Countdown to Christmas in Ruddington

Whilst some of Ruddington’s main Christmas celebrations have already been and gone, residents and visitors can still look forward to more festive fun and activities over the holiday period. Continuing caution about Coronavirus – particularly the new Omicron variant – has led to some organisers and venues asking people to carry out a COVID-19 lateral flow test before mingling with others, and to wear face coverings according to the Government’s new ‘Plan B’ rules. Booking systems have also been introduced in some places to keep down numbers during the busiest…

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Night at the Museum

Those attending the official re-opening of Ruddington’s famous Framework Knitters’ Museum this week got to see it in a different light…. the dark! Staff and volunteers at Ruddington’s now internationally acclaimed tourist attraction welcomed invited guests to see the newly expanded site at four o’clock on Tuesday afternoon (23rd November) – and it was soon apparent why this time was chosen. As night fell, the workers’ cottages – recently restored to how they would have looked in 1890 – and the museum’s new ‘community garden’ were lit by candles and other…

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Volunteers Needed for Expanded Museum

As Ruddington’s Framework Knitters’ Museum on Chapel Street moves towards re-opening in October, it’s looking for new volunteers. Jan Perret writes… If you are local to Ruddington, you will probably have noticed that the museum has been undergoing extensive building work over the last few months, thanks to a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and FCC Communities Foundation. This money has allowed us to create a new entrance, reception, shop and cafe in the old ‘Gunn Cottage’ and this means we have more opportunities for you to be involved…

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‘Behind The Scenes’ at Ruddington’s Framework Knitters’ Museum

Villagers and visitors are being given the opportunity to view the progress on an ambitious project enabled by National Lottery cash and other funding sources to double the size of a unique Ruddington heritage site on Chapel Street. From Sunday 6th June to Saturday 12th June there are tours ‘Behind the Scenes’ at the Framework Knitters’ Museum as part of ‘National Lottery Open Week’ 2021. It’s a chance to see how the expansion work is progressing into the recently purchased ‘Gunn Cottage’ – which sits between the existing museum and its…

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Museum’s ‘Victorian Life Swap’

Back in July we reported how Ruddington’s Framework Knitters’ Museum had reopened with a more personal and ‘socially distanced’ visitor experience – having been shut for four months due to first COVID-19 ‘lockdown’. With full Coronavirus restrictions sadly now back on, once again the doors are firmly closed to the public until at least December 2nd. However, with spare time on their hands once more, staff at the popular village visitor attraction began to wonder what life must have been like without many of the things we take for granted. How…

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Museum Reopens for a New Chapter

Having been closed since ‘lockdown’ began in March, Ruddington’s Framework Knitters’ Museum is reopening on Wednesday July 29th.* During closure, the team has been developing a more personal and ‘socially distanced’ visitor experience which it’s promised will be fun, interesting and safe. From this date, anyone visiting will be able to book the whole site for two hours to explore it with their family or social bubble. To make the tour as safe as possible, visitors will be asked to wear (knitted) cotton gloves as they explore the workers’ cottages…

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Have Your Say on ‘A Right Good Yarn’

We’re being invited to share our views on the Framework Knitters’ Museum expansion proposals – for a chance to win £100. The Ruddington tourist attraction is inviting you to have your say on its “emerging development plans that are set to transform the site as we know it today”. It says the aim is to deliver new displays and exhibitions along with an improved visitor route connecting the three spaces and offering better retail and catering facilities. After the museum received initial National Lottery support for its redevelopment and expansion project called…

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Museum Helps Secure £70k of Lottery Funding

One of Ruddington’s museums has helped to secure a major cash boost for for a regional project recording our textile heritage. ‘Textile Tales’, which is being led by Nottingham Trent University,has received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £70,000 for an initiative across the East Midlands shared between our own Framework Knitters’ Museum, Mansfield Museum, Erewash Museum and Nottingham City Museums at Lakeside Arts. Made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, the project aims to engage local communities here in the historic heart of the UK’s textile industry. It’s also being supported by The…

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Easter With Our Framework Knitters

Easter will be a busy time at Ruddington’s Framework Knitters’ Museum with events for villagers and visitors of all ages. This year it’s supporting Knit for Peace by using its historic, Griswold circular knitting machines to knit strips to be sewn into blankets – and is inviting anyone to have a try. Museum assistant Helen Brownett says: “Do come along and join us on any of the Easter weekend days, from Friday 19th April to Monday 21st April, 11-4 to get involved. You can knit on the machines; you can sew the blankets;…

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Exciting Year Ahead for Framework Knitters’ Museum

Ruddington’s Framework Knitters’ Museum on Chapel Street is gearing up for what it hopes could be its most successful year to date. Further to securing Heritage Lottery Funding (HLF) last year, plans are now afoot to put the museum’s ambitious redevelopment and expansion project – christened “A Right Good Yarn” – in motion. This will see the site as we know it transformed {artist impressions courtesy of FWKM – top and below}, with a new visitor route, enhanced interactive displays and exhibitions, a new and improved shop and café, and lots…

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