Outstanding Universal Value

The phrase 'outstanding universal value' is the catch phrase for World Heritage Site status. It takes a bit of thinking about. Universal is used in the sense of world wide importance. The Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site is one of 29 in the UK. It was added to the list in 2001. The 18th and 19th century mills, running from Masson Mill all the way down to the Silk Mill in Derby, changed society forever. They created the first factory system, the ability to mass produce quality goods, and social housing especially designed for mill workers and their families. The change from water to steam power,developments in cotton spinning technology and mill architecture are all represented in the sites along the valley. Roads, railways, canals and water management systems are also part of the picture. As the mills and factories closed, tourism became increasingly important to the economy of this part of Derbyshire. In the last couple of weeks we have had two film companies filming at the North Mill, one German, the other Japanese. Our fame spreads far! They visited other mills in the Derwent Valley too. An episode of Tony Robinson's series of Walking Through History showcasing this area was repeated recently on Channel 4. On Monday Adrian Farmer of the Derwent Valley World Heritage Site team, based with Derbyshire County Council, took a group of us on a training tour. We all had some connection to sites, as enthusiasts, volunteers or employees. We discovered the beauties of Darley Abbey, the history of Milford, the exciting plans for Cromford Mills and the allotments and weavers' cottages of Cromford Village. We also visited the North Mill and took lunchtime shelter from the rain in Strutts' lovely Unitarian Chapel in Belper, eating our sandwiches as we learnt about the the crypt below us. We stood where Oasis had their photo taken on Cromford Station. We discovered a 'bear pit' in Cromford Village as well as some great looking pig sties. We now know where Milford schoolchildren learnt to swim, and what part Sangers' Circus elephants played in delivering the new boilers to the East Mill.We know the secrets of Willersley Castle's bookcases too. In spite of the rain, it was a great opportunity to find out more about the area and to get to know what other people are busy doing to preserve, develop and publicise the Derwent Valley. It really is the Valley that changed the world.

First shift at the Mill

Introducing Tom, fund raiser, volunteer supporter and handy with a mop and bucket!

My name is Tom Wyke and I arrived this week at the Strutt’s North Mill ready to start work as the new ‘Fundraising and Volunteer Support Officer’. On approaching the building I was struck by the thought of the large numbers of Belper residents, just like me, that must have arrived at the Mill for over two hundred years. My first couple of days have been good ones, meeting new colleagues and volunteers who each showed their passion for the Mill and helped to highlight again, through their enthusiasm, the importance of the heritage of the Mill. It was encouraging to see the different roles volunteers have, as on arrival there was a maintenance team fixing doors and cleaning carpets. It was also great to be shown around the Mill site again, by Mary, and get a feel for the place, as well as discuss further my new role and ideas with Nicky the Mill Manager. I even leant a hand with a couple of volunteers as we tried to clean up a flood in the basement, which showed me just how dedicated and flexible in their roles Belper North Mill volunteers are. Moving onto what I’m here to do. The priorities for my new role are: 1. Scoping fundraising opportunities and developing a sustainable fundraising strategy 2. Supporting current volunteers and recruiting additional volunteers, through developing the volunteer experience at the Mill. 3. Working with the Trust, the staff and the volunteers to develop ideas of how to raise funds independently. I’m excited to be involved in such an important project, and even more excited to be in a position to encourage more people to get involved in a variety of ways. I’m grateful to the Arts Council England for funding this role, as we seek to develop a more sustainable and financially secure museum that is embedded in the community, and a place that continues to be enjoyed by visitors, staff and volunteers alike.

Reelin' in the years

This weekend Tracey Harris, a University of Derby intern, textile artist and fine art student, is going to be in residence at the North Mill. She has been sharing her ideas and work process with the Mill through her blog on wordpress, Strutts North Mill Internship. This weekend she'll be there in the hope that people will come in and share their personal memories of sewing and will donate a cotton reel to one of the displays. I'll be choosing a reel from my trusted old sewing basket. It's full of colours bought for hemming a particular garment or sewing on a certain button. There are spare buttons for clothes that have long since gone to the charity shop. Needles, pins, bits of ribbon, safety pins, crochet hooks and scissors. I can turn up a hem, sew on a button, mend a tear, do blanket stitch. When I was married my husband was in the fashion business and I lived the seasonal life of A/W and S/S collections. But my confidence in my sewing abilities was destroyed by a needlework teacher who used to throw our below standard sewing out of the window and into the River Irwell below! She also had a habit of throwing scissors across the room!. No wonder I never mastered the art of threading a treadle sewing machine. Luckily my children have inherited their father's talents for making clothes. What part has sewing played in your life?

Do you remember the days of slavery?

Those of you who follow my posts will know I often quote song lyrics in the title. Last weekend we had a return visit from a group associated with a project from Nottingham University.

There's a book of poetry associated with the Global Cotton Connections too, available from the Mill.

They have also left an interpretation poster for us, highlighting some of the aspects of the cotton trade that we are only just beginning to consider at the Mill.

Some of the Mill volunteers are getting together as a Research group, taking a fresh look at some of the research that has been done in the past and exploring new aspects of the history we represent. Edward Strutt, William's only son, made a speech in Parliament in 1841 that is against slavery and the part that the slave trade played in the sugar, cotton and tobacco industries. There will be more about this in a blog post to come. William Strutt was a member of the Derby Philosophical Society. Through Erasmus Darwin this linked to the informal group of industrialists and philosophers known as the Lunar Men. Non conformists and anti slavery,the group included Josiah Wedgewood, who produced the now familiar anti-slavery image captioned 'Am I not a man and a brother". But we know the days of slavery are still with us. Factories led to mass production. Mass production contributed to the rise of consumerism. We live in a fast fashion, throwaway society. The textile and fashion industries still use sweatshops to produce cheap clothes. They may be cheap but they come at a price. In recent years there's been an interest in recycling, ethical trade, fair-trade and sustainability. People have concerns over how raw materials are grown and produced. The newly refurbished Whitworth Gallery in Manchester has a fantastic textile collection. This now includes an exhibit featuring 'Monkee Genes', a clothing company based in Derbyshire who were one of the first to insist on fair trade principles for those involved in the manufacture of their range of clothes. I was aware of the 'rag trade' conditions in the late 1970s and early 80s, for home workers and in sweat shops in London. The work went overseas, to be made even more cheaply. We know the slavery days aren't a thing of the past. https://globalcottonconnections.wordpress.com/ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/isos/news/global-cotton-connections.aspx https://www.monkeegenes.com/category/stop-taking-the-pennies/ http://www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk/visit/

Keeping it up

The Derbyshire Wildlife Trust's poster tells us to look up. There are peregrines nesting on the East Mill, finding a habitat that suits them in an unlikely place. When you look up you can't help but notice the soaring floors of the red brick mill.

There are old black and white aerial photos of the site, a bird's eye view from a plane or helicopter flight. Nowadays you are just as likely to see aerial photos taken by drone cameras and shared on the internet. It's strange to connect this with Samuel Slater's story. He served his apprenticeship with the Strutts, who built the North Mill, and then took off to the USA to pass on the secrets of cotton spinning.'Pride of the West' muslin from his mills covered the wings of the Wright Brothers first flying machine! The construction of the North Mill paved the way for skyscrapers in New York.There is even what is said to be the oldest passenger lift shaft in continuous use in the North Mill building.

It has a modern lift in it nowadays, but visitors who are in the know come to marvel at it. The metal plates on the support pillars in the basement can adjust to weight and vibration, essential in a mill with working machinery. The same technology is used to protect buildings from earthquakes in Japan.

Warm air rises, as we all know. The heating system in the mill made use of a cockle and air shafts to distribute the heat.

Ever wondered the origin of the expression 'warming the cockles of your heart' ? Now you know! This was an effective central heating system later put to use at Derbyshire Infirmary, built by William Strutt in 1810. Unfortunately it did spread diseases along with the hot air. And finally, what about your socks. They wouldn't stay up without their ribbing. Jedediah Strutt developed and patented a way of knitting rib on a machine in 1759.

So it's all about keeping it up here at Belper North Mill.

Factory records

These buildings in Belper are part of the story that changed the lives of everyone working in the developing world. By bringing whole families, men, women and children into a building especially created as a workplace, the factory system was born. It's hard to imagine how radical this was. The Industrial Revolution was a time of innovation and risk. Big is better rather than small is beautiful. Families moved to Belper to take advantage of the work and conditions offered by the Strutts. Many stayed on for generations. It's a rewarding place to explore family history. The Belper genealogy group has kindly offered to make copies of the identified photographs of millworkers from 19th century for the Mill as a fund raiser. These will be available to see and buy at their coffee morning at St John's on Saturday July 11th. Whether you are an old or new comer to the town, this is a fascinating part of its history - even more intriguing if it is part of yours too.

In praise of volunteers

This is National Volunteers Week. Volunteering is big business nowadays. Literally. Volunteers' hours keep many businesses and organisations afloat, from money making concerns to charities, from heritage to education. Volunteers' generosity of time and spirit can be set against match funding for grants and support from funding bodies. The voluntary sector has changed considerably since the North Mill opened to the public in 1995. Like many of the other heritage attractions we now take for granted in Derbyshire and throughout the country, the Mill was a vision and a risk, made real by the dedication of a group of volunteers who cared about its significance and history. With the support of Amber Valley Borough Council they were able to combine a Visitor Centre with a museum. All along the Derwent Valley the heritage that gained recognition as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2001 was similarly supported by committed and passionate people who recognised the significance of the buildings and heritage on their doorstep and couldn't bear to see it disappear, unacknowledged. This month the North Mill celebrates its twentieth anniversary. The volunteers have created an exhibition to share this particular aspect of the North Mill's history, as significant as any other period of its past. There are photos of past events, press cuttings, familiar faces and old friends. The building may be fireproof but it hasn't always been flood proof. There are images of working parties, clearing up after flooding from the wheel pit in the basement. The North Mill continues thanks to those efforts as well as the day to day work done to welcome and inform visitors, maintain the Mill and its exhibits and all the other behind the scenes work. The Mill needs more people to volunteer, to get involved, to take it into a new phase. Each month there is news of significant funding for different organisations along the World Heritage Site, confirming the importance of this area and the confidence the funders have in these voluntary organisations to deliver. A new Fundraising and Volunteer Support Officer has been appointed to work alongside the part time museum manager for nearly two years.This will be a great time to be a volunteer.