The Ironmongers
Gadgets galore
Ruddington’s first ironmongers could be found on Church Street where it was opened by John Hardy in 1903. The shop sold everything the villagers needed to run their homes and you will see from the display in the museum that it stocked all manner of utensils.
The 19th and 20th centuries saw many technological advances. Some of the items in the collection show this beautifully as their mechanics or functions have not much changed over time. One such example is the cake maker which is on display. This device is dated 1896, yet it is not dissimilar from machines we use today, thereby demonstrating that technological progression at this time was of great value.
Visitors will also see the mangle-cum-washing machine which was supplied by John Mee of Ruddington. For those who could afford such a luxury, this really lightened the load when it came to housework.
Aside from the more cumbersome objects supplied at the ironmongers, there were also lots of basic utensils available from cheaper mass-produced crockery to matching tea sets or dinner services. These and many other goods can be seen on display at the museum.
