Vintage enthusiasts and families alike are invited to travel back in time this weekend with Vintage Island, the annual event held on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 July (from 10am to 4pm) at Kelham Island Museum. This popular event, formerly the 1940’s Wartime Weekend, is back for the tenth year running in 2019 and will take place across the museum’s atmospheric grounds. Expect to be transported back to the 1940s and 50s through a wide range of demonstrations, music and activities straight from the Home Front.
“Our annual Vintage Island event is one of our favourites at the museum, with hundreds of people coming back year after year” says Gemma Holden, marketing coordinator at Sheffield Industrial Museum’s Trust. “This year, we are also bringing a bit of 1950s rock n roll to the event for the 10th anniversary celebrations and we encourage visitors to come dressed in their vintage best!”
Local re-enactment groups will be on hand to bring the 1940’s and 50’s to life. The Pontefract Home Guard will be greeting visitors while the Spirit of the Home Front will provide all sorts of authentic wartime demonstrations from mining to make do and mend. Families can enjoy have-a-go activities as part of the re-enactment displays and make and take museum activities with traditional toys and games, lavender bag making, peg dolls and badges.
The museum itself will be showcasing the mighty 12,000hp River Don Engine, the most powerful working steam engine in Europe, which can be seen in steam at 1pm and 3pm each day. Don’t miss out on the chance to hear of Sheffield’s vital role in shipbuilding and how the engine helped roll armour plate for ships, tanks and spitfires.
Visitors enjoying the Sunday Afternoon Tea Dance
Outside the museum, visitors will be able to relax in the sunshine on deckchairs, soaking up the music and atmosphere. Headlining the music stage over the weekend will be the UK’s No.1 George Formby Experience and Pete Jones who will entertain with wartime classics joined by vintage vocalist Natasha Harper. New for 2019, Sunday will see 50’s rock n roll band Tombstone Buzzards take to the stage. For those wanting to get involved with the performances, G.I Jive are on hand to provide dance lessons, where visitors can learn to Lindy hop.
Food will be available throughout the day at the Vintage Fayre where visitors can enjoy a variety of treats from tray bakes and cakes to vegan pie and peas. The fayre is also where you will find antique, craft and vintage stalls selling an array of wares including authentic clothing and collectables. Be on the lookout for Luke Robson’s Honest Magic – the smooth talking 1940’s style ‘Spiv’ ‘selling’ stockings and coveted wartime items from his jacket pockets!
Admission to the event is £6 for adults, £5 concessions and accompanied children under 16 go free. An additional £2 admission charge for the Sunday Afternoon Tea Dance applies. More information available on the Facebook page or on the website here.
