Diary 10th To 15th September 2019

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After quitting my voluntary work (covered in previous diary entries) I let various friends know and sent some of the materials belonging to the volunteer group back to them. I visited my doctors to book an appointment for my blood-pressure checks and ordered more medication as my current supply is running low. I brought some laundry in from the washing lines as it was due to rain soon afterwards,. Friday 13th was a job searching, shopping and writing day. Saturday 14th September was much more fun. The annual Heritage Open Day (actually two days) came round, with more event on offer than it was possible to attend. I actually got to three events / activities. The first was a tour of the Lancashire Fusiliers Museum here in Preston. As it is housed in an active army barracks, security was understandably intense and I had to take photo ID to get in. The museum covers the regiment's history from the 17th century to the present, with uniforms, weapons, artifacts and letters from the Napoleonic, Boer, World Wars and others up to Desert Storm. Re-enactors dressed in full military uniforms, medical costumes, etc. We also got a guided tour of the barracks and the grounds. One interesting touch is a large section of the car park marked no parking. This was due to the discovery that old Victorian sewer under the car park cannot take the weight of cars and trucks parking on top of them. The photo taken by me shows one of the exhibits, an early woolen gas mask used in the trenches by the British in the First World War. The second visit I made was to the university's Askew Archive Collection, a collection of very rare books and papers including studies of the history of The Temperance Movement which had its origin in Preston. I wanted to stay and read so much of the literature here. My final free tour was of St Peter's Church, an architecturally listed Gothic building now used as an arts and theatre centre for the university drama departments. As well as the main performance space, there are some very ornate pillars, statues, decorative floor tiling (buried for years under carpets) and stained glass windows to see. Today, Sunday 15th September, I visited just one heritage site, The Plau pub in Preston city centre. I have been in the bar before but today it was giving a tour an study of the extent of the renovation work that has so lovingly restored it. The pub,originally spelt The Plough, dates from the 17th century, but it closed in the early 20th century, only opening late last year after being recreated as closely as possible to its original look. The pub has separate rooms for drams, wines and beer (though drinkers can move around freely with any drinks in each area). The pub once had a reputation for being of ill repute for its support for Jacobite rebels, serving Gin at the height of opposition to the craze. The building may originally have been a butchers with a built in abattoir as cellar grooves look designed to be a run-off for blood from animals killed on site. The renovation team thought they knew what to expect to find but they were in for one massive surprise. Clearing debris in one room, they uncovered a perfectly preserved 45 foot well dating back to he medieval era, long before the pub was built over it. The rubble and sand used to block it was removed and drinkers can now see it through a heavy glass floor (which you can walk on). In 1832, a temperance campaigner called Thomas Swindlehurst decided that drinking in moderation only was not good enough for the movement and that they must push for total teetotal abstinence from alcohol. He made this call in the Plough and took a vow that the drink he took there to mark his well documented pledge to never touch booze again was his last ever. Many other temperance observers made the last night of drinking one in the same pub afterwards. I myself offer now such vow and I hope to drink there again soon. I also had a magnificent breakfast there today. Arthur Chappell