Festival of 50s, Part Two
The Festival of 50s, taking place from 6th to 9th July, is only a few days away and we are super excited!
Other than being a really good opportunity for us to dress up in our red lipstick and eyeliner, (a real rarity for us), the 50s are a really interesting period of our history, especially when we look at food.
During this time food really did go through a revolution, with the eventual end of rationing in July 1954, you can imagine the excitement when foods that hadn’t been available for years were suddenly on the shelves again. For many who grew up throughout this period, the majority of these items had never been experienced before – memory that often gets shared by visitors is the thrill of was their first banana or pineapple!
Developments in technology such as the Kenwood mixer below meant making cakes and other recipes was a lot quicker and didn’t require constant supervision. That freed up a lot of time for the typical housewife, and considering the freedoms that started to gather momentum during the war, the 1950s must have been an exciting time!
These technological advancements also meant that convenience foods were more commonplace, again broadening the horizons for a lot of people. Can you imagine the excitement of your first packet of crisps with the salt packet inside, or your first ready meal?
What we really love about the festival of 50s is that it gives us a glimpse into the work going into our plans for building an entire 1950s Town, just think of how much edible research is going to go into that! I can hardly contain myself…
If all this talk of 50s food has inspired you to share your memories or stories, please do get in touch, (KatherineHindmarch@Beamish.org.uk), we really want to represent the people of the North East in our plans for the 1950s Town!
Lots of other lovely things will be happening over the weekend so keep your eyes peeled, hope you are as excited as we are! Everything during usual museum opening hours is included in the Unlimited Pass so come down for both days if you can, don’t miss a minute of the 50s madness!
