On Friday we walked along the canal into Macclesfield, stopping on way to book Ani into a boatyard for the week we return home. And guess what? they had an aerial that we could buy. Pete would have left it of course but I insisted, so we now have TV again albeit BBC Wales! Did find the other channels eventually!
We had a wander around this old town, which enchanted me because of the silk industry it built up around. Lots of old mill and factory buildings and hilly terraces of weaver's cottages. After a lunch in an overly priced but pleasant cafe, we visited Paradise Mill museum, Cartwright and Sheldon's intact weaving factory mainly producing woven silk for ties, that was finally closed in 1981. Full of all it's original 1800s equipment; worn wooden Jacquard looms in rows in a beamed loft with a thick undulating floorboard floor. What an atmosphere. The punch cards used to compute the designs and the machine that produced them, bobbins of jewel coloured silks, a designers desk with original painted designs and rich woven fabrics on the looms were wonderful to see. Thank goodness someone saved it all in 1981. They clearly could not have carried on as they could only produce 2yards of fabric per loom per week - hardly competitive. But you wonder if quality has suffered for quantity and speed.
Our guide demonstrated the looms and when Pete asked if the weaver would have been able to work the treadle with either foot, he demonstrated how that wouldn't have worked. This 30 a minute noisy kick down for the equally noisy shuttle to be thrown back and forth would have been hard work and all powered by one leg. Or guide said when you see a resident of Macclesfield walking round in circles you know what he did for a living!
Interesting day. Macclesfield's industrial utilitarian beauty, with green hills back-dropping it's steep streets was a joy.
We had a wander around this old town, which enchanted me because of the silk industry it built up around. Lots of old mill and factory buildings and hilly terraces of weaver's cottages. After a lunch in an overly priced but pleasant cafe, we visited Paradise Mill museum, Cartwright and Sheldon's intact weaving factory mainly producing woven silk for ties, that was finally closed in 1981. Full of all it's original 1800s equipment; worn wooden Jacquard looms in rows in a beamed loft with a thick undulating floorboard floor. What an atmosphere. The punch cards used to compute the designs and the machine that produced them, bobbins of jewel coloured silks, a designers desk with original painted designs and rich woven fabrics on the looms were wonderful to see. Thank goodness someone saved it all in 1981. They clearly could not have carried on as they could only produce 2yards of fabric per loom per week - hardly competitive. But you wonder if quality has suffered for quantity and speed.
Our guide demonstrated the looms and when Pete asked if the weaver would have been able to work the treadle with either foot, he demonstrated how that wouldn't have worked. This 30 a minute noisy kick down for the equally noisy shuttle to be thrown back and forth would have been hard work and all powered by one leg. Or guide said when you see a resident of Macclesfield walking round in circles you know what he did for a living!
Interesting day. Macclesfield's industrial utilitarian beauty, with green hills back-dropping it's steep streets was a joy.
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