Soil and Roots is the theme of this year’s exhibition from the Newbridge Village Archive. It looks at how the land was used in the village for gardens, small-holdings and farms.
This gives a chance to peep into the privacy of back gardens through photos which have not been displayed before. But amongst the cabbages you will see many local faces as the back garden was the place where families posed for informal photos. Farm scenes shown for the first time contain many well-known families from the past and farming practices now transformed.
The Broad-Brim Hat
Also showing and interpreted is a wonderful light-hearted poem called The Broad-Brim Hat, written by two Newbridge farm workers, which gives an excellent insight into life on Orchard Farm in the 1920s. This poem was sent through the post with the hat that their work mate had left behind when he changed jobs.
You can follow the Caul Bourne as it passes through the village and find out about the peculiar odour of the water supply thanks to sheep washing upstream!
You can discover where Butty Ground and Drunken Grounds are, by taking a look at field names shown on the tithe map of 1840.
History of village families
Families who have been firmly rooted in Newbridge for a century come under the spotlight to show their lives and work in the village.
Vectis Searchers Metal Detecting Club is joining in at weekend openings to show and discuss archaeology from the area in an attempt to dig deeper into the roots of the village. Refreshments will also be served at weekends.
As it is the Queen’s Jubilee year there is a look back at past royal celebrations in Newbridge.
Opens this weekend
The exhibition opens on Saturday 17th March 10-4 at Newbridge Community Centre.
Other weekend openings are Sunday 25th March 2-5, Saturday 31st March 10-4.
Weekday openings Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 20th -29th March 10-1 .
The project was begun three years ago knowing that there were significant collections of photographs in the village and suspecting that most people had one or two to lend to be shared. It seems important to preserve them and share them with the whole village and to find out more of the village history.
Get in touch
Intriguing new material still continues to emerge.
If you have any photographs of Newbridge you are prepared to lend to be copied or have memories to share, please get in touch.
Chloe Sutherland on 531274 or Hilary Higgins on 531471 or [email protected]
