The Framework Knitters Museum in Ruddington is delighted to be hosting our first ever Victorian Steampunk event from 11am to 5pm on Saturday 6th October 2018.
Attractions will include stalls, tea duelling and facial hair competitions. There’ll be a reduced entry fee of £3.50 to the museum for visitors in Steampunk outfits (normal prices are £5 for adults and £4 for concessions). You can even travel to the event in style on a vintage bus from the Great Central Railway (Nottingham) on Mere Way, thanks to the Nottingham Area Bus Society.
Museum Manager and Curator, Nicola Wood, comments: ‘Everyone at the museum is so excited about the Victorian Steampunk event! Like our 1940s day, now in its second year, it’s something a bit different that people may not normally associate with our museum. But if you think about it, the connection’s there as steampunk has a big focus on Victorian industrial history – which is just what you’ll find at our site!’
Ruddington comes together to support Steampunk!
Ruddington comes together to support Steampunk!The event will be supported by The Frame Breakers pub which is owned by Nottingham Brewery, the museum’s charitable partner. They’ll be welcoming visitors to the pub during the day, and into the evening when activities at the museum have finished. Nottingham Brewery’s Operations Director, Andy Heath, has been busy sourcing spirits from the Steampunk Gin Company for the occasion, as well as thinking up special offers and ideas for decorating the pub in suitable style.
‘It should be a great day and evening and we’re really looking forward to it,’ says Andy. ‘Don’t worry if you can’t drag yourself away from the museum during the day, though, as we’ll be supplying them with Frame Breaker ale and a selection of other alcoholic and soft drinks as well.’
Local gin-maker Redsmith Distillery – originally based in Ruddington but now located in Nottingham city centre – will also be providing their popular gins for steampunk enthusiasts to enjoy at the museum. And graphic design agency WigWag, based in Martindate House on The Green, are also getting involved by producing the programme and other promotional materials.
The museum is especially grateful to the Newark Steampunk Society, which is helping Nicola organise and run the event. ‘This is a real joint effort with several local businesses and organisations coming together and working hard to make the day and evening a success,’ says Nicola. ‘I’m sure it will be a fantastic day, so do come and join us – after all, as the first event of its kind to take place in Ruddington, you can even make a little bit of history yourself!’
Details of the event are still being finalised, but here’s what’s been confirmed so far:
Activities at the museum
- Take a peek at Queen Victoria’s stockings
- Try your hand on a vintage sock-knitting machine, where you’ll get to take your piece away with you
- Watch framework knitting demonstrations on our authentic hand-worked frames
- See how the Framework knitters lived and worked
- Sample award-winning local gins from the local Redsmith Distillery
- Peruse specialist Steampunk stalls selling a range of quality merchandise
- Travel on a Nottingham Area Bus Society vintage bus to and from the dedicated parking area at GCRN
- Relax and enjoy tea and homemade cakes
- Try your hand at tea duelling
- Enter or watch the facial hair competitions!
Activities around the village
- Look out for special deals and enjoy a delicious meal or a pint of Nottingham Brewery ale in The Frame Breakers pub on the corner of High Street and Kirk Lane
- Visit our local charity shops on Church Street, High Street and Easthorpe Street (they’re saving their finest clothing and accessories for the day!)
- Call into the Village Museum inside St Peter’s Rooms on Church Street to find out more about the history of Ruddington.
- Peruse our wide range of locally-owned shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants.
There’s more to come, so keep an eye on the Framework Knitters’ and Frame Breakers’ websites and social media accounts for the latest news, or get in touch if you’d like to know more. In the meantime, you’ll find lots of information on the amenities and services to be found in Ruddington in the ‘About Ruddington’ and ‘Community’ sections of the Parish Council website.