Seaside in the City

Wakefield hosts 'Seaside in the City' this weekend.  Visit the city centre for family beach fun. 

There will be donkey rides, Punch & Judy, music, deck chairs and much more...

For full details of the event see: Seaside in the City

To get in the mood here are a selection of seaside themed objects from our collections....

Photograph of the Gluck family
The Gluck family lived in Tanshelf.  This holiday snap was taken by David Gluck between 1920 and 1940.  The Gluck family orginated from Germany, Mr & Mrs George Gluck came from Heidelberg in the 1850s.  George carved the stone animals on Pontefract Market Hall.  

A spade
This medieval spade found at Sandal Castle was most probably NOT used on the beach!

Sandals
Jelly shoes are back in fashion, this green pair is from the 1970s. 

And this leather sandal was owned by a Roman based in Lagentium (or Castleford to me and you)

Donkeys
What would the neighbours think if your front step wasn't shiny and clean.  Use a Donkey stone to scrub those steps clean...

Bus Trips
This photo from the 1950s, shows a group of Fryston residents on a trip to the seaside.  3 of the 10 buses used that day are in view!  It was taken by Jack Hulme, an ex-miner who turned to photography after his wife bought him a camera.

Beachwear
Look super stylish in this 1950's bathing costume...

And probably not so stylish in this knitted costume...

A Day in the Life

Welcome to our first 'Day in the Life' blog.  A lot goes into making our museums wonderful places to visits and caring for our collections.  This series of blogs invites staff at Wakefield Museums to tell you about their day.  First up is Alison Creasey:

Alison Creasey

Learning Officer

The day begins and ends with the setting out of chairs.

It’s a special day today, because the puppets are coming out to play. All manner of puppets: gorillas and orang-utans and iguanas and a turtle and a butterfly and a BABY SLOTH! and a crocodile and a frog – and even a little fluffy anteater, with an ickle bickle ant getting eaten on his tongue!

They’re coming out today because it is RAINFOREST DAY. And a class of special educational needs pupils are coming to play with them. Everybody is a little giddy with excitement, because this is a new venture, and hence could always go hideously wrong. But it doesn’t – it is brilliant because the kids are just as fab as the puppets.

Then I come over all First World War for a couple of hours. A lot of things are coming over First World War these days, but it’s only Wakefield Council who has George Kellet as their man in the trenches. You should look him up. He’s ace. He’s also on twitter.

I have some timetabling to do now. Scheduling with schools when I can do their sessions on the Victorian Schoolroom or Roman Castleford or Medieval Bones or the suchlike. I don’t know which is my favourite: I get to shout at children when I'm their Victorian teacher, which is always a laugh, and makes their real teachers jealous…. but then Medieval Bones has taught me more about scurvy and tooth decay and rickets than I ever imagined I would know.

I have just enough time to pop down to Sandal Castle with my box full of bug pots and magnifying glasses. Sandal Castle is a great place to find all sorts of creepy-crawlies like spiders and centipedes and toads, and I have a school coming there tomorrow to do just that – so out come the chairs for the pre-bug-hunt briefing. Last time, we found a pink grasshopper. Like, BRIGHT pink. Barbie pink, if you will. Google it – it’s an actual thing. This time, I’m hoping for a bumper crop of frogs. They’re lovely to hold (but just for a few seconds, and only if your hands are damp), and they’re great for black death anecdotes.

The Great War: 100 Years Commemorations

Pickled plums help commemorate 100 Years since the Outbreak of the Great War

The 4 August will mark 100 years since the outbreak of the First World War.  Wakefield Museums have been commemorating the Great War throughout the year. 

Wakefield Museum has just opened a Great War trail, where a selection of First World War objects have been scattered around the permanent collections illustrating how war affected all areas of life in the district. These objects include a painted ostrich egg, weapons used in the trenches, letters home, and a jar of plums.  The plums have a label upon which is written

“Plums, bottled on the first day of the Great War, 1914- 18”

A painted ostrich egg, brought home by a soldier based in Africa.

A trench club

There is also an exhibition at Pontefract Museum ‘The Great War Inspires’ where community groups contributed to an artwork inspired by First World War objects from the museum’s collection.

The Great War Inspires exhibition.  Photo by Faceless Arts.

Plus Tweets from George Kellett’s 1918 diary.  The tweets provide a fascinating insight into the daily life of a WW1 solider. Follow at @WW1_Diary.

George Kellett - Follow his 1918 diary on twitter @WW1_Diary

George Kellett's World War One Diary: July 1918

Throughout 2014 we will be tweeting entries from a World War 1 soldier’s 1918 diary. You can follow George Kellett’s diary entries on Twitter @WW1_Diary.

We will also post the full month’s diary entries on this blog.

For George Kellett's June diary entries please see our previous blog: June 1918

1 July 1918
Parade at 8:30 work at 9:45pm on aerodrome switch

2 July 1918
Arrived in camp about 6am had breakfast then got into bed until 3pm had dinner then had another two hours.  Inspection at 7:15pm Parade for work at 10:15pm.  Received parcel from home.

 3 July 1918
Went to the rifle range this afternoon.  Our night in tonight, no parade.  Cleaning up for probable CO inspection tomorrow.

4 July 1918
Inspection at 4:30pm parade for work at 5:30pm on aerodrome switch left work at 11:30pm

5 July 1918
Got back to camp at 2am had breakfast and got down to kip until tea time.  Inspection at 7:15.  Mr Squires went into hospital today.

 6 July 1918
Out to work at 3:30 am digging sump holes in 10^th avenue communication trench.  Range after dinner

7 July 1918
Rest today, Church Parade at 2pm.  Inspection at 6pm

8 July 1918
Working near Hameau farm digging trench for cables which RE are laying.  Breakfast 1am work 2am
Inspection at 8:45pm

9 July 1918
Working on the same trench nearer to Adinfer village
Inspection at 8:40pm.  Received a parcel from Pam

10 July 1918
Days rest today went to the range. I got a washout with the SBR on

11 July 1918
Working on the right of Adinfer, been warned to take on SB job tomorrow.

14 July 1918
Went out to work at midnight

15 July 1918
Arrived in camp at 7:15am. Wet through and covered with clay
Out again at 7:30pm no inspection

16 July 1918
Back from work at 6:30am.  Digging new CT from front line to support, connecting with windmill switch.  No inspection today.  Received a parcel from home and a letter from Harry.

17 July 1918
Out to work at 2am in Douchy Avenue laying cable.  I was
Out at 8:50pm connecting up from windmill switch

18 July 1918
Got back to camp at 8am
Inspection at 7pm out to work at 8:30

21 July 1918
Inspection at 6pm Pay at 6:30pm.  Parade for work at 8:30pm.  Had one casualty going up the line

22 July 1918
Got into camp at 4am
Inspection at 7pm parade for work at 7:45pm.
Willie went to Leeds Infirmary to undergo an operation

23 July 1918
Our party made a raid this morning put a good straff over for jerry
We were just coming home at the time .  Got into camp at 1am.  Inspection at 6:30pm.  Parade for work at 8pm

24 July 1918
Arrived in camp at 2:30am
Inspection at 6:30pm work at 8:30 in Douchy Avenue

25 July 1918
Arrived in camp about 3am.  Not out again until morning.  Inspection at 4pm

26 July 1918
Work at 4am got back to camp at 12noon.  Inspection at 4pm

27 July 1918
Out to work at 3:30am in Douchy Avenue where there was an ?-age of one foot of water. Got into camp about 11:30am no inspection.

28 July 1918
Day in camp to repair bivywacks Went to Old windmill to scrounge sheet iron.  Found entrance to underground passage leading to trenches behind.  Inspection at 12noon.  Pay parade 4pm made ours into a very good bivy

29 July 1918
Out to work at 2am in Douchy  Avenue arrived in camp about 10:30am.  Baths at 2:30pm.  Inspection at 7pm

30 July 1918
Out to work at 2am.  Arrived in camp at 9am.  Inspection at 3pm.  Wrote a letter to Pam in green [?]

31 July 1918
Work at 2am in Douchy Avenue.  Inspection at 3pm

Acrobatics at Wakefield Museums

One of the really great things about working in museums is the fact that people often donate wonderful objects.

Recently we were offered a unique home made toy, made in the 1930s.  John Whitaker, Museum Curator demonstrates :

Here John hits the target!

The toy was brought to the museum by Herbert Spur.  His grandfather, Tom Cartwright,  made it for him when he was 9.  Tom Cartwright was a joiner & undertaker who worked in York Street.

If you have an unusual or interesting object bring it along to show our Curators.  Bring your objects to be identified and receive advice on their care and storage:

Meet the curator at Wakefield Museum - Every Thursday 2.00pm  - 4.00pm
Meet the curator at Pontefract Museum - Every Wednesday 2.00pm  - 4.00pm
Meet the curator at Castleford Museum - Every other Thursday 10.00am - 12.00noon

Stanley Ferry Logboat

After years of planning Wakefield Library and Museum unveiled a new display of a Viking era logboat this week.

The logboat with Cllr Peter Box, Leader of Wakefield Council

This  very special object was found 6 feet under the River Calder when the foundations of the Stanley Ferry aqueduct were being built in 1838.  

Stanley Ferry aqueduct

The boat is known as a log boat or dug out because it is made it is made from a hollowed out tree trunk. They are the earliest known type of boat and as such this boat was originally dated as being prehistoric . Analysis of the wood has shown that it is around 1,000 years old making it relatively modern.

As the boat was found by the River Calder near Stanley it was probably used to take passengers from one bank to the other – like a ferry. It could be the original ferry from Stanley Ferry.

Artist impression of the logboat in use 1000 years ago

It dates to around the year 1,000 – before the Norman Conquest of 1066 and when Viking Kings, jostled with Anglo Saxon Rulers to control Yorkshire and England. 

Visit the Stanley Ferry Logboat at Wakefield Library & Museum, free entry.

Meet a Viking event

20 August

2pm – 4pm

Drop in to Wakefield Library & Museum and meet Njal Siggurdsson the Viking. Find out - What it meant to be 'A Viking!' How coins were made. Traiders, Invaders and Raiders! Try a helmet and shield.  Suitable for families with children aged 8 and over. Free


The Stanley Ferry Logboat is on loan courtesy of York Museum Trust (Yorkshire Museum)

Collections Highlights: Butlin's Badge

Wakefield Museums hold over 120,000 historic objects that have been acquired on behalf of those who live, work in or visit the Wakefield district.

Many of the objects are on display at our museum venues, but we can't display everything at once! This series of blog posts will highlight some of the collections, both on display and off, by showing a photograph and some information about the object.

We'd love to know your thoughts about the objects featured in this series so if you have a memory linked to an object or if you can add some more background information about them please do leave a comment for us.

Butlin's Badge

This colourful badge was issued in Filey in 1955. During the camp's life, from 1939 to 1983, Filey was the only Butlin's in Yorkshire. These holidays were very different with entertainment for both families in the day and for adults at night. The all-in cost enabled children to use the swimming pool and rides as often as they liked. For the parents, it meant a break from non-stop parenting and endless cooking and washing-up.

Holiday camps after the Second World War were just another aspect of Prime Minister Macmillan's "you have never had it so good" society. For many families, this was the fist time that you had an affordable holiday where you were not kicked out for most of the day as had been the case in boarding houses (a very real consideration in the British climate).

Butlin's, Pontin's and Warner's cannily developed a number of camps along the coast which brought together the recent legislation on paid holidays and the availability of old army bases no longer needed after 1945. Many families developed a strong preference for one or other site and returned year after year. As whole factories or pits closed for the same time, it was possible to renew friendships with staff and fellow campers. To a great extent, you holidayed with the people you worked with the rest of the year.

Fond memories come in different forms:

• "Good morning campers, breakfast is now being served in the Ocean Lounge!"
• The humiliation at the knobbly knees competition.
• Fun flirting and the dream of romance on the dance floor...
• The donkey derby.
• The chair lifts.
• The stamp on you hand if you went out of the camp.
• The threatened lock out if you were not back by ten!

 Enjoy your summer holiday.....