Ryedale Folk Museum

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 t...

Women's Land Army 2009 represented by Ryedale Education Manager Becky aboard the Museum's 1940's Fordson. World War 2 Fortnight is now well into the first week. Air-raids, evacuees and the Home Guard will all be present at various times. The Home Guard and more will be reenacted by the UK Homefront group, they can be found at: http://www.ukhomefront.co.uk/index.html . Over 100 reenactors will be present over the coming weekend. Here are a few photos of the proceedings today. We have had schoolchildren dressed as evacuees and experiencing life during the Second World War. Emma, one of the Education Managers at the museum is seen here dressed authentically as a munitions worker. The photograph above is of teacher Mr Thompson, who was wearing an excellent 1940's style suit, anyone remember Private Walker from Dad's Army? Jim Wood in this picture is teaching schoolchildren how to make pegs for hayrakes. He even brought his vintage Triumph Motorcycle Combination. Jo...