PRESS RELEASES
| 31st
August 2008
Press Release
Donkeys
Return for Another Grand Day
Out
As has
become a tradition now, the
donkeys and their keepers
of the Donkey Breed Society
will be returning to the Rural
Life Centre at Tilford on
Sunday September 14th for
their annual Donkey Day Out.
For many
years the Tilford museum of
country life has hosted this
very special event with the
number of donkeys attending
growing steadily year on year.
That was until last year.
This time last year our part
of the country was virtually
shut down with regard to animal
movements because of the foot
and mouth outbreak. This meant
that comparatively few donkeys
were able to travel to Tilford.
This year
they intend to make up for
missing out on this important
day in their calendar. It
presents a unique local opportunity
for visitors to get to meet
this lovable yet stubborn
creature and learn more about
the animal's history as both
a pet and a "workhorse".
It is hoped that at least
20 will take part in the grand
parade and there will also
be demonstrations of the various
ways in which this beast of
burden has helped mankind
over the centuries.
Museum
visitors will also be able
to meet the animals and their
owners face to face and find
out how they are cared for.
The event is organised by
John and Rosemary Porter of
Follyoak Donkeys in Farnham
and their animals will be
familiar through their appearance
at many local events.
If
you've not been before, Donkey
Day Out is an event not to
be missed. It is at the Rural
Life Centre from 10am to 5pm
on September 14th. The accredited
museum lies mid way between
Tilford and Frensham in Reeds
Road off the A287 three miles
south of Farnham. For more
information telephone
01252 795571.
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| 21st
August 2008 Press
Release
Big Sounds
in the Country
"We're
playing where? In a museum?"
has been the response of numerous
band members when approached
to appear at this year's Weyfest
music festival at the beginning
of September. However for
those in the know or who attended
last year's event this doesn't
seem such a strange venue.
As a local
musical event, Weyfest has
been going for quite a number
of years, moving from pub
to pub on an annual basis.
Last year the organisers decided
to try something different
and took over the Rural Life
Centre at Tilford for the
weekend. The country life
museum had never seen anything
like it before - neither had
most of the audience or performers.
The event
was an immediate success with
around 1,800 people coming
along for the day or camping
for the whole weekend. The
music ranged in date and genre
from the 1920s to the world
music of today. What made
it all so special was the
unique venue in which it was
performed. The Rural Life
Centre stretches across ten
acres of land and buildings
containing many reminders
of how life used to be for
country folk. Often the music
they made was one of the only
reliefs they had from their
hard life on the land.
The Weyfest
musicians echoed this musical
tradition amongst the reminders
of a bygone era and this year
they are set to return, on
September 6th and 7th, bigger
and better than ever. Headlining
on the three stages will be
bands such as Steve Harley
& Cockney Rebel, The Pirates,
The Beat, The Hamsters and
Chas n Dave. They will be
joined by many more, performing
throughout the day and into
the evening, providing something
to suit all musical tastes.
But that
won't be all. Besides having
the all the regular museum
displays to look at, there
will also be special activities
for children, including their
own entertainers, and the
Old Kiln Light Railway will
be in steam. There will be
a lantern parade after dark
around the site for the children
to show the creations they
have been working on during
the day and visits by characters
from BBC TV's Dr Who and the
Star Wars films. Additionally
the Bean Car Club will be
visiting the event on the
Sunday afternoon and their
classic vehicles will be on
show for all to admire.
Probably
the best way to find out more
about Weyfest has to offer
is to visit the website at
www.weyfest.co.uk where you
will also be able to listen
to some of the bands that
are performing. There too
you can book your tickets,
either for a single day or
the whole weekend including
camping. Due to the unique
nature of the site, places
will be limited so it is best
to book early to ensure you're
not disappointed.
Weyfest
2008 takes place on Saturday
and Sunday 6/7th September
from 10am each day at the
Rural Life Centre, an accredited
museum of village life, mid
way between Tilford and Frensham
in Reeds Road off the A287
three miles south of Farnham.
For further information telephone
01252 795571.
|
8th
August 2008 Press
Release
Flying
the Flag for Farnham and Traditional
Childhood Fun
With the
Beijing Olympics in full swing,
it is all too easy to overlook
the fact that London's turn
is barely four years away.
In fact as soon as the Chinese
games are over Britain launches
its 2012 handover celebrations
on August 24th.
The London
organising committee are presenting
all local authorities with
a special flag to mark the
run-up to "our"
games. As part of this celebration
Farnham Town Council is joining
in with the Rural Life Centre,
Tilford's museum of country
life, in hosting a special
event - Sunday Funday.
This special
children's event aims to recreate
the flavour and fun of Sunday
School treats and fetes of
our childhood for a whole
new generation.
Included among the activities
will be fun sports and it
is this element that makes
it an ideal occasion to mark
the start of the London Olympics.
The flag will be raised by
Farnham's 2007 Young Person
of the Year, Evie Ayres-Townshend,
a Tae Kwon-Do black belt,
and the town mayor Gillian
Beel.
Amongst
the sports that all visitors
will be able to take part
in are wheelbarrow, egg and
spoon, dressing-up, obstacle,
blindfold races and juggling.
Joining them will be apple-bobbing,
coconut shy, peg doll making,
toys-for-free, conkers, skittles
and a treasure hunt around
the ten acre museum site.
There will also be a traditional
Sunday School in the chapel
and all families are invited
to bring some lunch or tea
and join in a "Furry
Friends Picnic" perhaps
with children bringing along
their favourite cuddly toys.
Sunday
Funday and the Olympic flag
raising takes place on Sunday
24th August from 10am to 5pm
(with the flag being unfurled
at 3.30pm) at the Rural Life
Centre mid way between Tilford
and Frensham in Reeds Road
off the A287 three miles south
of Farnham. For further information
telephone 01252 795571.
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| 1st
August 2008 Press
Release
Local Built
Classics
One of
the largest motor dealers
in the Farnham area was E
D Abbott Ltd of Wrecclesham.
Tracing their origins back
to just after the first world
war, they dealt in a wide
range of British made cars
and also hand-built bodies
on Rolls-Royce and other chassis
to special order for local
customers.
During
the 1950s they also identified
a niche market for estate
body conversions to Ford cars.
These Abbott conversions came
into great demand, so much
so that Ford themselves started
to build estate versions of
their saloons. The Abbott
variety, though produced in
large numbers, is now something
of a rarity as are the local
people that helped produce
them.
It is hoped,
though, that the cars and
their makers will have something
of a local reunion soon at
the Rural Life Centre, Tilford's
museum of country life, when
the Ford Mk II Independent
Owners Club holds a rally
there on Sunday August 17th.
The Ford
Mk II, better known to many
by the names of Consul, Zephyr
and Zodiac, was the model
most used in the Abbott conversions.
The vehicles at the museum
will date from around 1956
to 1962 and there should be
at least one of the Wrecclesham
produced vehicles among the
20 or more of the distinctive
classics assembling for the
rally.
The Ford
Mk II Independent Rally takes
place on August 17th from
10am to 5pm at the Rural Life
Centre, an accredited museum,
on Reeds Road, mid way between
Tilford and Frensham, just
off the A287 three miles south
of Farnham. For further information
telephone 01252 795571.
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24th
July 2008 Press Release
The Forestry
Business that Grew and Grew
Today the
UPM Tilhill name is known
throughout the country as
a leader in forestry and environmental
landscaping, being involved
in schemes both large and
small. Working for a variety
of clients from government
and local authority to conservation
and community bodies they
manage all aspects of forestry
from planting to harvesting
and everything in between.
What is
not generally realised, however,
is that this £80 million
turnover company grew from
very local roots. In 1947
Archie Aitkins, returning
from war service, bought Tilhill
House at Tilford and 20 acres
of land on which he established
a nursery to grow the trees
he was unable to locate elsewhere.
Soon he was supplying young
trees to plant vast areas
throughout the UK. This necessitated
a move to larger premises
at Greenhills, still in the
village but now with a nursery
expanding to over 200 acres
to become the largest in Europe.
The great
expansion brought with it
the need for many seasonal
and full-time staff. So, many
locals were "called up"
into Tilhill service. They
worked largely as gangs so
built up a camaraderie which
has not diminished over the
years despite the main company
moving away to allow even
more growth and diversification.
Now the
Rural Life Centre, Tilford's
museum of country life, is
to hold an exhibition showing
the growth of this remarkable
company which did so much
to improve the lot of the
forester in moving away from
the hard manual labour represented
by artefacts in the museum's
collection to the new machines
developed by Tilhill. As a
result of this work, Archie
Aitkins received an OBE for
services to forestry in 1975.
Already
much interest has been shown
by former staff of the company
and a reunion is being planned
as a result, sponsored by
the current UPM Tilhill.
For further information about
this please contact the museum.
The Tilhill
Economic Forestry exhibition
opens at the Rural Life Centre
on August 10th and continues
until October 26th. The accredited
museum of village life lies
mid way between Tilford and
Frensham in Reeds Road off
the
A287 three miles south of
Farnham. It is open from 10am
to 5pm each day from Wednesday
to Sunday and on bank holiday
Mondays. For further information
telephone 01252 795571.
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18th July 2008 Press
Release
Stationary
But Full of Movement
Today the
farmer has a range of vast
and complex machines at his
disposal to help him work
the countryside. Originally,
though, it was human muscle
that provided the motive power
followed by the horse and
then the steam engine.
However the real revolution
for agriculture came about
with the invention of the
internal combustion engine.
This new
technology dramatically changed
the working lot of the farmer
and labourer for ever. All
of a sudden quite a small,
self-contained machine was
able to provide all the power
that was necessary for many
arduous tasks. The stationary
engine had arrived. It could
be mounted on existing machinery
or moved around the farm to
wherever it was needed.
Perhaps
"stationary" is
a misnomer because the power-plants
were quite portable and, when
working, their moving parts
were anything but "stationary".
Today there is a large following
of enthusiasts who collect
these vintage machines and
exhibit them at rallies around
the country. At the beginning
August many of them will be
moving their stationary engines
towards Tilford and the Rural
Life Centre.
There,
at the museum of country life,
they will be demonstrating
just what the engines were
capable of, driving a variety
of bygone machinery, in a
rally organised by the Central
Southern Vintage Agricultural
Club. This annual event last
year attracted around fifty
engines as the ten acre museum
site echoed to their very
distinctive sound, and proved
equally popular with the visiting
public.
The
CSVAC Stationary Engine Rally
takes place on August 2nd
and 3rd from 10am to 5pm at
the Rural Life Centre, an
accredited museum, on Reeds
Road, mid way between Tilford
and Frensham, just off the
A287 three miles south of
Farnham. For further information
telephone 01252 795571.
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12th
July 2008 Press Release
What is
Rustic Sunday?
The Rural
Life Centre at Tilford was
opened in 1973 so this year
celebrates
35 years of telling the country
history story to an ever growing
appreciative audience now
totally around 21,000 people
per year.
It does
this through its permanent
exhibitions and an extensive
programme of special events.
The latter are particularly
important because they allow
the visitors to see many items
from the collections in use
in the hands of skilled craftsmen
and women, themselves a rapidly
vanishing breed. This tradition
of "living history"
at the accredited country
life museum goes back to its
very beginnings when Rustic
Sunday was the only event
in the embryo centre's calendar.
Of course
craftspeople have come and
gone in the meantime but the
organisers have managed to
continue the event and this
year's looks set to be one
of the busiest ever with crafts
that haven't been demonstrated
here recently once more reappearing.
Amongst these are basket making,
flint knapping, charcoal burning
and felt making joining the
regular blacksmith, wheelwright,
sheep shearer, cobbler and
coppice workers alongside
many "domestic"
crafts including spinning,
weaving and knitting.
During
the day visitors will also
be able to watch the firing
of a reconstruction Romano-British
pottery kiln, demonstrations
of dog agility or get advice
on tracing their ancestry
with the help of members of
the West Surrey Family History
Society. They will be holding
a mini family history fair
as part of the event. All
of this will take place to
a background of live jazz
and folk music throughout
the day.
The
museum has always found this
event difficult to describe
but "an experience of
rural life" seems to
sum it up admirably. Rustic
Sunday takes place on Sunday
27th July from 10am to 5pm
at the Rural Life Centre mid
way between Tilford and Frensham
in Reeds Road off the A287
three miles south of Farnham.
For further information telephone
01252 795571.
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Rural Life
Centre: Reeds Road, Tilford, Farnham,
Surrey, GU10 2DL.
Tel: 01252 795571 (Fax. 01252
795571)
More
Information can be found at:
www.rural-life.org.uk
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