A 1940s day at the Papplewick Pumping Station
Papplewick hosts the last remaining Britain’s active Victorian pumping station and this weekend, they run a ‘1940s event’ - which I only found out about a week ago, though I live in the neighbourhood. I also never visited the station before, so I thought, I’m going to kill two birds with one stone - go visit the site AND take part in the event. Let me tell you, this was a perfect plan for a lazy, autumnal Sunday.
a 1950s BBC truck
Designed in the early 1880s, but looking just as it was at its peak today, the pumping station is a site worth visiting, no question about it. Wandering among the original boilers, machinery, and a lot of coal, all mixed with the high, ornate ceilings and polished brass, is such a trip down memory lane - and a great reminder of how much care our predecessors put into designing everyday objects and buildings. Modern architecture could never…
But on this particular Sunday, as I stepped through the gates, I was transported to a much younger past, approx only about 80 years ago, as the event focused on the 1940s. Now, the 1940s this side of the globe are closely associated with WWII - rightfully so. No surprise, then, that the event leaned heavily into the wartime era, with plenty of military references, khaki uniforms, army tents and people marching about like we’re on the field. But there was a good representation of a more glamorous 40’s Britain, and quite a few folks in their finest suits and hats, which reminded me of the Goodwood Revival, just smaller and with a lot of steam (literally!).
Receptionists at the station, 10/10 <3
Naturally, yes, I have to be the best-dressed person at the function, so I chose my outfit carefully (that’s the goal; reality is always different, nothing humbles me more than being surrounded by people who REALLY know how to dress). I decided to wear something I’ve never worn publicly before - one of my Rodeo Ben’s shirts. It’s pretty much self-explanatory why I never wear it out, right?
I’ve owned this shirt for a while now, but I am too stressed to wear it out - I know clothes are meant to be worn and enjoyed, but at the same time, I sell vintage western wear for long enough to know how rare those pieces are. I might not be a great mathematician (in fact, I am not), but the chances of finding anything labelled Rodeo Ben are close to 0. Nevertheless, I took one of the two shirts that I own for a spin, made sure not to touch any coal or tar, and I’m proud to report that it made it back home safe and sound!
And yes, one does not leave a ‘1940s event’ without a little spruce! I ended up with a 1950s wool coat, perfect for a winter up North and a Victorian grandad-collar shirt, a sturdy workwear piece that, who knows, might well have been worn by the very men operating the station back in the 1880s!
