The place we decided to visit was St Fagin's National History Museum. St Fagins is a living museum located just outside of Cardiff. We had a fabulous day there, entry was free of charge and there is a small fee made for parking. It was a lovely day in terms of location, weather and company.
As I said, it is a living museum, and there are buildings, workshops and houses occupied and decorated in period costume, features and dress. Included in this is a shop and it is these photographs that I am using as part of my Weekend Cooking post.
There was something incredibly fascinating in this old shop. Seeing the packaging of earlier times, things I remember my Grandmother keeping, and the old scales, not too dissimilar from those I used in my early pharmacy career days, when we did actually make ointments, rather that sending off for it to be made in a lab and the most we do now is slap a label on the pot!
My mind was cast back to stores from my Grandmother of visiting the grocery shop and being served. Provisions being weighed out, such as tea, before moving onto baker's shop, butcher's shop and purchasing food for a day or so. The days before fridges & freezers, supermarkets and home delivery.
I just love living museums. I'm tucking this one away for if/when I get back to the UK. The photos of what we would call a "general store" are fantastic. I love the bins of biscuits.
ReplyDeleteHow interesting! I've only been to two living museums (and one was the entire colonial American town of Williamsburg), but I find them fascinating... I remember being struck as a kid by the pride of place that a sewing machine had. I think now I'd be even more interested in the foodstuffs. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks. There is one in England at Chichester which focuses on circa 15th + Century. Its called Singleton & I have not been there since I was at school, at least 30 years. The other was in Ontario, set up by an immigrant to Canada from the USA in the mid 1870s.
DeleteLovely - great sign too. Hope you are having a fabulous weekend.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a lovely museum. I've been getting very interested in "historical" cooking (is that a thing?) lately, and reading lots of vintage cookbooks.
ReplyDeleteYour in good company Beth!
DeleteWhat fun pictures. The scale is really cool. Thanks!
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That goods like great fun..nice pics.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be wonderful to live in those times! Thanks for a great trip back.
ReplyDeleteFascinating Juie and perfect for this week's Sepia Saturday - why don't you link up?
ReplyDeleteThanks Julie... fabulous post. My most favourite "living museum", here in Oz, is Ballarat, Victoria especially the fun of "panning for Gold" -:)
ReplyDeleteI remember scales exactly like those in the grocery shop of my best girlfriend's dad where biscuits, flour, sugar etc... were weighed out, per request, and packed in brown paper bags. Thanks for "the remembering". Cheers, Catherine
I love living museums too, (well I love all kinds of museums, actually) and your photos are fabulous.
ReplyDeleteIt does look fascinating Julie.
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