Port Alfred 'Museum Trail'

The entrance to what was 'Cook's Castle'

I had been discussing with my sister and Toby what to do before I returned to Europe, having decided on a road trip I thought I would nip out this morning to take some photographs of two local places of historical interest which I had seen previously.  Unfortunately it started to rain.  On my return the day was to develop an historical theme, my sister had discovered that there was a Port Alfred Museums competition in the afternoon. At that point I was not aware that there were five museums in the area.

'Cook's Castl' on the hill

We paid our entrance fee (R20.00) at the Port Alfred Tourist Information Office and teams dispersed in all directions.  I went to find the 'Richmond House Museum', which turned out to be in the grounds of the fort I had visited earlier. It transpired that this was, in fact, 'Cook's Castle' so I am not sure if there was ever an actual fort there. Given the links between army and trade in those days, e.g. the East India Company, I wouldn't be surprised if there was an army presence.  The place has been completely rebuilt as it was beyond repair when the current owners bought the property but the museum contains some original artefacts from the 'Castle' and a wealth of information about the Cook and Cock families and the development of the port.

There was a vibrant railway in Port Alfred as the 'Kowie Historical Museum' is now housed in the station buildings.  These local museums are fascinating as they contain the history and artefacts from the local area and some strange collections such as the collection of egg cups donated by Mary Frances Dickin.  There were also some maps showing the vast development of the railway network from the early 1800's consisting of two short lines to the 1920's when it spanned the whole country.

Next stop the 'Albany Motor Museum' on Albert Road, a collection of vintage and veteran cars and motorcycles the property of individual owners and frequently taken out for rallies and other events. In other words a living collection amongst the motoring memorabilia.

I have mentioned the RAF No 43 Training School opened in 1942 to train rear gunners in a previous post about the 'Pig and Whistle' at Bathurst. Here was my chance to visit the now 43 Air School, now training civilian pilots for commercial airlines.  A fascinating display of the history and traditions of the school, aviation and people.

 Remember the 'Agricultural Show' at Bathurst? Our final destination was the Bathurst Agricultural Museum.  Of the five questions to be answered at each museum this was the hardest because of the vast quantity of exhibits there, from ploughs to pony traps, from dentists instruments to glass grenade fire extinguishers.  You can spend a whole afternoon there alone.

The museum also contains 'The Ploughman's' its very own vibrant pub where we retired to for a braai (bbq) and prize giving after the results were worked out. There were prizes for each museum plus an overall winner plus the various raffles. Plenty of time for a beer and making new friends. In fact, throughout the expedition the owners and directors of the various museums displayed a passion for their museums being friendly, informative and welcoming.

I didn't win any prizes but the entertainment afterwards more than made up for that!

After much sole searching as to which direction to head off in I am going to up the coast to Durban next Tuesday because the weather is better at this time of year.  Cape Town will have to wait for another visit but I have a 'cunning plan' Blackadder for that trip.