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Mother’s Day at the Museum

By Events

The Devils Porridge – a great place for Mother’s Day

Why visit the Museum on Mother’s Day?

 

The central story of The Devils Porridge Museum concerns the 12,000 women who worked at HM Factory Gretna in World War One. This includes a look at the difficult and dangerous work they did, accidents and health caused by this work, their housing an living conditions, their social lives including dances, cinemas and societies as well as their notable achievements (some young women met the Kind and Queen, others were awarded MBE’s). The Museum also looks at the monitoring of the young women by the Women’s Police Force and how the role of women was altered by World War One.

Our first floor displays look at the impact of conflict on the Solway Coast from 1939 onwards. Find out about children who were sent to the countryside as evacuees, take a nostalgic look at a 1940’s house (complete with kitchen and rationing style foods) and explore the stories of women who worked in the ATS or in munitions in World War Two.

March is also Women’s History Month and the Museum would be a great place for mother’s to visit to discover the history of women at war in the local area.

Children love the Museum, In 2019, we were shortlisted for the ‘Most Family Friendly Museum in the UK’ award by Kids in Museums. Over 800 Museums were nominated and we made it to the final 15. There are dressing up opportunities, lots of things to interact and play with, touchscreens, audio-visual displays and games. We also have a virtual reality experience taking a look inside Scotland’s first ever nuclear power station – Chapelcross. All children visiting the Museum are given a clocking in card in which they can stamp as they visit and exchange for a reward at the end. With a children’s menu, baby changing facilities, high chairs and a lift, we are well set up for visitors of all ages and requirements.

One more great reason to visit us this Mother’s Day – a chance to treat your Mum to a delicious, homemade afternoon tea in our café. The Museum is 5 star rated and we use local ingredients in the café as much as possible. The afternoon tea will include delicious sandwiches along with a selection of sweet treats such as home-baked miniature cakes and biscuits all served with a vintage style tea service. Perfect for before, after or midway through your visit. If you want, you are welcome to just book for Afternoon Tea, you do not have to visit the Museum to take part in this experience.

Entry to the Museum is £6 per adult, £5 concessions (including children – a family ticket is also available for £15). Afternoon Teas must be booked in advance and cost £10.95 per person. To book your space, email: info@devilsporridge.org.uk or phone 01461 700021

Munition Workers Poems Part 1

By Collections blog

Lots of people are familiar with famous World War One poets and their poetry. Some wonderful, less know poems were written by women about their experiences at HM Factory Gretna (the greatest factory on earth during World War One, The Devils Porridge Museum tells its story).

We have a book on sale in our shop called, ‘Munitions Workers Poems’. For Women’s History Month, we thought we would share a few photographs and poems of women workers from World War One.

This poem is called “Bravo! Dornock” and was written by a woman called Susan M Ferguson.

The complete booklet can be found here:

 

Munition Workers’ Poems

Kenneth Bingham Quinan Part 4

By Collections blog

Quinan’s later life

At the end of the War, Quinan was 40 years old. He was offered a knighthood which he turned down (as an American, he didn’t think it was appropriate). He was made a Companion of Honour on the same day as General Smuts. He also received official thanks from the House of Commons and a gift of £10,000. In 1919, he returned to South Africa. His work was clearly held in the highest estimation and praise was showered upon him as can be seen below. Photograph below shows Quinan in later life.

“The unique professional knowledge derived from many years of technical experience, the unremitting work of a powerful and vigorous mind, and the irradiating influence of a great, genial and unselfish personality were unreservedly put at the disposal of the British Empire. An atmosphere of good fellowship and of equal comradeship in work pervaded every branch. Everyone who came under the influence of Mr Quinan was stimulated to put forth his best in the general cause.” – Article in Nature Journal, 1920

 

“It would be hard to point to anyone who did more to win the war than Kenneth Bingham Quinan.” – David Lloyd George

 

Below: Quinan was given a solid gold brick on retiring along with the words “from one old brick to another”.

KBQ’s timeline after the war

In 1917 Quinan was appointed to the Commission of Chemical Trades after the War. Churchill offered him a position in the Ministry of Munitions but he declined this offer and many others.

 

In 1919 he returned to his old farm in South Africa as a consultant

 

In 1922 he helped found and became the first Vice President of the Institute of Chemical Engineers (now the Royal Institute of Chemical Engineers). The main aim for this was to disseminate the information gathered during the War.

 

31st December 1923 married Jean Pargiter. They had two sons

 

In 1924 KBQ retired to his fruit farm ‘Bizweni’ in Somerset West where he built a laboratory and dedicated himself to grape production. He also enjoyed big game hunting (especially lions).

 

In 1942 KBQ was invited by the British Government be Senior Representative in South Africa for Chemical Defence Matters. He worked tirelessly in munitions manufacture again.

 

11am 26th January 1948 KBQ collapsed and died at his desk in his office at the age of 69.

 

You can read the first three parts here:

Part 1: https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/kenneth-bingham-quinan-the-great-kbq

Part 2: https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/kenneth-bingham-quinan-part-2

Part 3: https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/kenneth-bingham-quinan-part-3

Kenneth Bingham Quinan Part 3

By Collections blog

Kenneth Bingham Quinan “The Great KBQ”

1878 – 1948

 

KBQ was probably the most important person behind the construction and successful operation of HM Factory Gretna (the greatest munitions factory in World War One, The Devil’s Porridge Museum tells its story).

This photo shows all of the senior staff from the Dornock section of HM Factory Gretna.

Part 3: KBQ’s Management style

Quinan’s approach was meticulous. He created over 300 technical manuals and he demanded that his staff create similar exemplars. These were then circulated throughout the factories so everyone could learn from each other and understand what processes were effective. Many of them were published after the war to help spark what Quinan called “…the renaissance of chemical industry in England”

Quinan regularly met with all the technical senior staff and knew many of them well. Monthly meeting were held which all Superintendents of the Factory and Managers were expected to attend. One of the main aims of the meetings was motivation and morale, it was a chance for “…for them (the managers) to receive stimulation and encouragement which everyone who worked for him (KBQ) experienced”.

These meetings generated many documents including a twice yearly document comparing the efficiency and output of the different plants. KBQ was also looking for ways to make the munitions factories more effective.

Most of the Chemistry work at the Factory was overseen by male chemists but sometimes female workers were given some of the jobs to do as you can see in the photos above.

We have previously done two other articles about KBQ if you would like to read them as well see below;

Part 1: https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/kenneth-bingham-quinan-the-great-kbq

Part 2: https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/kenneth-bingham-quinan-part-2

Wartime Gardening

By Collections blog

Recently the Museum received a donation of a few items from World War Two to do with the Dig For Victory gardens which was a very successful campaign during the Second World War which involved encouraging citizens to grow their own food to try and combat rationing. The Dig For Victory campaign was very successful and encouraged many people to start growing their own food during wartime.

The Museum has its own garden outside which we have called the ‘Dig For Victory’ Garden which we use to grow some of the vegetables used in our cafe. The Museum uses the Garden through the Summer and will start to plant vegetables in it soon (if the weather clears up).

 

This is what our Garden looks like during the Summer when in use.

This is what it currently looks like. Hopefully we can start planting things soon!

The items which were donated to us include an informational booklet from the North of England Horticultural Society which included hints about how best to grow some of the plants.

 

Another one of the items which was donated is also a guide but a slightly shortened down one. This guide is titled ‘War and Your Garden’ and has many tips about growing crops in every different month of the year.

The last item is a plan on how people can grow vegetables all year round and includes information about the best time of year to plant certain crops and also the distance which should be left in between each one when planting.

 

The front cover of H.M. Factory Gretna Regulations Governing Employment.

Recent Donation to the Museum

By Collections blog

We had a very interesting recent donation to the Museum which was donated by someone with family connections to HM Factory Gretna (The Devils Porridge Museum tells the story of this Factory and the 30,000 workers who were employed there during World War One). The objects in question date back to World War One and are: a Factory pass and a booklet with the title “Regulations Governing Employment. The Factory pass it particularly interesting as we have not seen one before. It looks like it could be attached around the neck via a cord and it would hold something inside it (some paperwork). This pocket is empty but we believe we have an example of the sort of thing that would go inside on display in the Museum.

The text is quite difficult to read but it says: Department of Explosives Supply, H. M. Factory, Gretna, Workers Pass, Not Transferable

 

We have scanned all of the pages of the booklet for you to read – hope you find it interesting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Dickin Medal.

New Display at the Museum

By News

We’re very happy to have a Dickin Medal on display in the Museum for the next 6 months. This is one of only 3 on display in the country and one of only 71 Dickin Medals in existence. This particular medal was awarded to a pigeon called Dutch Coast, he was on board a Lancaster Bomber which went down in the North Sea in 1942. He flew 288 miles over 7 hours in terrible weather. He delivered his message and the lives of all the crew were saved as a result of is actions.

In 1943, Maria Dickin, the Founder of the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (a charity known as the PDSA) created the Dickin Medal to honour the work done by animals in World War Two and to recognise their conspicuous gallantry or devotion to duty. Since its introduction in 1943, the Dickin Medal has been awarded just 71 times: 31 dogs, 32 World War Two messenger pigeons, three horses and one cat have been awarded. We are very honoured to have the Dickin Medal here on loan to The Devils Porridge Museum from the Royal Pigeon Racing Association.

Animals have been used in war for thousands of years. Over 16 million animals served in the First World War. Cats and dogs were trained to hunt the giant rats that infested the trenches. By 1918, 8 million horses would lie dead in the mud, many next to soldiers they served with. The use of cavalry in war declined after World War One but animals remain an important part of the Armed Forces.

The War Memorial which we have outside the Museum was gifted to us by the Animals in War Group, Carlisle in 2015, as a lasting permanent reminder of the enormous sacrifice made by animals in war.

Elizabeth Hunter in her munitions uniform.

Elizabeth Hunter – Gretna Girl

By Collections blog

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Hunter

Born 28 November 1893 died 20th October 1969

Worked at HM Factory Gretna 1916 – 1919

Badge No. B201047

 

Elizabeth originally trained as a dress maker in Carlisle, then began work at the factory. She commuted from Carlisle to work.

 

She had a souvenir autograph book, which was addressed to the girls in the stove room so she could have potentially worked there. Included in this autograph book was a poem written by one of the other girls.

 

Once she had finished working at the Factory, she worked at Carrs Biscuit Works in Carlisle before marrying a Presbyterian Minister in 1927 and moving around the country.

 

She had three brothers who served during WW1; two were part of the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders with one killed in 1918 and the other wounded four times. Her third brother was part of the Royal Garrison Artillery and was awarded the Military Cross; he had been a prisoner of war, where he had a Bible and wrote in code with a pin details of the awful living conditions he faced in the camp. Unfortunately he died a month after the Armistice; the Bible was returned to his father but upon reading of his experience burned the copy so no-one else could read it.

 

 

Museum volunteer stood in the evacuee section of The Devil's Porridge Museum.

Barnardo’s child evacuees

By Collections blog

This part of the Devil’s Porridge Museum is the place I find most interesting.

 

This part of the Museum tells us about the children who came from Barnardo’s orphanages to escape the war. Some came inner city slums and found this as an adventure and a glimpse of a better life. Some had never seen hills or cows and enjoyed the fresh country air.

 

Barnardo’s was founded by Thomas Barnardo in 1866, to care for vulnerable children. As of 2013 it has raised and spent around £200 million each year running around 900 local services, aimed at helping these same groups. It is the UKs largest children’s charity in terms of charitable expenditure. Its headquarters are in Barkingside in the London Borough of Redbridge.

 

This part of the museum tells us the story of how some of these children came to Eastriggs, Gretna and the surrounding areas. If you visit the museum you can hear audio accounts from some of the children who have recalled their memories and shared them with us as adults.

 

Of all the historical events that I can learn about at the Museum I find this section the most interesting.

By Andrew Dill (Devil’s porridge Museum volunteer)

Susan Summers

Gretna Girl – Susan Summers

By Collections blog

These are the accounts of Susan Summers when she worked in HM Factory Gretna during World War One. The article is written by her and about what her roles were at the Factory and what life was like working there.

 

When war was declared I decided to help the war effort and get a job at HM Factory Gretna. We were met at the station and taken to a large hut which was to be our home from home during our stay.

 

Our first job was stocking furnaces with sulphur. One day, a week later, we were hurried outside. I understand there was a leak of some kind and we were never sent back.

 

I was then sent to take charge of the Drying Shed. The gun-cotton was in blocks, packed in bags to be put into the drying machines. They were loaded onto a conveyor belt upstairs to the screening shed where it was ground to a powder.

 

I can remember the shed was bitterly cold and one night we had an alert. The lights in the shed went out and we were plunged into darkness. We heard afterwards that a Zeppelin had got through to Annan.

 

Then I went on a more dangerous job which was underground and there too we had an alert. Our chemist dashed in shouting, “Run girls! Run for your lives!” we did and I know I only stopped when my breath gave out.

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