Be a rainbow explorer - 2022

Into the Woods: A Fairytale Christmas

Castle Howard

York, YO60 7DA

www.castlehoward.co.uk

open until January 2nd 2023

There are so many places with Christmas installations and I like to visit one or two each year if possible. Many of them continue into the New Year, so if you get the opportunity, why not treat yourself and bring a little Christmas magic into your life?

This year, I visited Castle Howard with a group of friends to see their ‘Into the Woods: A Fairytale Christmas’ spectacular. I have been at Christmas before to see traditional festive decorations through the decades and last year to ‘Narnia.’ Both were fabulous so my expectations were high. Thankfully the experience lived up to those expectations!

This year visitors enter a world of fantasy that has been inspired by the Stephen Sondhiem musical. Each room has a different fairytale theme, instantly recognisable and filled with magical decorations and details. Visitors follow a one way path through a succession of rooms where a knowledgeable guide is happy to fill in details of the stories, point out specific details that might be missed and answer any questions.

The visit starts at the Grand Staircase, atop which is a decorated tree and the Fairy Godmother, guardian of all the magic in the kingdom. We found Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) fast asleep in her bed accompanied by various cats and dogs and with rose briars creeping onto her four poster bed, Red Riding Hood getting ready to visit her grandmother, her vibrant red cape laid out ready and the alpine forest running through the corridors, where Hansel and Gretel once fled.

Later there is a room dedicated to Snow White, Rapunzel enclosed in her tower and the most incredible tree representing the witch’s house from Hansel and Gretel decorated with tasty delights to tempt them. The library has been decorated with versions of The Nutcracker, there is a giant beanstalk in the Garden Hall complete with tiny Jack clambering through the branches and a huge dolls house that is obviously home to the three bears. Other favourites include the Elves shoe workshop, the Sugar Plum Fairy and the finale of Prince Charming’s ball. There is so much to see and so many details to spot – individually labelled shoes, all very apt for their recipients, plates of food designed for each character, trails of petals, crumbs and apples laid by clever Hansel to find his way back home and a multitude of other unbelievable details. The whole experience is truly magical and will release your inner child.

Visitors can also spend time in the chapel listening to carols and here they will find a charity tree collecting funds for the Ukrainian family that are currently living on the Estate.

The gift shop is filled with quality gifts and the Christmas marquee has a selection of decorations linked to the individual rooms. They are not cheap but a little different to items found elsewhere. There is also a selection of festive fare on offer: cooked food, cakes and snacks. I can highly recommend the festive scone (including cranberries) with jam and clotted cream!

Outside there are various trees lit up plus the usual courtyard shops, café and garden centre to visit so it is easy to spend a good few hours here.

My only bugbear is the cost. It is not a cheap outing at £28.48 per adult and £14.24 for children aged 2 to 16 years. You also have to book your car into the carpark in advance and that costs another £5! I also felt that I had missed many of the tiny details during the walk as I felt slightly pressured to move through the house fairly quickly. I would have loved to have gone around a second time to really notice all the finer points, however, there is a leaflet available, describing each room and some of the things to look out for and the room hosts are exceptionally friendly.

There are of course, many other historic houses that produce their own installations and hopefully there is one near to you. If it is too late this year, then put it at the top of your list next year and at least you have time to save up for it!! I loved my visit to Castle Howard and it truly was a magical experience that reignited the child within me. You just can’t beat traditional tales at Christmas

Oakham Treasures

Oakham Farm, Portbury Lane, Portbury, Bristol, BS20 7SP

Tel: 01275 375236

www.oakhamtreasures.co.uk

Be prepared! When you enter Oakham Treasures, you are likely to spend several hours reminiscing, with a constant refrain of: ‘Oh wow, I remember that,’ or ‘Did your Gran have one of those?’ etc

Oakham Treasures is one of the largest privately owned museums of retail and farming in the UK. Opened in July 2008, it has quickly become an award winning major attraction, providing an amazing experience for those aged from 8 to 80+. Packed to the rafters with a unique collection of memorabilia from the last century, there really is something of interest for everybody.

Walking through, visitors will take a trip down memory lane as they recognise items from their own past and those of their parents and grandparents. Arising from one man’s passion for collecting memorabilia, the museum is a family run business with the owner, his wife and daughters running the Museum, café and gift shop. Keith Sherrell, the owner, is a 5th generation, West Country farmer who has spent years travelling the country, visiting auctions to look for interesting items. He is also a keen e bay follower and has been given many interesting items to display.

Visitors will find a fully stocked grocery store with original counters and weighing scales, a sweet shop with row upon row of chocolates in their original packaging, a hardware store stocking an Aladdin’s cave of bits and bobs from candlesticks to clothes lines, a haberdashery with displays of gloves, hats, sewing equipment and women’s intimate apparel from the 30s,40s and 50s, an off licence and tobacconist, a chemist and around 150 vintage tractors.

One of my favourite displays was that of the 40+ post boxes – who knew there was such a variety?

I spent several hours on my visit and probably only saw about a third of what was on offer – there is just something to view at every turn. I particularly liked the toy section and saw several I recognised from my own childhood. I found a blue soap on a rope that my sister had been given and that I had secretly coveted for years, green shield stamp books which brought back many memories of sticking the stamps into books for my mum ( a job she hated) and various chocolate bars I used to enjoy, which are no longer available.

This fascinating place stirred up so many memories and provided constant talking points. Images had to be taken of some items and sent immediately to friends and relatives with the caveat, ‘Do you remember this?’

The Museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm, with last admission at 3.30pm. No pre booking is required though it is advisable to check opening details before travelling, particularly in winter weather. It is fully accessible, has toilet facilities, free parking, a small gift shop and the Acorns café serving teas, coffee, cakes and a selection of meals and snacks.

Newish to the museum is a 5 pitch caravan site with electric hook up, fresh water stand pipe and chemical disposal point.

Entry fee is £8.00 per adult, £5 for children aged 6-16 years. Under 6s free of charge.

This place is a real treasure trove of fascinating, fun and informative items that will enchant and amaze you. Definitely worth a visit!

Ripon Cathedral is pretty special. Also known as the Cathedral church of St Peter and St Wilfrid, it contains a mix of Norman and Gothic styles and some impressive examples of Christian architecture.

The site was originally founded as a monastery by Scottish monks in the 660s but was refounded in 672 as a Benedictine Monastery by St Wilfrid who replaced the original timber church with a stone one. The Anglo-Saxon crypt from this time remains and is the oldest structure of any cathedral still in use today and a significant example of early Christian architecture in England.

The present building was built between the 13th and 16th centuries and became a cathedral for the Diocese of Ripon in 1836. The Cathedral hosts over 100,000 visitors each year. Highlights of the cathedral include the 34 misericords, wooden carvings in the quire, which are said to have inspired some of the characters found in Lewis Carroll’s 'Alice in Wonderland,' the 15th century font, the Great East Window and the colourful Rood Screen amongst other treasures. The ‘Geometric’ East window portrays the risen Christ and his apostles, created in vibrant 19th century-stained glass, beneath which is the high altar surrounded by a golden screen that was given in tribute to those lost in the First World War. It is an impressive sight.

Around the walls of the cathedral are embroidered cushions that depict the rise of Ripon and all the major events that have taken place – a project that took four years to complete.

Entry to the Minster is free, though donations are welcome. It is open from 8.30 till 6pm each day apart from a Sunday when it opens at 12. Services are held throughout the day and visitors are welcome to attend if they wish. There is a small, well -stocked gift shop and cheap parking nearby, but be warned, there are currently no toilet facilities.

Another claim to fame is that Wilfrid Owen, the renowned First World War poet, recuperated here and wrote many of his poems before returning to the front where he was ultimately killed.

The Cathedral plays host to a wide range of events and exhibitions, the current one, ‘Threads through Creation,’ there until the 20th of November. This is an incredible display of twelve textile panels, depicting the creation story from the book of Genesis and created by artist Jacqui Parkinson. One of the largest textile projects by a single artist, it is absolutely breath-taking!

Each panel focuses on a section of the story and is a glorious mix of colours, shapes and textures. The detail is incredible. Taking three years to complete and using miles of black thread and approximately eight million stitches each panel is an absolute delight. You will find a host of animals (some camouflaged like the chameleon), pictures of seeds, insects, the planets and stars, snowflakes, vegetables, sea creatures – just about everything you could imagine. It leads into images of Adam and Eve and the garden of Eden, the dangers of the snake, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the choice that was made, before finishing with a panel entitled Goodbye to Eden. Each panel is a piece of art in its own right.

Although the exhibition is only at Ripon until the 20th November, it continues to tour around cathedrals and can be found in Bath, Peterborough, St Albans, Ely, Rochester, Portsmouth and Wells during 2023 and Sheffield and Lichfield in 2024. Well worth a visit if you can.

This family-owned business is set in a former Prisoner of War camp, built on an agricultural plot in the early stages of 1942. A small contingent of army personnel were drafted from Castle Douglas, Scotland and tasked with creating a barbed wire enclosure with tents to provide a temporary camp for Italian Prisoner’s of War that had been captured by Allied Forces in North Africa. It took its name from the street on which it was built – Eden House Road.

The first residents, around 250 Italian prisoners, were escorted from Oldham and marched through Malton to the camp. Once they were settled, they began work on building a larger and more permanent camp. At its peak, the camp would be supplemented with tents and could house 1200 prisoners.

In the summer of 1944, the Italian prisoners left and German Prisoners of War moved in after the successful Allied invasion of Normandy. They were to remain there until 1948, working locally in agriculture. Three years after the war ended, the last prisoners were released.

In 1985 the site had fallen into disrepair. Apart from being used briefly as a camp for displaced persons and as an agricultural holiday camp, it had been neglected. It was bought by Stan Johnson and was destined for demolition when three former Italian inmates came to visit the site where they had been kept prisoner. On seeing their reaction, Stan had the idea of opening a museum to remember the site’s heritage.

The site now has around 33 huts, each of which covers a different aspect of war including: the prisoner’s lives, Bomber Command and Escape Lines, the Home Front, a street of 1940s shops, Bevin Boys, Civil Defence and post-world war conflicts. Displays are immersive and cover both social and military history and are crammed full of artefacts and information boards. There is no way you can read everything in just one visit, there is just too much! There is also a prefab with Dig for Victory garden, workshops, a garage, music hall and a range of air raid shelters. Visitors are bombarded with the sights, sounds and smells of wartime Britain at every turn.

It is a fascinating place with something to offer for all ages. I’ve been several times and still don’t think I have seen everything that is there! Visitors are given a map and it is a good idea to mark off which huts you have visited or which you have a particular interest in, especially if you are short of time.

Special events and re enactments take place throughout the year adding an extra dimension. There is a huge play area/Junior assault course and WinStan’s Bunker Café which offers a small selection of snacks and sweet treats. Parking is plentiful and free and dogs are welcome in most areas.

Be prepared with warm clothing as it can be quite chilly and take note of the information boards on the outside of each hut as they warn you of potentially frightening settings, photographs and information, such as walking through a street in the black out, smelling smoke from a housefire or seeing images of prisoners of war.

I can highly recommend a visit to this museum as I don’t think I will ever tire of going. Each time I go I find something new that I have not previously discovered and I can revisit certain areas time and time again. (The prefab house is a particular favourite of mine along with the shop fronts and their enticing displays.)

Adult prices are around £15, with children 5-16 £12. It is cheaper to buy online and season passes are also available if you live locally.

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The D Day Centre & WW2 Museum

Admiralty Buildings, Castletown, Portland, DT5 1BD

www.ddaycentre.com

I am returning to Dorset for this entry and a delightfully different museum that we found. Set in the Admiralty Buildings is the D Day Museum; a rather small and haphazard type of place but very atmospheric. What is unusual about this Museum and its USP (unique selling point) is that it prides itself on being hands on. Not the usual hands on where there are a few interactive displays but almost FULLY hands on, so it is a brilliant place for inquisitive kids and big kids too. I loved it!

Visitors are actively encouraged to handle a variety of weapons, attempt to lift basic equipment, clamber into vehicles and dress up in authentic WW2 uniforms. It is very much 'History you can handle.' Having realised that it was hands on, I was totally involved climbing into every vehicle I could, trying out all the weapons, turning the handle to set the air raid siren off and sending Morse code signals with a signalling lamp. I was in my element.

The D Day museum features a large and impressive collection of original artefacts, weapons and vehicles including a full size replica Spitfire and a restored Sherman tank outside. It is set up to relive the D Day experience and the importance of this busy wartime dockyard where thousands of American troops from the 5th US Corps and the US 1st infantry embarked. They were bound for the heavily defended beaches of Nazi occupied France, and many would not return.

The staff are dressed in military costume and are very helpful and knowledgeable. Many of them are volunteers. They actively encourage you to try things out and have a wealth of information that they are only too happy to share with you. It truly is a fully immersive experience.

The Museum is open 7 days a week and costs £8.50 for adults, £6.50 for 12-17 year olds and £5.50 for under 12s. Be warned that it closes early at 3.30pm which catches people out. Opening hours are currently 10.30 till 3.30pm and there is no need to pre book. All visitors are asked to sign a disclaimer on entry to the museum.

There is no café but refreshments can be bought at the café directly opposite where a 10% discount is given. parking is free by the nearby Portland Castle just a short walk away.

One interesting and poignant activity was missed by many. At the entry desk is a box with small bits of paper in it. On each is the name of someone who passed through Portland Docks on their way to the D Day landings. Visitors are invited to select one and on leaving the museum to check the memorial boards outside. Here they will find the fate of the name they have selected. It brings it home how many did not return or returned badly damaged both physically or mentally. There is also a frame with two fake arms in it – one unblemished, the other badly damaged – these were used in the film Saving Private Ryan – a pre battle arm and a post battle arm. Something quirky but interesting for odd people like me!

It is a tiny, noisy, chaotic little place but very much worth a visit.

The abandoned village of Tyneham

Dorset

Known as a ‘lost village’ or ‘ghost village’, Tyneham can be found in South Dorset, near to Lulworth. Once a simple rural community whose residents relied on farming and fishing, Tyneham was to take on a new identity during the war and the community there was to change forever.

It is a tiny village, well hidden from main routes and found by following a series of narrow roads through the countryside. Here you will find a number of ruined buildings, mostly fenced off, a telephone box, church, farm and school. On a recent visit to Dorset, this was top of my to do list – I’d heard of the abandoned village of Tyneham and read a fictional story based on the village and its history entitled 'The Forgotten Village' by Lorna Cook, and I desperately wanted to go there for myself.

In the build up to Christmas 1943, the 252 residents of Tyneham Village were told that they needed to do their bit for the war effort. Their beautiful and peaceful village was needed for military training to prepare the Allied troops for the D Day landings. It was a perfect location – in the middle of nowhere and ideal for training troops to use the latest equipment and to practice with live rounds of ammunition. The residents were assured by the then Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, that it was a temporary measure and they would be allowed to return on the cessation of hostilities. They had just 28 days to pack up and leave. It was a particularly harsh winter which made moving even more difficult. Some went to live with relatives, some took on temporary accommodation assuming that the war would be over fairly soon and most were recompensed only with the value of the vegetables in their gardens as they were tenants of the Bond family. Farmers were forced to sell their livestock and equipment, most of which was sold at low prices for a quick sale.

As the residents gradually left, Evelyn Bond, the last resident to leave, pinned a note to the church door:

Please treat the church and houses with care. We have given up our homes, where many of us have lived for generations, to help win the war and keep men free. We shall return one day and thank you for treating the village kindly.

Sadly, this didn’t happen and the residents never returned to their former homes. In 1948, the village and surrounding land was compulsorily purchased and entry to the village continued to be forbidden. The Cold War was looming and priority was given to defence needs. Some of the villagers never recovered from the loss of their homes. Those who had lived there for many years and knew of no other home, felt lost. They pined for their homes and died without ever stepping foot in the village again. They lost the will to live.

It was to take many years of fighting, petitioning and raising awareness before the MOD relented and allowed access once more, allowing those villagers still alive to revisit their former homes or what was left of them. The site is still used for training manoeuvres but the village is open to the public after hours, weekends and public holidays.

It is a fascinating place to visit. Entry to the village is free, there is plenty of car parking space (honesty box suggestion of £2), there are portaloos available and sometimes a small van selling drinks and home-made cakes, very welcome on the hot day that we visited.

As you enter the village you find a small row of ruined houses, known as Post Office Row - the windows propped up with wooden frames. Little remain of them but there are still signs of fire places, air vents and doorways. Each of the cottages has a noticeboard with photographs and information on the former residents such as the school teacher, the shepherd and the post mistress. Outside No 3, the Post Office, is a reconstructed telephone box – a 1929 K1 Mark 236. It was installed in 1929. Previously the only telephone in the village had been in the kitchen of the Post Office and was used for telegrams only. It has been kitted out with authentic fittings and wartime notices to look as it would have done when the village was abandoned. This is not the original telephone box, but a replica. The original was knocked down in 1983 during the filming of ‘Comrades’, the village being used as a set for Tolpuddle.

The other buildings are generally surrounded by wire to prevent entry as they are too unsafe and the large house belonging to the Bond family has disappeared completely. My favourite building was the school which has been restored as if it is a normal school day. The children’s names are by their pegs, there is a nature table and their exercise books remain open on the desks, each beautifully written with pen and ink and marked by their teachers. Posters on the wall and writing on the blackboard show that the curriculum was based on Reading, writing, arithmetic and nature studies. Old photographs show the children in years gone by and it is just as if the children and their teacher have stepped outside.

The church, once holding 2 services each Sunday, has also been restored and is a beautiful place filled with information on the community that once lived there. Nearby are the remains of the Laundry Cottages and there is evidence still of the large pit where the huge copper pot used to do the laundry once stood, with an open fire beneath it.

Tyneham Farm has also been restored in recent years and now houses a stage as the barn was once used as a theatre. The children from ‘the big house’ would put on shows to raise money. There is also an installation entitled ‘The Scrappy Wall’ which has a mixture of military equipment and rusting farm machinery to inspect.

It is hard to imagine what it must have been like to be ordered to leave your home in such a short space of time and to be then told that you could never return, but walking around the ruins helps you to imagine what life might have been like in this quiet part of Dorset.

I loved my visit here and could have stayed longer had I had the time. There are signposted walks to the beach and to the picnic spot used by the residents and so much information to be learned from the noticeboards. It is well worth a visit if you are in the area and the book mentioned above is highly recommended too. It is a fictional story but gives an insight into the community and what they might have experienced. 

Eyam Village

The Peak District

www.eyamvillage.org.uk

I’ve been to the beautiful village of Eyam twice now. Once several years years ago after my children had been read a story about the plague in school and once during the pandemic. It was the latter visit that left me amazed at how many comparisons could be made between what happened to Eyam in 1665/1666 and to what happened to us in 2020 with the outbreak of Covid 19.

Known as the Plague Village, the actions of the villagers, led by their vicar the Reverent Mompesson, were to see them become one of the most significant villages in England. Their selfless actions had far reaching and important consequences for the development of the treatment for those with the Plague.

A parcel of cloth sent to the village tailor in 1665, is blamed for the Plague reaching Eyam. The tailor’s assistant opened the parcel to find that it was infested with rat fleas. Within days, he was dead.

It is a fascinating village, pretty, easy to wander around and with details of the Plague on plaques in the gardens of many of the cottages and buildings. During the outbreak, the Reverend Mompesson decided drastic action needed to be taken to stop the Plague spreading to nearby villages. He decided that the village needed to cut themselves off from the communities around them, thus isolating themselves to contain the disease. No one was allowed to enter or leave the village. As they were not self-sufficient, other communities took it upon themselves to leave food and provisions at designated points on the boundaries. In exchange, coins were left soaking in vinegar in special Plague stones – large boulders with holes drilled into them. Although they had little medical knowledge, it was believed that vinegar would have qualities to stop the disease spreading.

The Reverend also took other measures, some very similar to what happened during the pandemic. Churches were locked to prevent parishioners crowding into the pews and open-air services were held instead, and people were buried quickly and as close as possible to where they died rather than in the village cemetery. These lessons influenced future medical decisions. Enforced quarantine, the need for the sterilisation of equipment, the wearing of medical clothing and the quick disposal of bodies in future generations all led to the lessening of the spread of disease.

The villagers’ actions were one of extraordinary self-sacrifice. Over 260 villagers died, more than double the mortality rate suffered in London! There were some villagers though that were felt to be genetically unique and naturally immune to the disease, and dependents of this line still live in the village.

There is plenty to see while you are in Eyam. Walking around the village and reading the plaques and gravestones is sobering but fascinating. The Plague Cottages have large boards with details of their occupants and the date of their deaths. The Riley Graves are particularly poignant. These graves are ringed by a low stone wall and state the details of the Hancock family. Mrs Hancock tragically buried her husband and 6 children within 8 days of each other. I find this both incredible and heart breaking. There is also Mompesson’s Well, one of the boundary markers and source of water for the villagers and a 1km walk which takes you out to a boundary stone and views of the other communities below.

The Museum tells the Plague story and details of the earlier development of the village. It was shut through the pandemic but is now open Tuesday to Sundays between April and October. Admission is £4 for adults and £3 for children and students. It is interesting, detailed and shows just how incredible the villagers were in their mission to stop the Bubonic Plague spreading further – a true example of extraordinary self-sacrifice.

There is little roadside parking but two largish carparks are available. The one opposite the museum in Hawkhill Road is free. The lower car park has access to public toilets. There are also a number of artisan and unusual shops, refreshments, ice-creams etc for sale.

For those interested in history this is a remarkable village and well worth a visit. As we walked around during the pandemic with people wearing masks, using hand gels and keeping their distance, we couldn’t help but make comparisons and realise that all the actions we were taking or instructed to do by our government were not new but had first been used back in the 17th century. It is incredible to think how surprisingly well informed and educated they were then and how instinctively they had a good idea of how to stop the spreading disease.

I am sure you will find a visit fascinating, thought provoking, sad and yet also joyous.

Oakworth Station and Haworth

Vale Terrace, Oakworth, Keighley, Yorkshire. BD22 0DY

https://kwvr.co.uk/visiting-the-kwvr/stations/oakworth-station/

How many of you remember the iconic scene where Bobby rips up her red flannel petticoat to warn the engine driver of the danger of a landslide? Or her standing on the station, swirled in smoke from the engine and watching her beloved daddy suddenly emerge? I’m talking about that wonderful childhood favourite film ‘The Railway Children.’ Made in 1970, it has stood the test of time and still delights children to this day. This week, the sequel hits our cinema screens and I can’t wait to be transported back in time to those wonderfully long hot days, sweeping meadows and the sound of steam engines. A time when people helped each other out, children had more freedom and the sunny weather seemed endless!

I’ve watched the film many times and love visiting Oakworth station in Keighley, Yorkshire which plays such a prominent part in the film. This small station was axed during the Beeching cuts in the sixties but was resurrected by the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. To help boost the popularity of the station and help it survive, the Director Lionel Jeffries, retained the Oakworth name in the film so that it was easily recognised.

Visitors are welcome at this beautifully maintained station and can wander along the platform free of charge. There is the Edwardian booking office and waiting room with its open fire, period advertisements, gaslights, luggage piled high and beautiful flower tubs to view. There is also the thrill of waiting on the platform as a steam engine comes slowly into view. The smell of the coke, the swirling steam and the sound of the whistle are incredibly evocative, transporting you back to a very different era.

For avid fans, there is also a Railway Children walk, a 6-mile circular walk which starts and ends at the Haworth Station car park. A leaflet is available to purchase for a couple of pounds at the station, which guides you around many of the sites used in the film – Mr Perk’s Cottage, the tunnel used in the paperchase scene, the level crossing gates and nearby Haworth. Here you can walk up the iconic hill and visit the Bronte parsonage which was the setting for the Doctor’s house. The route is marked by special Railway children signs.

It is a beautiful area with gorgeous countryside, magnificent views and delightful independent and unusual shops in Haworth to explore. A tea room has been set up for 2022 in the former goods shed and guided tours are available to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the important details.

The area has level access, a free carpark and toilets available. On a sunny afternoon, what could be better than indulging in a time gone by, reliving childhood memories and delighting in a ride on a beautiful steam train?

Other stations on the KWVR line are also worth a visit and have been used in many TV and film productions including Peaky Blinders, The Great Train Robbery, Yanks, Swallows and Amazons and the new series of All Creatures Great and Small.

The Devil’s Porridge Museum

Stanfield, Annan Road, Eastriggs, Dumfries and Galloway DG12 6TF

Tel 01461 700021

info@devilsporridge.org.uk

www.devilsporridge.org.uk

I’m heading up to the Scottish Borders for my exploring this week and a fascinating museum that I heard of many years ago but had not been able to visit. On a trip to Carlisle to visit my parents, we decided to cross the border and spend a few hours at this site to discover what exactly Devil’s porridge is!

In May 1915, 'The Times' newspaper ran a report on the significant lack of ammunition for British Soldiers in France. The Government readily agreed that something needed to be done quickly to resolve the issue and to support our troops on the Front. After becoming Minister of Munitions, Lloyd George embarked on what was to be his greatest project: to create the largest munitions factory in the world. He chose to set it up on the quiet Anglo-Scottish border.

The 9-mile site stretched from Longtown in England to Dornock in Scotland. Over 10,000 navvies, most of them Irish, were drafted in to begin construction in the autumn of 1915. They worked tirelessly to get the factory ready to meet the increasing needs of troops on the Western front and by April 1916, the production of munitions had begun. A huge recruitment of chemists, engineers and explosive experts took place to manage the production of RDB cordite, a highly volatile explosive that became known as the Devil’s Porridge.

Almost 12,00 mostly young females, some barely 15 years of age, from across Britain were drafted in to manage the process: from mixing the highly dangerous porridge paste, to producing the finished cordite propellant that was destined for the shell filling factories. Despite the health risks involved, many were lured by the good living conditions and the wage involved. It was an opportunity for them to escape home, the drudgery of service life and to do their bit for the war effort. The phrase, Devil’s Porridge, was coined by Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle following a visit he made as a war correspondent.

The story of those incredible women, the creation of the porridge mix and full details of the greatest munitions factory of WW1 are told at this 5 star rated museum, one of the top things to do in a visit to Dumfries and Galloway. A collection of artefacts, information panels, film and audio clips, photographs and oral stories bring the fascinating history of the explosive and the people who created it, to life. The museum includes a mock up of a wartime kitchen, a Victory garden and an Andersen shelter, dressing up clothes and many fascinating facts to discover along the way such as, girls were forbidden to have metal buttons on their work uniform because if they fell into the mixture they would cause an explosion! Any discovered, were immediately cut off and the culprit fined.

The museum is fully accessible and has plenty of seats to rest on as you work your way around. There is a café serving light treats and a small shop with some interesting reproductions and facsimiles. Entrance is currently around £7 per adult.

The Devil’s Porridge Museum is open Monday to Saturday from 10am – 5pm and Sundays 10am – 4pm.

Definitely worth a look if you are heading up North!

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Breezy Knees Gardens

Common Lane, Warthill, York. YO19 5XS

www.breezyknees.co.uk

01904 488800

These were new gardens for me. I hadn’t heard of them before, but the name definitely intrigued me! It wasn’t the best day to go and visit weatherwise – despite being the middle of June, it was cold, cloudy and threatening rain but none of this dampened our enthusiasm when we arrived at Breezy Knees, described by Monty Don as ‘a beautiful modern garden created on the grandest possible scale.’

It is one of the largest gardens in the North of England, consisting of over 20 acres. Planting began in 1999 with a framework of trees, hedges and shrubs. In 2006, when these were starting to become established and provide some shelter, work began to create the borders and different gardens, work that continues to the present day.

With more than 7.000 varieties of flowers, shrubs and trees, the carefully thought-out gardens ensure that there is always something to see whether you visit in May or the end of September when the gardens close. These include the Lake and Shade Garden in May, the Rock and June Gardens which were in full bloom when we visited, the mid-summer meadow, the Cottage Garden and the Rose Garden, each one offering something different. In August, the main borders are a beautiful colourful sight and then come September, the summer draws to a close with the September garden full of late season blooming flowers and grasses. There is the White Rose Fountain which is on show every few minutes and a number of interesting and fun sculptures to discover.

The name Breezy Knees derives from when the land was arable farmland and the only trees existing at the time were a line of oaks. There were no hedges so the area was very exposed and obviously rather chilly, particularly in the depths of winter.

Amazingly there is just a small team looking after the gardens and the nursery and they do not water the plants! The gardens use bark on all their flower beds which helps to retain the moisture in the sandy soil and also reduces the time needed for weeding – a tip I am going to try out in my own garden.

Also on site are toilet facilities, a small but very well run café with an excellent selection of light lunches and cakes on offer and a nursery where you can buy a wide variety of perennials. Prices are based on the pot size and are clearly marked at the entrance to the nursery and around the plant stands.

Breezy Knees pride themselves on adding new features every year and improving their existing ones, so it is definitely a place to return to. There are benches throughout the gardens to rest, relax and enjoy the view and most of the gardens and nursery are accessible for wheelchairs (the May Blossom Walk and the Cottage Garden are not.)

It is currently open Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays from May 1st to September 30th, 10.30am to 5.00 pm, last entry at 3.30pm and costs £9 per adult and £4 for children aged 3-15. Dogs and picnics are not allowed in the gardens.

It is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area, the flowers are exceptional, the peace and calm immeasurable!

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The Black Country Living Museum

Tipton Road, Dudley, DY1 4SQ

www.bclm.com

I’ve travelled further afield this time around to the fabulous Black Country Living Museum. If you love social history this is the place for you. It is along the same lines as Beamish and Blists Hill and is an open air museum consisting of rebuilt historic buildings. Set in the centre of the Black Country, 10 miles west of Birmingham, it is built on 26 acres of former industrial land. There is evidence of a former railway goods yard, disused lime kilns, a canal arm and former coal pits.

The Black Country claims to be the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution and is famous for its midsteel based products. These include the anchor and anchor chain for the Titanic! We watched a demonstration of chain making, a home based industry often carried out by women and children at the Blacksmith’s and found it fascinating and informative.

Opened in 1978, the museum has over 50 buildings from the Black Country region including shops, houses, pubs, public buildings, a coal pit, a canal, cinema and even a 1930s travelling fairground. We travelled there in winter so it was fairly quiet and some areas were closed due to relocation works, but this did not detract from our enjoyment and there were still plenty of things to explore and investigate. Electric trams and trolley buses pick people up at the start of the museum and transport them around the town, and there are various characters in period dress wandering through the town, serving in shops and eager to pass on their knowledge should you have any questions.

There are many interesting artefacts in the shops and houses, some bringing back memories from our own history! Children can sit in on a lesson in the old school room, try out skipping, metal hoops and other childhood games in one of the streets or visit the old cinema. I was amazed when I sat watching a silent movie and heard modern day children laughing hilariously at the antics on screen – no computer wizardry, no special effects, just old-fashioned slapstick humour of children dressed in funny outfits messing around in a hospital.

Knaresborough Town Windows Trail

www.visitharrogate.co.uk

www.renaissanceknaresborough.co.uk

Trail maps are available from the Tourist Information Centre located in the Courthouse Museum building, within the castle yard, close to the 12th century castle ruins.

I have travelled slightly further this time to a gem of a museum within walking distance of Lincoln Cathedral and Castle. Despite living in Lincoln for three years I had never visited this particular museum and wasn’t sure what to expect. In reality, the visit far exceeded my expectations!

The Museum is housed in Victorian barracks built for the Royal North Lincoln Militia in 1857. It is now a grade 2 listed building and a fabulous example of Victorian military architecture. The barracks were mainly used for disciplinary training, administration and recruitment. It is now a museum of social history that celebrates the culture of Lincolnshire and its people from 1750 to the present day, run by a friendly group of volunteers.

The museum houses nearly 250,000 objects including an authentic WW1 tank named Daphne. There is an intensive collection of early farm machinery, bicycles, steam powered engines and machines built by local companies in the transport gallery, galleries dedicated to the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment and a WW1 trench display. Particularly poignant is the story of the 8 brothers from the Beechey family who all served in WW1. Only 3 were to return. Letters sent to their mother are included in the display. Their mother was honoured by King George V and Queen Mary in 1918 for her great sacrifice to which she replied: ‘It was no sacrifice, Ma’am. I did not give them willingly.’

My favourite area was around the courtyard: the domestic wing has recreations of different rooms from the Edwardian and Victorian eras, crammed with artefacts and incredible detail, including a picture of Lincoln cathedral hanging in the parlour believed to have been made from human hair! The commercial wing is equally engrossing with a number of businesses including the chemist, a printer and a corner shop. There is also a schoolroom c1890 with it separate entrances for boys and girls and uncomfortable wooden benches for the children to perch on.

In the courtyard itself is the History Hunters playground which looked great and there is always a children’s trail of some kind throughout the museum. On our visit there were cats to find in every room which kept me occupied too as some were not easy to spot!

The museum is free to enter but is grateful for any donations, there is parking nearby, toilets, a small gift shop and a café.

From the outside, I hadn’t expected that much but was pleasantly surprised to while away a couple of hours totally engrossed. In the end, the only reason we had to leave was that we hadn’t allowed enough time on our carpark ticket so I suspect we will be returning on our next trip to the area. With its well laid out and informative displays, friendly staff and fascinating history, the Museum of Lincolnshire Life is guaranteed to provide something for everyone.

Murton Farm Park

Murton Park, York, North Yorkshire, YO195UF

www.murtonpark.co.uk

We have visited Murton farm park several times and yet always find something new to discover and explore!

Situated on a site approximately 14 acres, this delightful museum opened to the public in 1982 as the Yorkshire Museum of Farming. It collects, documents, displays, researches and preserves material relating to Yorkshire farming from the very beginnings of agricultural development to the mid twentieth century and is the only museum in the area dedicated to farming. There are indoor and outdoor displays which show how farming has changed over the centuries, a gallery dedicated to the Women’s Land Army during the Second World War and a large collection of artefacts, vintage tractors and domestic items.

But Murton Park is so much more! There is a prehistoric Village – not open to the public (it is used for school visits) but can be seen across a fence and a Viking Village which allows you to travel back in time and see what life was like as a Viking. The village plays host to various re-enactment societies throughout the year who are happy to share their experiences and demonstrate crafts, skills and past times from their era whether they be Vikings, Napoleonic infantrymen, soldiers from the two world wars or even cowboys. This weekend we were stopped at the fort by Napoleonic soldiers demanding to know our intentions, saw WW1 soldiers having a briefing meeting and discussed chain mail and weaponry with two Vikings! (Chain mail is incredibly heavy!). The centre is open to school visits during term time providing authentic experience days where children learn through role play. The fort provides the perfect outdoor classroom to cater for large groups but is open to the public at other times.

There is a fabulous play park, air raid shelters, a nature trail and animal pens to keep the children occupied, a café for adults with light lunches on offer, a bee keeping hut and on some weekends the Derwent Valley Light Railway runs an engine on a half mile track. This is run and maintained entirely by volunteers and is open most Sundays from now until the end of September with Christmas specials on offer too.

Throughout the year there are special events to celebrate major holidays, a vintage car rally and the Christmas spectacular when the Viking village is transformed into Santa’s village and workshops – a truly magical and fun experience for any age.

Admission is £14 per adult, £12 for children or £38 for a family of 2 adults plus 2 children, but if you ask at reception, this can be turned into a year long ticket so that you can revisit at any time within twelve months at no extra cost. The Museum is open 10 till 4.30 and free car parking is available.

Murton Park is well worth a visit if you are in the area, whatever time of year.

Short notice of this delightful walk as I have only just discovered it and the daffodil season is only March and April! However, the walk itself is available all year round.

This is a 3 1/2 mile walk along the River Dove from Low Mill to Church Houses. There is a very clear path to follow so maps are not necessary although one is available at the car park to view and a leaflet can be bought for £1 from the National Park’s mobile information point there. Mostly on the level, it is an easy walk there and back with the option to return through the fields where you will be rewarded with glorious views of the valley. There are a number of gates to pass through but no stiles. The alternative return route does have an incline, but not too arduous, and it is worth it for the sweeping views.

Dotted along the riverbank and amongst the trees are the glorious wild Farndale daffodils - described as ‘one of nature’s most spectacular shows.’ It is said that the medieval monks from Rievaulx Abbey may have planted the first bulbs but the wild daffodils (much smaller than the usual ones we see in our gardens) grow naturally in Farndale and other parts of the National Park. They particularly like damp meadows, river banks and open woodlands which provide the perfect conditions for them to grow in all their splendour.

The daffodils spread each year by seeds falling on the ground or by bulbs being carried by the river. It is a beautiful and peaceful place, helping you to feel at one with nature. On the day we went with the sun beating down, my friend and I, were reminded of the Wordsworth daffodil poem. We think that Farndale certainly matched it!

The walk can get busy, with an estimated 40,000 people visiting during the 2-month daffodil period!

The roads to Farndale are narrow and it is a working community so be prepared to meet tractors on route. There is a well sign posted carpark with toilet facilities and an honesty box payment, so take some change with you. There are also facilities and refreshments in Low Mill, High Mill and Church Houses.

The daffodil meadows are privately owned and on working farms. Visitors are asked to be considerate by sticking to the paths to avoid damaging the daffodils and to not pick them so that they remain for future generations to enjoy.

The little church, just slightly off the track at church Houses is also worth a look and is open for a moment of calm and reflection.

How do you know if it will be a good year for the daffodils? A cold winter, followed by a warm spring and little rainfall should ensure you have a good showing!

It was a miserable day when we visited Leeds: grey, gloomy and wet but this little museum really lifted our spirits. Situated on the road opposite Kirkstall Abbey, it is very like the Tardis – it looks tiny from the outside. We imagined it would be a very quick visit but were surprised to find the reality was somewhat different!

Unbelievably, this family friendly museum houses authentic Victorian streets giving visitors a chance to explore the social history of Victorian Leeds! There are a variety of shops some of which you can browse around, a schoolroom, drinking house, undertakers and pawnbrokers – all filled with fascinating objects. A delightful cobbled street had washing strung between the houses over our heads and I was fascinated by the mourning warehouse filled with mourning clothes and paraphernalia. I’ve not seen anything like that before. It was literally right up my street! Peeping into homes and through shop windows gave a great picture of what Victorian life was like for the rich and poor and the type of goods that were typically bought.

Upstairs is a gallery of traditional reconditioned fairground penny slot games, some of which I can remember playing myself! Old pennies can be bought to relive childhood memories. In the childhood gallery is a vast collection of iconic toys from the 19th century to present day. Here I found toys from my own childhood like the Binatone machine – our first experience of video games, clackers which were banned in my primary school after a number of girls broke their wrists and a jigsaw which I clearly remember playing with at school but would not be allowed to today due to its racial stereotyping.

The display is beautifully set out with a huge shoe (from the nursery rhyme 'There was an old woman who lived in a shoe' in the centre) play den, reams of information and objects explaining childcare through the ages, with a selection of toys, games and books for visiting children to play with. There is usually a smaller temporary exhibition on offer also. I was delighted to find some beautiful cross stitch samplers which left me green with envy – how I wish I was as talented, and unusual items such as the posture chair which looked incredibly uncomfortable.

Attached to the museum is a small shop and the Gatehouse café which serves a selection of light lunches and refreshments at very reasonable prices.

I was amazed at just how much this little museum had to offer and how interesting it was – a little gem of a place that I had not come across before but can highly recommend. The museum is open every day except Monday and there is free parking just across the road. Check out the website for admission prices, opening times and special events.

The National Memorial Arboretum

Staffordshire

thenma.org.uk

I was told about the Arboretum by a friend and felt sure that it would be a place I would enjoy and I was not disappointed. We visited on a cold wintery afternoon but still found the place to be beautiful, evocative and thought provoking.

It is free entry to the Arboretum, with a small charge only for the carpark. (£4) Pre booking is not essential but is welcomed.

Set in 150 acres on the edge of the National Forest, the Arboretum was welcoming over 300,000 visitors each year pre pandemic. There are approximately 400 memorials placed amongst the trees, some small, some vast, some commemorating well known groups, others individuals. There are riverside walks, guided walks, memorial talks and special events throughout the year commemorating Armistice Day, Remembrance Sunday and Armed Forces Day amongst others. But basically, you can just wander around at your own pace in whichever direction you choose and for however long you want.

We spent four hours there and walking at pace and not stopping for lunch, we were able to see most of the bigger memorials but we could easily have spent the whole day and more there. There is so much information to read and something new to spot in every direction. The memorials cover a wide range of military units, specific campaigns, the emergency services and individual tributes for civilians. Just about everything you could think of is here.

One of the specific sites of interest to me was the Shot at Dawn memorial which is striking in its simplicity – a blindfolded figure surrounded by plain posts, each with a different name on it. This commemorates those executed for apparent cowardice in WW1 and it is shocking to discover the young age of many of them. We now know that many of these men were suffering from PTSD and thankfully they have since been pardoned. It is an incredibly moving tribute to those treated so badly. I was also particularly interested in the Burma Railway tribute as I had a close family friend who suffered there, the Falklands Garden and memorial to the Falkland Resistance movement, a selection of post boxes commemorating the courage of postal workers and the Christmas Truce Memorial: Football remembers (remembering the WW1 Christmas Day truce).

Another area I found particularly moving but beautiful was the Children’s Woodland which has a children’s playpark in it and lots of individual posts remembering babies born sleeping or children who have died at a devastatingly young age through illness or accident. Although a sad place it was also surprisingly uplifting and I imagine very beautiful when the trees are in full leaf.

From its first beginnings, the Arboretum has grown into a living landscape. A place where families, friends and comrades can celebrate and remember the lives they have lived and the lives that have been lost.

It is a truly beautiful place: a living, growing tribute that can be enjoyed by all. Dogs are permitted, as are picnics and there is also a restaurant, coffee shop and gift shop.

Ripon Workhouse

www.riponmuseums.co.uk

The workhouse. The name conjured all sorts of horrors for those who desperately tried to avoid entering the forbidding looking buildings. It meant giving up your freedom in order to sustain life, permitting others to rule your life as you no longer had the ability to look after yourself and accepting charity to ensure your survival. It was a harsh, grim, cold life that was feared but provided basic help for those without the means to support themselves – a lifeline when there was nowhere else to turn.

When I think of the workhouse, I think of the musical Oliver Twist and the tough regime Oliver and the boys lived under – no warmth, no love, no comfort and basic rations. The reality was not much different.

Ripon Workhouse gives a taste of what life might have been like. The dark foreboding building and the grimness of the rooms inside, plunge visitors into a realisation of how lucky we are! The welcome from the ladies at the entry desk thankfully was far jollier than vagrants and residents would have experienced. Their bright smiles and informative introduction were very welcome on a cold, bleak day although the chill factor actually proved to enhance our experience of what life would have been like.

A workhouse has been on the site in Ripon since 1776, but the current building was erected in 1856. Visitors enter through the Gatehouse building and follow the route an inmate would have taken from their admittance in the Guardian’s room, through the indignity they would have endured in the bath and fumigation process and onto the bare cells where they slept. Men and women were separated, though children could remain with their mothers until the age of 7. Families could not even eat together.

In the Main block, we see the contrast between the living quarters of the residents and those of the Master and Matron, with their beautifully decorated sitting rooms and their comfortable living quarters. Visitors are given an insight into the living conditions and food that inmates were served – basic, bland and monotonous, lacking initially in fruit and vegetables as the food provided was designed to use the least amount necessary to sustain life. It was also to be a deterrent for those seeking admission that perhaps were not in such dire need as the majority of the residents. This did improve, however, with the instigation of kitchen gardens worked by the inmates.

Residents were put to work: laundry, gardening, chopping wood or breaking up stones to mend roads. This entailed smashing them into small enough pieces to push through holes in a grill – back breaking work. The workhouses themselves were self sufficient providing a teacher, chaplain and doctors.

In 1877 a separate block was provided to deal with the large number of vagrants seeking help. Here they could get an evening meal and a bed for the night, perhaps two, completing a task of some kind before they left the following morning. Tasks might include chopping wood or pulling up potatoes from the garden area. It is easy to think that the workhouse was filled with vagrants and labourers, but many professional people, working men, widows and widowers would enter at some point, having fallen on hard times or having no one to provide for them in their widowhood or old age.

There is a great deal of information around the workhouse which is fascinating to read and access to the outside exercise areas, where inmates could be watched by Matron and Master from the upstairs windows, the working area and the kitchen gardens. Have a peep at the clothing store, learn how clothes were fumigated and discover the origins of Wilfra tarts – something I had never heard about!

Parking is close by in the town centre, just a short walk away from the museum and is cheap. Ticket entry entitles free revisits throughout the year.

I think we will be returning!

The Imperial War Museum North

www.iwm.org.uk

I never knew there was an Imperial War Museum in the North! I came across it when doing some research and as we were spending the weekend in Manchester we decided to pay a visit.

Entry to the museum is free though they do charge a small amount for the car park. Designed to complement the original Imperial War Museum, the North’s version is housed in a purpose-built building designed specifically to provide a different/alternative dimension to the visit. It covers all conflicts from 1914 and is aimed to highlight how both military personnel and civilians are affected by war. I’m not sure I totally got the artist’s intention, but I actually found it easier to find my way round than I did in the London one.

The Trafford site is in itself historic. Here, dock workers unloaded the vital supplies needed during both the First and Second World Wars, factories built tanks, munitions, engines and radar systems and civilians suffered heavily from Luftwaffe bombing raids.

It is packed with interesting exhibits of various sizes and importance: a soldier’s ration biscuit, a baby's gas mask and a mangled piece of steel from the World Trade Centre demonstrate the diversity. I particularly enjoyed the Women and War display space and the War in the Jungle section as these are specific interests of mine, but found plenty to keep me interested throughout the Museum. Every hour or so the main room darkens to become a 360-degree cinematic Big Picture Show. Images are projected onto the walls and the voices of those who have lived through war or conflict describe their experiences. They are funny, moving, happy and sad - a whole range of emotions that make you think.

On the ground floor is a reimagined sculpture using poppies from the original 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' display and the 'Poppies: Wave' and 'Weeping Window' displays that travelled around the UK between 2014 and 2018. Each poppy represents a life lost during the First World War.

The guidebook is well worth buying at £5 and there is a great selection of gifts and books in the gift shop. Be warned that by the time we ventured to the café at 1.30pm, we found that a number of items had already sold out which we hadn’t expected and found disappointing.

Visiting the Imperial War Museum North brings home the effects of conflict and leaves a lasting impression. War has touched many of us in some way, either through our own experiences or those of our friends and relatives. In my lifetime I have witnessed the Falklands conflict and known people who have fought in the two Gulf wars and Afghanistan. Listening again to the TV advert telling us what to do in the event of an atomic bomb brought back the feelings of sheer terror I felt as a young child hearing it for the first time, and I was both puzzled and horrified to see a pair of army boots from Afghanistan with the soldier’s name tags attached to each of his boots. It seemed a strange thing to do until I read the accompanying information – he was worried that if his legs got blown off by an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) they would not be identified as his and returned to his body!

Thought provoking stuff and well worth a visit. 

Jorvik Viking Centre - York

Designed by John Sunderland and first opened in April 1984, the Jorvik Viking Museum is based in Coppergate, York.

Prior to the building of the Coppergate Shopping Centre in York, extensive excavations uncovered the well preserved remains of various timber buildings, workshops, fences and other structures from around 900AD when the Vikings were in York. In amongst these structures were the well preserved remains of over 40,000 objects such as wood, leather, textiles, pottery and bones providing a fascinating insight into Viking life in Jorvik, the old Norse name for York. This extensive wealth of artefacts had been preserved in oxygen deprived wet clay.

We first visited the centre when we moved to York in 2001 and had enjoyed a ride through a reconstructed Viking village with life sized mannequins and dioramas depicting Viking life in the city. It was a popular attraction and people queued to be admitted.

In 2015, York suffered extensive flood damage and the Jorvik Centre was badly affected. Luckily, there was sufficient warning to remove all the artefacts to safety but it was to take two years of reconstruction and renovation before the centre reopened on 8th April 2017. This was to be our first visit since then, so we were intrigued to see how it had changed.

The dioramas and mannequins had been reorganised and rebuilt, enhanced by the sounds and smells that would have been present in a Viking village. The ride had also been rebuilt with visitors sitting in carriages and taken slowly through the settlement. These rotate to face the areas being talked about on speakers inside the headboard of each carriage. The information is interesting and useful, and can be heard in a variety of languages.

There are scenes of everyday life and activities, market stalls, workmen, housewives, animals and even a privy in use!

Following the ride visitors enter a museum area displaying a large number of the artefacts and some skeletons found on site. Knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff dressed in Viking attire are there to offer further information and answer questions. There is also a small gift shop with a selection of replica Viking artefacts.

We were pleased to see that in essence the reconstruction of the Viking settlement remained the same, the man in the privy being remembered from our original visit, but improvements had been made, particularly to the exhibition area. It is still a very popular attraction in York and we enjoyed our return visit very much.

Further information and current entry details can be obtained from www.jorvikvikingcentre.co.uk