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shyguy

This May Be Interesting...

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Northampton is not a major detour for me on the way to Mothers so I shall probably call in next time i'm on my way down

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So I made it to the museum today, took my youngest daughter and my middle daughter for a couple of hours. The Northampton museum is predominantly shoe oriented, with a small section for ceramics, and another small section on Northamptons history. The shoe exhibitions are really good though, starting in the entrance lobby.

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We walked around the first part of the collection and saw plenty of glass cases of shoes from the very earliest through the modern day. The museum is very dark though so photography with a phone was difficult. We were time restricted as well as the car park we used was only 3 hours max, Although the museum isn't that big so 3 hours was ample time for our quick tour.

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In one section you are allowed to try on a few pairs of shoes which are laid out, so my daughters did so. I decided I didn't want to miss out on this either so tried on some silver platform boots, and some red platforms as seen below with my black jeans (I hope as pics were terrible)

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To the right of me you can see some tiger stripe platforms which I also tried on but the pic is terrible...

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We walked through a section which follows fashions through the 20th century including the 70's platforms and others. One interesting piece was this heelless shoe which seems to have been copied recently with someone claiming to be inventing something new...

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I'll try to get some more pics into the gallery or posted with my ramblings here later..

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Well reminded, and great report. Piccies always increase interest, even ones that are not perfect.

My struggles with images in 'challenging' circumstances are well documented here. I'm painfully aware how hard yours would have been to get, so I'm very pleased you've included them. B)

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I have loads of pics, but as I said the museum was dark and with glass cases the glare from the flash on my phone just whited everything out. Some did come out OK, and hpefully I can put up more. Was fun trying on the couple of pairs they had there for that reason, although small the red pair were comfortable and the tiger stripe platforms were a little large ;-)

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Here is the Tiger stripe shoes worn by me, picture enhanced a little but still rubbish.

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would have liked to try these too..

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But they were in the display cases so definitely not for trying. There were some others to try but nothing of note really.

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Was it not possible to turn the flash off? [Or hold your finger over it?] I guess the light was so low, you wouldn't have any sort of picture?

I'm never a fan of platforms, but those red shoes look good. I suspect they might be from Leatherworks [aka Little Shoe Box]. If ever there was a time it was an appropriate thing to say, it's now:

"Better to have tried and failed, than to have not tried at all."

You've managed to convey the shoes and venue very well. B) Well done sir! :)

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Thank you Freddy, I had a fun day with my daughters there too. Saw some great shoes and my elder daughter is a bit of a fashionista too and loves her boots and shoes so she enjoyed it. The younger one likes any museum and says this one was a nice day out too so all in all a good day for everyone.

I did find a pair of boots I would have liked too..

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As for the flash, with no light up most of the exhibits wouldn't photograph at all with my phone. I could only see the picture on the screen with the pre-flash light the camera uses to auto-focus. Some of the areas are well enough lit to get good pics, and maybe with a decent camera instead of a phone cam it might be better, I hadn't really planned on pictures but ended up with 178 of them. Not all the pictures are of shoes as that would be difficult to explain to Mrs Shyguy when she browses them, so I have a few of the other displays (which were a minority anyway) of Northamptons history and a display of china and glass artwork.

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I hadn't really planned on pictures but ended up with 178 of them.

:o

I may not be the only person here, needing a camera to carry with them? ;):P:D

Panasonic Lumix S1 while there is still stock ....

Mrs Freddy bought an S3 for her holiday, and it's a great camera. B)

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I have the older Samsung Galaxy Ace, and a digital camera which is pretty OK but don't bother with it too much for this kind of trip.

I would be up for going to the museum again on a weekday if I can get a day off and if anyone's interested as it's free entry.

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I have the older Samsung Galaxy Ace, and a digital camera which is pretty OK but don't bother with it too much for this kind of trip.

Tut .. tut .... ;):P:D

178 photo's on your phone? Maybe time to have a rethink? :huh::D

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It's school half term in a couple of weeks and we were going to take our youngest daughter to London's science and natural History museums. I came home from work tonight to be told that she doesn't want to go to London but would prefer to go to the Roald Dahl museum (she's a great book reader like her dad) and also to the "shoe museum" Northampton again and would I mind the change of plans?

Well I tried to look disappointed but another trip to the Northampton museum and my daughter says we must have fun again trying on those shoes like last time, and mum has to try them too sounds good to me. Might get some more piccies as the exhibits have changed a little and Mrs Shyguy has a better camera on her phone ;-)

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I thought the shoe exhibition closed in September? :huh:

Did notice they have 'adults only' shoe evening on 1st of March?

Edited by FastFreddy2

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Northampton Museum is mainly about the shoes apparently :smile:

ooo!

I've a vague recollection someone else has mentioned the museum as a place to go for a visit for other interests too. I might be babysitting our grandson and Mrs Freddy next Thursday ..... If the weather is unkind, [too cold or wet for a bike ride] could be an interesting place to take them both. ;)

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Were all of you in heels? ;)

None of us.

My 9 year old grandson has no idea I wear heels. That said, he doesn't mind wearing them it would seem. Both me and Mrs F are careful to ensure I don't inadvertently enthuse him, but he does okay as a curious person in his own right. I'd love to share my interest with the rest of the family, but prudence suggests I don't, He tried some heels at the exhibition, though sadly I don't think it fair (to him) I share photo's of him wearing them here.

Full details later.

Edited by FastFreddy2

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Looking forward to seeing the pictures you took, hopefully some better pictures than those rushed and dark ones I posted.

Did you all enjoy your visit is more what I want to hear though...

We still plan to go to Northampton next week, and also to the Roald Dahl museum in Aylesbury as our 9 year old daughter loves reading the Roald Dahl books. We're going to try to do both museums in one day from our location which is centrally placed between the two of them, give or take.

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Well .......

I was designated driver, and got up later than the other two in the party. Consequently, the trip up the M1 was a bit quiet because the rest of the party ...... slept while I drove. :rolleyes:

Arrived after an hours drive, and immediately made to Debenhams for toilet (me) and refreshments (the sleepers). To my disappointment they didn't even have a Miss KG, only their own -usually dull- range. Also, a shop that used to sell fetish shoes, is now a nail bar. :(

Getting to the Museum was easy. Parking for 2pm through to midnight was £3-40 so not very expensive at all.

First thing I noticed once inside, was how dark the shoe exhibition area was. The pictures and manufacturing equipment salvaged from the [Northampton] industry were magnificent. The shoes, and details about them were equally of interest, not least because 'shoe-fetishism' is very obviously not a new phenomena. ;)

With a 9 year old in tow, it just wasn't possible to linger as long as I might like. That said, he liked the area where different shoes could be tried. The ones with the water and plastic fish in the heel were a favourite until he found they were waaay too big. He tried the 1980 glam-rock silver knee high platforms, and they fitted surprisingly well. [There was a pair of red high heeled platform open toe courts there. A young lad was wearing them when we arrived, and had them back on when we left! Bless!]

Here are some photo's. All taken with the natural light, of which there was very little.

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