This Belongs in a Museum
Bringing you museum-approved grammatical errors and typos since 2010.
Oh, and sorry - I DO NOT FOLLOW BACK!
With the imposing walls of a ruined medieval castle standing in the background, Conwy’s Quay House is not only the smallest house in Great Britain, but probably also the smallest house museum in the world. I had a chance to visit this itsy bitsy tourist attraction on a day trip to Wales (that’s my crappy photo above) on my way to see the town’s 13th century castle.
Built sometime in the 16th century, the house, which measures 72 inches wide and 122 inches high (or 1.8 metres wide by 3.05 metres high), was built in a gap between two terrace houses. Believe it or not, this very uncomfortable house was lived in continuously until the early 1900s. At one time an entire family lived here. The last occupant was a 6 ft 3 inch tall fisherman named Robert Jones (of course) who was forced to move out when the town council declared the house unfit for habitation. I guess he had a hard time standing up. Uh…really? The building is still owned by his descendants.
If you’re worried the house has not been properly recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records, it has. Phew! As you can see from my photo, a woman, who usually dresses in traditional Welsh costume because tourists like that sort of thing, stands outside the front door. But that wasn’t always the case as you can see from this picture, it’s just a random old lady hanging out, instead of one forced to pretend she is from the past. For only £0.75 or £0.50 (don’t forget the child discount) visitors can take a look around the one-up, one-down (just two freakin’ rooms!) while listening to an audio recording that explains the house’s history. The second floor is so teeny tiny that only one person at a time can view it from a step ladder. There’s room for a squashed bed, cabinet and stove (to keep warm of course). And just like that…the tour is over.
If you ever find yourself wandering around North Wales, I suggest you first go to Llandudno, then Snowdonia, and maybe Conwy to see y ty lleiaf ym mhrydain fawr. What? You don’t speak Welsh? Beth bynnag!
Britain was once dotted with the iconic red telephone box. Every tourist had to pose for a photograph next to this instantly recognisable British thing. Due to privatisation and the rise of the mobile phone, the boxes are a dying breed, most are abandoned or sold off. A few years ago the British government began letting towns adopt them, for one pound each. Some have been turned into churches, information centres, pieces of art, a library, and even a one-night only pub called the Dog and Bone. And now there is one that is the smallest museum in Wales. With a £1,000 in winnings from the BT Adopt-A-Kiosk scheme, the local authorities of Cilgerran in Pembrokeshire converted its red phone box into a museum celebrating the photography of Tom Mathias, a self-taught photographer, who documented daily life in rural West Wales. Tom’s glass negatives were dumped in an outhouse for nearly thirty years after his death in 1940, before being discovered and painstakingly saved and restored. The collection of conserved glass plates is housed at the Scolton Manor Museum in nearby Spittal, but now some of his prints are displayed in the phone box, about 50 metres from the old house where Mr Mathias once lived. With a new lease on life, this unique museum helps to preserve the traditions and culture of the country. As we all play with our smart phones…
Miners Amputation Kit - National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.
This amputation kit was issued to Dr. Arthur Jones, a medical officer with the National Coal Board, who would have used it on the occasions when men were trapped by large pieces of debris. The situation could have been made worse if one of the pieces was disturbed, which would cause more parts to collapse. Trapped, in such a way that they were unable to be moved, victims would have to be amputated by their rescuers or their own workmates in order to save their lives.
(Source: Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales)
Welsh Alphabet Postcard, chart created by T.C. Evans, c. 1900
From Museum of Welsh Life
“Bûm gall unwaith - hynny oedd, llefain pan ym ganed.”
Translation: “I was wise once: when I was born I cried.”
Ah, Wales. As my English and Scots friends say, “The Welsh…they’re a bit funny.” Even if you don’t agree with that statement like I do, you have to admit this next museum is just that…a bit funny. The South Welsh Borderers Museum is located in Brecon near Knighton in Powys. The photographer of this picture described it as a “cross between the crooked house at the funfair and museum of packaging and an art installation”. Sounds like my cup of tea. Actually that description is not completely fair. The crooked art installation is a regimental museum full of stuff collected by the 24th Regiment of Foot over the last 300 years. Too bad this so-called Foot Army wasn’t around in 1093 when the Welsh fell to the Normans. Okay. I’m done making fun of the Welsh. For now. Cheers to the Welsh Army Antique Shop!
