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Published: June 25th 2018
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Woolly says – It seems like years have passed since we arrived in Dudley although Jo swears it has only been weeks, our backpacks lie stationary, empty and forlorn. Applying for work has become the norm, I have already been shortlisted as chief nut taster for one of the UK's leading suppliers and don't feel that it would be to challenging a role. I had however turned down the position of lion feeder at the zoo as having met with my would be charges it appeared they were more interested in eating me rather than their usual rations...... it was a scary moment and one best forgotten as quickly as possible. Boredom and tedium was setting in and I found large sighs escaping from my trunk at regular intervals. In the hope of stopping the sighs and giving us all a much needed day out we headed to one of the local museums, visited many years ago when Zoe was nearly as small as our companion it was a place that the mammoth had never visited and I knew that it had a interesting collection for him to view. Woolly says – I spent the journey bouncing up and down on the dashboard as we passed place after place that I knew until Jo told me to sit down or be banished to the rear of the car, the spring in my step was hard to control and as we pulled onto the carpark I lept out of the car and ran straight into the ticket office where I paused for a moment to get my bearings.
Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings is an open-air museum of rescued buildings in the district of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. Founded in 1963 and opened in 1967, the museum was conceived following the dismantling of a 15th-century timber-framed house in the local town in 1962, to provide a location for its reconstruction. It became England's first open air museum and the second in the United Kingdom. The first room of exhibits explained how the museum had been founded on voluntary help and donations and gave us some really good information on why buildings get listed to keep them safe. As we made our way into the open air the first building I spied contained a shop filled with cakes, my tummy let out a loud grumble, well my last snack break had been at least twenty minutes ago!
I really have no idea where he puts it all but knowing that he would refuse to move much further unless fed we settled down with some sticky cakes whilst enjoying the sunshine. Before I had time to wipe him down following a slight accident with his bottom and the jam he raced off and disappeared towards the exhibit that I knew he would like. Woolly says – Telephone boxes, lots and lots of telephone boxes met my eyes, blue ones like the tardis, red ones that are iconic of Britain and modern day domed and open ones, so many to see I barely knew where to start. Even better were the large old pennies that could be placed in the coin box and would allow me to call to the other boxes and talk to the girls. The largest collection of telephone kiosks in the country it is part of the Connected heritage project with phones dating back to 1912 and into the 1990's, sadly very few will now be added, with the rise of mobile usage these wonderful old boxes are really a thing of the past. Having exhausted the penny supply I trotted passed the model railway and headed into a green corrugated church. Hymns played automatically as we ended the unadorned interior and having waved a merry greeting to the vicar I headed off to the next area.
He seemed to be enjoying himself and as Zoe and I followed him onwards we saw his tail disappear into a small builing. Woolly says – My heart starting pounding and my eyes couldn't believe the sight in front of me, not one, not two but THREE toilets to test out, Sion my bestie and I could have one each and maybe invite a friend to share in the delights of toilet sitting! Before he could start testing them out I hustled him outside and towards the sites windmill. Woolly says – Standing alone with a view over the rolling countryside the windmill looked strnage without it's sails which lay in the grass nearby, a lady who was painting the wooden surround saw my disappointment and aplogised explaining that new ones were being made and would be fitted very soon, not soon enough for our visit though. We moved on, passing the village pond and the treshing barn, we paused for a moment to admire some lovely chimney stacks and an old labourrers cottage which was under renovation. The old toll house smelt of wood smoke, as I looked arounnd each room I wondered how a family of ten had managed in the confines. A few paw strides away stood the beautiufl tudor building that had been the starting point for the museum, inside was huge with a dining and kitchen area on the ground floor and two large areas for sleeping in up some rickety steps. I galloped across the grass and into an anderson shelter that was fully fitted and ready for use, having tested out the hard bunks I turned my attention to the prefabricated house that stood in the gardens. Very much a fifities look to the furniture and far bigger than I had expected from the outside it would have been one of hundreds buillt follwing the second world war to house those that had been bombed.
Having inspected the brickshop we headed into the wall less Plas Cadwgan, built in the 14th century it had once been one of the finest medievil halls in Wrexham, with little to show my small friend bounced away and headed into the spire that had graced St Pauls Church in Smethwick.
Woolly says – Finding a handy bench I sat admirng the dove cote, the museum had been wonderful and seemlily forgotten by many in prefence to the much larger site of the Black Country Museum in Dudley, such a shame as it had so many delights, I mean how can you beat telephones and toilets!
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Telephone calls
Don't let Woolly make any long distance calls.