LOOKING INTO BYGONE DAYS A peep into the past

The October meeting was sponsered by the Lincs C.C. Fens Food & Flower Festival who gave our Society a grant to purchase display screens.
These will be used, as they were at the meeting, to display our work as a society & also used as teaching aids & for displays at all our meetings & outside visits.
The hall was transformed with demonstrations showing many of the older crafts as patchwork, painting, decoupage, quilting, tapestry & crochet.
Our editor showed his skill at rag rug making & the ladies of the Lavender Lace Makers, in their smart lavender coloured tops, displayed exguisite samples of lace. It was fascinating to watch their nimble fingers at work & we were able to ‘have a go’. Jean showed the art of spinning & we watched the artistry of the weavers.
Our member Ann showed her delicate touch when egg decorating.
The Cambridge Community Archives had leaflets showing people how to put their old photos, stories & anecdotes onto a web site.
Hetty from the Wisbech Museum had a table with curious objects which we were asked to identify.
Alison, who demonstrates for the National Trust, was kept busy giving tasty samples of old fenland recipes such as sausage clanger, fourses cake, & gooseberry& custard tart with written recipes available.
Our own Book Stall was on display as were tables showing oil lamps & candleholders with a history of lighting through the ages & a table full of memorabilia such as old carpentry tools, clothes, medicine bottles, kitchen tools, toy engines & much more.
Judy’s family history was shown as a scroll at least four yards long!
Members & visitors were able to play games such as hoopla, braintease (solitaire), shove h’penny & halam – a game played with marbles.
Books were available on the Victoran Way of Life. WW2 & fashion for members to peruse.
Barbara Bullen did stirling work keeping every one supplied with tea & coffee as well as manning her own table of hand made cards.
It was an extremely interesting evening & pleasing to hear people talking about their own memories.
I wonder how many times the words ‘Oh I remember when…’ & Do you remember…’ were quoted during the evening?
[Barbara Holmes]