The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire

Did you know that one of the first fire services actually started in Ancient Rome? Rather that rush to put out the fire of the burning building, the fire service would approach the neighbours and make them pay to put the fire out. The neighbours still had something to lose and would often pay out just to make sure their homes still stood.

 It’s no surprise then that people would often attempt to firefight on their own. To do this you need some sort of extinguisher, which is what this blog looks at. The earliest form of extinguisher would be a simple bucket passed from hand to hand to put out a fire. A long and boring journey through various suction pumps leads us to the creation of the fire extinguisher as we would recognise it. A valuable commodity as you do not need a water source nearby and the water is pressurised to create a jet. Look around you, many people have these in their homes and some of you, who are skiving at work and reading this, may have two or three types for various fires.

Fill it up, and let her rip

 Here are two examples of Fire extinguisher which reside in the museum. This first one is made by an American company but sold through a firm inManchester. It is very similar to a modern fire extinguisher as it is a metallic holder with a nozzle, the beauty of this one is that it is refillable by yourself. You fill the extinguisher with water, and some bicarbonate of water and sulphate and tighten it really quickly.

Still filled and ready for action

 The second is one which was donated to the museum by Blackburn Fire Station and runs on a similar principal to the other one. This one however, still has something in it. I am incredibly tempted to give it a shake and see what happens, although whatever is in there has probably been stagnant for over 50 years. I think it’s probably best if I get a student to do it. I don’t want to get my clothes wet!

Wanna go Fishing son? No, Dad. I want to go to School

I was a good boy at school. I’m pretty sure there was one year at school when I had 100% attendance. I had no days off ill, or doctors appointments or days truant. Im sure there were some people who did better than I did over the course of their school years, but I was still pleased with the achievement of that year.

 Guess what I got to celebrate that achievement? A car? Don’t be ridiculous! A month without homework? Not a chance! A week off? Not happening! Maybe a handshake from the head teacher? Nope! A certificate? A piddly simple little certificate to say I had achieved something no other pupil would respect? No. Not even a certificate.

Pin this on your blazer. You’ll be the envy of the school!

 I wish I could show those teachers this wasn’t the case in 1904! Not only would I have got a handshake but I would also have received a medal! It’s worth remembering that school was a very different place in 1904. Teachers were stricter, lessons were not designed to be fun or interesting and the shadow of the cane loomed large over the classroom. To have 100% attendance in 1904 would have required an iron will and an iron backside!

 It’s worth remembering that during this period there would be many parents that would prefer their children to be at work rather than at school. So maybe the medal wasn’t just for the children, it was an incentive for the parents as well.

The Ultimate Popularity Contest…

…contested by people who are extremely unpopular.

To become a politician and assume people are going to like you is being incredibly naive. It goes with the territory that you have to make unpopular decisions and do things people don’t like. But getting to that point is the hard part. Convincing the public you are the right person for the job and are going to represent the people to the best of your abilities. I remember in my first year of school voting for the class representative on the student council. It was a secret ballot and I wrote ‘abstain’ on mine. Maybe I was trying to get across the feeling that I was disenchanted with the system? More likely I had learnt the word earlier that week and throught I was being clever.

In recent years, however, there has been a push to stop voter apathy. Maybe many people no longer feel that their vote counts or matters. In which case they may not have seen one of these.

Last used in Darwen, this box has seen better days

Something you should recognise

 

These are the boxes you would put your votes in. The first is a metal one that was last used in the early 90′s in Darwen. The second is a more modern one, which you may have seen today. The older one has a lock and key whilst the new one is fitted with slots for plastic tags and tamper-proof stickers.

Many years after the student council debacle we had a vote during a group university project. The group was split on how to finish the project. We decided to have a blind vote and I learnt from my previous experience and cast a vote this time and even volunteered to count. The winning option won by one vote. Which goes to show my one vote did make a difference!

Dressed to Impress

Humaira is a student on a placement with us and a dress within the collection caught her eye. Here is what she has to sya about it:

Everyone is always talking about history repeating itself – we’ve had the riots, we’re working through the recession and war is continuous, but how about fashion?

 Yes, people do say that clothing comes in and out of fashion for a period of time but how about when something from 50 years ago makes a big comeback?  The very flattering dress pictured dates back to the 1960’s.

Think Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross and Audrey Hepburn. They all probably wore a dress in this style throughout their careers’ and led the general public to follow in their steps.

 But young people, such as my friends and I, will only wear something if a celebrity is wearing it. If a superstar isn’t wearing something then neither will we, so why are they suddenly back ‘in’?

 Well, celebrities and the media have a big effect on what the youth look like these days, as more or less everyone wants to style themselves like their icon, whether that be their hair, clothes or general attitude – I have had some pretty bad experience with hair dye before!

 The main reason for ‘Old School’ being back in is probably due to the impact on teens after watching T.V shows or movies such as Hairspray, Footloose (both remakes of older versions) and Dream Girls,. Watching re-runs of old shows such as ‘That 70’s Show’ or ‘Happy Days’ which air throughout the year and which I think are just eye catching and fab.

I also think that the 80’s is in fact a repeat of the 50’s, with the narrow ankle jeans, and so the noughties and double digit years are generally a repeat of the 60’s through to the 90’s with the flower power shirts and flowing trousers (I have to say I’d draw the line at padded shoulders and the boom boxes!)

 But fashion from the 60’s and 70’s isn’t the only thing that has come back in. Anyone know a ‘little’ superstar named Justin Bieber? His hair from when he first became famous that swept across his face pays a little resemblance to Sir Paul McCartney’s hair from when he was younger. The amount of young boys I’ve seen trying to pull that off is unbelievable!

 Perhaps modern fashion is nothing more than designers taking a look back in an old next catalogue and thinking they can just bring something back in – which in some cases it’s a pretty good effort. Any bets on whether the fluorescent frilly 80’s look will make a come back? I really hope it doesn’t.

Q: What do you get if you jump out and scare a fruit?

A: You get a petrified apple!

An apple a day keeps the doctor away...That's because this one will bring the funeral director round!

(This is according to whoever identified it in the late 19th Century. If you think it’s not a petrified apple please get in touch through the comments section. Just be aware you will be ruining my joke)

Tear it down or build it up?

‘Leave it alone!!’ Say the traditionalists. They like their buildings historical. They like them with red bricks, straight lines and character.

‘Smash it! Rip it down’ say the regenerative types. They like their buildings new. They like them with glass fronts, sleek curvy lines and glowing colours lighting up the night sky.

So which is right? 

At the moment we have an exhibition on photos of old Blackburn. Some of these photos are from the earliest days of photography, whilst others are from the 1950′s and 60′s. As you would expect, the photos have created a large amount of nostalgia for the way blackburn used to be. What makes it interesting are the current developments which are happening around the town. The same thing was happening in the 1960′s and there were very similar reactions to the developments then as there are now.

A convincing guide for the people of Blackburn?

Using a guide for the newly built market from the 60′s (this is the market which has just closed) it is interesting to see the vision the leaders of Blackburn had for it’s future. Removing the old clock tower and cloth covered stalls to create the new indoor market was portrayed as the key to the development. As the guide states ‘Blackburn’s new market…is much more than a market…Rather it is the symbol of the new Blackburn, The beginning of the final onslaught on the old and the ugly in our town centre, and their replacement with the new and the graceful’. I’m sure many of you don’t agree, but it’s worth wondering whether the current developments will stand the test of time.

In the exhibition we have a comment box asking your view on developments within Blackburn and whether new buildings replacing old ones is a good thing or not. About half the people that commented stated they wanted to see both, a reflection of the history but new buildings to show the town as a modern, dynamic place. Interestingly, of the remaining people, there are a lot of comments supporting the demolition of the majority of old buildings. There are no comments, however, lamenting the demise of the market (the one that’s just closed). People still remember the original one and it appears the wounds from the demolition of the market tower have not healed.

The market tower only took a few hours to demolish. Do you wish it was stilll here?

What do you think? Was the rebuilding scheme of the 1960′s a total failure?  Will the new developments last the test of time? Do they need to last the test of time? Should the town have a large overhaul every 50 years?

Put your thoughts below. It would be interesting to hear them.

Egg-sactly!

Jessica Burton has been on a placement at the museum and wrote this blog on a 70 year old tin of eggs.

When it comes to eggs, nowadays we prefer them fresh, from chickens that have spent their lives running free in a grassy field on a jolly farmer’s farm. What you don’t imagine them to be is dried, whole eggs that have been powdered inside a tin. But what if that’s the only form there is? 

 World War II took rationing to a whole new level in Great Britain and with eggs being one of many foods being rationed, the appearance of reconstituted eggs made an appearance. The 70 year old tin of these eggs that I’m currently holding was supplied by the USA . Weighing 5oz and probably containing the equivalent of 12 eggs, your probably wondering what is difference between modern day powdered eggs and this?

How do you like your eggs in the morning?

 Well, if I’m honest I couldn’t tell you. I only like my eggs 3 ways; scrambled, fried (without a runny yolk thank you) and in some form of batter or cake mix. Any other way and I have no interest in having any, so it’s probably safe to say I would have had a grumbly tummy on egg night. Here is how they advise you, on how to prepare them:

 ‘One level tablespoon dried egg with two tablespoons water equals one egg. Put the dried egg into a clean bowl, add the water and mix until smooth. Work out lumps with a spoon against the side of the bowl. Whip slightly with a fork or whisk. Suitable for making scrambled eggs, omelets and for use in all cooked recipes which normally require fresh eggs. This egg must be used immediately after mixing.’

 It would be interesting to know how they do compare to real eggs. So if there is any of you who have been or are brave enough to try powdered eggs, not this 70 year old tin of them of course, then let us know how they compare to the real deal, by leaving a comment, it would be egg-solutely fascinating to know.

Down and out in Blackburn

Do you ever feel unsafe walking through an area?  Even in the more affluent areas of town we are not totally safe and now id and internet theft can mean you can have all your savings stolen without the thief ever leaving their seat and you none the wiser until you get to Asda and your card is declined.

Wouldn’t more bobbies on the beat be a better thing. Just seeing policeman can help provide reassurance that nothing will happen whilst they are around. But, what about once they have walked past? No matter how affluent an area every town and city will have its drunkards, drug addicts and petty criminals. ‘Oh what has our society become! ‘ I hear you lament, ‘If only we could go back to the glorious industrial days when there were more jobs than people and you worked that long and hard you were always to tired to cause any problems!’

Unfortunately, I have to burst your bubble. There have been criminals and trouble makers since the dawn of time. The industrial era did provide a place like Blackburn with tens of thousands of jobs and school leavers could walk into any factory of their choice, not just one that had vacancies. This however, did not stop crime and we have the evidence to prove it with these criminals’ record cards.

The Crime sheet of 62 year old Patrick Cocklin

Take Patrick Cocklin. A youthful looking 62 (trust me, compared to some of the other offenders, he looks young) who was first jailed for 2 months for stealing some shoes. He also had 4 months imprisonment for stealing a manure fork.

Crime Sheet for 17 year old Martha Ann Madden

Or how about Martha Ann Madden, who was caught stealing shoes and a shawl and being drunk and disorderly. Many of the crimes are thefts of items like food, shoes or warm clothing. There are also plenty for drunkenness and idleness and we also have one for murder, the convicted man being executed.

It’s fascinating to read these cards and learn what people at the time were being arrested for. It also lends a word of warning to those who look back through rose tinted glasses, industrial Blackburn would have had an aura of progress, desire and honesty but look deeper and into the cracks and life was hard. Very hard.

Butt out!

How do you finish hosting a meal? Do you bring out the port and cheese? Perhaps some sherry. Maybe you leave the womenfolk to tidy the table while you retire to the drawing room for a brandy and a cigar? (Seriously? in this day and age!)

There are a lot of dining traditions we have left behind, some for practical reasons, some have just gone out of fashion. One of these traditions is the taking of snuff. Once as popular as smoking, now a relic of a bygone era.

 

A rolling ram of a snuff box

The object on this entry is the pair of ram horns. As an Aries I am drawn to them anyway, but the story behind them is just as fascinating. They were owned by Roger Hargreaves, Grandson of James Hargreaves. Blackburnians may recognise the name as it was his family which owned a well known tobacco wholesaler on Northgate. The horns would be placed on a track on the dinner table and would be used to provide snuff with the after dinner port. There were two compartments which could hold two brands of snuff and originally came with a rabbit’s foot for dusting off any excess snuff.

Snuff was popular in professions where smoking was forbidden, such as mining. QueenVictoria did not permit smoking around her but allowedPrince Albert and other gentlemen to take snuff. During it’s heyday snuff would fill huge shops and come in a variety of exotic flavours and smells. It would be popular in large cities and small towns and was perfect as a mid-day pick me up or post dinner relaxer.

It’s Snow Joke

The nights are drawing in. It’s getting darker and that means one thing. Winter.

 I don’t really mind winter. Ice and snow can be a pain in the backside, literally! but I like the crisp clear mornings and the crunch of frozen grass under my shoes. I do admit that it’s easy for me to say this whilst working inside. I sit in a heated office, although it’s not exactly toasty when the temperature drops outside. I don’t need to worry about what gloves will be suitable all day, or how many layers I need to wear to keep my legs warm.

 Many people do have this problem. Perhaps you work on an outdoor market, or as a mechanic, or a gardener?  What do you do then? Well, some people come up with an ingenious solution. Like the picture below:

It's going to be the trend of 2011. Trust me!

It’s a novel way of keeping your hands and belly warm that fits under your outer layer of clothes. The belly warmer in the picture is a local object which comes from Darwen. In essence it works like a hot water bottle. You fill it with water and it keeps you warm. The back of the warmer is curved to sit easily on your tummy and the front has two perfectly sized handles. As long as you have some holes in your pocket which allow you to grab the handles, you have got yourself a perfect way of keeping warm in winter!

The belly warmer in detail