Framework Knitters Ready for the Summer!

Volunteers and staff at Ruddington’s Framework Knitters’ Museum are once again showing visitors the delights of their unique heritage site, following the completion of refurbishment work there costing £62,295. The funds for the work were awarded through the Arts Council of England’s Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND). MEND is an open-access capital fund, which is designed to help museums and local authorities undertake infrastructure and urgent maintenance that are beyond the scope of day-to-day maintenance budgets. The fact that the Grade II listed cottage and frameshops at the Chapel…

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£8k Funding for Improved Museum Shop

Staff and volunteers at Ruddington’s historic Framework Knitters’ Museum are celebrating the award of new cash to upgrade their newly established café and shop. ‘Parker’s Yard’ was added late last year when the museum site expanded into the former ‘Gun Cottage’ – between the original workers’ cottages and frameshops and the old Knitters’ Chapel. This allowed a brand new visitor entrance, hospitality and retail area – including a separate new garden. It was achieved via grants totalling hundreds of thousands of pounds from The Heritage Lottery Fund, FCC Communities Foundation, various…

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New Museum Manager Announced

Following the stepping back of former manager and curator Jim Grevatte, Ruddington’s Framework Knitters’ Museum has just revealed its latest boss. After completing “a competitive recruitment process” for their new ‘Operations Manager’ role, the venues’ Trustees say they are “delighted” to announce that Ruddington resident Sarah Godfrey has been appointed. Sarah is already well known for her extensive community work within our village. The Trustees add: “With a strong arts background, Sarah brings us an unusual combination of both creativity and commercial awareness, as well as a wealth of experience…

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It’s Goodbye to Jim

The man who has guided a Ruddington museum through one of the most important periods in its history has now left for pastures new. Jim Grevatte, who’s been the Manager and Curator at The Framework Knitters’ Museum since December 2018, has just stepped down from the role following the appointment of a new ‘Operations Manager’.* However, he will continue as a trustee for our internationally famous Chapel Street tourist attraction. Over the last three years, Jim has been instrumental in implementing (amongst many other things) the ‘Right Good Yarn’ project…

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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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What’s Happening at The Hospice Shop?

Among the recent ‘lockdown easing’ activity on Ruddington High Street you may have noticed the complete clearout of the Nottinghamshire Hospice Charity Shop at Number 10. The now (almost) empty unit has led to speculation that the popular village retailer is a victim of the Government’s restrictions due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic. On March 23rd new emergency rules forced all non essential businesses – including our three village charity shops – to cease trading until further notice. However, RUDDINGTON.info is pleased to reveal that the sudden disappearance of stock is for…

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