Bobbins

Ever since the Museum in Keswick was completely refurbished and reopened in 2014, we have been planning to make a visit. But trying to find a day when Keswick was not full of people can be tricky, so we have put it off time and time again.

Today we made it and I am so glad we did. The place is quite splendid - a huge improvement on how it was when we were there many, many years ago. It was then a dark, musty, old-fashioned museum full of 'stuff'. Now it is light and airy and organised. We got a lovely welcome from the lady volunteer on Reception and we ended our visit at the excellent café, sitting outside in the sun. It was so nice to be in Keswick when all the visitors had gone. It was so quiet and we could park on the street, just outside the museum. I don't think that would have been possible last week.

The thing that really prompted the visit was an exhibition about The Greta. Having just completed my story of a river, I was fascinated to discover this one about Keswick's river. An excellent exhibition with some fine photographs and a wonderful huge old map on the wall, so one could see for oneself how the river was used to support industries in the past - there were so many mills, seven of them bobbin mills at one time. Here are some of the bobbins made in Keswick and the map in the background. Of course the recent floods caused devastation in the town and this aspect is well documented with some amazing 'before' and 'after' images. An exhibition well worth seeing, if you haven't already and you are in the area before the middle of May.

And I bought the book!
  
And I sighted my first Go Herdwick sheep (see extra) - only 59 to go!
This is Ruskin, designed by Sarah Taylor.