Exhibition brings back to life the bygone days of farming

Holderness Harvests features a collection of photographs showing farming in the last century, alongside artefacts including corn sheaves, tools, bread-making utensils, and “corn dollies” – ornamental brooches or love tokens made from corn by the rough hands of farmworkers.

There is also a model of a freelance binder with three shire horses pulling it, plus imperial units of measurement including bushels and pecks.

A bread wheatsheaf has been baked especially for the exhibition, which was opened on Saturday by John Jackson, of Harbour Farm, Hedon.

The photographs are from a variety of sources, including the private collections of farmers.

Volunteer exhibition manager Julie Marshall said: “Farming was and is essential to Holderness; it exists on its farming. Visitors will see the richness of farming life and I think from the photographs, the impression, looking at people’s faces in group photographs, they look so cheerful.

“If you talk to people about their life then it was hard, without modern comforts, but had a great community feel about it.”

The exhibition is open every Wednesday and Saturday from 10am to 4pm until September 3. Admission is free.