thatcher,(not Mrs Thatcher) lol . I would love to have seen the demo.
Rach.xxx because I am not on broadband, now I can't always download pics. must get in touch with AOL again..

Anonymous said...

thanks for commenting!! Means alot to me and now you are on my alerts. Here in Ohio we have an enactment weekend at a state park called Fair At New Boston that somewhat resembles your pics and what was happening when you went. Its very interesting!
take care, lisa jo

Anonymous said...

Thank you for commenting on my journal and sending me your link.  I have put you on alerts and look forward to getting to know you better.
BTW...your journal is so pretty!
Pam

Anonymous said...

I find thatching to be totally intriguing.  There are still thatched roofs even now in the UK, aren't there?  I would love to have seen that demonstration.  The rural museum is interesting also.  Most definitely, I would love to visit the UK one day.  xx  Chris

Anonymous said...

That looks really interesting Jan,  I enjoy looking round museums and I would have enjoyed this one.  It must have been very hard on the men who travelled around harvesting the crops.  I suppose they have it easy by comparrison today. :o)

Sandra xxxx

Anonymous said...

wow sounds really exciting sorry havent visited for a while but had a read through tonight interesting as always xx jan xxhttp://journals.aol.co.uk/janetwilliams004/JadesJournal/


Anonymous said...

Hi Jan
interesting,Jan if you like that kind of thing pop over to Ireland there's plenty of cottages with thatched roofs over there.you can also often see men repairing these roofs..There is a place called[Ithink] Woodstown out side Waterford.where there are lovely rows of thatched roof cottages.and halfcut doors,well preserved history..lovely place with a harbour,and fishing quay.There are plenty medevial sites in     Ireland.
Take care..Kate

Anonymous said...

Hi Jan, nice entry and very interesting - thanku.
Luv Jayne x

Anonymous said...

Very interesting entry.

Krissy
http://journals.aol.com/fisherkristina/SometimesIThink

Anonymous said...

Hi I have just looked at the pictures from your visit. They are great. i loved the horse and the old chemist. All them glass bottles....adorable. Thanks for sharing. Hugs Charline xx http://journals.aol.co.uk/inkalotbear/the-fine-and-wondrous-adventures/

Anonymous said...

loved all the pictures. Looks like a lot of fun.

Anonymous said...

Prisoner cell block H ??  Hmm Im sure Im much too young to remember that...vinegar tits and all that,no no Im only 22 you know..lol <<uncrosses fingers lol have a good day hun xxzoexx
http://journals.aol.co.uk/zoepaul6968/DomesticAbuse/

Anonymous said...

OMG Jan. I never got over our outside loo and the spiders....eeek! ....... childhood nightmares lol. I love these entries you do they are so interesting and really loved the photos. thanks for sharing with us...Linda xx
http://journals.aol.co.uk/lindachapmanuk/metamorphing

Anonymous said...

Great pics and the rural museum sounds very interesting.  There are a lot of thatched roofs down this part of the country and the saddest thing is you hear about them going up in flames :(

Jen xx

Anonymous said...

This is a wonderful entry. I've never heard anyone talk about "thatching" before. You and Jeannette provide me with lots of interesting information. There is so much more history in the UK.
Thank you,
Dianna

Anonymous said...

interesting jan! that's along time!
love,natalie