John, Fred & Jude

I am John Lawson, a storyteller at the museum. I have been coming to the museum for five years, telling stories about the people of Ryedale. These stories include ironstone miners, WW2 shop keepers, cruck house builders, iron age ploughmen etc.




My name is Fred Mynot, and I came to the Museum about four years ago after retiring, in order to do painting and odds and ends of repairs. After a year I arrived at the office one morning to a circle of grinning faces and the comment " Oh, Fred, you used to be an architect didn t you?" I gave a very hesitant "yes". "We're having trouble with a Planning Application, can you help?" The rest is history! After getting Planning and Building Regulation Approvals for Fat Betty's, I was persuaded to do the working drawings, specifications, tender and contract documentation. What a surprise! This led on to various other drawings for alterations, extensions and bits and pieces, some done, some being done and some in the pipeline. It's great working for a client without the bother of sending in a bill!! And thank goodness for computer aided drawing.

I also continue to do painting and other odd jobs, and some signwriting, quite badly! Working at my computer is not what I really volunteered for as I value the companionship to be found in the workshop, the pub next door, and such like. So I hope to keep going on the odds and ends for Kevin. Another Condition Survey and Report on the buildings is overdue!

After all that self-centred rubbish there is one person I would like to mention. In order to take on the tasks I was given, it was necessary for me to re-activate some of my other life in Kent. My chief assistant of many years, Trevor Leith, went to the firm who took over my business, and I had to get from him our old CAD programme for my computer. He now also prints all my drawings, with the kind agreement of the new office, and it is he who looks at them and advises me of any matters on which I am out-of-date! Its like being a student again!! Thanks to Trevor, and hopefully some of both staff and other volunteers may meet him when he comes to see some of the results!


My name is Jude Bloomfield and I have only started as a volunteer at Ryedale Folk Museum earlier this year. So far I have 'lived' in White Cottage as a villager, demonstrating making drop scones etc. I have also helped out with Victorian washdays when children can experience how washing used to be done.