Windmills of my Mind
The discovery of a slightly shabby model of a windmill lurking in the Museum inspired some investigation and research. The model had no description with it or any indication of …
Going Postal
Fifty years ago Great Britain had its first national postal strike. The strike by Postal Workers in support of a pay rise took place between 20th January and 7th March …
Strictly Off The Record
The last decade has seen a huge increase in our ability to record sound and images with devices light enough to carry with us all the time. In our Museum …
The Sound of Music
This bronze plaque has been part of our collection since 1981. It features the image of a woman and bears the inscription Mary Wakefield 1853-1910. So who was Mary and …
Thorntons’ Selection
The name Thorntons is now generally associated with chocolates, but for over a century in Oakham at least it was associated with plumbing and decoration. The origins of this business …
Keeping a Straight Course
One of our more unusual exhibits is a Pattisson tractor which was previously used at Luffenham Heath Golf Club. The Pattisson golf tractor was a sturdy machine specifically made for …
Castles in the Sea
One of the larger items in our collections is a name board from a ship, HMS Oakham Castle. HMS Oakham Castle was built by A. & J. Inglis in Glasgow. …
Pulp Faction
We have a couple of items in our Collections made of a now largely forgotten material called Thetford Pulp Ware. The Patent Pulp Manufacturing Co was founded in 1879. They …
Going Up in the World
Recent work in our Collections revealed a small, but interesting, collection of pattens. This is a word which is probably unfamiliar to many people, as pattens are not in common …
Picture This
“A picture is worth a thousand words” is a well known phrase, reportedly first used by Frederick R. Barnard, in Printer’s Ink (December, 1921), commenting that an image can explain …