The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum is not too far from me and I visit a few times a year. There are often special events and recently they held a Horse and Carriage day. I forgot about it until the last minute and although I missed most of the carriages, there is always something worthwhile to see in the grounds.
The museum includes a town, Ballycultra, with outlying farmhouses, a Blacksmiths, thatched cottages, a school and even an Orange Hall. Staff often dress in clothing from the early 1900’s and can talk knowledgeably about the period. Many of the buildings were brought stone by stone from their original sites and reassembled in the grounds. You can read about how people lived one hundred or so years ago but to actually sit in their houses gives an extra understanding.
I’m still attempting a photograph every day with varying success but I’m rethinking posting them here every week. It usually doesn’t make for particularly enthralling viewing with images often being hurriedly taken simply because I need an image for that day. I still upload them to Flickr and you can see them here.
Click on an image to enlarge
The Blacksmith above was giving a demonstration on making pokers. Some had handles in the shape of a horse’s head with eyes and ears formed in the metal. This was finer detail than I expected.
This old bus was being used to transport people around the Folk Museum grounds.
The Draper’s shop in Ballycultra town. This was the counter area and there were samples of cloth, clothing and threads also on display.
A selection of hats in the same Draper’s shop.
This young lady was demonstrating baking soda bread on a griddle at an open turf fire