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...a glimpse into life on Vancouver Island, needle felting, photography, food, gardening, etcetera...etcetera
"Happiness always looks small when you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and at once you learn how big and precious it is."
Maxim Gorky

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

History relocated...

On Sunday Norene and I travelled up Island to Irma's but first
we made a stop at the wool shop just north of there.
The Loom is a tiny little shop chock a block full of wool, roving and 
all things wool related. 
It's located within a tiny little town that was once somewhere else.
Whipple Tree Junction, just south of Duncan is made up 
of 14 buildings which were actually Duncan's China town.
They were destined to be demolished in 1969 and fortunately 
for all of us, one man decided to save them and relocate them here...
They have been a variety of different business' over the years
but the integrity of the buildings has stayed in tact, including the brightly colored paint...
Along with the buildings there are a number of artifacts and relics of the past
strewn everywhere you look...
There's even a teapot garden of sorts...
We were there on a Sunday so sadly, most shops weren't
open until noon, including our beloved wool shop...
 At least drooling through the window was free!...
LOVE this doorknob on the coffee shop...
In a corner of the courtyard there's an old rusting contraption...
Upon further investigation, I discovered it was an old printing press.
Made in Brooklyn, NY around 1920, this 'line casting' machine was capable of
printing whole lines of type at once! Wow! can you imagine?!
It was used to print newspapers.
As I look at pictures of this thing and watch my fingers typing
on my laptop, I can't help but marvel at how far we've come.
I couldn't even fathom how this type machine worked with all of its levers
and levels and cranks and buttons!
And the noise it must have produced!
Will someone. someday find one of our laptops in a field
and wonder the same thing a hundred years from now?
We continued our walk around Whipple Tree  loving
all the rusty bits and antiques...
This cute little shop would be a gorgeous studio...
 Speaking of studios...would love to come back sometime
to visit this weavers, spinners space...
So for now I leave you with a taste of this history
relocated in all its quaintness and beauty of the past...
 













3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was looking at the picture of the contraption trying to guess what it was and lo and behold I guessed right!! History is indeed all around us!!

Mairéad said...

Why a fascinating little village. Great that those old buildings were saved.. Pity the. Old Linotype machine is rusting away. The first paper I worked on was printed with these, used molten lead. It's the last paper in Ireland to be printed using hot metal. And only typewriters in the newsroom -and I hd the only electric typewriter. And I'm not talking that long ago-I left in1999.

Unknown said...

Wow. What a beautiful and quaint place to visit...and shop. Your photos are wonderful. The colors are so inviting!