Friday comes around so quickly doesn't it? It has been very warm for the last few days, gardening has been done, walks have been taken, sitting in the garden reading in the afternoons has been enjoyed. Not much rain over night but it is very, very windy today which I'm not very keen on. It's howling around the house as it does during a late Autumn gale.
Anyway, as its Friday here are five photos from our visit last June to Beamish Museum in County Durham. I thought I'd just quickly show you five modes of transport.
Tram - in the good old days before social distancing became so necessary.
Cycle - Penny Farthing or Ordinary
Bus - we took a ride on this bus as well as the tram above.
Horse and Cart
Steam Train - sorry its a bit fuzzy! We took a ride on this train too and imagined how the first people to ride on them must have felt - fear, danger, excitment? A glimpse into the future?
I worry about Museums (and Libraries, Art Galleries and Theatres too). How will they cope in the future? How are they coping now? Many are reliant on visitor numbers and entrance fees. Sales in shops and cafes. Sales of tickets for special events and exhibitions. Funding and support from overstretched local councils. I worked in Museums for over twenty years so have a personal interest. They have had ups and downs over the years let's hope they can survive. I look forward to being able to visit them again as they are good for both mind and soul.
So lovely to see the different modes of transport :) It is very windy here today too - I find it rather irritating! I worry too about museums and art galleries and theatres - I read somewhere recently that The Globe in London was struggling. I also think about the little shops you get in market towns that can't open. It is hard to imagine a world that is normal at the moment. Life has changed so very much. I have found this week very hard as I have started to really miss going out.
ReplyDeleteThank you RR. The wind was quite bad yesterday I decided not to walk in it. I read too about the Globe, I've wanted to visit it since it was built but we never go to London now as it is too expensive for a day on the train. When we lived close to Peterborough we could get there in under an hour so went often but then I was younger too. Little individual shops, market towns and markets are under threat too. Household names we've grown up with like Rolls Royce, Marks and Spencer, John Lewis, Debenhams all struggling I feel sad about it all and like you have found this week difficult. I miss going out but also I don't want to either if you see what I mean. Take care:)
DeleteYour penultimate sentence sums up exactly how I feel! I have been to the Globe but only once - my son treated me. We went on the train and tube to see Dr Faustus. It was a brilliant experience and I do hope they survive this. As you say so many businesses are struggling at this time. Take care Rosie :)
DeleteHow wonderful to have seen a performance at the Globe. I hope it survives. I remember seeing Dr Faustus at Nottingham Playhouse in the early 70s with Ian McKellan in the title roll:)
DeleteIt has crossed my mind a few times on how some of the galleries, museums, theatres or place of interest will survive. Time will tell I suppose. A delight to see the different modes of transport. It is blowing a gale here too with the ferries cancelled.
ReplyDeleteThank you MM, I think some of them will struggle I hope we don't lose them as they bring so much colour and joy to life,I guess there will be always something there I can't imagine life without them. Hope the gale didn't get to boisterous in your area, it was quite bad here:)
DeleteAhhhhh, a trolley!!!!! Are you familiar with "The Trolley Song" from the old Judy Garland song, from "Meet Me In St. Louis"? I will try to leave a click-able link, to the page with the lyrics. And lower on that page, are videos of it. -smile I try for click-able link here... ... I think it worked!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYes, there are many worthy places, which will find it hard to survive, without visitors. And places, which depend on tourists, like my own city. Hard times, around the globe. Thanks to China and the Wuhan Virus!!!!!! I insist on naming the source. With no ill feeling toward the Chinese people, of course. It is the totalitarian communist government, which is to blame.
Back to a lighter subject!!!!!! I never learned to swim either. So I do not use our pool. Actually, it was put in, years and years ago, so our children could learn to swim. Back in those days, my husband was working morning, noon, and night, keeping our Pharmacy open. I could not swim, so I could not take them, to a lake. He had very little time off. So.... We put in the pool, and he taught them, when he could.
And he and they, and their school friends, have used it wonderfully, over the years. And then all our grandchildren and their friends. It has "paid-for-itself" over and over and over. -smile- When I was younger, I used to try to swim. And sit with my legs in the water, etc. But not in years!!!!!!! But it has always been fun for me, to watch them, have fun.
Open up, please.
With masks/distancing.
Compromised people
Stay home!
🌸💙🌸💙🌸💙🌸💙
Thank you WoW, yes I remember seeing the film on TV when I was younger thanks for the link. We used to go from our village on the school bus to the nearest small town that had a public baths to learn to swim, I used to wear glasses and had to take them off, couldn't see very well and also didn't like water on my face so I never learned properly. Even when I shower I have to have the hose lower so water hits my chest rather than my face:)
DeleteI suppose an open-air museum like Beamish may be able to open to some extent before indoor galleries and museums. I notice that some art galleries are putting short films on YouTube so that you can pay a virtual visit, though I don't see that helping them financially.
ReplyDeleteThank you John, yes the larger museums and open air ones will fare much better. I've visited one or two exhibitions on line which I'd never have got to see otherwise. I expect eventually people will have to pay a small subscription to view. Hay on Wye book Festival is also available on line at the moment. I may dip into that soon:)
DeleteThe history of transport is a popular subject in the primary school and being able to visit living museums like Beamish Open Air Museum is a good way to get children interested in history and learning. We hope places like this survive this challenging period of closure. It's the same with theatres as they are under a lot of financial pressure. No sooner had our theatrical grandson started his course at LAMDA in London than he needed to go back home to study remotely and the future of cultural venues are under threat. Thank you for featuring Beamish. It makes me wish I'd visited more of these venues when we had the chance. I do hope things will eventually get back to normal at least for the young generations of the future.
ReplyDeleteThank you Linda, I hope they survive too, I remember the queues from last year at the booking in desk but once you were through that there was plenty of space for everyone, What a shame for your grandson studying remotely must seem very odd for him in a profession based on people and togetherness. I worry for the young actors who are just staring out in what is a difficult profession financially anyway. We could have returned to Beamish this year as the tickets last for 12 months but that won't happen now:)
DeleteA great post Rosie & somewhere I have been. We went on one of the double decker buses & I so enjoyed the whole place & sense of history. This whole situation is a worry for so many things, even down to the public transport industry as it stands now. Many here in Oz are opting to now drive to work rather than train, bus or tram. As DH is a retired bus driver, we wonder how it would have impacted us if he was still working. Worrying times indeed!! Take care, stay safe & huggles.
ReplyDeleteThank you Susan, it's a wondeful place isn't it? Thank goodness you are both retired and don't have to worry about the working situation it must be hard for those who have to return to work, so many things to worry about. We were only saying the other day how grateful we were that we were now retired. Take care:)
DeleteWhat a great day out! I don't think I've been to Beamish but have heard about it and can see it's an exciting place to visit from your photos. Hopefully these wonderful places will survive the pandemic and gradually open. Those with outdoor spaces will be luckier. 😊
ReplyDeleteThank you Karen, it wasn't quite a year ago and yet seems such a long time since we visited. Let's keep our fingers crossed that they will all survive in some form or other. Yes, outdoor museums, sculpture parks etc will fare the best:)
DeleteNot been to Beamish, but it does sound like a place we would like.
ReplyDeleteI too fear for libraries, museums and other places of interest.
Thank you Julie, it is a lovely place to visit, I hope they will all be open again before the end of the year, I can't see it happening through the summer:)
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