Time And Tide ...

 ...waits for no man

but it is also the name of the town museum in Yarmouth. According to my blog, it is seven years since we visited! 

We went on Wednesday afternoon with Ro and Julian - and were able to make use of the "Guest Tickets" we got from the Norfolk Museum Service when Bob and I renewed our annual passes.

We were very impressed by the items added since our last visit. This summer there is also a dinosaur trail [find a dozen dino models around the Museum and win a sticker. We drove over after the men got back from the Shed and began with a picnic at the bench in the playground opposite the Museum

So much to see, and we all learned a lot about the men and women who were the lifeblood of this coastal town in days gone by. There were lots of new 'photo ops' - here are the girls who worked to prepare the herrings for market, in 1904....and 2024!

And here we are on the beach

But we didn't just lark about taking silly photos - we all learned a lot about how important the herring industry was to the town - and how the men who went out on the boats could not have plied their trade without the women back home.

Many Scottish girls followed the course of the shoals of herring, and from June to September, worked their way down the East coast, hundreds worked at Yarmouth.

The nets were often damaged, and would be brought ashore, to be repaired in the 'net houses'. Th eupper rooms had large windows and skylights to enable the workers to see what they were doing. The nets were suspended from hooks, and local women would fix all the holes. Each boat would require four workers for their nets. Here is a net house in the 1950s

The women would find tears [spanks] and repair them. The women were called beatsters from an old word for "someone who repairs or makes good" I would like to think of myself as a beatster!

Bob was pleased to relax on the sofa. The  grey/yellow cushion is Sanderson "Dandelion Clocks" fabric. It is very retro, reminiscent of Lucienne Day's 1951 Festival of Britain stuff - but is in fact a Fiona Howard design from 2008. I am really fascinated by umbelliferous designs at the minute!

Rosie checked off all the dinosaurs on her worksheet, and returned it to the staff at the desk. "You may choose a sticker as a reward" said the woman. Rosie turned to me, and asked which one George would like.[she knows her cousin loves dinosaurs] "Is George your brother?" asked the woman. I explained he was Ro's cousin. "That's really kind of you - take one for him and one for yourself"

Time does indeed wait for no-one, the Museum Cafe was just closing for the afternoon. "Where can we get a cup of tea?" asked Bob - and were recommended the Tropical Cafe . A Portuguese, family run place, just around the corner. Tea in a proper teapot, tasty Berlin Buns, good prices and clean loos. Definitely ***** Many thanks to that kind staff member in the Museum!

On the way back to the car park we saw some lovely crafty fish and Ojos de Dios. 

We went home very happy with our afternoon outing!