97898a3480824b7c994d4a90cea5e39e

Ledgers of J. H. Adams & Sons

Sun, 27 Aug 2023 16:40:43 GMT

Ledgers of Adams

What the Archive is telling us....

The Ledgers

High up on the beautiful original bookshelves inside the shop sat over 15 original hardback ledger books, off-white colour, each with their own number handwritten on the spine. They belong to the Adams Heritage Centre Archive, a collection of original accounts, cash books, order books, letters, business stationery and original trade catalogues and literature that have survived over three generations and and 110 years and tell us how this extraordinary ordinary shop was at the heart of living and working in Littleport and the wider fenlands from 1910 - 2010.

Lying one on top of one another, with a fine layer of dust on their covers, who would think they hold a fascinating history capturing the daily life of J. H. Adams & Sons on Main Street which help us see a picture of how the community worked over 100 years. They are evidence that the shop was used by nearly every business and household in the village in its time and in the wider areas of Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk.

Looking inside these is a treat – the crinkly paper, the copperplate handwriting, the different styles of each member of staff but the unmistakable long sweeping hand of John Henry Adams who first took over the shop from Cutlacks and Harlock we think around 1900.

The pages meticulously list each sale, whether a small handful of nails, a hook, a small ball of string or a larger household purchase – a mattress or new paraffin lamp, hand tools or larger farming equipment. We learn the needs of people and see lists of customer names, family names we know today as well as businesses and farms seeing how important this little shop was to keep rural lives going and trades to thrive. Customers travelled from Downham Market, Southery, Wisbech, Ramsey, Boston, Bourne and Thetford.

Ledgers No 10 and 11

Taking the first two ledgers that are the earliest ones left in this archive, numbers 10 and 11, we read the first entry Thursday June 9 ^th 1910 : a bag of 5 ¼ inch nails!

William Gill bought 2 iron pails, Mr Fletcher from Brandon Bank an iron bedstead (8ft x 6ft), a woollen mattress and a straw pallaise, at huge expense of £1. 12 shillings and 6d (pence).

On Saturday 10 ^th September, Wesley Church in Littleport paid for a clean and repair to all of the gas burners in the church, vestry and school and J. H. Adams & Son sold them new globes for their lights and 5 new radiators.

Victorian Shopping

The ledgers demonstrate a time when all records were handwritten and shopkeepers used a system of writing transactions in cash books, keeping alphabetical lists of customers and their monthly accounts and handwritten lists of suppliers from across the UK who sent their latest brand, tool, product and item to Littelport We have a small wooden cash box that was used to hold money and give a small receipt.

The shopping experience was face to face, whether buying small or large items, cash was passed between shopkeeper and customer. Customers at times, and if trusted and loyal, had their own accounts with the shop which would be settled weekly or monthly or longer!

Reading each transaction and its description builds a picture over time - shoppers coming into the shop, the ring of the doorbell, conversations being had between shop staff and customers, exchanging news, perhaps taking a seat for a few minutes. Seeing who these people were takes us from the shop to the farm, post office, fire station, school, dairy, business, cinema, home and we understand what that specific item, large or small was going to be used for there.

Littleport’s Repair Shop

The shop at that time ran a forge in a separate building at the back of the shop leading out to what is now Hempfield Drive – here repairs to all metal items were carried out. This was Littleport’s very own Repair Shop. In the early ledgers we see many repairs carried out for people - we see Miss Cultack , of Harlock and Cutlack Brewery needed repairs to a bell, Mr Daniels repaired his copper tea kettle for 8d and Mr Cutlack brought in the cook’s knife from The Grange for sharpening.

Looking through further that year, the Postmaster of Ely brought in bicycles to repair twice annually at J.H. Adams & Sons 4 or 5 bicycles at a time. The picture emerges of a shop bustling with people from all areas of life stopping for a time to catch up and hearing the sounds of metal being worked, perhaps the sound of horses and the sound of footsteps on the wooden floor and stairs we see today.

This unique archive has in it original letterheads from a wide range of companies across the UK who supplied Adams with its stock, trade catalogues and price lists for tools, cutlery, galvanised goods, garden furniture, even school desks, prams and wheelchairs, iron railings, flooring , heating lighting , plumbing and all kinds of farming equipment.

There is much to research through the cash books and accounts and one amazing find has been a unique ledger showing that during the period of 1920s, and 30s, J. H Adams & Sons was the only supplier of Norwegian Hagan Skates in the UK – this ledger details the sales of Hagan Skates to world championship fen skaters such as Cyril Horne. The shop played a significant role in the creation of a National Skating Association established in Cambridge and later moved to London, as its only supplier of Norwegian skates.

There are very few places in the UK now like J. H . Adams &Sons– this site has been recognised as a place of unique preservation with the interior and shop frontage in tact, with a collection of objects which would have been stock found still in it from a range of periods, the business archive and the original Grade II listed barn in situ at the rear of the shop. The ledgers are a significant part of the collection providing daily and weekly insights into how the shop building was used. More research is needed to fully draw out what they tell us.

What Happens Next……………..

At the moment we are working through the ledgers, the objects and archive to understand what is here in detail so we can provide a public catalogue and images for display for visitors to the shop and to present online on our website. We have many different people already involved in this mammoth task including Littleport Camera Club who meet regularly and have been painstakingly photographing every page of these ledgers and objects over the past couple of years. In the near future we hope to upload selections for you to see on our website.

We are listing and researching the trade literature to link with company archives and identify images and details for displays.

Inspiring The Community

The archives have already been inspiring people in the last year through creative activities at the Heritage Centre - artists have been commissioned to create their own responses to the shop and its collections and these will remain in the shop as a new Contemporary Art Collection.

Textile artist, Ricki Outis has been researching the ledgers and sourcing images of domestic items from the catalogues to use in creating her oversized unique printed apron that hangs in our window – her response to the items bought by women listed in the ledgers that were to be used in the home and forunpaid work.

This year we have been able to work with the Workers Education Association who are delivering creative wellbeing workshops for the community and we are so pleased that objects and designs from the collection have inspired participants in their own work led by artist and printmaker Pam Cole . Pupils from Highfields School , Littleport have also been making regular visits to investigate objects close up and learn more about the shopping experience from years ago.

We look forward in the coming weeks and months to show more stories from the archive here and updates on how people are helping preserve and use this unique collection here in Littleport.

Threads of Survival

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 22:04:16 GMT

Threads of Survival

28 quilts and textile art made by over 160 people across England.

Adams Heritage Centre is proud to be hosting Threads of Survival.

Stitchers: Over 150 people from across England – Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Cheshire, Lancashire, County Durham, Somerset, Surrey, London, Birmingham & Manchester

Quilts: 28 and growing…

Themes: Family life, community life
Fear of the virus
Fear of the Government
Lack of trust in politicians
Community spirit and welfare
NHS Staff courage
NHS working conditions
Care Homes & Care Staff
Misinformation & Media
Social Isolation
Political Corruption

We are a team of NHS Campaigners, all volunteers, passionate about making sure healthcare is available to all- regardless of abilioty to pay. This means reinstating the NHS as a government funded, managed and delivered public health service.

In 2019, after 6 years of marching, legal cases,MP Briefings – we were already thinking about new ideas and new ways to raise the level of awareness about the corporate attack on the NHS.

Then the pandemic struck… Covid19 presented us with a huge obstacle. It also gave us an extra push to find more creative ways of engaging with the public.

We were inspired by the emotional AIDS Quilt from the 1980’s and the bold, brave Arpilleras created during Pinochet’s dictatorship in 1970’s Chile. (See our Inspiration Page for more details)

Steve had encountered these powerful quilts at the Whitechapel Gallery in the late 90s. They are powerful because of their simple, bright, alost child-like portrayal of the atrocities committed by Pinochet during the 1970’s when he subjected Chile to authoritarian rule.

We were drawn to the determination and courage of the women who created these incredible historical documents, bearing witness to the events around them.

See more at Threads of Survival

Learning from the collection at Adams

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 12:59:30 GMT

Learning from the collection at Adams

Weaving the old pots of Adams

The top of the orginal basket had to be cut off, which told me it was made round the bottle, not separately. This is harder than making an ordinary basket as you can’t get inside to trim or hold the work in progress.

The border of the basket holds the flagon tight and goes onto the angled edge, so it cannot slip out. Ask any basketmaker and they will tell you borders are tricky, so making one that fits so well takes a bit of time to learn. I had three attempts before it worked well enough for me to show anyone the finished piece.

I couldn’t tell whether there had been a carrying handle for the basket, but it is likely there was one. Handles break sooner than any other part of a basket because of everyday use.

The story behind the flagon and it’s basket is still not told, it has the name The Bell Hotel, Ely and number 25 stamped on the top. Maybe it was part of a farmer’s regular order for field workers or used by a coachmen who used the Bell Hotel, we will probably never know. At some time it came to Adams and Sons, in Littleport, and has been there a long time.

Before I started to make the replacements basket I cleaned the flagon, as I washed it out there was what looked like fluff and cobwebs floating to the top. It turned out that there were the bodies of 10 mice, desiccated and long dead! Perhaps they went in to get the dregs of beer, or maybe it was a set trap with grain or poison in.

Adams sold chicken food and grain, there were mice and rats in the shop taking advantage of the food source and there are still signs of them in the floorboards, which have been carefully restored to show more than a hundred years of the building’s history.

https://www.adamsheritagecentre.co.uk/cutlacks-and-the-jh-adams-timeline

The restored flagon and basket is now back in Adams Heritage Centre, sharing it’s story along with all the other items in the collection.

I took three attempts and 1.5 hours to make the finished one, so I would not be able to make 8 in a day. I would not earn enough to feed a family, basket makers have never been rich!

I have learned from experience it takes a lot of energy, time and the right skills to have enough willow to make baskets and sculpture throughout the year.

Preparation of willow includes maintaining and growing willow, grading into the right size for the jobs in hand and soaking to make it pliable for working with as each order or commission comes in.

Each basketmaker working full time needs approximately 2 acres of willow a year, it is harvested in winter. This would have been part of the seasonal life of basketmakers and would need two or three families working together.

In the past willow copses were a familiar and essential part of most farms, providing material for baskets and hurdle fencing used as temporary fencing for cattle and sheep on the farm and in markets.

Since the 1970’s growers have developed into large farms providing willow for makers, who can have their order of willow delivered or go to the farms to collect their supplies.

The farms also grow willow for wonderful drawing charcoal, made by baking in large ovens and supplied to schools, colleges and artists round the world.

I continue to learn and listen to the stories of makers I can never meet, they tell me their stories through the pieces they made.

By local artist Jane Frost

https://www.frostart.co.uk/

The Queens Drawers Open Day Round 2!

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 17:33:38 GMT

The Queens Drawers Open Day Round 2!

The Queens Drawers Projects

Event Description

Exhibiting all the artwork, sculptures and artwork made by the community .

On Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 September, Adams Heritage Centre was celebrating creativity in honour of the Queens

Platinum Jubilee. The Centre was literally buzzing as locals came together to see the artworks made and sample the wonderful homemade cakes from Littleport’s W.I. All of which were free to visitors.

We exhibited the amazing works from sculpture through to textiles, silver jewellery, ceramics and fused glass. All of the artists involved in teaching were commissioned to produce a piece of work which were exhibited over the weekend and will stay on permanent exhibition for all to enjoy as part of the Centre’s new contemporary collection.

The artists who led on the workshops were Sukie Rix sculptor, Tabbi Frost sculptor, John Lyons poet and artist, Ian Stevens leathersmith, Jane Frost artist, Ricki Outis textile artist, Chris Powell silversmith, Tim Peacock sculptor, Felicity Hoyle ceramicist and Sarah Hunt glass artist.

Many thanks to all of them for their passion, enthusiasm and creativity and sharing of knowledge!

The Event

Adams Heritage Centre was able due to funding from The Arts Council Lets Create Fund and Awards for All National

Lottery Community Fund to provide these artist led workshops for free and which were open to anyone from our

community. Amazing!

Adams Heritage Centre would like to say a big THANK YOU to these funders for their support with both rounds of

The Queens Drawers which have been such a huge success in the village.

'Let’s do it all again PLEASE!' - Lorna

What the participants thought

The Queens Drawers Project

This workshop was part of a series of 5 artist led events for the local community funded by the

National Lottery Awards for All fund to involve the community in creatively celebrating the Queen’s

Platinum Jubilee year!.

Julie Galano Head of Funding at the TNL community fund said

’Congratulations on your project funding. And thank you for everything you do to support your

community.’

All of the works made will be kept in Adams to go on exhibition on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4

September after which they will be returned to the maker.

Glass Fusion

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 16:32:23 GMT

Glass Fusion

The Queens Drawers Projects

Event Description

Led by glass artist Sarah Hunt

In one of these two separate half day workshops you will be creating fused glass artworks. This will involve learning to cut glass and to use glass materials including

frit and metal inclusions which are designed to fuse together in the kiln. Once fired the resulting artworks are a combination of alchemy, creativity and pure magic!

The Event

Two half day workshops in which participants were introduced to the alchemy of glass

fusion.

Sarah provided an exciting mix of metals, glass paints, reactive liquids, frit, fibre glass and

more for participants to get creative with....and they did!!.... producing two or three

amazingly inventive and beautiful abstract and figurative glass pieces each.

What the participants thought

The Queens Drawers Project

This workshop was part of a series of 5 artist led events for the local community funded by the

National Lottery Awards for All fund to involve the community in creatively celebrating the Queen’s

Platinum Jubilee year!.

Julie Galano Head of Funding at the TNL community fund said

’Congratulations on your project funding. And thank you for everything you do to support your

community.’

All of the works made will be kept in Adams to go on exhibition on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4

September after which they will be returned to the maker.

Mixed Media Sculpture

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 16:32:22 GMT

Mixed Media Sculpture

The Queens Drawers Projects

Event Description

Led by local sculptor Tim Peacock

A sculpture workshop experimenting with and exploring the use of wood, wire, plastics and metals, using hand tools. Looking at images of contemporary sculpture as a starting point you will go on to create a sculptural assemblage. For those wanting to have a go or those more experienced. A fantastic, practical, hands on, one day workshop!

The Event

On Sunday 14 August sculptor Tim Peacock led a full day workshop exploring mixed media sculpture.

Tim provided a great range of materials to use from plastic tubing, wood, wire through to sheet

metals, acrylics and card. Starting with a short overview of contemporary sculpture and sculptors

Tim then introduced participants to sculptural terminology and considerations. With a large range of hand tools available those taking part were encouraged to experiment with form, materials and creativity. Tim challenged people to think and reconsider decisions in their making which resulted in some really creative break throughs! Some phenomenal sculptures were produced.

What the participants thought

The Queens Drawers Project

This workshop was part of a series of 5 artist led events for the local community funded by the

National Lottery Awards for All fund to involve the community in creatively celebrating the Queen’s

Platinum Jubilee year!.

Julie Galano Head of Funding at the TNL community fund said

’Congratulations on your project funding. And thank you for everything you do to support your

community.’

All of the works made will be kept in Adams to go on exhibition on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4

September after which they will be returned to the maker.

Screen Printing

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 16:32:21 GMT

Screen Printing

The Queens Drawers Projects

Event Description

Led by textile artist Ricki Outis

In this full day workshop you will develop some simple motifs and print a design using silk screens and ink.Create a textile inspired by the amazing artefacts in Adams Heritage centre the wonderful shapes of the various objects a Tilley lamp, a

carpet beater, paraffin jugs, or the secret contents of the many drawers! The emphasis is on the experimental and having fun.

The Event

During this all day silk screen printing workshop on Saturday 16 July led by artist Ricki Outis, 12

participants were introduced to the basics of printing. Starting with drawing simple outlines using the objects on display in Adams for inspiration participants cut out and made paper stencils to create their designs. The screens were then taped front and back to the size of the finished design to give an ink proof border. Stencils were put onto the screen, ink colours chosen then printed using squeegees alternately flooding and pushing the inks through the screen.

Lots of experimenting went on with colour, shape and design, printing onto lengths of fabric, tea

towels and tote bags with fabulous results.

What the participants thought

The Queens Drawers Project

This workshop was part of a series of 5 artist led events for the local community funded by the

National Lottery Awards for All fund to involve the community in creatively celebrating the Queen’s

Platinum Jubilee year!.

Julie Galano Head of Funding at the TNL community fund said

’Congratulations on your project funding. And thank you for everything you do to support your

community.’

All of the works made will be kept in Adams to go on exhibition on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4

September after which they will be returned to the maker.

Silver Smithing

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 16:32:19 GMT

Silver Smithing

The Queens Drawers Projects

Event Description

Led by Silversmith and Jewellery designer Christopher Powell

In this full day workshop you will have the option to create a simple silver hammered band ring or a pair of earrings. You will be using hand tools to cut, hammer, file and shape the silver.

The Event

On Sunday 17 July jeweller Chris Powell led a full day workshop for 7 participants making not only a

silver band ring but also pairs of earrings. Using hand tools and metal working techniques

participants shaped hammered cut and filed their individual rings. Starting with finding ring size and

choosing the profile of the silver the rings were cut to size, filed, soldered, cooled in water, pickled in

sulphuric acid to clean off impurities, then finished by hammering surface decoration, then finally

polished. Earrings were first drawn out then cut from sheet silver, shaped, filed, embellished,

polished and fitted to wires. An amazing achievement to make so much work in one day with equally amazing results!!

What the participants thought

The Queens Drawers Project

This workshop was part of a series of 5 artist led events for the local community funded by the

National Lottery Awards for All fund to involve the community in creatively celebrating the Queen’s

Platinum Jubilee year!.

Julie Galano Head of Funding at the TNL community fund said

’Congratulations on your project funding. And thank you for everything you do to support your

community.’

All of the works made will be kept in Adams to go on exhibition on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4

September after which they will be returned to the maker.

Ceramics

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 15:45:01 GMT

Ceramics

The Queens Drawers Projects

Event Description

Led by ceramicists Felicity Hoyle

Two separate half day workshops in which you will make a clay portrait/ head. It could be yourself your best friend or someone made up. What about doing the whole family? A fun workshop aimed at families where you will be modelling sculpting and getting to grips with working in clay. Once your artwork is finished it will be glazed and fired. The workshop is free to attend and all materials are provided.

The Event

On Sunday 24 July Felicity Hoyle led two ceramics workshops morning and afternoon for 20 adults

and children. The workshop focussed on making clay portraits, they got to grips with modelling and

sculpting the clay. Participants were shown the fundamentals in making a face in proportion, they

then became really creative and experimental in using the clay and developing the basic structure.

The resulting faces were incredibly different and inventive and fun!

What the participants thought

The Queens Drawers Project

This workshop was part of a series of 5 artist led events for the local community funded by the

National Lottery Awards for All fund to involve the community in creatively celebrating the Queen’s

Platinum Jubilee year!.

Julie Galano Head of Funding at the TNL community fund said

’Congratulations on your project funding. And thank you for everything you do to support your

community.’

All of the works made will be kept in Adams to go on exhibition on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4

September after which they will be returned to the maker.

The Queens Drawers Open Day

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 19:35:01 GMT

The Queens Drawers Open Day

The Queens Drawers Projects

Event Description

The Event Queens Platinum Jubilee Celebrations

On Friday 3 and Saturday June 4 the whole community will be invited to come along to an open day at Adams Heritage Centre to celebrate the Queens Platinum Jubilee. On exhibition will be all of the works created by participants in the series of the five workshops as well as the five commissioned artworks from the lead artists. Surrounded by the Adams Heritage Centre collection of artefacts and objects from its days as the village ironmongers. Littleport WI will be providing refreshments, morning coffee, afternoon tea and home bakes for the two days.

Everyone is welcome!

The Event

The Queen’s Drawers. Celebrating the Queens Platinum Jubilee In Adams!! On Friday 3 June and Saturday 4 June we were in a celebratory mood. We held two open days for everyone to come and see the all of the amazing artworks created by you all, over the five recent workshops....pewter casting, willow weaving, secret tea party making, leatherwork and poetry. Adams was bedecked with handmade bunting both inside and out....bunting from Highfield Academy students, Maggie from the W.I and unique pom- pom bunting from the local crafters. Alongside some unique vintage and antique jubilee and coronation crockery, vintage jubilee programmes from the village, local posters and newspapers from the Adams Heritage Centre collection and that of the Littleport Society. The party mood was completed by the lashings of cake, scones, sausage rolls and drinks, home baked by our Littleport W.I. Lemon drizzle, carrot cake, sponges galore, cheese scones, fancy biscuits....all free to visitors. The exhibition was completed with the commissioned artworks from our local workshop leaders. Tabi’s Jubilee Crown made from jubilee clips, Sukie’s Green Child, Ian’s purple pigment holder and John’s specially written Jubilee poem. The Queen’s Drawers project was made possible thanks to National Lottery players through the Lets Create Jubilee Fund which was administered by UK Community Foundations on behalf of the Arts

Council.

Darren Henley, Chief Executive at Arts Council England said

“The Let’s Create Jubilee Fund is a wonderful example of our ambition to give everyone the opportunity to participate in and experience the arts, culture and creativity – made possible thanks to National Lottery players. This June, we’ll see communities across England coming together to celebrate a historic milestone for this country. I’m excited to see these projects brought to life in villages, towns and cities across the country as our wonderfully creative communities celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.”

The Queens Drawers Project

This workshop was part of a series of 5 artist led funded by the Art’s Council Lets Create Jubilee fund from Cambridgeshire Community Foundation - ensuring that creativity plays an important role in local community celebrations for Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

All of the works made will be kept in Adams to go on exhibition on Friday 3 June, after which they will be returned to the maker.

Willow Posy Baskets

Mon, 30 May 2022 06:18:53 GMT

Willow Posy Baskets

The Queens Drawers Projects

Event Description

Participants will make small posy baskets and flowers from willow, based on the design of a

favourite brooch the Queen has worn for over 70 years. Although we may not have the bright colours of the beautiful Flower Basket Brooch, there will be some real flowers to arrange in the baskets.

Participants will need to have a reasonable amount of strength in their hands to be able to work with the willow. Please wear older clothes, such as you would wear for gardening, sandals are not advisable.

This workshop is part of a series of 5 artist led workshops funded by the Art’s Council Lets Create Jubilee fund from Cambridgeshire Community Foundation - ensuring that creativity plays an important role in local community celebrations for Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The Event

On Sunday 29 May led by artist maker Jane Frost, 12 participants in an all day

willow weaving workshop made small posy baskets based on the design of one

of the Queen’s brooches that she has worn for over 70 years. They first learned

techniques of weaving and how to handle the willow by making large flowers,

learning on the way technical terms like ‘upset’ , ‘pricking up’ , bodkins, waling

weave, stakes and strands. Everyone found the work quite challenging but really

enjoyable, creative and satisfying and produced some fabulous results.

What the participants thought

The Queens Drawers Project

All of the works made will be kept in Adams to go on exhibition on Friday 3 June, after which they will be returned to the maker.

Leather Memory Boxes

Thu, 19 May 2022 08:10:58 GMT

Leather Memory Boxes

The Queens Drawers Projects

Event Description

A two part craft workshop led by leather craftsman Ian Stevens for all the arty more senior folks in the village...or for those of you who just want to have a go!

Ian will lead on a step by step guide in making small memory boxes in leather. He will pre cut the leather into templates which will then be hand sewn together by you. The holes for stitching will be pre punched so the sewing is made simpler and less strenuous.

He will be using a natural hide which allows for all the makers involved to paint and decorate the surface using water

based leather dyes with paintbrushes and if you’re feeling adventurous embossing punches.

No experience needed and help will be on hand.

The Event

On the mornings of Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 May led by artist maker Ian Stevens,

adults dyed, decorated, burnished and hand stitched leather memory boxes. Using a

natural vegetable tanned leather they had to construct their boxes using traditional

methods including preparing the thread with beeswax and mastering sewing with two

needles. Everyone achieved making a box with incredible perseverance! The results

were unique and individual showing great craftsmanship and creativity!

What the participants thought

The Queens Drawers Project

All of the works made will be kept in Adams to go on exhibition on Friday 3 June, after which they will be returned to the maker.

Carnival

Sun, 08 May 2022 17:10:47 GMT

Carnival

The Queens Drawers Projects

Event Description

A creative writing workshop on the theme of Carnival led by poet and artist John Lyons.

‘Music is the beating heart of my poetry. The sound of words in a certain order gives rhythm to my poems; it is a way of expressing emotions, feelings, thoughts and ideas about what is happening around me. As a child in Trinidad singing and telling stories were as natural a part of my life as breathing.

Long before I grew to love the beauty of language in poetry, I enjoyed its rhythm of music in storytelling. Those stories were about folklore characters and jumbies (ghosts); and often accompanied with song. My imagination went wild, making these stories heart- thumpingly scarier and scarier. Looking back, I suppose, it was then the seed that linked poetry and music was planted in my mind’.

The Event

Poet and artist John Lyons led a creative writing workshop on Sunday 8 May.

Following a brief introduction on the motivation for writing participants were

asked to look at observations on nature and an incident that made them sad,

happy or angry using in their writing an emotional tone of sharing the

experience. There was much sharing of ideas, thoughts and writing with lively

discussion, laughter, serious concentration, interspersed with read arounds

sharing and editing.

What the participants thought

The Queens Drawers Project

All of the works made will be kept in Adams to go on exhibition on Friday 3 June, after which they will be returned to the maker.

Pewter

Wed, 04 May 2022 12:43:30 GMT

Pewter

The Queens Drawers Projects

Event Description

The two separate pewter casting workshops will be led by Tabitha Frost who is an award-winning metal smith. She is trained in a range of metal work and Silversmithing techniques.

This workshop will give you experience in a time served technique producing fantastic tactile results. It is a great way to experience pewter in both a molten and solid form.

You will be getting hands on in making moulds and pouring liquid pewter to make you own original objects. As well as experimenting with different casting techniques and metal working tools to learn some of the different techniques used in metal work, there will be the option to personalise your cast

pieces.

You will leave having experimented and handled different tools and equipment and will have made your own individually designed and cast pewter piece of work.

The Event

Split into two sessions the morning one mainly for adults was fully booked as was the afternoon for youth.

Participants had the chance to use objects from the drawers in the Heritage centre to create moulds in the casting sand. It was a brilliantly inventive morning, drilling, filing, sawing and working out how to join the cast elements together.

Then the incredible discovery of dropping molten pewter into water which created the most incredible organic twisted shapes controlled in part by the speed and height from which the pewter was dropped. We now have some wonderful works to exhibit in the centre on Friday 3 June

What the participants thought

The Queens Drawers Project

All of the works made will be kept in Adams to go on exhibition on Friday 3 June, after which they will be returned to the maker.

The Secret Tea Party

Wed, 04 May 2022 12:43:29 GMT

The Secret Tea Party

The Queens Drawers Projects

Event Description

Led by artist Sukie Meldon in this workshop you will be making a mini secret tea party scene to fit into one of the little drawers in Adams Heritage Centre. Using air drying clay, family groups will work together to create miniature cupcakes, tea pots, sandwiches, animals people, fairies wherever your imagination takes you!

The Event

A brilliant time was had by many families from the village creating their own individual mini world tea parties.... now all hidden in the drawers waiting to be discovered.

We had bugs partying with tiny bug feasts, dinosaurs with their very special dinosaur food and a table resplendent with creepers, Alice in Wonderland, Mad Hatters, rabbits and cats. Little old ladies with fabulous cakes, sandwiches, hot cross buns, cups and teapots! Bunting galore and lashings of tiny yumminess!! Not to mention a candelabra with candles, picnics on rugs, and wonderful cake stands loaded to the hilt.

There is very definitely a Secret Tea Party going in Adams when no- ones looking... shhh!

What the participants thought

New paragraph

The Queens Drawers Project

All of the works made will be kept in Adams to go on exhibition on Friday 3 June, after which they will be returned to the maker.

Cutlacks and the JH Adams timeline

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 21:23:01 GMT

'A general and furnishing ironmongers, a modern emporium unrivalled in the district' 1893

With thanks to Roger Rudderham of the Littleport Society for the original research.

. The Adams Family Tree

John Henry Adams

J ohn Henry Adams was born in 1841, in Sturminster Newton, Dorset, the son of Elizabeth and Henry Adams, a carpenter.

John Henry the eldest had brothers and sisters: Sarah 1843, Josh 1849, Thirza 1851, Thomas 1851, Rosannah 1855, Alice 1860 and Alfred Frederick 1865.

After leaving school John became an apprentice to Thomas Hancock an ironmonger in his home town of Sturminster Newton and moved in to lodge with Thomas and his wife Mary.

John moved onto a job as an ironmonger’s assistant in Maldon, Essex. He married Elizabeth Morris of Poole in 1866.

H & J Cutlacks

John became an assistant ironmonger to H & J Cutlack in Ely.

John and Elizabeth moved to Ely and rented a house in Downham Road and Alice Jane, was born 20 July 1871

In about 1871 John was promoted to branch manager of Cutlack’s second shop in High St Littleport.

In Littleport they rented a house in Wellington Street then moved to live either over or behind the shop in High Street.

More children were added to the family Lizzie Eva 1872, Joseph Henry 1874, Edwin Percy 1878, Alfred Monckton 1880 and Olive Morris 1882. At this time Alfred Frederick Adams John’s youngest brother comes to live with them as an apprentice ironmonger.

Building of the Ironmongers

In 1893 H & J Cutlack, extremely successful ironmongers, commissioned and moved their business to a new purpose built shop in Main Street next to their family home, closing the High Street shop. The building very architecturally advanced for its time was built by a local builder from Southery. It was constructed using a steel frame structure with vertical steel columns, bricked in between, the interior clad in pine. It is worth noting the first steel framed buildings were developed in America and the UK in the 1880s.

Described as a General and Furnishing Ironmongers this new modern emporium was considered unrivalled in the district.

They advertised the ‘best possible discounts for cash'

John Henry Adams takes over

The Adams family moved into the former Cutlack house next to the shop. John’s eldest son Joseph Henry joined the business as an apprentice ironmonger.

In 1900 John H Adams succeeded Mr Cheeseright as postmaster and moved the post office to the front room of his house. His daughters Alice and Lizzie took on the day to day running of the post office.

In 1901 John Henry bought the ironmongers business from H & J Cutlack and began trading as J H Adams and Sons. The buildings, shop and house however remained the property of Miss Ruth Cutlack who had inherited them from her brother Henry Cutlack.

Ruth Cutlack

When Ruth Cutlack died in 1912 she instructed in her will that the net rents and income from the property should be divided between her three sisters and that after the death of the last survivor the premises should be sold by auction.

Doris Elizabeth Adams

J ohn Henry Adams died on 27 January 1915. His eldest son Joseph Henry took over the business.

Prior to this Joseph after serving his apprenticeship with his father had moved to London to become an assistant ironmonger in Islington. Joseph became a travelling salesman and was to meet Amy Wright daughter of a boot and shoe shop owner in Goole Yorkshire. They married in 1901 moving to Wanstead where their daughter Doris Elizabeth was born in 1903.

Alfred Dewey

J oseph was assisted in the running of the shop by his brother in law Alfred Dewey. Alfred Dewey had come to Littleport sometime after 1911 as an assistant and married Joseph’s sister Olive in 1913. Joseph did not succeed his father as postmaster. The Post Office was moved to newly built premises further along the street and was run by a Mrs Brown.

I n 1920 Joseph purchased from James Smart the champion skater from Welney the agency for the import of Hagen skates.

The Auction

In 1923 the last of the Cutlack sisters died and the trustees of the estate put the shop and house up for auction. At the auction held at the Crown Inn on the 26 June 1923 at 7.00 the property was sold to Joseph Adams. Joseph died in 1956 the business was then continued by his daughter Doris Elizabeth and her uncle Alfred Dewey assisted by his son Philip.

The shop became one of the most prominent in the area claiming to

‘serve all classes of domestic and builder’s ironmongery’

Today

In 1982 Doris Adams and Philip Dewey retired and sold the business to David and Susan Porter. They ran the business until their own retirement in 2010.

The new owner of the premises Peter Audus undertook renovations to the interior, fitted a new kitchen area, rewiring, central heating and a disabled access toilet. The shop was then leased as a heritage centre to preserve the Victorian interior, its fixtures fittings and historic contents.

Adams Heritage Centre is now overseen by a group of volunteer trustees.

James Smart, Adams and Hagen Skates

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 21:23:00 GMT

Adams Ironmongers & Hagen Skates

That stood the test of time

Harald Hagen

T he Norwegian speed skate was designed and introduced by Harald Hagen, a Norwegian skating champion along with Axel Paulsen between 1887-1902. Local fenman speed skater James Smart while on a skating tour in Europe met Hagen and they became firm friends. Smart was impressed with the skates and set up business at his newly built house, Norway House below the banks of the Old Bedford River near Welney importing and selling Hagen skates.

The photo above shows a Hagen model that was sold around 1935. in this model the boot is riveted to the supporting platform, in the earlier deigns the boot was sewn on using copper wire.

The skates had metal runner blades soldered into tinned iron tubes, making the skate light weight.

The skates proved very popular with fen skaters and from the 1890s fen skaters started to race primarily in the Norwegian Hagen skates, which eventually replaced the local Fen Runners.

The design of speed skates was so good they remained more or less unaltered until the 1990s.

Skates with the mark, L.H Hagen & Co Christiana were made pre 1925, those with Oslo after this date.

James Smart passes the agency to J H Adams

In 1920 James Smart, made a business deal with Adams selling the rights to the ironmongers allowing them to become to be the sole agent for the brand in the U.K.

Adams began to import the skates setting up a distribution network across the country. The skates were also sold locally from the shop in Littleport, where upstairs there was a specialised area for the trying on and fitting of the skates. Adams also offered a follow on service including the sharpening and setting of the skate blades.

Adams Heritage Centre has examples of the Hagen skates in its collection as well as the earlier fen runners.

The centre also still has the Adams ironmongers unusual jig developed for holding the skates whilst they were being sharpened.

In its heyday many hundreds of pounds worth of skates were sold from the doors of Adams all of which are carefully documented in our archived hand written ledgers.

Fenland Speed Skaters 1900s

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 09:47:19 GMT

Littleport and Fenland Speed Skaters

1900s

The Fens and its skaters

The Fens of East Anglia, with its rivers, dykes and flooded meadows, formed an ideal skating terrain. From the mid 19 century in the cold winters, skating matches were held in towns and villages all over the Fens. It became known as the golden age of fen skating when thousands of people turned out to watch such legendary skaters as Larman Register, William ‘Turkey’ Smart, ‘Gutta Percha’ See.

William Smart a skater from Welney, got his name from his unusual style of skating, bent low, leaning forward with his arms flapping behind him and with his beaky nose, he gained the nickname 'Turkey'. He became Champion Skater of England in 1854 and dominated fen speed skating until the late 1860s.

His main rival during that time was another Welney man, William See, two years younger than Smart. See was described as being very resilient or 'tough as old boots' and also gained a life-long nickname - 'Gutta Percha' - after the tough rubber material used to make the soles of boots.

Followed a few years later by brothers George 'Fish' Smart and James Smart , George See, and Charles Goodman Tebutt. Skating special trains brought hoards from London to see organized matches.

Larman Register once raced a train from Littleport to Ely, a course where railway and river are closely entwined. Despite the fireman reportedly throwing cinders onto the ice at Adelaide bridge, Register skated into Ely thirty seconds ahead, and won his bet

The purse

The farmers and gentry who organised the matches would raise a subscription for prize money

£10 was a typical purse in the mid-nineteenth century, with about half going to the winner and the rest divided amongst the other runners according to how far they had got in the contest.

This was at a time when agricultural labourers typically earned about 11 shillings a week and nothing at all when the ground was too frozen to work. Substantial betting added to the thrill of the race. In the local matches, men (or sometimes women or children) would compete for the prizes of money, clothing, or food.

"During severe winters it is no uncommon thing to see joints of meat hung outside the village pub, to be skated for on the morrow".

Turkey Smart

Important races were reported at length in the Cambridge papers, including that Turkey Smart from Welney won twelve victories in the winter of 1854/55, his total winnings for that season were £54 15s and a leg of mutton. Even at the age of 61 ‘Turkey’ was entering contests, though hampered by a scythe injury to a leg. A clergyman once urged him to invest his winnings, saying it was unsafe to keep so much at home. ‘Turkey’ told him that it was already safe ‘in the bank’. It was actually buried it in the bank of the Old Bedford River where he lived.

Cambridge Chronicle: Mepal February 1855

The clergy and 'squires', gentry and tradesmen – hale ploughboys and rosy milkmaids – ladies parties in carriages, gigs and carts, made their way to the bank near the bridge, and took their respective positions, where the view was excellent, and all that could be wished, for the 'St Ledger day on the ice'. A brass band of music from Chatteris was placed on the bridge, and played the most lively tunes: at the starting of a race, 'Cheer boys, cheer', and at the winning, 'See the conquering hero comes'. The number of persons present was stated at from five to eight thousand, and some said ten thousand. Punctually at the time appointed, half-past one, the racing commenced. The bold Fen-men soon appeared, whose iron frames, lion sinews, elasticity of action and body, astonished all beholders. They were a fine specimen of the bold peasantry of England.

Thomas Peacock

Littleport became an important centre for skating in 1891, when Thomas Peacock (owner of the Hope Brothers shirt factory, set up 1881 to provide work for Littleport women during the agricultural depression) leased a piece of ground, 28 acres, by the railway line, embanked it, and flooded it in the winter to form a skating ground known as the Moors.

The first match on the new rink was held in January 1892 in front of two thousand spectators. It was won by the champion James Smart, skating in his first match since returning from Norway and using Norwegian style skates.

James Smart rounds the barrel turn

The championship matches took the form of a Welsh main or "last man standing" contest. The competitors, 16 or sometimes 32, were paired off in heats and the winner of each heat went through to the next round. A course of 660 yards was measured out on the ice, and a barrel with a flag on it placed at either end.

The course was divided down the middle with more barrels, sods of earth or piles of snow. The skaters were drawn in pairs, and started one either side of the barrel, skate down the course, round the barrel and back again, with each skater keeping to their own side of the ice. For a one-and-a-half-mile race, the skaters completed two rounds of the course, with three barrel turns. If there were 16 competitors the winner and runner-up would have skated a total of 6 miles

Charles Goodman Tebutt with a bandy stick

Bandy

In 1882 members of the Bury Fen Club published the rules of the game of Bandy. Similar to ice hockey, Bandy is played by using a ball as opposed to a puck. In bandy, both teams have eleven players, in ice hockey, both teams have six. A Bandy rink is larger than ice hockey rink.

NSA

The National Skating Association was set up in Cambridge in 1879 and took the top few fen skaters to the Netherlands, where they had a brief moment of international glory with James Smart becoming Britain's only ever world champion speed skater.

James Smart was to be instrumental in the import to Littleport and the surrounding fens of the Norwegian Hagen speed skates, the agency for which was to pass to JH Adams & Sons in 1920.