Goole exhibition of old pictures and First World War information

We are having a really interesting time at our exhibition at Junction in Goole. Tuesday was set up day when we hung all Pippa's pictures and fastened other prints onto display boards with Velcro. We filled our display boxes with objects and Chris and Mike set up tables of information about Goole men who served in the First World war. It took a long time and not a little cursing but in the end it looked good.

Next day we opened - although we had visitors as we were setting up including a lady of 93 who was visiting from Newcastle. Having grown up in George Street she wanted to see pictures of Goole as it was in her childhood.

And the visitors have never stopped. People of all ages have come to see pictures of their town - and themselves. Perhaps most popular have been the old school and group pictures. Some people have gone away and come back a few hours later with other family members to see themselves on display. One of the most popular pictures has been of a Goole Amateurs production of Quaker Girl.

Others have brought pictures for us to copy - and then put up on display. Chris has received information about soldiers and pictures of Ruhleben camp where Goole sea men were interned. We have helped with a 1905 school picture for a lady who had never seen it before and looked up information about lodging houses in Howden.

But mainly we have talked - and listened. Sandwiches have been lying tantalisingly on the table - but there has been no time to eat them.

And next week is still to come. Here is one of the pictures we have had loaned this week. It is from a set of Goole Grammar school team pictures.

Goole Grammar school hockey team 1967 with teacher Cynthia Potter

Goole local history exhibition at Junction

After a brief pause for breath we are looking forward now to our local history exhibition at Junction in Goole. I hope that lots of people will visit as Pippa  Stainton will have some stunning images of Goole and the local area on display. And the talks - I am talking on Goole shops - will be good too - and they are free.

I have sent some information to publicise the event to the Goole Times and reproduce it below.

 There will be a show of the work of Pippa Stainton, local historian and photo restorer in Goole’s Junction from Wednesday August 26^th until Saturday September 5^th. On display will be 70  of her framed prints, all of which will be for sale and which show scenes from Goole and the surrounding towns and villages.

Alongside the exhibition Pippa’s colleagues from the Goole local history group, Susan Butler and Gilbert Tawn will be putting on their own displays of old photographs and objects relating to Goole’s history.  Susan is concentrating on school group pictures while Gilbert will be displaying many old pictures from the Goole Times archive.

Also in attendance will be the Goole First World War Research Group, who will be displaying service records, photographs, letters and other memorabilia that relate to the men of the town who fought during the ‘Great War’.

The  local history group has also arranged a series of free illustrated talks which will take place at 2pm in the same room as the exhibition.

On Friday August 29^th Chris Laidler of the Goole First World War Research group will give a talk on  Goole men and the First World War. On Monday September 1^st Susan Butler will give a talk on the shops of Goole; on Wednesday 3^rd September Gilbert Tawn will talk on Goole docks and on Friday 5^th September Chris will talk again, this time on Goole railways.

On Saturday August 30^th other local history societies have been invited to put on displays and bring along any local history books they have for sale. Howden Civic Society are bringing information and books about airships; Holme on Spalding Moor Local History society will be there with information about the village and the First World War, Snaith History Society will also be bringing First World War information and the Marshland History group will be bringing their display and copies of their latest book on Reedness. Susan Butler will be bringing her books for sale and copies of her old pictures which have appeared in the Goole Times will be available to print out.

The last day of the exhibition, Saturday 6^th September, will be a family history advice day when the Boothferry Family and Local History group will be available to help anyone who needs help with their family tree;  the First World War Research group will be there to help people search for service records, and other Goole group members will be there with access to Ancestry and Find my Past websites.

Goole history book on Kindle

Now the excitement of opening our museum is over I have had time to complete a project which I began 3 months ago. After talking to my friend Ken Deacon who has made his books about airships  available on Kindle I wondered whether I could do the same.

I thought I would begin with my most recent book which was Goole a Pictorial History volume 4, published in 2011. It covers the period just before and including the Second World War and is readily available through my website and in local shops in its printed form.

I must admit it was not so easy as I thought, mainly because my book contains around 80 pictures with captions as well as text and it was hard to get the layout right as Kindle books are often mainly just text. However I persevered and although in my final version some pictures still persist in separating from their caption I do not think this detracts from the book. In fact the pictures seem to appear quite well.

I was amazed at how fast the final process actually was. I uploaded a Word document last night, created a cover using the built in Kindle cover creator [ my own cover was the wrong shape] and pressed the button. It was there in the Amazon search within half an hour and fully 'live' three hours later.

I might try another book - but not just yet.  After all no-one has bought it so far!!

Instead I shall concentrate on domestic matters and hang the washing out before the promised rain materialises tomorrow.

Click on the link below to see my Goole book on Kindle and read a preview


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Goole-pictorial-history-Susan-Butler-ebook/dp/B00MJ8TR82/

Saltmarshe history and museum

Today has been a lovely day as friends, many from my history classes joined with neighbours  to help us celebrate the opening of our small museum.

What began as a project to renovate a neglected cottage in my garden has turned into the creation of a small local history museum. Members of the Goole local history group -  but mainly Gilbert Tawn - have plastered, painted and hammered until we have a home for the many interesting objects which we either collected ourselves or have had loaned and given.

Gilbert  opening the museum

The rain held off and we watched a slide show of the transformation before around 50 people watched Gilbert cut the ribbon and then were able to look around. It is an ongoing project with a mix of domestic bygones, displays of woodworking tools, old radios, bits of the  airship R100 [very very small] and old toys. There are also old photographs and a considerable amount of  information about the history of Saltmarshe and the surrounding area.

Although not intrinsically valuable the artefacts, we hope, will evoke memories of schooldays, baking, washing and farming as well as everyday life. We also have a collection of local bricks and drainpipes.

We drank many cups of tea and ate lovely cakes baked by Gilbert's wife Gloria. The sun shone and everyone wandered round and talked. A very good way to spend a summer afternoon.

The museum will now be open for groups and individuals to look round - but by prior arrangement only.  It is near both Saltmarshe Hall and the  Saltmarshe holiday cottages and I am happy, with my local historian and professional genealogist's hat on, to help any one who needs to know more of their family history or obtain an old photograph of the area.

Contact me if you are interested in visiting.

Vistors looking at the display

Inside the 18th century kitchen

The 'parlour' with its original curved top display cupboard

Brenda, Eileen and Goff