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Two happy children outside The Devil's Porridge Museum.

Events at the Museum in February

By News

Events taking place at the Museum from Monday 17th of February to Sunday 23rd February. All of these activities are free and only the trip to the Riverside Museum in Glasgow on Saturday the 22nd requires booking. If you wish to book phone: 01461 700021, email: info@devilsporridge.org.uk or pop into the Museum during our opening hours. Drop in sessions can be joined at any time while the session is running and last as long as the activity takes.

 

Monday 17th February (11am – 2pm)

Warhammer Workshop and Painting Competition

 

Come along and find out all about Warhammer. We will have mini-games set up for beginners to learn and play as well as space for more experienced players to set up their own epic battles.

Paint and take home one of our Space Marines as part of the painting competition. All paints and models will be provided! There will also be space and paint for anyone looking to paint their own models.

Tuesday 18th February (11am – 2pm)

Pop in Poetry

 

Local artist and published poet Hugh McMillan will be running a series of drop in poetry workshops aimed at all ages.

Find out about WW1 poets and try your hand at writing some poetry of your own inspired by the Museums collection.

 

Wednesday 19th February (11am – 2pm)

Historical Arts and Crafts

 

Running along-side our imitation stained-glass project designing panels for our café renovation, drop into the learning zone and join Alison and Wendy to create your own imitation stained-glass window scene to take home and proudly display at home.

The imitation stained-glass project is a separate event and aimed at older crafters and adults.

 

Thursday 20th February (11am – 2pm)

Time Bandits Living History

 

Historical re-enactors from Time Bandits Living History will be visiting The Devils Porridge on this day.

With live performances throughout the day and a larger range of objects to be handled and explored the Time Bandits will be providing an insight into life on the home front and the roles of Women during World War One.

 

Friday 21st February (11am onwards)

Warhammer 40k Kill team Porridge Championship

 

The first ever Porridge Championship! Build your 40k kill team and battle your way through a series of missions against the other competitors. Prizes for the best painted army and most enjoyable competitor as well as our overall champion!

A painting area will also be provided for anyone adding any finishing touches to their army.

 

Saturday 22nd February (All day events)

Games Club

 

Our regular Devils Porridge Games Club will be running this day (10am – 11am for primary 6 and above 11am – 12noon open to all ages) but there will be different traditional games set up for families to play throughout the rest of the day.

Riverside Museum Trip to Glasgow (bus departs at 9.30 and returns at 4pm)

 

Join us for a free family day out to the Riverside Museum in Glasgow. Free return travel to the Museum and entry to the Museum is also free!

Riverside Museum is Glasgow’s award winning transport Museum. With over 3000 objects on display there’s everything from skateboards to locomotives, paintings to prams and cars to a Stormtrooper.

https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/venues/riverside-museum

ICI Powfoot group photo.

World War Two photo of ICI Powfoot

By Collections blog

A couple (Ron and Morag) recently contacted the Museum and sent us a photo of Morag’s mother who worked at ICI Powfoot during the Second World War.  She is pictured in the photograph below (front row, second from left) with other people who also worked in the Factory.

Morag’s mother was Mary Taylor Napier (maiden name Dirom) who worked at ICI Powfoot during the Second World War.  She was born on the 11th May 1921 in Templand, Dumfriesshire. She then married on 2nd February 1940 at Dryfesdale, Lockerbie to James Ross Napier (who was on leave from the army). She lived in Lockerbie during World War Two.

After the War, James and Mary moved to Templand in a ‘prefab’ where they had their first child Morag (who gave us this information). Mary and James, with three children and a fourth on the way, emigrated to Australia in 1956 and this is where they lived until Mary passed away on the 16th July 2000 in Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Australia.

The couple would also be very interested to know if anyone  knew any of the other people in the photo and see if they can identify them. They don’t really know much more information about the photo or who is in it which is why they would like some more information if anyone can help.  Please email: manager@devilsporridge.org.uk if you have any information you would like to share with us.  We have a large collection of objects and material relating to the Second World War in our region and are always keen to know more.

Photo on display of ICI Powfoot workers

This display (photographed below) is on the First Floor of the Museum and focuses on the work done at ICI Powfoot.

A few years ago, the Museum researched and published a book called ‘The Solway Military Coast.’  It contains lots of information about World War Two in Dumfries and Galloway and can be purchased from our online shop (and shipped worldwide): https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/product/the-solway-military-coast-book

J C Burnham

John Charles Burnham

By Collections blog

John Charles Burnham was responsible for keeping the greatest factory in the world operating smoothly which he accomplished every day he was there as the factory helped Britain win the war by producing the most cordite out of any factory in the whole world. When leaving the Factory Burnham left behind a meticulous record of his work in the form of a Factory Manuel which is now in the National Archives.

The picture above shows Burnham walking behind the two men, one being King George when he visited HM Factory Gretna.

Owens College, Manchester

J C Burnham studied at Owens College in Manchester from 1885 – 89 and graduated in 1888 with a Bachelor of science, in the first class and was elected an Associate of the College in the same year. In 1889 he became an assistant chemist under Kellner at Woolwich, Arsenal and while holding that position also acted for some years as Assistant Chemist to the Special Committee of Explosives, under the Chairmanship of Sir Frederick Abel. In 1894 he proceeded to India, where he was for five years as a chemist in charge of an experimental cordite factory at Kirkke, before he was appointed manager at the Government of India Explosives factory, Nilgiris. His advice was sought by the government on many occasions, and his services were recognised by the award of the C.S.I. In 1915 he was loaned to the Ministry of Munitions and became Director of the Board of Management and Superintendent at HM Factory Gretna, a post which he held until 1921. In the following year he was appointed General Works Manager of British Dyestuffs Corporation, Manchester and retired in 1924.

This is one of the factories which Burnham worked in before being moved to HM Factory Gretna

 

We’re not sure what Burnham’s role was in the invention of cordite but he did work under Sir Frederick Abel who was one of the people credited as the inventor of cordite. Cordite was the propellant which was made in HM Factory Gretna and that was used in the shells which were made in WW1 and was invented in 1889 by Sir James Dewar and Sir Frederick Augustus Abel and later saw the use as the standard explosive of the British Army.

New Object of the Month

Object of the Month for January

By Collections blog

This object was recently donated to the Museum. It is an Auxiliary Territorial Service (or ATS) coat from World War Two. It was owned by a young woman called Elizabeth who was originally from Lancashire but was stationed in Stirling during the War. Her daughter, from Lockerbie, donated this coat to the Museum.

New Object of the Month

One of the most interesting parts of this donation was inside the overcoat. On the outside, it is a standard issue military style coat but inside are numerous felt badges from different countries and regiments involved in World War Two.  The donor didn’t know what these badges were, and she was curious to know how her mother acquired them.

New Object of the Month

Some of our young volunteers managed to find out what all the badges were, but we don’t know why Elizabeth had them (they were probably tokens or mementoes from people she met during the War).

New Object of the Month

Here are some of the most interesting badges which she has collected:

Igloo with a star: Exercise Eskimo Badge

Rainbow and flaming sword: Post WW2 U.S. Forces European command

Red gate: British troops in Northern Ireland

3 yellow stripes: Overseas service

Tigers face: British army, South East Command UK

New Objects on Display

By News

While the Museum was closed a couple of new items were added to the displays by our Vice Chairman Graham and our Secretary Neil these items are a Gretna Green sign which is above our Quintinshill display and a signal box which is placed on the wall before you enter the café showing the train routes for Quintinshill.

Signal Box

The Quintinshill rail disaster is the worst rail disaster in British history. It involved five trains and caused the deaths of over 229 soldiers. The crash was caused when a local train had been temporarily placed on the southbound mainline in the direct path of a troop train. at 6:55am, 21 carriages full of soldiers hurtled headlong into the stationary train.

Gretna Green sign at the Devils Porridge

The collision was so violent that the train, which had been 195 meters long, was compressed to just 61 meters. Minutes later with debris scattered all over the tracks the Northbound express from London approached Quintinshill. Weighing over 600 tonnes and travelling at full speed, it was powerless to stop and ploughed straight into the wreckage. The crash could be heard miles away. Within seconds a fire broke out and engulfed all three engines, of the 500 troops on board, fewer than 60 made it to roll-call the next day.

A Happy New Year to all of our Supporters

By News

A Happy New Year from all the volunteers and staff at the Devils Porridge. 2019 was a good year for the Museum bet we hope that 2020 will be an even better one. We open again on Monday the 6th January with our new Solway Fishing Exhibition and on 25th January we have our annual Burns Supper, tickets are £10, bookable by phoning 01461 700021. Our year ended on a high note, wit two coaches from the South coming in for a warm welcome on Hogmanay. Our photo shows Chairman Richard Brodie, Trustee Eleanor Oswald and Sheila Gibson, and our youngest volunteer Maddison Wallace.

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