MHG Volunteer Blog: Week 2

Here's the next blog from our dedicated team of volunteer gardeners at Pontefract Castle.

Find out more about their new blog series here.

13 January 2025

Today the snow and ice are still lingering. Any uncovered soil is saturated. So, no gardening today!

David and James are helping the Site Manager, Joe, by clearing the fallen leaves by the Sally Port.

Carole is looking at the damage the weather has wrought on the plants. So far, we seem to have lost the French tarragon (no surprise there). Unfortunately the weight of snow and / or the high winds have severely battered the upright rosemary too. It’s looking a bit sorry for itself, with broken branches all around.

So, to relieve the gloom, our plant of the week is the common, lawn or English daisy. It can be seen at Pontefract Castle this week, hanging in there through the snow and ice!

Plant of the week: Common English Daisy - Bruise Wort (bellis perennis)

Loved by bees, butterflies and hoverflies, this is a flower that we associate with Spring and Summer. However, the daisies we have in the Medieval Herb Garden have been flowering continually since January last year!

This evergreen perennial plant will grow in any moist but well-drained soil type. It is most often found in grass, or lawns. It likes the sun but will grow in part-shade, and has a height and spread of 0.1 metres.

Folklore

A chain of daisies was thought to protect the wearer from evil spirits. This knowledge was passed down the generations, from older to younger children. This kept the tradition of daisy chain-making alive.

Medieval uses

According to historical documents daisies have been used since at least 2000 B.C. 

In the medieval period, daisies were used for a number of medical complaints. These included inflammation, bruises, digestive complaints, pleurisy, coughs and other respiratory conditions, headaches, liver conditions, kidney and gallbladder issues.

(Needless to say, this isn't to be considered medical advice from us to you today! No herbs mentioned in these blogs should be used as medicine without advice from a doctor.) 

Find out more about the Medieval Herb Garden here

Oral history transcription: volunteer blog

Charlotte McDonnell is an oral history transcription volunteer with Wakefield Museums and Castles. She has been volunteering with us for one year and has transcribed 26 oral history interviews so far. 

In this guest blog she shares her experiences, including clips from some of her favourite interviews.

My role as an oral history transcription volunteer

As Wakefield Museums and Castles work on the development of a new museum and library for Wakefield, they are collecting a diverse range of oral history interviews. These interviews help to document and preserve Wakefield’s local history through the voices of the people who lived it.

My role in this project is to transcribe the oral history interviews. Transcriptions help museum staff to catalogue, search for and use oral history interviews. They also ensure that any audio that is shared through displays or digital content is accessible.

Listening carefully, I transcribe the audio of each interview exactly as it’s been spoken including keeping any grammatical mistakes and local dialect used. Usually, I’m able to get around four minutes transcribed per day.

After I finish the initial transcription I go over the whole interview again to correct any mistakes. It’s important to do this as there can be times where you think you got it right only to re-listen and realise you made an error!

From this role I’ve been able to learn so much about the people, projects and local organisations in Wakefield. 

Here are a few of my favourites:

A very important cooker

Helen Teagle talks about her mother’s 1953 Cannon Gas Cooker in her interview, which was carried out after she donated the cooker to the museum collections. 

To me the most interesting part of this interview is how much life story can come from one object. For example, Helen talks about how her parents bought the cooker at a showroom in Wakefield shortly after they got married and how they moved it to each new house that they bought.

The stories Helen tells about the many recipes her mother made using the cooker also give great insight into domestic life in the 1950s and onwards, which is an often underexplored area of history. 

In this clip, Helen talks about learning how to cook from watching her mother.

Download a transcript of Helen's interview clip here (opens in new window)

BaBi steps

I really enjoyed transcribing the interviews recorded as part of the BaBi Wakefield project. BaBi Wakefield is a research project that aims to reduce health inequalities in babies born in Wakefield through collecting maternity and child data. 

The project is run by Dawn Wright and through her interview we can see the incredible amount of work that goes into running BaBi Wakefield. 

Dawn Wright

Here Dawn speaks about her role in the project and why it is important:

Download a transcript of Dawn's first clip here (opens in new window)

One part of Dawn’s interview that really caught my eye was when she spoke about one of the positive changes a sister project, Born in Bradford, made to child asthma rates by changing the old bus routes. 

It really highlighted to me the important impact these projects are able to create.

Download a transcript of Dawn's second clip here (opens in new window) 

You can find out more about the BaBi Wakefield project in our online exhibition 

Getting wordy about Wakefield

Finally, the interviews of Philip Dawson Hammond, and Micheal Yates and Roger Manns from the Black Horse Poets provide a fascinating look into Wakefield’s literary organisations.

Members of the Black Horse Poets and Wakefield Word Group with their new patron, Councillor Jack Hemingway, in January 2024.

Philip in his interview spoke about the many stories he has from his time working for the Wakefield Express. 

My favourite one was about a new press that had been built to produce the newspapers that had been designed by Rockwell International - who designed a space toilet!

Download a transcript of Philip's clip here (opens in new window) 

Micheal Yates and Roger Manns in their joint interview spoke about the strong community dynamic that their poetry group fosters. 

I really enjoyed listening to the ways people come together to share their passion for poetry and help others grow by providing thoughtful feedback.

Download a transcript of Michael and Roger's clip here (opens in new window) 

You can find out more about the Black Horse Poets in their guest blog. 

Get involved!

If you would like to volunteer as an Oral History Transcription Volunteer, please get in touch by emailing muscasvolunteering@wakefield.gov.uk 

We'd love to hear from you!

MHG Volunteer Blog: week one

Welcome to the first of our new weekly Medieval Herb Garden (MHG) volunteer blogs! Our dedicated team of volunteer gardeners meet regularly on Mondays at Pontefract Castle.

Find out more about their new blog series here.

However, things aren’t kicking off quite as we inteded thanks to a belated white Christmas…

Week one: 6 January 2025

The Medieval Herb Garden in the snow over the weekend

The snow is still lingering this bright Monday morning. That stops us doing any work in the Medieval Herb Garden today. 

This week we will be doing more research on the plants in the garden instead. 

Fortunately, the snow doesn’t seem to have badly damaged any plants on the MHG. Nine plant varieties are still hanging in there, with flowers poking through the snow. 

Callendulas (often known as marigolds) in the snow

See how many plant varities you can find on a walk around the castle this week!

Visitor information for Pontefract Castle

More about the Medieval Herb Garden volunteer blog series

Five gold rings...

On the fifth day of Christmas, our true loves (our donors and the Treasure Act) saved for us... five* goooold rings!

* Well, there's been a few more then five over the years. But here's a shiny round-up of five rings that don't always get to see the spotlight. 

You'll probably have met the Sandal Castle ring  and the Ackworth Hoard posy ring before. 

So, let's have a look at five different rings, dating from the Romans to a 21st century drag icon!

Roman ring

This gold ring was found in excavations in Castleford during the 1970s and 1980s. 

It is Roman, and dates to the 1st to 2nd century AD. 

The Roman fort and settlement at Castleford was probably known as Lagentium. The first fort was built around 71 AD. 

We owe lots of what we have learned about the first fort at Lagentium to a rubbish dump! Near to Church Street, a pile of Roman waste had been preserved due to waterlogging.

The fort and settlement in Castleford was important to the Romans. Around 86 AD they levelled the first fort and built a new one with stronger defences. There was also a civilian town, or vicus, which developed nearby.  

Unlike other Roman settlements, Castleford continued to develop after the Roman garrison left. It became an important manufacturing and trading centre in the early 2nd century.

Archaeological digs of the vicus found lots of luxury items, like this ring.

Read more about the archaeological digs in Castleford here

Rosary ring

This unusual looking gold ring dates from the 15th to 16th century AD. It features an inset garnet and nine further lobes (circles). Each of the lobes has a letter on them.

The ten lobes probably relate to the ten prayers of the Catholic rosary. The wearer could keep track of each prayer by looking at or touching each lobe in turn.

The ring was found by a metal detectorist in Pontefract. We acquired it under the Treasure Act. 

The Treasure Act 1996 sets out a clear process to save treasures for local people. Local museums are notified of all potential treasure finds in their collecting area. A museum can save the find for the local community by paying the finder or landowner based on its market value.

Read more about the Treasure Act and what it has helped us save for local people here

Puzzling posy ring

This is a small gold posy ring, dating to between 1600 and 1800 AD. On the outside are geometric patterns and heart and floral shapes. On the inside is the phrase 'no content to your consent'.

Posy rings were popular love tokens. They were often exchanged as engagement or wedding gifts. They could be plain on the outside or be decorated with enamel. The white / grey patches remaining on this ring aren't dirt - they are the remains of an ornate enamel decoration!

Many posy rings would also have a special secret message for the wearer inscribed inside. However, our ring's message is a little bit puzzling! 

Other posy rings included phrases like 'After consent ever content', relating to the gift giver's happiness at the recipient accepting the ring. 

However, our example here says 'No content to your consent'. This sounds more like a rejection to our ears! Or did it mean the giver was 'not content until your consent'? We may never know...

Pretty 'pie crust' post-medieval ring

This pretty post-medieval ring is dated in two parts. The golden ring band dates to between 1700 and 1800 AD. The gem, however, may be older, and could date back to 1500 AD. The off-white gem is probably a pearl. 

This is another post-medieval ring featuring natural and leaf-like patterns. The cushioning around the ring has been described as having 'pie-crust-like' moulding. This particular pearly pie would cost you a pretty penny!

This ring was another metal detectorist find. It was discovered in Darrington. Who knows what other treasures might await under Shakey Wakey's soil?

A one-horse open slaaaay

While this well-loved and well-worn ring might also look hundreds of years old, it's actually from the early 21st century.

It's also perhaps not real gold, and maybe features plastic gems - but because it belonged to Madam Connie, it's priceless to us!

Steven Ogilvie, also known as Madam Connie, is a popular local former drag artist from Wakefield. 

Steven kindly donated several stunning outfits to us in 2019 after Madam Connie hung her up stilettos for the last time. This ring has clearly seen many performances!

Steven also spilled the 'T' about his experiences performing as Connie in an oral history interview. He says performing increased his confidence and helped him through difficult times. Now that's a serious slay.

Discover more about Madam Connie's outfits with Steven and local dressmaker Sue Riley

Have our festive fancies got you into the Christmas spirit? Get stuck in with our sled-load of Christmas crafts and recipes!

Lighting up Wakefield: guide to The Timekeepers by Illuminos

This year's Light Up Wakefield (part of Our Year - Wakefield District 2024) invites you to see spectacular digital installations and experience the city in a whole new light!

One of the 2024 installations is The Timekeepers by Illuminos, which will be projected onto County Hall. 

It is a projection mapping piece based on the 300-year old story of Wakefield-born genius John Harrison. Harrison set his mind to the great mystery of the age – the perfect measurement of time and space. 

The Timekeepers celebrates the great variety of heritage, culture and arts that can be discovered across the Wakefield district.

The installation flies through time and tells stories, large and small from the Wakefield district. 

We're extremely excited, as our collections play a big part in telling the story! It sees some of our tiniest objects made gigantic on the beautiful facade of County Hall.

So what objects can you expect to see in The Timekeepers? Here's a guide to some of the highlights - some you might be familiar with, and others you might not!

The Waterton Clock, 1670s

This is a gorgeous lantern clock which was owned by the Waterton family for generations. 

Charles Waterton (1782 - 1865) of Walton Hall thought that the clock was once owned by Sir Thomas More (1478 - 1535). Waterton believed he was a descendant of More. 

More was Lord High Chancellor to Henry VIII - until he had him executed!

However, the clock was actually made over 100 years after the death of More. Nevertheless, it is a beautiful piece and lends itself brilliantly to The Timekeepers! It's also the oldest clock in our collection.

The 'Castleford Pig', around 1910

The 'Castleford Pig' is literally a window through time! 

Inside this tiny carving of a pig is a looking glass. When you hold the object up to the light, you can see six pictures of Castleford from the early 1900s. 

It's an example of a Stanhope picture viewer, and novelty versions were very collectable. They came in many shapes and sizes, and could feature lots of pictures.

The Timekeepers is about incredible, huge visuals projected onto one of Wakefield's most spectacular buildings. 

So it's absolutely delighted us that our tiny pig, which is only about the size of a £1 coin, is going to be the size of County Hall! 

Glassware made by Bagley and Co Ltd in Knottingley, 1930s

Although originally started as a bottle factory, Bagley's also made decorative glass. It became especially known for its vibrantly coloured glass developed in the 1930s.

However, there's a hazardous reason behind some of these brilliant colours - some were created using uranium, a radioactive element!

Coloured glass production ended in the 1940s when uranium was needed for atomic bomb development in the Second World War.

After the war, Bagley's went on to create a very dark black glass, known as 'jetique'. 

The eyepopping colours of Bagley's glassware makes it perfect to be projected in The Timekeepers. 

If you'd like to see more, there's a whole Glass Room at Pontefract Museum (don't worry, these ones aren't radioactive!) 

Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb

A celebration of Wakefield's heritage wouldn't be complete without rhubarb!

Thanks to good soil mixed with lots of ashes, horse manure and textile waste, and just the right amount of rain, Wakefield specialises in 'forced rhubarb'. The city forms part of the 'Rhubarb Triangle' with Leeds and Morley.

There's a display about the history of growing rhubarb at Wakefield Museum, where you can even hear it growing. The sound might surprise you!

You can also find out more about why Wakefield roots for rhubarb in this blog post.

Phenakistiscope discs, 1880s

They might be a bit of a mouthful to pronounce, but phenakistiscope discs are actually an early type of animation.

They were invented in the early 1800s, long before film or even photography as we know it. 

Our collection of phenakistiscope discs, including this one pictured, belonged to the Farrers. The Farrers were a famous clock-making family from Pontefract. Hence the link to The Timekeepers! 

The Illuminos team bring these discs to life through digitally replicating their analogue animation.

Playmakers - Sykes and Slazenger

A Slazenger quiver of arrows, 1950s

Wakefield has quite the sporting heritage! Our Playmakers collection tells the story of how, for more than a century, Horbury was a centre of sporting excellence and innovation.

The factory at Horbury was first founded by William Sykes, and then became Slazengers during the Second World War.

Horbury-made sporting equipment supplied the World Cup, Challenge Cup, and was endorsed by sports stars including Steffi Graf and Don Bradman.

There's so many stories to tell about our sporting heritage - head to this blog for an introduction!

Commemorative marbles from A Reight Neet Aht, 1930s to 1950s 

Prepare yourself for a torrent of marbles to cascade down County Hall! And no, it's not just because we've lost ours... 

A game of marbles was a big deal in Castleford! From 1936 an unlikely and flamboyant charity event called 'A Reight Neet Aht' created a buzz at the Castleford Co-Operative Hall. 

Known as 'taws', these marbles contests raised money for Leeds Infirmary over the next 20 years.

The marbles for the tournament, along with glass trophies, were made in and around Castleford. They all look mighty impressive projected large in The Timekeepers!

You can don your gladrags for a glamorous game of marbles in A Reight Neet Aht at Castleford Museum.

The Wakefield Pageant, 1933

A group of girls from Thornes House Secondary School and Ings Road Central School acted as a 'ballet' steam train in the 1933 Wakefield Pageant!

The Pageant of Wakefield and the West Riding took place in June 1933 in Thornes Park, Wakefield. It celebrated Wakefield's past and present, and imagined the city's future.

A whole cast of schools and societies took part, each playing different roles from Wakefield's proud history. They also helped to make the costumes and lavish backdrops.

More than 2,000 performers took part in the Pageant over 10 performances. Thousands of people turned out to enjoy the spectacle.

Objects and photographs from the 1933 Pageant are projected alongside The Hatchling in The Timekeepers. The Hatchling was an amazing event during the summer of Our Year - Wakefield District 2024, which saw a dragon hatch in Wakefield.

The Wakefield Pageant was very much the 'Our Year' of 1933!

You can see a special art display inspired by the Wakefield Pageant by artist Louise Goult in the lower atrium of Wakefield One.

Anglo-Saxon cross, around 900 to 1000 AD

This stone cross is the first evidence of a settlement in modern Wakefield. 

The cross was probably used for preaching, and it stood in Wakefield's marketplace until 1546. It then disappeared until 1861, when Edmund Waterton (son of Charles Waterton) rescued it from the demlotion of an old butcher's shop. The cross shaft had been used as a doorstep to the butcher's!

Not only is this object important in telling us about the creation of Wakefield, it was once a vibrant and colourful creation. 

The cross is on display at Wakefield Museum - it is on loan courtesy of York Museums Trust.

Sporting Heritage Day 2024: A Reight Yorkshire Affair

Every year, September 30 is National Sporting Heritage Day. The Wakefield district has a wealth of sporting heritage! 

While the likes of Rugby League, Sykes and Slazenger are pretty well known, here we're shining a light on two of our region's more unusual sporting events.

They feature in our latest displays at Castleford Museum and the new Ossett Library Museum Hub - and have suitably Yorkshire names!

Ah’ll race thee!

We're celebrating the World Coal Carrying Championships in the newly refurbished and reopened Ossett Library in Ossett Town Hall.

 

The 'Ah'll race thee!' display at Ossett Library

Every Easter Monday the village of Gawthorpe comes together to stage the World Coal Carrying championships.

What could be more Yorkshire than running up a steep hill with a heavy bag of coal on your back after making a bet in a pub?

That pub bet in the 1960s has turned into a Guiness World Record annual sporting event!

The main adult race is a gruelling challenge. Contestants carry a bag of coal from the Royal Oak pub on Owl Lane in Ossett to the Maypole Green in Gawthorpe. 

The route covers 1012 metres. Men carry 50 kilograms of coal and women carry 20 kilograms. Each year a pigeon clock records the official race times.

The race is much more than a sports competition. Athletes take part for lots of different reasons. They run for charity, personal improvement, or on behalf of a loved one who no longer can.

David Jones’ Guinness World Record time of four minutes and six seconds was set in 1995 and still stands today!

See what happened in the 2022 event, the first after the COVID-19 lockdowns, in our video:

A Reight Neet Aht! at Castleford Museum

Between 1936 and 1957 Castleford held a star-studded sporting event.

Since 1932 the game of marbles has been officially classified as a sport. Local journalist Sid Colclough got the community together to host an annual marbles (or taws) tournament each year as a charity event.

The event was the talk of Yorkshire. The cinema and music hall star, Gracie Fields was a patron. In 1940, the star guest was entertainer, George Formby. 

In 1955 Chairman of the Daimler motorcar company, Sir Bernard and Lady Docker, attended the event, arriving in a golden car. They played marbles, resting their knees on golden cushions. Lady Docker became Women’s world taws champion, and they donated £1000 towards cancer relief.

Find out more about the fabulous 1955 event in this video:

In 1956 the event was given a ‘zebra’ theme, some marbles even had zebra stripes. Even cars arrived reupholstered with zebra skins!

Explore more about A Reight Neet Aht in our dedicated blog, or visit the new display and get your gladrags on at Castleford Museum.

The 'Reight Neet Aht' display at Castleford Museum

A Reight Neet Aht: Castleford’s famous fundraiser

The Reight Neet Aht was a unique charity gala with a distinctly Yorkshire flavour that put Castleford on a global stage.

From 1936 to 1957, the star-studded annual marbles contest attracted famous faces and international media interest. 

Read on to discover how appearances from stage, screen and sporting stars brought the glitz and glamour to Cas.

Explore each event in more detail with our interactive timeline!

Participants in the first All-Ladies Reight Neet Aht in 1955
Image courtesy of the Wakefield Council Libraries Photographic Collection

Knuckling off

Local journalist Sid Colclough started the Reight Neet Aht in 1936. Sid wrote a regular column inspired by the grumblings of a group of former miners known as the ‘Fed Ups’. One of the group joked about challenging councillors to a marbles match so Sid made it happen! He turned it into a charity fundraiser and added other games and entertainment for a full night out.

Souvenir ribbon from the first Reight Neet Aht in 1936

He held the event at the Cooperative Ballroom in Castleford. Guests were invited to come in their “glad-rags” and were treated to a packed programme. The marble contest “knuckled off” at 7:30pm. 

There were also contests in shuttlecock, skipping and whip and top, plus hours of dancing. 

Guests bought slices of a giant pie for supper and there were clay pipes for the gentlemen.

Marble used by 90-year-old William Furniss in the first Reight Neet Aht in 1936. William won the 1937 tournament.

Patrons and prizes

Over the years, Reight Neet Aht supported a number of local charities and good causes. Sid set himself a fundraising target of £50 for the first ever Neet Aht with the proceeds going to Leeds Infirmary.

Reight Neet Aht raised money through ticket sales and selling refreshments on the night. Reight Neet Aht often took place on Shrove Tuesday and organisers prepared piles of pancakes! 

Local companies and celebrity patrons also helped the fundraising by donating trophies, souvenirs and prizes for auction. 

Bagley's Glass in Knottingley made a special marble for the first competition in 1936:

Bagley's Glass special marble for the first Reight Neet Aht

They also supplied the trophy for the final event in 1957:

The trophy for the 1957 Reight Neet Aht, also made by Bagley's Glass

Singer, actor and comedian, Gracie Fields, was a huge star in the 1930s. She never made it to Castleford but she was a key supporter of Reight Neet Aht, putting her name to the prizes and donating memorabilia. 

A special commemorative marble decorated with the signature of Reight Neet Aht's celebrity patron Gracie Fields

Star signings

Sid Colclough was the driving force behind the success of Reight Neet Aht. He had a flair for publicity and turned the event into a national occasion. 

Famous cameos added glitz and glamour. Newspapers, radio and even cinema newsreels reported from Castleford. 

George Formby and his wife Beryl were the special guests at the 1940 Reight Neet Aht - the only wartime edition of the event.
Image courtesy of the Wakefield Council Libraries Photographic Collection

Star entertainer George Formby came to the 1940 Reight Neet Aht with his wife Beryl. The couple had met in Castleford. 

The George Formby Society have kindly lent this signed banjolele to Castleford Museum, where it is currently on display:

A banjolele signed by George Formby, currently on display at Castleford Museum

George Formby also signed Reight Neet Aht’s special visitor book along with other famous faces.

This page is signed by lots of people from the world press. The guest book is kindly lent by Wakefield Council Libraries.

A page in the Reight Neet Aht guestbook signed by members of the world press

Photographers capture the action. Image courtesy of the Wakefield Council Libraries Photographic Collection

A cameraman films as Councillor Ezra Taylor plays his match at the 1953 event. 
Image courtesy of the Wakefield Council Libraries Photographic Collection

Twists and turns

Sid kept interest high by adding a new twist to each year’s event. 

When the Reight Neet Aht restarted after the Second World War, each year had its own theme. 

One year was America vs Yorkshire with the U.S. Army playing in the marbles matches. Another year was an All-Ladies contest.

Advertising poster for the 1955 All-Ladies Reight Neet Aht event. Image courtesy of the Wakefield Council Libraries Photographic Collection

Here, the 1956 zebra-striped Reight Neet Aht event is captured on canvas by H.J.S. Henson. The glamorous socialite Lady Docker is once again the star guest - she is pictured in the centre, in a white dress:

H.J.S. Henson's painting of the 1956 A Reight Neet Aht. 
Image courtesy of the Wakefield Council Libraries Photographic Collection

Lady Docker with Reight Neet Aht's mastermind, Sid Colclough. Image courtesy of the Wakefield Council Libraries Photographic Collection

Interactive timeline

Explore our Timeline of the Tournaments to discover all of the themes, guests and highlights of the Reight Neet Aht events! You can view it below, or launch the timeline in a new window here

Castleford on the map

The last Reight Neet Aht took place in 1957. Sid invited a team of international students from Leeds University to play in the tournament as Yorkshire took on the world. 

It was a fitting final outing. For 20 years, Reight Neet Aht had put Castleford on the global map.

University of Leeds students played on special marble boards decorated with world maps at the 1957 Reight Neet Aht. 
Image courtesy of the Wakefield Council Libraries Photographic Collection

Nearly 70 years after the last Neet Aht, we're proud to celebrate this surprising local claim to fame. 

Visit Castleford Museum to uncover more of this fascinating, unexpected tale. 

You can even revive the spirit of the Reight Neet Aht with your own game of marbles. 

And we’d love you to leave us a message in our special replica guest book!

The Reight Neet Aht interactive display at Castleford Museum

Visitor information for Castleford Museum

The 1957 Reight Neet Aht trophy marble was one of our 100 Years of Collecting objects! Browse the 100 Years of Collecting online exhibition here.