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Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, it was a great pleasure that I welcome you to the new Museum of Industrial and Rural life. The museum provides us with the unique historical record of industrial and agricultural life in the area. Here, you' ll find a wonderful collection of industrial and agricultural exhibits. Some of them date back 200 years which reflect the history of our area over the last two centuries. Until recently, the area was mainly agricultural, and the world industries and traditions were all associated with agriculture. The museum' s collections bring this heritage back to life, with the fascinating blend of working and static displays. From early times, good communications with the rest of the country have lead to the industrial prosperity for the area. One example of such communications was the Roman Road, Portsmouth Street which passed nearby. Later, canals came to bring new prosperity, and then the railways. Good transport systems encouraged local industries, especially those related to agriculture. And the museum has collections of national significance from many of these. Local people, too, have changed the history, and the museum will introduce you to these and other local celebrities. The displays with all items collected locally show what local life used to be like. Many displays of local items are in context and show, for example, printers' and cobbler' s workshops. Whatever you are interested, we hope the museum will have something for you. |