VISITING BILLERICAY - COME INTO THE CATER MUSEUM

As a devotee AND a Trustee at Billericay’s Cater Museum, I can recommend a superb afternooon browsing through the numerous artefacts donated by many of Billericay’s residents. We have so much wonderful information about families, buildings and the farming fraternity who lived in the town in previous centuries.

Our 18th/19th century red brick building is tiled and has dormer windows, one of which depicts the war time practice of applying tape to reduce flying glass. The centre window of the first floor is bricked up - this is a reminder of the window tax. Within the three floor building you will find a mid Victorian parlour, bedroom and kitchen, as well as a World War II exhibition.

I like this photo of Mr and Mrs David Bremner with our Curator alongside a section of the garden which once served as the rubbish dump for the Eales family who lived previously at 74 High Street, now the Museum. Upon digging deep, the Museum team found dozens of Victorian bottles and containers. Do check my index on left hand side (enter Cater Museum) and you will see pictures of both the interior and our beautiful little garden, which Chris Brewster, our Curator, looks after with her small team of talented gardeners. Currently, we have a display of really old sewing machines – patented 1886, some in good working order, but none of your digital settings – it was hard work in those days to make your own garments! Picture of Chris at a Singer sewing machine following a session with local schoolchildren. Oh, and the gentleman in the Museum Garden are flint-knappers - fascinating craft!