Cotton links

These photos of Belper North Mill remind us of the role cotton, its processing, spinning and weaving plays in our lives, especially in this part of the world. Not only do we dress ourselves in the fabric, but it has shaped our working lives, the landscape around us and our present day appreciation of heritage. Living in this area of Derbyshire, with its grand houses and limestone scenery, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking we have a rural past. Sheep and their lovely lambs are grazing in the fields,and where there aren't sheep there are cows and calves. The Old House Museum was once the property of Sir Richard Arkwright, who developed this part of Bakewell as mill workers' cottages, dividing the building into six small dwellings. His mill was at Lumford, and you can discover more about this period of Bakewell's history when you visit the Museum. So alongside a fantastic textile and costume collection, donated by local families and individuals, there are also links to cotton through the industrial revolution, social housing and the Arkwright family. This season's special exhibition is all about cotton and clothing. If you are curious about how this raw material was processed and manufactured in the area, take a trip down the A6 following the River Derwent. The Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site runs from Matlock Bath to Derby. It was designated by UNESCO in 2001. Belper North Mill was built by the Strutt family, also responsible for so much of Belper's attractive early 19thc housing. As philanthropic employers they helped make the town the pleasant place it is today. They also developed cotton spinning, the rib that holds up your socks, the factory system and the building technology that made skyscrapers possible! Explore the world on your doorstep!

Dressing up

These lovely muslin dresses are on display at the Old House Museum as part of their celebration of cotton.They are so delicate and so flattering. To wear them successfully you would need laundry maids and ladies maids and a lovely sunny day. They make you think of tea parties on well manicured lawns, "More tea Vicar?". They also bring to mind the Edwardian scene before the First World War. Wartime experiences changed the way women worked, voted, behaved and thought of themselves. They wore the trousers, and the overalls and the uniforms, adopting a practical and more masculine style of dress. These styles of lovely floaty dresses have come back into fashion at regular intervals over the decades. Celia Birtwell and Biba, hippy chic and Zandra Rhodes. They continue to be a source of inspiration, ideal for dressing up, but they no longer reflect the role of women in society.

Baby clothes

Think of the different way we dress babies today. Brightly coloured baby clothes, stretchy baby gros, miniature adult outfits. The layettes of my childhood, matinee coats in pale primrose, pink, white and baby blue are no longer fashionable. We have children's clothes in the collection at the Old House Museum, including some lovely white cotton nighties, petticoats and christening robes. In cotton or fine wool, these must have been difficult to wash and keep clean. All babies wore the same clothes, passed on from brother to sister. This was practical, as you never knew which you were going to get! Families weren't planned,and sadly infant mortality rates meant some children didn't survive for many months. What is surprising is that boys and girls continued to wear dresses into toddlerhood . The boys often kept their long hair too. There are theories about this. There were superstitions around disguising boys as girls so they wouldn't be stolen away by the little people. It was of course very practical. Boys didn't have to struggle with trousers and button flies. One style fitted all, hand me downs were more than versatile. If you look at Victorian family photographs you may see the proof of this. In some areas it was believed that a string of coral beads kept diptheria and throat infections, which could be fatal, at bay. So next time you wonder why there are no photographs of the boys in the family, take a closer look at the children. Of course, once boys were ' breeched' and had their hair cut, they looked like little men. This occasion was often marked by a studio portrait. Do you remember the days when boys wore shorts until secondary school? It doesn't seem so long ago!

Underwear and nightwear - keeping it clean!

Petticoats and camisoles have become fashion items in their own right.Trimmed with handmade lace, broiderie anglaise and ribbon, they once formed part of a girl's 'bottom drawer', or trousseau if you were from high society. The ladies maid in the display at the Old House Museum would have been responsible for making sure the laundry maids did a good job. Do any of you remember sending washing to the laundry? Each customer had a laundry mark to identify their items for washing. The Bakewell launderette has long gone, but there is now a commercial laundry in Bakewell. When I was at university I lived in West Yorkshire. Monday was still washing day on our street and woe betide you if you tried to drive a car through the lines full of sheets and towels. The Old House Museum has a laundry activity for children, with possers and dolly tubs, maiden and mangle. Dolly blue added to the rinse helped keep whites whiter and starch created a crisp ironed finish. Think about it next time you get your clothes out of the dryer. Who would have thought that there'd be a market for fabric conditioners that make clothes smell like line dried laundry!

A new season

Museums, like fashion designers, work with the seasons. As Easter comes round and spring has almost sprung heritage destinations and museums throw wide their doors once more. The winter months are as busy as any open days. Conservation and cleaning takes place. There are projects and plans to improve the visitor experience. Grants are applied for and reports are written. The Old House Museum opened its doors with a flourish this week. Artist Rachel Carter has worked on her woven textile sculptures, using materials that include thread from the archive at John Smedley's Lea Bridge Mill. Her work weaves a link between Bakewell's Old House Museum, Richard Arkwright's Lumford Mill on the River Wye,and the Derwent Valley Mills and World Heritage Site. The chosen theme for this year's special displays at the Old House is Cotton, again highlighting the role played by this area of Derbyshire in its manufacture. Beautiful items of clothing, now free from the threat of carpet beetle, will be on display until November.