Yesterday afternoon news reached me that our village blacksmith (click the link to read about over a hundred years of his family business in our village) was selling up, everything in his forge and workshops was up for auction - NOW!
He is an elderly man with no one to take over the business, so I can fully understand his reasons, but I also felt a little sad at the loss of yet another traditional trade from our tiny village.
Ninety-six year old John, the beekeeper, recently visited us to borrow a book which I had previously lent to him...an 1898 account book for a village blacksmith's business. He wanted to show it to his friend, the blacksmith.
How could I refuse?
Besides, who better to peruse the old entries than these two chaps, both of whom are nearly as old as the book and to whom the old terms and old farming equipment would have been so familiar.
They had a wonderful time poring over the book together and were able to decipher some of the stranger terms and to explain how things were done all that time ago.
The old and rusty equipment, covered in so many layers of dirt and dust was wonderful to behold.
I love the old and worn metal work, the grain of the wood which has silvered and worn.
This equipment was used for making wheels.
Keith, our local village pub landlord, found this old knife, it is bone handled and has seen a lot of use.
Our wonderful Railway Tavern often gets a mention in posts, here is one.
We have lost our Post Office, village shop, butcher's shop,
We have lost our Post Office, village shop, butcher's shop,
the village school
and now the village blacksmith.
and now the village blacksmith.
Luckily,
we still have the pub and the village hall.
we still have the pub and the village hall.
As we left, prospective purchasers were pouring in.
I didn't want to stay and watch.
x
When I spied the first photograph, I thought we're off on another ghostly tale.
ReplyDeleteElaine, I'm not surprised to hear you couldn't stay... how sad! Too late I suppose to get bro OW signed up as his apprentice?
LLX
Hello Lettice, The village smithy is no more, just photographs, memories and echoes, so in some senses it is a ghostly tale.
ReplyDeleteAlas, Owl doesn't work well in the heat - anything above 65F and he flakes out.
What a shame! I dont think I could have stayed to watch either. Jx
ReplyDeleteHello Jan, I imagine it must have been a difficult decision for him, poor chap. I hope he feels better for letting it go, I can imagine it was a weighty burden.
DeleteOh, Elaine...I know that story all too well. It happens here in America too! You and I notice it more because of living in a small community. I often write stories about neighboring towns that have lost so much as more people move to the city. How sad....but, hopefully you took many photographs to share in the future.
ReplyDeleteHello Meggie, Your posts are always a delight and I learn so much from them. Our little village really is tiny. I visited a large village the other day - it felt like a town compared to our quiet place! I have a file of photographs of the place - I love old places like that, just as you do.
DeleteMeggie is so correct; not many left needing a wagon wheel. I looked closely at the men's caps in the last picture. Here we see only the ubiquitous baseball cap. I think I see a baker boy's cap in the back, one near it I cannot identify and in the front a plain cloth cap that is not a baseball cap. If you featured a post of headgear you see on the street, I enjoy looking.
ReplyDeleteHello Joanne, A couple of villages away there is a farrier who has a mobile forge. Unfortunately it is always closed when I see it, one of these days (when I have my camera) I would love to see how it operates. Headgear on the street - no problem, although it may take some time to get a reasonable mix together. It will be fun to do!
DeleteThe post office is always the last to go in some towns here.
ReplyDeleteJoanne has a good idea: headgear there vs. here. All your photos have a soft finish that is so rich.
Hello Susan, We lost our post office a few years ago, but it wasn't so bad because the next village along (about 2 miles away) had one. Unfortunately that closed down last year.
DeleteI love the idea of the headgear photographs, I'll begin collecting some straight away.
I'm rather surprised to read all this. I thought that blacksmithing was in revival, and that he would have had a queue of prospective smiths at his door. We had a local cooper (barrel maker) who closed quite recently... I could hardly believe it. Times they are a changing!
ReplyDeleteHello Cro, It really is a shame, although understandable. No doubt some of the equipment will become garden ornaments, etc. Not too far down the road there is a chap who has a mobile forge. I can see the appeal of that, but I prefer the romance of the old forge.
Deleteoh so sad, for the end of his knowledge and profession in your village and the distribution of all his tools.
ReplyDeleteHello Linda, No doubt they are scattered to the four winds now, I haven't been past since. I must force myself to do that tomorrow. I hope you are having a wonderful time and that the cats are settling down!
DeleteWhat a shame ... M x
ReplyDeleteHello Vintage Jane, I hope that the old blacksmith is feeling the benefit. The sheer amount of 'stuff' was quite staggering, I can imagine it must have weighed heavily on him...but it is still a shame!
Deletevery sad... The Viking will be distraught... he says those tools leaning against the shed have been like that since he was a boy!
ReplyDeleteI don't blame you for not sticking around. I couldn't have done it.
ReplyDelete