I walked along the front after Annie's funeral (I'd taken a change of clothes with me so was in warm trousers by then). When the howling gale got too much for me and gave me earache, I took refuge in the excellent little Museum in Aber. Here is a Welsh dresser in all its glory. Jugs and Best China everywhere on show.
Above and below, a selection of Welsh "primitive" chairs, which were hand made at home.
Round the corner into the farmhouse dairy of the past. A selection of beautiful butter pat stamps here.
Above and below, various pots and big jugs for holding milk and cream. These still turn up regularly at auctions and I have several at home which have been turned into storage containers now, with the addition of a lid made by my husband.
The huge brass pan is for warming milk for cheese making. The little crock with holes is for letting the whey drain out, and is probably made by Buckleys pottery (from the colours, with the yellow slip design). Next to that is a BIG butter churn, and another earthenware on the left front.
Two lovely old cheese presses.
More dairy equipment. The photo (sorry abotu the flash glare) shows how cows used to be milked in the fields - just like they were in Thomas Hardy's time (Tess of the D'Urbervilles describes such a scene). Lovely old roan Dairy Shorthorn cattle.
What an interesting post, I love museums & seeing all the beautiful wooden ware is wonderful. Fantastic dresser, I do love dressers.
ReplyDeleteSending Easter blessings.
Fondly Michelle
That is one beautiful Welsh dresser dressed indeed with wonderful jugs and plates.
ReplyDeleteWhen my father in law was a boy he used to walk round the fields with amilking stool on his back and milk the cows before school. He died in 2009 so we are not talking about all that long ago.
I enjoy seeing such homely 'everyday' items from the past--things which were used and not only for show.
ReplyDeleteI have yet to spend time in Aber, I used to drive through on my way from Lincs to Cardigan, now of course it is quite a trek for me. I do aim to get up to Anglesey this summer so may look at a 2 day visit. The museum looks a good place to wander round.
ReplyDeleteHello Michelle - I think all of these items would look really at home in your lovely cottage! The items I have, I use daily or regularly. I'd love a proper Welsh dresser, or better still, a West Country one as a nod at my roots.
ReplyDeletePat - Isn't it a splendid dresser? I have a non-Welsh dresser which has plates on to dress it, but my jugs hang from the beams here, rather than the dresser. I may look into asking my OH to put up some hooks on the dresser for me. Well, thinking of your father-in-law milking like that, it was obviously a habit which carried on much longer than we might think.
Sharon - me too. They speak to me far more than the "posh china", pretty though it is. I like earthenware pieces that my agricultural labourer ancestors would have used.
Pam - Aber is a nice town and worth stopping off at on your way up to Anglesey. It's an excellent museum and I shall post some more photos, though they don't do it justice.
Love the butter pat stamps and the dresser.
ReplyDeleteThe blue and white china is gorgeous. Jx
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures of the museum and such a lovely tribute to Annie. I'm sure her children will love that photo.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you named those yellow flowers, as I have an abundance of them in my garden. They don't die easily either!!! Maybe I'll stop trying to get rid of them!