As it's approaching the end of the season, historic houses are winding down and getting ready for the annual sweep through, and us staff are getting ready to slip on our nightcaps and hibernate for the winter(!). I thought we could do with a bit of light-hearted fun to keep us going.
Here is a link to an English Heritage blog on the Top Ten Toilets Through Time!
Enjoy!
Wednesday, 1 October 2014
A trip down Memory Lane
One of the things which interests me the most about working in a historic setting is the way in which objects and items capture people's imagination. I often wonder what gives a historic artefact that wow-factor of public interest, and the answer isn't always because it's valuable or rare.
For example, when I'm giving a guided tour, visitors very rarely ask 'How much is it worth?' but they often do ask 'Who did it belong to?' and 'How did it come to be here?'. The human element is a great factor in bringing history to life.
One of the public's most loved rooms on my guided tour is the nursery room. This is a tiny room packed full of nonsense, a real Aladdin's cave of everything! There have been 500 years worth of children living at Pencarrow House, but the things which capture the public's interest are often the things which would be totally overlooked in an antique shop.
'My brother used to have one of those!'
'I used to play with one like that at my grandfather's house!'
These are some of the comments I get as people gaze (often with looks of pure joy) at the multitude of toys - some rare, some everyday, dating to as late as the 1980's.
'I bought one of these for my daughter, and she dropped it over the side of the Padstow Ferry!'
Everybody can relate to the tin soldiers and the little plastic telephone in a way they often can't with an eighteenth century dinner service or a set of Minton candlesticks. It is the ability to spark an emotional response which make some items stand out above others and really grab the public's attention. And it is these emotional responses which brings history to life, and which really makes my job the bees knees!
In response to my stories from Pencarrow, I've heard charming stories from visitors, sad stories, stories which I delightedly come home and tell my own family. It's the way people relate to the items in our history which generates the interest and brings people through the door. I believe that this is the main attraction to historic houses - the human element. Allowing visitors to experience history through imagination, memory and emotion is a huge factor in where I would like to take my career within the heritage industry.
For example, when I'm giving a guided tour, visitors very rarely ask 'How much is it worth?' but they often do ask 'Who did it belong to?' and 'How did it come to be here?'. The human element is a great factor in bringing history to life.
One of the public's most loved rooms on my guided tour is the nursery room. This is a tiny room packed full of nonsense, a real Aladdin's cave of everything! There have been 500 years worth of children living at Pencarrow House, but the things which capture the public's interest are often the things which would be totally overlooked in an antique shop.
'My brother used to have one of those!'
'I used to play with one like that at my grandfather's house!'
These are some of the comments I get as people gaze (often with looks of pure joy) at the multitude of toys - some rare, some everyday, dating to as late as the 1980's.
'I bought one of these for my daughter, and she dropped it over the side of the Padstow Ferry!'
Everybody can relate to the tin soldiers and the little plastic telephone in a way they often can't with an eighteenth century dinner service or a set of Minton candlesticks. It is the ability to spark an emotional response which make some items stand out above others and really grab the public's attention. And it is these emotional responses which brings history to life, and which really makes my job the bees knees!
In response to my stories from Pencarrow, I've heard charming stories from visitors, sad stories, stories which I delightedly come home and tell my own family. It's the way people relate to the items in our history which generates the interest and brings people through the door. I believe that this is the main attraction to historic houses - the human element. Allowing visitors to experience history through imagination, memory and emotion is a huge factor in where I would like to take my career within the heritage industry.
Friday, 19 September 2014
Historic Cornwall
While I'm bustling around the busy cafe where I have been working this summer, visitors often stop me to comment "You're so lucky to work here!"
In all honesty, I feel anything but lucky as I'm carrying trays of other people's half eaten lasagne and empty bottles of Cornish Cider across a busy cafe in my hot uniform - especially this summer, which has been a scorcher. This summer there have been frayed tempers as parents have struggled to control their overheating children, and ice creams have sold out unexpectedly quickly. I have to admit that at times like those, I don't feel lucky at all.
But, I have to stop and reflect (now that I'm at home for the day and hungry strangers aren't ringing bells to get my attention) that actually, I am lucky. Very lucky.
Cornwall is a fantastic, historic place with a real sense of its own identity. While most of my friends at school saw no opportunity here, and couldn't wait to get away, I am extremely lucky that my passion for history is able to be nurtured by my surroundings, every single day. This sense of history is of massive importance to Cornwall's culture, and the preservation of historic places and traditions is a huge part of everyday life here. I realise, as I sit here with my very own bottle of Cornish Cider, that I would dearly love to be able to use my career as tool to ensure the important lessons and messages of history continue to be shared within the communities from which they originated, and are preserved for future generations to enjoy.
In all honesty, I feel anything but lucky as I'm carrying trays of other people's half eaten lasagne and empty bottles of Cornish Cider across a busy cafe in my hot uniform - especially this summer, which has been a scorcher. This summer there have been frayed tempers as parents have struggled to control their overheating children, and ice creams have sold out unexpectedly quickly. I have to admit that at times like those, I don't feel lucky at all.
But, I have to stop and reflect (now that I'm at home for the day and hungry strangers aren't ringing bells to get my attention) that actually, I am lucky. Very lucky.
Cornwall is a fantastic, historic place with a real sense of its own identity. While most of my friends at school saw no opportunity here, and couldn't wait to get away, I am extremely lucky that my passion for history is able to be nurtured by my surroundings, every single day. This sense of history is of massive importance to Cornwall's culture, and the preservation of historic places and traditions is a huge part of everyday life here. I realise, as I sit here with my very own bottle of Cornish Cider, that I would dearly love to be able to use my career as tool to ensure the important lessons and messages of history continue to be shared within the communities from which they originated, and are preserved for future generations to enjoy.
The Beginning...
This is the beginning of my journey into a heritage career.
After completing my degree at the age of 28, I feel the pressure more than ever to find a career which fits me, and will make me happy.
In the years since leaving school I have worked in many different areas of employment and have gained valuable skills in each and every one (even including the time I worked as an envelope stuffer in my youth). However, I do now feel that the time has come for me to push myself and really strive to achieve something special, something which makes use of the valuable new skills I have acquired during the last few years of university and post-university employment.
This blog will hopefully document my journey, and allow me to see in a tangible way the actions or directions I need to pursue in order to achieve the goals which I set out for myself.
So, internet, wish me luck!
After completing my degree at the age of 28, I feel the pressure more than ever to find a career which fits me, and will make me happy.
In the years since leaving school I have worked in many different areas of employment and have gained valuable skills in each and every one (even including the time I worked as an envelope stuffer in my youth). However, I do now feel that the time has come for me to push myself and really strive to achieve something special, something which makes use of the valuable new skills I have acquired during the last few years of university and post-university employment.
This blog will hopefully document my journey, and allow me to see in a tangible way the actions or directions I need to pursue in order to achieve the goals which I set out for myself.
So, internet, wish me luck!
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