The relaxation of Covid rules certainly helped with the museums footfall. There were days in September when there wasn’t even standing room available. Visitors had to be attended to outside of the museum confines. Now into October there have been many days when no one came in at all. You can never tell how an open day will pan out, its famine or feast!

Most Halstead residents will remember our longstanding veterinary practice in Head Street, run by the Waters family. Andrew Waters kindly allowed us to copy family photos and site drawings of the practice, forge and family home. The veterinary practice had been purchased from the Wallis family.

An unknown donor left in the museum one day a booklet advertising the services of a contralto singer circa 1900 – 1910 by the name of Alice Wallace. This item contained newspaper reviews of her singing locally and as far afield as Cambridge and Ely. Amazingly her address was ‘Sunnyfield’ the same veterinary practice run by her husband Mr Wallis, who later passed this business to the Waters family.

An unknown donor left in the museum one day a booklet advertising the services of a contralto singer circa 1900 – 1910 by the name of Alice Wallace. This item contained newspaper reviews of her singing locally and as far afield as Cambridge and Ely. Amazingly her address was ‘Sunnyfield’ the same veterinary practice run by her husband Mr Wallis, who later passed this business to the Waters family.

We received several parts of a Portway boiler found in the grounds of Bardwell Chapel in Suffolk by its present owner Mr Dave Ray. It would appear the boiler had been discarded long ago. Having fallen apart in the elements, the only surviving parts are the more durable castings. Thanks Dave.

On eBay we purchased a photograph of a Halstead workhouse resident, a Mr Phillip Last. On the 1891 census, he is recorded as being ‘a gardener’.  Presumably his services were used in the master’s greenhouse. He must have been a notable resident for the workhouse master to record him in their personal album, where this photo came from.

Don’t forget to visit our Halstead Museum Facebook page. We have posted pictures covering the floods, Yeldham Oak, Evans Court, Baptist Church, Gosfield Place to name but a few. You can also request images if you cannot attend in person.