Blists Hill - Ironbridge, A World Heritage site - The birthplace of Industry and a visit to the very best of friends.

A Victorian Wedding weekend  had been arranged at  in Blists Hill Ironbridge, Shropshire. My eldest son's girlfriend works there and in Ironbridge itself lives one of my oldest and closest of friends. Therefore it seemed to be most appropriate to visit a museum which I had not visited in 15 years and to take advantage of a friendship for an excuse for a barbecue and a catching up session.

Ironbridge holds around 10 attractions for which you can get an overall passport or buy an individual entrance fee. Today the "Victorian Wedding" was going to show how the whole day would have been lived for the Wedding party and for those in the village.

When I had first visited this attraction years ago it was just a few shops in keeping with the Victorian times, a candle makers, a smithy and a bank. However it had now been expanded into a full village which meant my daughter and myself had a lot to look at in a limited time as we were meeting friends at 2.00pm.

My son's girlfriend showed us some of the new delights before she had to rush off and change into her themed outfit. Firstly we entered the Bank to change our new fangled money into similarly sized and named coins from the past at the correct exchange rate, this meant for £20 we had a miserly few tiny coins to use!!! However my daughter and I set off to use them!!

The Chemist was a delight of smells of traditionally made soap and medicines perfectly arranged in beautiful jars, in regimented rows of blue glass.

As we walked along outside we came across the priest chatting to some of the bridal party, it felt so weird and yet quite natural as their manner made it the norm.

We followed them to the Haberdashery and Lacemaker where, by the window, sat all bedecked in costume a lady of a certain age producing the most beautiful lace items. The entirety of the shop was her collection of traditional lace and those made by her. Apparently some shops are let as a franchise which enables them to have specialists enhancing the publics experience whilst the franchisee collects any profits from goods sold.

















As we walked on we visited brick makers, printers and typical houses.

The wedding party had settled in a house where the front room was actually being used, all neat and tidy the party sat drinking from the best crockery and consuming cake and biscuits.

Warmth from the newly stoked fire wafted into the front room, whilst it also kept the kettle boiling.

Peckish time arrived as we went part the just open Fish and Chip shop, the smell wafted across us and tempted us in for not only a cone of chips but perfectly battered fish. In all honestly, my daughter and I agreed they were the crispiest battered fish, and most perfect chips we have ever had! As we munched and sat my son's girlfriend reappeared looking stunning in traditional attire,  of course we had to take photos even though she was reluctant.

At this point, somehow, we were persuaded that we should dress up and get our photo taken even though earlier we had both dismissed the thought and felt relieved!!! We were herded to the shop and began regret agreeing! I do have to say we were looked after fabulously...... I was given some finery plus parasol and wide brimmed hat with my hair hooked behind whilst my daughter was delightfully and beautifully dressed in a sailor inspired pink outfit which looked sooooooo very good on her. Serious faces and a prim stance was required to have our photo done and then the best of modern equipment meant we had our choice of print produced immediately. I'll post it when I find it honest!!!

Escorted for a few minutes by my son's girlfriend did mean we had a little more of an idea about the day and the characters, being then led into the pub to meet the men of the wedding party supping their beer!!!! i.e. I believe a non alcoholic version as the party needed to be on show later for the wedding. Although the pub does indeed have a licence with traditional beer sold. I'm not sure whether they do, but to have a personal guide taking you around, at obvious cost, would be so interesting as just little things being discussed and explained certainly added to the experience.

Another franchisee was the grooms man bringing along his beautiful Shire and coach for the wedding, apparently the other animals to be seen on certain days are also his. The horse was just stunning, glistening coat and calm as a cucumber.

























On we walked to see printing presses, Stonemasons and Locksmiths and then we fell upon the most interesting candlemakers. The various coloured wax being used for factories or homes, double wicks to prevent the light from being extinguished, the rotary wick dipping structure was all retold in  perfect gloom only lit by a couple of flames and a lonely window.

Onward to the Doctors house a beautifully bedecked house with better furnishings and decoration showing his wealth, even a little courtyard garden and a view down over the valley. Then along to the school, this was the only slight disappointment as no volunteers enabled this to be open, it would have been fun to have sat on benches, scratch at small boards with chalk and be reprimanded by the stern school mistress!!! That sounds so wrong : ))

Now we travelled down the hill to the poorest and smallest of houses. Shabby built houses, with wonky roofs, a hard working compost heap actually steaming away, the wretched outside toilet, and fully functioning vegetable garden showed what life was truly like for some. Into the tiny two rooms we went where 9 people would have lived, every nook and cranny being filled with the stuff of life. My best memory was the two pairs of tiny leather children's shoes soled with metal to last.

Finally we made it to a tin, yes tin, Church. We walked inside to see a bower of flowers and ivy having been set up for the wedding and all the normal altar, pulpit and pews you would expect in a fully brick and stone church. This Church was definitely ready for the wedding.

We strolled along even more to see the weird faces of the brick work furnaces looking at us looking down upon the children playing at the traditional fair; a stall, a coconut shy, sellers, roundabouts and swinging boats all for the amusement of the locals.

Friendship

Looking at the time we had timed our exit to perfection, a whole fours hours had past and we certainly had enjoyed our time, unfortunately we had to miss the actual wedding to speed off to fill our faces at my dear friends.

Buddies of old

My friend avec a small glass of wine!!

Glasssses of wine, a man who knows his way around a BBQ, and a family who loves to party and invite friends made a perfect afternoon to finish this day. Our families had met at NCT classes for our first borns, the lads had been a perfect double act with not a bad word between them ever. When we moved away we and I missed them terribly......however its a friendship that exists.......always there, never forgotten and back to giggling within an instant.

The BBQ King, oh yes