An exhibition telling the story of how boots, shoes and clogs were made in Cockermouth for several hundred years opens next week.
Dead animals, dog and pigeon poo, and even the bark from oak trees were all once used in the shoemaking process!
The exhibition, at The Kirkgate Centre, reveals the history of making shoes in Cockermouth, from the tanneries of the 18th and 19th century to the shoe factory Millers, which set up in town during World War Two and traded there for 50 years.
Gloria Edwards, of Cockermouth Heritage Group, said: "The exhibition features memories of townspeople and those who moved here, as well as looking at the history of the company and some of the different processes involved in the making of footwear.
"Millers produced a wide variety of footwear: slippers, sandals, shoes and boots, some of which went to different parts of the world, as well as to shoe shops in this country."
The exhibition runs from Tuesday, November 7, to Saturday, November 18 (11am to 4pm), with a tea party for former Millers employees and their families on Saturday, November 11 2pm – 4pm.
It forms part of a wider 18-month Kirkgate Arts and Heritage project that celebrates West Cumbria’s diverse heritage by capturing personal experiences of people throughout the area during a series of oral history workshops.
Called In My Shoes, a series of events featuring storytelling and performances will be held in community centres. The hope is that these will inspire people to come forward and share their stories.
The sessions are on Saturday, November 4 at The Beacon, Whitehaven (1pm to 4pm), and Sunday, November 12 at The Settlement, Maryport (1pm – 4pm) participants will be able to hear local storytellers and spoken word artists, share their own experiences and traditions, be part of the In My Shoes oral history project and record their own stories with project volunteers, who are being trained up to collect oral histories.
There will be storytelling by writer Sophia Atcha at Whitehaven, and by poet, writer and performer Emma McGordon at Maryport.
Sessions will continue throughout West Cumbria through to spring. The Heritage Lottery Fund has committed £98,000 to the project, a further £5,000 has come from The Francis C Scott Charitable Trust, £2000 from Cumberland Council and £250 from the Arts Society.
Kirkgate general manager Emma Heys said: "It's about giving people the opportunity to understand what their cultural heritage is.
"While we want to hear from people who were born and brought up here, who might not realise how unique certain aspects of their life are, we also want to hear stories from recent refugees, immigrants and people who have relocated.
“People are invited to come along to one of the events, celebrate what makes our communities unique and share their family traditions and stories with others."
Helen Johnston, Community Projects Officer, added: “We can learn so much from cultural heritage and personal histories to keep community bonds strong. That’s what’s inspired this innovative project.”
Details are available at kirkgateartsandheritage.org.uk.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here