Both museums in Tuxford are enhancing their facilities. The Walks of Life Museum will soon have some heating in the rural barn, and they have completed decorating the shed, now a tribute to sheep. This idea was inspired by one of their students. Shepherding, one of the oldest occupations, remains reliant on those who love the countryside and are dedicated to caring for animals in all weather.
Did you know that the nursery rhyme Mary Had a Little Lamb was written by American Sarah Josepha Hale in 1830? It’s believed to be based on a real-life event involving Mary Elizabeth Sawyer.
Festive celebrations are a time when memories are often created with family and friends. On Thursday 12th December, the children supported by the C.H.I.N.K. charity shop in Tuxford will be celebrating Jamhuri Day (Swahili for ‘republic’) – Kenya’s Independence Day. The Walks of Life Museum will have a display to mark this occasion. The museum’s founder, Dorothy Harrison, spent time teaching in Kenya and cherished the memories she made there. Keeping photos and mementos of happy times is important to many people; a simple, thoughtful token is often greatly valued.
The museum also looks forward to capturing memories from Dosco and Holly Bank Engineering when former team members meet in November to help create an archive folder. A programme from their 1970 Christmas dinner at the Old England sparked much amusement, with humorous quotes like ‘a successful executive is one who can delegate all responsibility, shift all the blame, and take all the credit’.
The programme also stated ‘Carriages at 2.00pm’ – maybe some were lucky enough to ride in a carriage similar to those at the Museum of the Horse!
The Museum of the Horse has been restoring the old ballroom at the back of the Newcastle Arms to serve as a conference and party room, with hopes it will be completed before Christmas. A few people recall attending dances in the old ballroom and are encouraged to share any photos or stories from those days.
The museum has heard that airmen from Gamston attended dances there during the war, and they are keen to learn how much longer it was in use after the war. They’re also seeking suggestions for events once the ballroom reopens. Some initial plans include an opening party, an afternoon tea dance, and a children’s book fair next spring, featuring an exhibition of vintage pony books, miniature toy ponies, and saddlery.
If anyone is interested in participating in these events, please contact the museum on the details below. The museums’ opening hours are as follows (admission is free, although donations are very much appreciated):
- Museum of the Horse: open daily from 9.00am to 4.00pm, and Saturdays from 9.00am to 2.00pm.
- Walks of Life Museum: open Thursdays and Saturdays, 11.00am to 4.00pm.
For further information, please call 01777 87277 (leave a message if unanswered) or email dianehunt08@btinternet.com.