South Holland Life

01/12/2023

Over the past few weeks I’ve built two Bonfire Sculptures and two Jane barleycorn Hessian dolls for ’s Smoke & Mirrors bonfire night event.

This weekend I built two bonfire pyres at two community gardens and burnt the hessian dolls to reveal the bonfire sculptures hidden inside.

The sculptures represent resilience, growth from destruction, new life and purpose from old. Our world feels like it’s burning atm and it’s hard sometimes to see past the shock, horror and struggle of right now. These sculptures represent the enduring nature of Hope and community.

I forged the metal sculptures at a traditional Blacksmiths and sourced the hessian sacking for the dolls from a local coffee roasting company.

Thank you for trusting me to create your bonfires this weekend, the Bonfire Part of a Bonfire night event feels pretty important!!

Thank you to the Chain Bridge Forge for allowing me to work there this week and supporting me in the making process.

Thank you to everyone who came out to and this weekend and to all the volunteers to helped make both events wonderful. 🙂

You can see some pictures of the art process in my Instagram story highlight for Smoke & Mirrors.

Don’t forget to Tag me in any pictures of videos you took of the bonfire!

13/03/2023

Even after 10 years we are still finding new items to tell the story of the Forge. This little booklet has the details of the items purchased from Jennings the ironmonger in town. Has anybody got memories of Jennings?

Our Blacksmith at the time was Edward Fisher and he used Jennings the ironmongers in Spalding. The attached little book is his account book with Jennings. click HERE to view the booklet and the items Edward Fisher was buying.

02/08/2022

03/07/2022

06/06/2022

A watercolour given to Geoff Dodd in May 2002. Geoff owned Chain Bridge Forge and built most of Spalding Flower Parade floats

02/06/2022

Old Holbeach photo to start the weekend

01/04/2022

I have been reading Long Sutton’s Old Inn’s and it had the collective name for someone born within the village Long Sutton as a Suttonian or Sutteronite.
It also had the following
Luton Marsh - Marsh*te
Norfolk described as Dumplings
March were Fen Tigers
Of course there is also Spaldonians
But can create a list of the others?
Help please

05/12/2021

Part of our heritage immortalised by Horby

04/12/2021

Trip down memory lane Geoff Dodd shoeing a horse outside the Forge in the early 50s
Thanks Judy for photo
Forge is open today 10 till 4

06/10/2021

Just to let you know Chain Bridge Forge will be on BBC1:
FRIDAY 22nd October 2021 at 12:15
We hope you enjoy.

28/08/2021

Help please this says Little London. Can anybody help with builds so I can get orientation. Thanks

03/08/2021

Who remembers this fantastic museum? Sadly not open today? Is the collection still together. Does anybody know?
See more at

https://www.heritagesouthholland.co.uk/article/museum-of-entertainment/

04/06/2021

Based on the oral histories we did we asked an illustrator to give her impression of what it meant to the community. Her note
This colourful and playful digital collage represents the flowers, colours and vibrancy of the parades over the many years it took place. It depicts the diverse people involved that worked hard to ensure pleasurable events were delivered to the many thousands of people who benefited at the time and who still remember them with great affection.
Do you like it?

02/06/2021

Our project to collect memories about the Flower Parade is coming to an end. However there are a few holes in our timeline especially missing parade programmes which would be good to find.
Hopefully what we have achieved you will like and provide a permanent place for your parade memories

https://www.heritagesouthholland.co.uk/flower-parade/

Flower Parade The history of the Spalding Flower Parade The origins of the world-famous Spalding Flower Parade stretch right back to the 1920’s and 1930’s The Jubilee in 1935 of King George V and Queen Mary coincided with the time the tulips were in flowerIn 1948, the Growers’ Association beca...

21/05/2021

Looking through old newspapers I found this photograph of the port. Rough date 1930?

02/05/2021

Part of our project was to send out kits to make Flowers or their ideal float. Look at some of the fantastic submissions. Well done to Kathleen and Laura for organising it. Aren’t they fantastic

02/05/2021

Kathleen and Laura capturing ideas yesterday

02/05/2021

Come and see us at Springfield’s today and share your Flower Parade memories. Also help shape future events.

30/04/2021

If you are coming to Springfield’s on Saturday or Sunday 1st and 2nd May our Artists will be their in a marquee wanting to collect your memories of the parade and ask you what we should do next. Please come and support us.