I love Museum shops - you can get the most amazing reproduction vintage
bits and bobs!
I got some great things at the People's Palace,
Glasgow. Fabulous vintage advertising postcards
and tins. Love this tea caddy.
The Cath Kidston mug was part of my gorgeous Christmas present from my
son and daughter in law.
As for the museum itself ... well ... I know museums are
trying really hard to attract youngsters by providing lots of "hands
on" activities. But I feel that
somewhere along the way they have lost a lot of the atmosphere I can remember from
when I was young. To my young mind museums
were full of fascinating and wonderful things that sent me back home to my
encyclopaedias and the local branch library to find out more about them.
I can still remember the muffled silence and the smell of
polish and age of our local museum as I wandered around totally in awe of
everything I could see, and at the same time excited by what I would discover in
the next display case.
My recent visit to the People's Palace was spoiled by lots
of unruly children (where were their parents/carers?) pushing in front of me
when I was trying to look at exhibits, shouting to their friends and running
around. A friend and I sat to watch and
listen to a video clip of the history of the local prison which was totally
spoiled by kids running in and out of the little room trying to climb the door
of the mock prison cell to shout too their friends on the other side. I won't be back there for a very long time!
Anyway, enough of the rant!
My favourite part of the visit was the exhibit about the
"steamie" or public washhouse, where women went to do their
washing.
When I saw this pram, it
reminded me of a photograph of my brother (what a chubby little boy he was!)and
I in a similar pram. I actually remember
the colour of that little basket I'm holding - it was yellow, I loved it and
took it everywhere with me, and my Dad used to sing that song "A Tisket a
Tasket" to me.
Love, Liz