When I first joined unloved heritage, I went to the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre, this is ran by volunteers who where very knowledgeable and enthusiastically friendly this gave off a family vibe and made you feel welcome. I firstly learnt about how to use a camera by a professional photographer, who was very highly skilled and approachable, if I had difficulty understanding something I could ask him and felt comfortable asking more in depth questions. This experience has made me understand how the camera worked, it challenged me as some of the settings were very technical and you had to be aware of how each setting effected the others and the overall outcome of the image.
On another occasion we met up at the VC Gallery by looking around inside you could see it was very much war related due to the vast amount of poppy photos on display. The VC Gallery provides a place where war veterans can socialise, whilst learning more about art and art therapy, in an safe comfortable environment. A trip was arranged to the Martello gun tower, which was for sale, from the exterior it looked very well kept and had all the original markings engraved above the doorway. As you entered the tower you could smell the damp and feel the cold. The lighting was minimal but from the small windows, which were in place for defensive purposes, enough light came it to see. The main room which you walked into is a big open space that had several pullies above, these I believe were for hammocks for the soldiers and to lift water barrels up from the basement. Symmetrical staircases lead up to the roof, we then had a look at the gun cannon, it wasn't the original but certainly posed the question on how did they get it here? The view was outstanding and gave me a better understanding of why the gun tower was positioned here, you had a clear all around and up the estuary and would easily spot enemies approaching.
Recently I walked the Pembroke Dock Heritage Trail where plaques were placed into the pavement marking the location of a specific time in history where an historical event or building stood. The trial book had information allocated to each numbered plaque, which you referred too. The book was dull and badly written but some of the information was interesting such as the amount of churches on the trail and how many people it could accommodate, it just showed how big of a town Pembroke Dock was and how religion must have played a big part in the local communities lives. To improve this trail for younger generations would be to make it more interactive, for example an interactive map on your mobile, pictures showing the past and maybe even virtual reality.
A visit to the Archives centre in Haverfordwest opened my eyes to the amount of work involved in preserving and conserving pieces of history. I discovered that the majority of books from the 18th Century were formed from sheep skin, called Vellum. This was an expensive process which reflected the costs of books at that time. Gelatine was used to fix some of the materials and parchments as cellotape damages the items. Within the process of restoring items I was surprised to learn that some where bathed in a liquid but all of the techniques where well researched, looking at what and how different applications effect the documents, even down to the humidity and air temperature. The archivists were really informative and showed me how to research pretty much anything from the past using, photos, maps, online tools, books and newspapers. The unloved heritage project has made me aware of such resources that i would not have known to exist.
What is unloved heritage? At first I thought i wouldn't enjoy it, I was proven wrong I enjoyed learning about my local area and the history that isn't widely shared, or if it is widely shared it is not accessible or clear where to go to get this information or access these wonderful resources. Our history is outstanding and since started this project I have really opened my eyes into my local community and its history. I have acquired new skills which are transferable into everyday life and have started to notice more things just by taking a different approach to viewing things around me.
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