Shoes in Northampton

Shoes and boots have been made here in Northampton for 900 years though it is in more recent centuries that it has come to claim the title of footwear capital of the UK.

One whole floor of the local museum is dedicated to the history of footwear and of this industry and so yesterday we spent a couple of hours exploring this exhibition. It reminded me if a poem I learnt at school in my younger days.

,

"Choosing Shoes"

by Frida Wolfe

New shoes, new shoes,

Red and pink and blue shoes.

Tell me, what would you choose,

If they'd let us buy?

Buckle shoes, bow shoes,

Pretty pointy-toe shoes,

Strappy, cappy low shoes;

Let's have some to try.

Bright shoes, white shoes,

Dandy-dance-by-night shoes,

Perhaps-a-little-tight shoes,

Like some? So would I.

BUT

Flat shoes, fat shoes,

Stump-along-like-that shoes,

Wipe-them-on-the-mat shoes,

That's the sort they'll buy.

 

We saw shoes of every shape, colour and size imaginable. It is hard to believe how narrow women's feet used to be. There is no way that most if us would ever fit into the shoes that were worn pre WW1. One section was was set up to show the process of the making a shoe before the industry became automated. It was very much a hands on operation from the 'clickers' who selected the leather and cut the upper pieces, to the closing, to the lasting and finally the finishing. This link has a series of pictures explaining the process. http://www.crockettandjones.com/inthemaking

 

This photo is not very clear but it shoes that date for the 1500s. They were found hidden in a chimney during demolition work. It was often the practice in those times to hide a shoe to wade off evil sports or in some cases may have been to bestow fertility on a female member of the household.

 

 

 

 

 

We finished the day by watching a movie called Kinky Boots. Jessica and Andrew had seen it and were keen for us to see it as they thought it would round off our day. It is set in Northampton and follows the story of a factory that like many others in the area were struggling or gone 'under' because of the cheap imports that can't be competed with. This story tells how this factory finds a niche market in 'kinky' footwear for men dressing as women. It is both funny and sad. It shows scenes of Northampton we have visited, highlights the shoe making process and gives a background to why this industry is struggling. In the last few decades more than 20 factories have closed their doors. A great watch that can also be seen on London's Westend where it has been made into a musical.This link gives you the story behind the 'real' kinky boots. http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/the-real-story-behind-those-kinky-boots-1-881352

 

Posted with Blogsy

Good bye Scotland

We made one last stop in Scotland - this time right on the border at Gretna. We had initially made a booking for two nights at Robert the Bruce Cave camping ground but after a wet start to the day and persistent rain all the way we ditched that plan. I was quite keen to visit Robert the Bruce's cave but we were over the wet and it is no fun pitching your tent in the rain. So on arrival in Gretna we went t the Tourist Information Centre and the found us a hotel room for the evening. It was comfortable, clean and most of all dry.

As it was only mid afternoon at this stage we went out exploring. Our host suggested the Devil's Porridge museum which turned out to be a fascinating place. It was here that they made cordite for the ammunition, mostly shells, during WW1. It was a huge complex stretching over 9 miles and at its peak employing 30 000 people. Housing alone must have been a logistical nightmare. Much of the process was by hand and the term devil's porridge came from the process of tearing up cotton cloth into shreds and soaking it in a nitrate glycerine mixture. Very dangerous and mostly young women doing the job.

"The active ingredient of cordite is nitro-glycerine. To make this highly unstable material safe to handle it was absorbed onto the surface of "nitro-cotton" – chemically charred cotton waste which became known as "gun-cotton". When extruded and dried, the finished product resembled hemp rope, which lead to the name "cordite".

 

The link has further information http://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/ with lots of photos in the gallery or at this second site which explains exactly how the cordite was made.

http://www.cumbria-industries.org.uk/a-z-of-industries/chemicals/the-devils-porridge/

 

Gretna is most famously known for a destination for weddings. This originated back in 1764 when the English and Scottish laws about the age of consent for marriage were out of step. In England you needed your parents consent until 18 whereas in Scotland it was only 16. Hence large numbers of young brides and grooms rushed to Gretna to be married. The first 'House' across the border has a sign up saying that they have had 10 000 weddings there though the Blacksmith Shop at Gretna Green is the original marriage venue. Both places are still popular destinations but it is much more about the romance than consents the

 

 

Link to website re Gretna Green history. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gretna_Green

Beside this public house is the River Sark that forms the boundary between the two countries so we stood with a foot on either side of what we assumed was the middle.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Photos added

I have now added some photos to the previous posts.

Posted with Blogsy

Oban

Stephen was keen to travel through the Great Glen which runs along side Loch Ness so we chose Oban as our next destination. It was about a three hour trip through very pretty scenery. We travelled past Urquhart Castle and fortunately we had decided not to stop as we visited it last time. We couldn't have stopped even if we had wanted to such were the number of people there, the carpark full and it was raining! We travelled on down through Fort Augusta and Fort William and we still the roads were busy to say nothing of the atrocious driving skills of some drivers particularly the impatient ones trying to pass on blind corners and putting all of us at risk.

 

We decided to make a small detour into Glencoe for lunch. Glencoe is a place that is of interest on two fronts. Firstly it is a farming area in Southland that our friend Brian hails from and secondly I read a book once called Witch Light which is the story of the McDonald massacre in 1692. We found a park bench to enjoy our sandwiches before walking along the path to the monument.

 

 

 

We travelled about another hour along the coast line to Oban. It is a small fishing port and also an access point to many of the Islands such as Mull so we were somewhat surprised to find the place teeming with visitors. We found ourselves a quiet camping ground just two miles from the town centre and set up camp. It was a lovely sunny evening and we ate our meal looking out onto farm land.

 

 

 

 

The next day (Sunday) we spent in the town having a good look around. We walked right along the promenade, evading the information boards as we went before walking to the outskirts of town to Dunollie Castle. We went into the museum and watched a video about the places of interest in the area before walking up a steep hill to McCaig's tower. This landmark over looks the town and looks more like the Collesseum than something you would expect to find in a Scottish town. It was a relatively modern build that was never completed as McCaig died before it was finished.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had traditional haddock and chips for lunch and later completed our day with a cuppa in a small cafe on the water front so we could watch the boats and ferries coming and going.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Inverness

Friday was a rest day. We slept like logs after our big outing the day before and had a relaxing morning in the camp. It had stopped raining and it was very pleasant sitting outside our tent enjoying the peace and mostly tranquility. We must have been in the flight path of the airforce as a training jet fighter flew overhead more than once.

 

We headed into Inverness after lunch for a general look around, a meal and some more supplies. We had been here five years ago so this time we decided that the Botanic Gardens would be a good place to visit. We weren't disappointed. Though not a big site there was plenty of display gardens using lots of herbs, and fruit trees along with appropriate signage about how to grow and use them at home. In one corner was a 'Garden Project' set up to provide general life and training skills in horticulture to those with learning disabilities. This garden was full of vegetables, herbs, soft fruits and fruit trees. Wild flower gardens were providing habitats for insects as well as a lovely visual display. An emphasis on growing plants for bees was a theme throughout with lots of lavenders and salvias among the borders. Two hot houses were housing a tropical rainforest and a desert/cacti environment. It was lovely to see lots of families enjoying the gardens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our next stop was the Museum and Art Gallery. Much of it was dedicated to the begins and history of Scotland so we feel we are beginning to be experts on this topic. Although similar topics are covered in each museum we have been into, there is always something new that is of interest.

After a wander around the shopping area we chose a restaurant for our tea. This was followed by a visit to the supermarket for some supplies (we try to do this every second day only as we have a 12v chill box that keeps our perishables cool) before heading back to the campsite for the night. Of course there is plenty of day light here at this time of the year - around 15 to 16 hours per day, but of course the down side for those who live here is that there are only about six hours of daylight during the winter.

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Orkney Islands

We had it in mind that we wanted to travel to the Orkney Islands and that a day bus trip was the way to go as we had heard from a couple of friends that it was well worth it. Initially Stephen had been keen to camp at John O'Groats and bus from there but it is a long drive, the weather was less than favourable so we compromised by camping in Inverness ( where it was a little more sheltered) and took the bus from there. It was a very long day - 7am start which for us was quite an effort, and we were returned back at 9pm. But it meant Stephen could enjoy the day without worrying about driving and we also got a commentary about the sights on the way.

We had about 25 minutes in John O'Groats before the ferry, for a look around, and some food if we wanted it. We took the obligatory photo beside the iconic signpost - one to add to our collection of the one at Lands End and Bluff. Just as we were about to board the ferry we found another signpost and this one did indeed have Bluff on it saying it was 12 875 miles. We also spotted the camping ground and yes there were a few hardy souls braving it, mostly in campervans but there were some tents too! It was a fairly wind swept site.

 

 

The ferry trip took 40 minutes and was relatively calm. Our bus was waiting for us and we were quickly loaded and we set off for Kirkwall. On the way we travelled over the five Churchhill barriers that were built during WW2 to stop the German submarines entering Scapa Flo (the sea surrounding some of the Islands). They are an amazing feat and now provide causeways as seen in the photo below.

 

Our first stop was Kirkwall, the main town. It actually has city status because of the cathedral. We had an hour to browse around and unfortunately this part of our day was quite wet and made walking around unpleasant. I was keen not to be sitting in wet clothes for the rest of the day. We went in to the cathedral and had a good look around. It is hard to imagine how these giant sized buildings were built over 800 years or more ago. Stephen also got himself an Orkney Island icecream, a must we were told as it is made with double cream. I think we are some what spoilt in NZ for ice cream, especially our Deep South brand, as he didn't think this one was anything out of the ordinary.

 

Next stop was the Neolithic site of Skara Brae. This underground village was discovered in the 19th century after a storm blew the sand away that had been covering it for over 3000+ years. The cluster of ten houses were built of stone, into the ground and showed very detailed evidence of how these bronze aged people lived up to 5000 years ago. There were stone built furniture such as sleeping boxes, shelving like a dresser! and a communal living area. It is hard to believe that people have been living in these areas for so long. Further down the road is another site, that we only passed by, and it is yet another archeological site thatis currently being excavated.

The stone circles The Ring of Brodgar was our next stop and they are similar to Stonehenge. Scotland has many of these circles and standing stones and we saw several more in the trip back to Kirkwall.

 

Our last stop was The Italian Church. During WW2 there were a large number of Italian POWs on Orkney. They were treated by the British and when they requested somewhere to worship they were given a couple of Nissan Huts. A group of prisoners transformed them into an amazing church, using only the materials on hand. The art work is fantastic and shows what can be done even without the necessary materials. Recently family of the prisoners returned and have had the church restored.

 

The weather was forecast to deteriote later in the evening so it was back to the ferry and squeezed on with all the tourists on the island for the day. It was to be the last sailing for the day as high winds were expected. We managed a seat but some passengers had to stand. The early part of the crossing was not for the faint hearted though we never saw anyone being sick.

Our bus trip back to Inverness was quiet as we all reflected on our day's outing.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Troubles on the road

On Wednesday we set out for Inverness. On the way we took a detour on a scenic tourist route that was going to take us to Pitlochry. Our friend's son had worked in a camp ground there once and they said it was very pretty so when we saw the sign we detoured. It was indeed a pretty road and a change from the busy roads.

 

 

All was going well until there was a thud and the car's front wheel hit a grill/drainage plate that was sitting high up out of place. Stephen pulled off the road (actually a lovely picnic spot on a good day) and he survyed the damage. Not only was the tyre flat it had damaged the tyre wall. Stephen went to change it only to discover there was no spare. There was suppose to be a self inflator kit but it wasn't there either not that it would have been much good to us. So a phone call for help (we were actually very lucky the phone had reception as we were in a mountainous region) and the RAC came to our rescue. We were trailered back to Perth and a new tyre was fitted. Three hours later we were back on the road to Inverness. Stephen of course had a lot in common with the break down officer and they were able to compare notes. It seems the politics of the job are not much different here to NZ. What we did like was his vehicle had a small trailer that dropped down out of the back of it and he put our front wheels on it so we could be towed back to town. All very easy but as yet we are to still discovered at what cost. We have insurance but we all know what that is like and how difficult it is to get the pay out. While we were waiting another car came along and the driver, a local, stopped to talk to us. He had done the exact same thing only moments before us and he was planning to go to the local council for the cost of a new tyre. He said he would help us if we wanted a witness and any help so watch this space.

While we were waiting for the new tryre to be fitted we walked down to the River Tay for a look. The street running along side it was also called Tay, which is of interest to anyofus from Invercargill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Visiting

While in the Glasgow area we have had several friends and family to visit.

First stop was Harry, my brother in law Keith's, best friend from school days. We headed over to Erskine on Thursday evening and enjoyed very pleasant evening with Harry and Jeanette. Harry cooked us a lovely curry while we shared stories of mutual friends and places visited. Harry and Jeanette were in NZ for the February earthquake and in fact had been in the Cathedral only the week before.

 

 

On Friday after our visit to the Stirling Castle we had meal with Matt and Ange and their baby Cullen. Matt's my friends Andy and Joy and he came to Scotland to play rugby. He met Ange and the rest is history. It was great to be able to catch up and we also got to watch a recording of the All Blacks Argentina game.

 

 

On Monday we had a arranged to go to Eaglesham to visit some of my relations. My mum has corresponded with Rae, a cousin, for many years and in fact we stayed with them when we were in Scotland five years ago. We spent a very pleasant day with Rae and Arthur and their daughter Corrine. Before lunch we went for a drive/walk to a local park returning for a leisurely lunch.

 

 

Today we have been to Winchburgh (on the way to Edinburgh) to visit Keith's sister and her partner. We met Rosetta in Linlithgow (their closest main village) mid morning for a coffee and a look around. Then we went back to her 1700s cottage for lunch. They have a lovely property with a garden that Julian has full of flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On our way home we stopped off again Linlithgow to have a longer walk around the village and the a browse through the museum. We found a great treasure out the back in the form of a traditional brig or garden. It was on several levels with formal garden and herb and a kitchen garden. It has been restored to show what a family would have had in the 1800s. The museums displays tell Linlithgow's manufacturing history which included linen and tanneries. Linlithgow also has an impressive castle which was the birth place of Mary Queen of Scots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Exploring Glasgow Central

We spent Saturday and Sunday exploring the tourist spots in the central city. On Saturday we took the train and walked several kilometres around the city and on Sunday we drove to see two museums a little further out from the city centre. There are many magnificent buildings and monuments to be seen and it is testament to just how much wealth there was in this city during its heyday as an industrial city.

George Square. Robbie Burns dominates this square which also hosts the civic buildings.

The Glasgow Cathedral. Built in the 12th century this building dominates the sky line.

Necropolis. Glasgow's graveyard has to be seen to be believed. Hundreds and hundreds of huge monuments/graves celebrate Glaswegians of former times. The area is above and behind the cathedral and trying to get a photo doesn't do justice to the size of this site.

 

 

Glasgow Green. This area has been here beside the Clyde River for centuries and provided for the changing needs of the population from somewhere to do their washing, to grazing land, to recreational space. Nelson's monument standing 43m high can be seen here as well as The Peoples Palace and Doulton Fountain. The People's Palace has a museum highlighting Glasgow's history, particularly from a social perspective, a wintry garden and cafe. Outside the Doulton Fountain sets off the entrance to the People's Palace.

 

We had a quick look through some of the galleries in The Modern Art Gallery but would have to say we prefer the art work in the Kelvingrove Galleries.

Buchanan and Argyle Streets are two of the main shopping streets in Central Glasgow and we had a wander along them before going back to Queens Rail Station. Even though it was late on Saturday afternoon the place was full of people. Saturday was national busking day so there was a good selection of buskers performing

 

http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/kelvingrove/about/Pages/default.aspx

We spent part of Sunday looking at The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and we could have spent much longer. We particularly enjoyed the art galleries and the way the works are displayed. Each had a short explanation about how or what the artist was portraying or how it was achieved. For me it gave me a whole new perspective for looking at art. There was a whole gallery dedicated to the French painters including Picasso and Monet. There was a gallery about the Glasgow Boys, a Dutch gallery and one painting by Salvador Dali. There is also the museum galleries and with varied galleries such as natural history, Scottish History and archeolology, and arms and armour.

 

 

 

Our last attraction was The Riverside Transport Museum, built in 2011 on the banks of the Clyde. It is very much a modern museum, interactive and catering for all ages. Based around transport the galleries are based around each different type from bikes to motor bikes, to car and trucks, to trains and trams to shipping. Two streets have been set up to represent different Glasgow in different eras.

 

http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/riverside/pages/default.aspx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy