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Friday 29th May Day 8
Today has two episodes:
Episode 1: AM
With bad weather promised we decided to visit a museum. Deep in the heart of Galloway lies the Devils Porridge Museum. What a name!
In 1915, with shells in great shortage and the 1st World War going badly, a new scheme was launched in Galloway. This scheme was a huge new institution, or factory, spread over as much as 10 miles and employing something like 20,000 people, mainly, young women. Incredibly it seems that most were under 18 and they came from all over the UK. The museum commemorates this remarkable, but, I think, little reported development. Over the period of about 12 months the new factory was built, including many new miles of railways and roads. And houses!
By 1917 the factory was producing more gunpowder than all of the other factories in the UK. Of course, they who ran the factory, the men, had far more power than the thousands of women who made it work. Two other things seem to have happened. One, the town of Gretna became the first Garden City. The noticeboard in the town calls it just that. As we walked home from the station yesterday, even though I only realised it today, we walked through streets that would be at home in Welwyn. Indeed one of the designers of Gretna was also to be involved in Welwyn which probaly explains the link.
Secondly, Gretna was partly responsible for the introduction of the licensing laws of 1915/6. Too much money led to too much drinking. So the government took over the local brewers in Carlisle and imposed draconian opening hours.
Meryl thought the museum presented a somewhat anaemic version of what life was like with only an occasional reference to accidents, or misbehaviour by the workers. Like many museums what one sees is a somewhat idealized version of life: pretty, tidy and full of smiling faces.
Episode 2: PM
A cycle ride….at last. After hail and heavy rain during lunch I decided to brave the conditions now that I had some extra clothes so that I kept warm. The first 8/9 miles were into a strong north westerly wind, which made the task tough going. However, I got from Gretna to Annan despite the wind and cycled around the town, visiting the port (no longer used), a distillery (no tasting today), the rugby club (no rugby today) and then, driven by the wind at my back, flew home in double quick time. Overall about 20 miles but lots more to do still.
Tomorrow I hope to go again
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