Yesterday, despite the frustrating vagaries of public transport, I arrived at St Wendreda’s Church Hall in March, Cambridgeshire with my Museum of Dust to give a talk and workshop. I rather like the idea of travelling along the old route of the Fen Causeway with my museum on my back, although in fact it was in a large Leylands carrier bag in case of wet weather. As it happened, it didn’t rain, but it was very gusty.
Why dust? I was asked, and explained how I thought the tiny samples might evoke an event, a character or a location. Star dust was also mentioned. Stories about my dust quest included a visit behind the scenes at the British Museum’s mummy storage (I was researching something for one of my children’s books), a walk to the Treacle Well at Binsey, and a very brief exploration of the Great Wall of China when I was part of a book festival in Beijing.
Yesterday I was joined by 14 people including one child, a man who unpacked numerous models about the lines of the galaxies and a lady who told me about her dust experiences when she worked for the VSO in south Sudan.
The galaxy man explained that his surname meant ‘dust’ btw. His theories sounded a bit complicated. Sadly I didn’t have time to ponder on them but his models were impressive.
After the talk I encouraged participants to draw/write what they might include in their own museum – something they treasured. ‘My belief in Father Christmas’, and a ‘smile from someone you haven’t seen for a long time’ were included. The Rev Ruth (what a power house!) brought out tea and blackberry cake she’d made. Her ministry includes several other churches, a prison and a nearby Army base apparently. The afternoon was great fun, meeting a mix of lovely people and sharing stories, including my niche enthusiasms.
This morning I received this from the Rev Ruth …
Before I left March, a couple of people told me about the ‘Fenland Tigers’, some of the local population who were opposed to landowners’ schemes for draining the Fens in the 17th and 18th centuries. This morning I saw this BBC article … ‘I drank rainwater laced with sticklebacks as a Fenland child’ was the intriguing headline, and I thought about my walk from March railway station to the church, over marshy land once intersected by dykes, lodes and grimmers.
As always, very interesting, Sally. I hope you had fun.
What a lovely event, Sally. I hope you had fun.
It was a joy
Well done Sally
Looks a great workshop!