Tuesday 4 July 2017

A day out at Woodhorn

Hello everyone 
and friends at..... Bleubeard and Elizabeths

where we are all made welcome with a  drinks related post.
My cuppa is in one of the photos.

For a long while I have been wanting to visit the destination I am sharing with you today
Woodhorn-----It is based in original colliery buildings, where you can see  
the winding machines and engines
After our walk around these building a cuppa was calling .

The visitor center was inspired by the monster coal cutting machines there were once used deep underground [top left], It also houses the Northumberland  Archives
Naturally we had to visit the cafe  for a cuppa and a  roll, filled with ham and pease pudding.
The wall in the cafe was covered with super prints, this was as close as I could get as there were quite a few folk around.
The out side children's play area looked good as well[ bottom left].

Now for the real purpose  of our visit. to see the permanent  Art Exhibition by 
I added a link  if you were interested in the group of amateur artists.


Photographs were allowed if you didn't use a flash on the camera.
I have to say, it was quite dark in the gallery,  but I think you will get an impression of the work, from the few photos that turned out okay.



One of the pastimes the Pitmen had was keeping racing pigeons , they thought a lot about their birds and spent much of their spare  time in the pigeon houses. The wives had much work to keep everything clean in their  homes,  so they  had a more practical pastime  making proggy mats .
We met the 85 year old lady who spends most of her spare time at the museum making  small art mats using the same methods. [bottom left photo]. 


I had to end up with selection of photos, please look away if you are easily offended.
After a day in the dark depths of the mine
 Wor Jackie  hed  t  tek  is kit off an hev a wesh  doon.
[  this is the local dialect,  the  translation follows]
Our Jack needed to  remove his  dirty  clothes  and take a shower.

Thank you all for calling in to see me. 
I have added a few links if you needed further information.

I hope you are all having a lovely day 
and for friends in America
 Happy 4th of July.


18 comments:

  1. That looks like a very interesting visit, I would have enjoyed it, too. It's always interesting to see the old machines, and how and where people had to work. Love the mats, and their paintings. I've never heard of ham and pease pudding in a sandwich, but can imagine that it tastes good, my auntie used to make boiled knuckle of ham with pease pudding, yum! Happy T Day, hugs, Valerie

    ReplyDelete
  2. Definitely one for my list as it all looks so interesting. Love the paintings and the humour. Pit men were a breed apart and essential. Shame so many pits closed down and the culture has almost disappeared.

    Thank you for sharing it all Yvonne

    Happy T Day

    Love Chrissie xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh Yvonne, this is right up my alley. I've always been interested in mining and mining equipment. I was really impressed. I was also impressed with the paintings. The paintings certainly represented their daily lives, didn't they?

    My antique dining room table you see when I post a T post came from a coal mining town. The owners of the table also burned coal. The table was so dark and discolored, it was hard to tell what color it was supposed to be. Unlike most quartersawn oak, it never lightened completely. So, even when I stained it with a clear stain/varnish, the wood was still quite dark. So I can understand and appreciate the man getting rid of his undies.

    Thanks, too for wishing us in the US a happy Independence Day.

    I had never heard of pease pudding, but I can see it's a British dish from the north part of England. Thanks for leaving a link so I can appreciate it, too. I'm "assuming" your cuppa was tea. Thanks for sharing your trip to Woodhorn, the wonderful paintings, and your sandwich and drink with us for T this Tuesday.

    ReplyDelete
  4. What an interesting place to visit, the paintings are wonderful.
    xxx Hazel.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This does look a fascinating place to visit! I haven't had pease pudding for years - sounds like a tasty filling! I remember seeing the Robson Greene programme! It's good to see so much lovely art here! The groggy mat with Iggle Piggle on made me smile! Happy T Day! Chrisx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ha! Ha! That's proggy mat …must be me that's groggy - need a coffee! Chrisx

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a great place to visit, it looks like you had a wonderful time looking round the colliery and those lovely paintings 😀. The ham and pease pottage roll is something I'd like to try - yum! Such a fun ending to your post too and the local dialect made me smile, especially when I got my hubby to read it out which was so very funny ... lol 😂. Thanks and wishing you a Happy T Day! J 😊

    ReplyDelete
  8. Those paintings look like very very good amateur works-maybe more folk art as we call it here in the US. And the visitor's center is really an amazing piece of art itself, or should I say architecture. I enjoyed my visit too. Its great to see what is around in other places besides my neck of the woods. :) And I love your tag today too. Happy T day Yvonne. Hugs-Erika

    ReplyDelete
  9. such a wonderful looking visit! But such a hard life to be a miner. The paintings are beautiful. I appreciate the links too. I've heard of pease pudding but didn't know what it was exactly. I'd like it! Love the proggy mats(another one I had to look up). I remember making rag mats with my great grandmother- a bit similar to this. And thank you for the beautiful Independence Day wishes and art. Happy T day too!

    ReplyDelete
  10. i definitely would love to go there! very interesting post!
    happy t-day!

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a lovely post Yvonne! I think i've heard of pease pudding in a nursery rhyme haven't i? Thank you for the Happy 4th! I never would have known that colliery meant coal mining..lol Happy T day! Hugs! deb

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes pease pudding is mentioned in a Nursery rhyme
      I think it goes, like this ...
      Pease pudding hot, Pease pudding cold. Pease pudding in a pot nine days old
      http://www.rhymes.org.uk/pease_pudding.htm
      Yvonne xx

      Delete
  12. A FANTASTIC POST - I would really like to visit that interesting place! Super!

    ReplyDelete
  13. What an intersting place to visit. And fun to hear pease porridge is still around. I thought it was just from a nursery rhyme. I also loved the proggy mat especially the one of the kitty in the teacup. Happy T Day!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wonderful photos of your visit. The paintings and artwork are fabulous. My Papa(grandpa) was a coal miner in Virginia, later in his life he got what they call a 'Black Lung' pension. I imagine breathing in coal dust for years would do that.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thank you for taking us with you to Woodhorn. What an interesting place! The art is fascinating.
    Your bun is intriguing. I looked up pease pudding and got the impression it was like a soup (pottage), but you had it on your bread roll? Anyway, it sounds delish. We have 'erwten soep' in Holland made of Green Split peas and pork trotters. (equally delish).
    I really did smile at 'our jack' taking his kit off. Kit, that would be another Word for the English-American dictionary...
    Happy (belated) T-Day,
    Lisca

    ReplyDelete
  16. ha, the man getting ready to take a shower did startle me! lol! but understandibly, that would be part of the day. loved reading about the froggy mats...'rug-hooking' where we are in the US? but I think the small size is very unique to your area? wonderful paintings too...thanks so much for sharing! happy belated T day!

    ReplyDelete
  17. What an interesting place to visit ! Sorry I am so late at getting around . It has been an extra crazy week here!

    ReplyDelete