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'Weird' objects offer glimpse into Goole's past

Eleanor MaslinEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
News imageEast Riding Museums An ornate and dainty teacup from the 19th Century, which is decorated in a gold filigree pattern and features a motif of two blue and green peacocks facing each other on the inside of the cup.East Riding Museums
A teacup owned by a medical officer who guided Goole through two outbreaks of cholera is among 200 objects on show

An early 19th Century teacup and saucer owned by one of Goole's first settlers are featured in an exhibition celebrating the town's 200th anniversary.

Owned by Dr William Eden Cass, a medical officer who guided the town through two outbreaks of cholera, the crockery is on show at Goole Museum until 4 July.

The objects are among 200 items on display, which curators have described as "weird and wonderful". Most of the exhibits were donated by the town's community.

Councillor Nick Coultish, cabinet member for culture, leisure and tourism, said the exhibition - titled A History of Goole in 200 Objects - brought Goole's "shared history to life in an engaging and authentic" way.

Other items on show include an engraved print of Goole from 1831, depicting one of the earliest views of the town, and a photograph of some of the women who worked at the Burton's clothing factory in the 1960s.

Dr Alex Ombler, curator at the museum, said: "It's about how people in Goole have come together to celebrate great events like the end of war, coronations, and the town's 100th birthday."

News imageEast Riding Museums A retro photograph showing eight women and a man gathered closely together and facing the camera. Most wear light blue work coats, suggesting a workplace setting, while the man near the centre wears a dark suit and tie. The group is arranged in two rows, with some seated at the front and others standing behind, resting hands on shoulders. One woman holds a glass bottle. The background includes pale tiled walls and a window frame.East Riding Museums
A photograph of workers at the Burton's clothing factory in the 1960s is part of the exhibition, which runs at Goole Museum until July

The town, as it is known today, was established after the Aire and Calder Navigation Company extended its canal from Leeds to Goole in the early 1820s so coal could be exported from the West Riding of Yorkshire to Europe.

In 1826, Goole was granted a port charter and, in the same year, the town's first street, Adam Street, was built.

The exhibiton is part of the Goole 200 project, which marks the bicentenary of the town.

Full details of the events are available on the Goole 200 website.

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