Tin Shed Experience, 1940s museum, Laugharne, West Wales

We like to feature new and interesting items from our stock on the pages of this Blog, as well as news of our fairs and other activities, but occasionally we’ll be writing about some of the places and objects that we discover, that we think will be of interest to our customers and followers.

One such place that we would whole-heartedly recommend is the Tin Shed Experience.

Tin Shed Experience Laugharne

Located in the Welsh coastal town of Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, the Tin Shed Experience is run by a dedicated team of volunteers, and is a fascinating and inspiring 1940s museum, as well as a brilliant venue for events, retro photography and film-making.

The Tin Shed was built in 1933 by the father of current owner Andrew Isaacs, and spent many years being used as a garage including a period during the second world war when it was used to store and service vehicles for the War Office. It later fell out of use as a garage and had more recently been used as a stable and a storage facility, before a  chance meeting between Andrew and his former work colleague, Seimon Pugh-Jones, led to it’s remarkable reinvention as a museum. Andrew’s meeting with Seimon, an avid collector of wartime memorabilia, resulted in Laugharne’s memorial hall being used to stage a 1940s themed dance supported by a temporary exhibition of Seimon’s collection at the Tin Shed. This proved so popular that plans were soon developed to turn the former garage into a permanent  museum, and in June 2011 the doors of the Tin Shed Experience were opened for the first time.

The museum sets out to educate and entertain by focusing on the inspiring personal stories of those involved in war, both on active service and on the home front, and their stories are brought to life by the museum’s collection of period artefacts and by the friendly and knowledgeable  museum volunteers who offer personal guided tours of the museums exhibits.  Their collection includes a fine selection of uniforms representing the conflicts of the twentieth century along with many personal items that graphically illustrate life during wartime.

Home Front Exhibits at the Tin Shed Experience

Arnhem attic display at Tin Shed Experience

The museum is also home to a superb worker’s tin cottage complete with fascinating period contents, and it is a special experience to step back in time as you enter this beautifully presented exhibit. The period feel is maintained by other outdoor exhibits include an Anderson shelter and a “dig for victory” garden.

Tin Cottage

Interior of tin cottage

Interior of tin cottage

The meticulously assembled period reconstructions at the Tin Shed and Seimon’s expertise as a professional photographer and cameraman have led to the venue being used for retro photo shoots and filming, and this is just one of the exciting and ambitions projects under way at the venue. The Tin Shed team of Andrew, Seimon, and Marketing Manager, Matthew Hughes, have plans to stage regular live music and entertainment events, including linking up with local drama groups to stage theatrical productions. The venue is also a popular location with wartime and period re-enactment groups who enjoy the period authenticity and the beautiful backdrop of Laugharne.

Live events at The Tin Shed

Live events at the Tin Shed

The town of Laugharne was the last home of the Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas, whose centenary will be celebrated in 2014, and the Tin Shed is taking part in those celebrations by bringing to life characters from Thomas’s most famous work, the play for voices, “Under Milk Wood”. They are planning to create a series of life-size models of some of the plays most notable characters which they hope to place in suitable locations around a town trail.

Captain Cat exhibit at the Tin Shed Experience

2014 will also see the start of four years of centenary commemorations for the Great War, and the Tin Shed will be organizing exhibits and events that reflect on the first world war and in particular on the personal stories of the local  men who left Laugharne to go and fight for King and country.

On a recent visit we were pleased to be able to donate to the Tin Shed collection a small group of wartime posters that had been produced to advertise fund-raising events for the war effort in Carmarthenshire. These are the sort of memories that the Tin Shed Experience is helping to keep alive so that younger generations will know about the sacrifices and realities of everyday life during wartime.

Wartime posters we donated to the Tin Shed

A visit to the Tin Shed Experience is a chance to step back in time and share in the personal stories that shine a light on the dark days of wartime, but above all it’s a fun and inspiring place to visit and it’s run by a great bunch of people.

The Tin Shed Experience run a very active facebook page and twitter feed, and their activities can be followed on their web site. They welcome donations and are always looking for patrons to help support their work. They are also looking for sponsors for their Dylan Thomas Centenary Project.

More Information

Tin Shed Experience Website
Tin Shed Experience Facebook Page
Tin Shed Experience Twitter Feed

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Life on the home front, a moving VE-Day letter from a soldier’s wife

A moving letter written on VE-Day and the following day captures the joyful local mood, the sadness of separation, and hope for the future.

The letter was written by Hilda Allan of Seaham, County Durham, and sent to her husband Robert Robson Allan, who was serving with Combined Operations in India. The letter was posted in an envelope decorated with the quotation “and all the folk went gay, went gay, for half an hour in the street today“.

Decorated postal envelope

Darling Mine
It is VE day about 2:30 in the afternoon and we are waiting to hear the official announcement. I wonder how you are feeling my love, I am sure that you are thankful.  There is one thing, the men out in the Far East will no longer have to dread air raids on England. It must have been very terrible for those who come from the London area these last few months. They must have wondered, often if they would ever see their dear ones again. It must be a relief. I wonder how you are spending VE day. Perhaps you are touching India’s shores for the second time, or perhaps you are still at sea. I have been wishing all day that you could have been still at home when the news came. I began my morning as usual by kissing your photograph – but at our 8am rendezvous I was very tearful. Yes darling I really did weep, I am glad I was alone.  It seemed a strange way to celebrate a victory day, doesn’t it my love.
I must say folk are on the whole taking things very calmly, last night everyone began hanging their flags and there were several bonfires. I was awaked at 2am by a crowd singing and shouting outside and demanding that everyone put on their lights. I did not go down to see who they were, but I put on the lights just to oblige them! They seemed quite pleased and continued on their way rejoicing! Probably drunk!
This morning I went to school as usual. Strange as it may seem the children came as usual but bedecked with red white and blue ribbon and waving their flags. We didn’t do any work, just let them run wild – it was a lovely morning and children of both departments intermingled on the field in a kind of new found freedom and many old pupils came to say ‘Hullo Miss Lewins’! Only to be severely reprimanded by the little ones who have now learnt to say ‘Mrs Allen’ very nicely!!!
We had lunch at school – a very nice lunch. Yorkshire, roast beef of old England, pots and cabbage and a most scrumptious treacle tart with sweet white sauce. It really was a treat. I wish we could have had some of the Dutch children with us today!  I’m sure they would have appreciated it.  Jean ate every bite!  I have never seen her eat so much before. We are no on holiday until Thursday morning – but I do not think this week will see the end of the celebrations.
3PM now for the announcement!!!
2.41AM MAY 7. UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!!! Signed in RHEIMS – FRANCE.  HOSTILITIES TO CEASE ONE MINUTE AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.
Well darling it is over! Outside all is calm and still and rain is falling gently but steadily. I suppose that will dampen the spirits of the merry-makers. Flags look very down-cast as they hang limply in the wet.  Darling I feel very full, very much in need of you. In moments of joy and thankfulness and in those of great sorrow, we need a sympathetic soul to share it. I feel very close to you my love and feel very sure you are with me today. Be of good cheer my darling, our victory will come some day soon, then what a day! What a home coming. I love you darling and pray that our turn may come very soon. Pray with me darling every day.  I need you as much.
Wed May 9^th 1945 11pm
Darling mine, here I am almost at the end of my victory holiday. Today has been the kind of day that people dream about – hot, blazing sunshine all day – a veritable victory day. I was asked to Belle’s to lunch and afterwards we went to town. We had tea at the Havelock and met Belle’s mother and Jim Withington and family and went to Roker. It had a quiet holiday air. The barricades are all gone – so has the barbed wire and the beach looked wonderful in the sunshine. We went to Roker Park and while the men played a game of bowls, we lazed in the sunshine. We didn’t talk much for my thoughts were with you all the time. I was thinking of all the other times we have been in parks together on such a day. Remember Huddersfield and Morecambe and the woods at Hepsham and Helston with its swans and spring flowers, and that little park on the riverside at Truro – and Shields and most particularly the gardens in Princess Street?  Darling it made me want you very much, what a host of lovely memories!  Yesterday they were telling us on the wireless about the celebrations in Edinburgh, and darling, once again I was there with you reliving that glorious week all over again. There were tears my sweet, I could not help it, I was so lonely without you and I will always be so until you come back to me again. Then we will begin our lifelong honeymoon. I know it is going to be that my love with us – always sweethearts – what a lovely thought!  We came up into town again and Belle, Jenny and I went to see ‘Madonna of the Seven Moons’.  I liked it immensely.  Have you seen it darling?  It is very satisfying emotionally and helped me to recapture the ‘first fine careless rapture’ of our coming together. Do you realise how much I love you?  Darling there are times when I feel as if it would consume me’ it burns so fiercely!  Do you still love me, as I want to be loved?  I feel sure you do. There are no half measures with us my love – and there never could be. I love you, I love you for always.
Think of me sometimes my sweet and remember my sweet that to be in your arms and give myself to you is my heaven. Take care of your self my sweet. I go to my dreams of you.  Goodnight my love.
Ever yours, Hilda

Hilda’s letter to her husband

With the letter is other personal papers including Hilda’s National Registration Identity Card, Robert’s Certificate of Transfer to the Army Reserve, and a gift voucher for £2 from the Seaham Welcome Home Fund.

War Time Identity Cards

A gift from the Seaham Welcome Home Fund

A fascinating and moving insight into life on the home front.

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