My flight back to England, as well as my return to Beamish, has been going smoothly. Familiar places and people really helped make my second trip easier.
After the first week of getting used to speaking English daily again, it felt good to be back. Compared to last time, the weather is now colder, the trees are turning autumnal colours, and the museum is preparing for Halloween.
Hunting for a traditional fisherman’s gansey
Something that I really wanted to do on this trip was to find myself a ‘traditional fisherman’s gansey’ to take back to Finland as a souvenir. Historically, they were working men’s garments, common to the British Isles and coastal towns, that fishermen used in the 1800s and early 1900s. These jumpers are made by knitting with 5-ply yarn and were nicknamed ‘the fisherman’s iron’ for their durability and ability to keep the wearer warm.
I got some helpful tips from people who work at Beamish about where I might find one and set out for the coastal town of Whitby on my day off. Taking a bus from Stanley to Newcastle, you can board a 4-hour train ride (with a connecting train halfway through) to get there. This is the town where Count Dracula arrived after departing from Transylvania, Romania.
Whitby is a charming, small, but interesting town with a lot to see. I stayed there for a night, strolling around different second-hand and antique shops. I took the 199 steps (the Church Stairs), ate good food, and woke up early the next day so I could walk along the coastline and see the amazing sunrise on the horizon.
Propagansey
In a small alleyway, you can find a charming little store, Whitby Wholefoods, which houses a ‘propagansey’ section. There I talked with a wonderful shopkeeper Debb about the history of ganseys. I learned lots of interesting things, like what the different patterns meant, and saw various examples of machine- as well as hand-knitted versions of the jumper. I, of course, wanted a ‘proper’, traditional hand-knitted garment. So even though I did not acquire a gansey on this trip, I did place a commission for one.
I really think smaller towns like Whitby are much more charming than big and busy tourist destinations. I am looking forward to my own gansey when it is ready one day!
Vastaa