News | Mrs Smith’s Cottage

Today’s the day! Happy Museum Shop Sunday! You may have seen our previous news and social media posts about today, and it’s time for the final instalment in our Spotlight series – where we celebrate our local makers and produce, and their amazing contribution to sustaining museums in our shop.

Today’s highlight is our jams and chutneys, all handmade by the fabulous Judy – who knew Mrs Smith!

These may very well be the last jars… so come and grab some whilst you can. We have delicious apple & blackberry jam, plum & orange jam for those with a sweet tooth, and of course, apple chutney. The apple chutney is made using Mrs Smith’s own recipe, which is a rather special nod to our history at the Cottage. Judy even made us a batch with apples from Mrs Smith’s tree earlier this year! The chutney is a firm volunteer favourite, and goes wonderfully as a snack or in cooking.

All dates on the jars are production dates, which encourages us to waste less and live more like Mrs Smith.

Judy is also a whizz at knitting – creating wonderful pumpkins, Christmas puddings and mince pies for us, which you can also purchase in our shop.

We wanted to end with a huge thank you to everybody who has read or interacted with our Museum Shop Sunday posts. It is greatly appreciated, and we hope they have been an interesting read. On a final note – we could encourage everybody to pop into their local museum, gallery or heritage space and have a browse! See you next year.

N.B.: Apple Chutney recipe

Ingredients:

1kg apples, chopped and peeled
500g onions, finely chopped
500g sultanas
400g dates, chopped
500g soft brown or demerera sugar
500ml white wine vinegar or spiced vinegar
2tsp mustard
1tsp mixed spice
1tsp powdered cloves
1tsp salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Method:

1. Place all ingredients in a large, heavy bottomed pan and cook gently until sugar has dissolved
2. Bring to the boil and then simmer until fruit has softened
3. Stir occasionally and continue to simmer until the mixture is the consistency of jam
4. When ready, pour mixture into warm, sterilised jars and seal

As you may have already seen, we are running a showcase of our wonderful makers and their products as part of Museum Shop Sunday, an ‘international celebration of cultural retail’ which is designed to show the way in which museum shops support makers and sustain the future of museums.

For our second spotlight, we want to tell you about our range of artwork and cards by Debbie Davidge, who is a self-taught artist working within the mediums of watercolour, acrylic and soft pastels.

We spoke to Debbie about her journey with her artwork:

“After moving to Navenby, from Leicestershire, and also being an American citizen, I have always celebrated Halloween from a small child into adulthood. I decided to paint some pumpkins, one year – never having painted them before and they worked well. I then explored about joining a local Art Group and the journey began there.

Never having picked up an artist paintbrush before and with the guidance and support of the local art group, plus watching YouTube videos, and taking part in Workshops and completing an online course with the London College of Art (during lockdown) in Painting and Drawing and receiving a Merit Diploma for my year’s course, the ‘painting bug’ really took hold!

Since then, I have attended regular Art & Craft Fairs across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. I have taken part in the local Artists of Navenby Art Group Exhibitions every year since May 2018 and also took part in solo and joint art exhibitions ranging from the Caistor Heritage Centre, Vale of Belvoir Rotary Club Art Exhibitions, Gallery at St Martin’s in Lincoln, alongside Harding House Gallery in Steep Hill and The Rickyard Gallery in Wickenby.

I would describe my art as eclectic as I enjoy the challenge of painting different subjects letting the curiosity and creativity guide my art piece. My work is inspired by quiet moments in nature and the stillness that often goes unnoticed. I create calm, atmospheric paintings that focus on simplicity, emotion and the gentle beauty of the natural world. The mediums I use are watercolour, acrylic and soft pastels.

For me, painting is both an intuitive and deliberate process. I embrace experimentation across the mediums I use. I am drawn to painterly approaches that celebrate visual gesture and texture.

My aim is not to provide answers but to invite reflection – encouraging viewers to pause, question and discover their own meaning in the work.

I have my printed cards, which I change over on a seasonal basis, and also cards including a depiction of Mrs Smith’s Cottage and The Wash House which have always been popular in the Gift Shop at Mrs Smith’s Cottage.

There are also hand-painted miniature paintings that include miniature easels and make excellent and unique gifts.  I very much appreciate the opportunity that Mrs Smith’s Cottage has given me and the lovely working relationships I have had with the staff there over many years.”

You can see more of Debbie’s work on her website www.debbiedavidgecreations.co.uk, where original artworks and prints are regularly uploaded. Home appointments are available, by prior arrangement, for viewing artworks. You can also check out Debbie’s work on social media: Facebook under Debbie Davidge Creations Artist & Instagram @debbiedavidgecreationsartist.

We are so pleased to have a range of Debbie’s work for sale in our shop! See the wonderful pictures below (used with permission) and pop in anytime we are open to have a browse. Right now we have a display of Debbie’s Christmas cards and miniatures.

Thank you for all the support so far!

#MuseumShopSunday #SustainingCulture

Sunday the 30^th November is Museum Shop Sunday, which is the ‘international celebration of cultural retail’ – a fundamental part of sustaining museums today. In the run-up to the occasion, we are running a showcase of the locally made products we sell at Mrs Smith’s Cottage, as well as shouting out about their wonderful makers!

Today’s highlight is all about our jars of honey, which are produced at Brills Hills Apiary, Norton Disney, Lincolnshire, by Melissa and Duncan Lacey.

Duncan has been an avid registered beekeeper for 4 years and is looking forward to Brills Hills Apiary moving into its 4th season in 2026. Duncan started beekeeping at the age of 13, learning the craft with a skilled and experienced local beekeeper for a year before setting up his own apiary with the help and support of his mum, Melissa. Duncan has since spent the last 3 seasons teaching this specialised craft to his mum! Together they maintain and manage the bees in 3 hives to ensure optimum bee health so that they can produce a flavoursome honey ‘made by the bees’.

To produce a jar of honey takes a full 24 hours – from preparing the bees, to collecting and transporting the honey frames, from de-capping and spinning each honey frame, to sieving the honey 3 times, to returning the empty honey frames back to the bees for cleaning, to letting the honey rest over night for 12 hours, to the jarring and labelling process, and then finally to delivering the final product to Mrs Smith’s Cottage.

Rich and golden in colour, locally produced, and only £6.00 for a large jar, we here at the Cottage can’t think of a better way to buy this store-cupboard staple. And our new, limited-edition jars (complete with festive ribbon and mini honey twizzler) would truly make a perfect addition to a D.I.Y. hamper, stocking filler or a tasty gift for friends and family, as well as a sweet addition to your Christmas ham, parsnips, carrots and desserts! 

Shopping local is a really great way to connect with your community. Purchases made in our shop directly support local makers and sustain the future of our museum!

Entry to our shop at Mrs Smith’s Cottage is always free of charge, so why not pop in and have a browse? We are open Friday-Monday, 12-4pm. You can find more information about our wonderful venue on our ‘Visit’ page.

See you soon!

Last week we said a heartfelt goodbye to our wonderful Heritage Assistant, Sophie, who has brought so much enthusiasm and care to the Cottage. Thank you for everything, we wish you all the best for the future. 

At the same time, we’re delighted to welcome Eloise, our new Heritage Assistant! Eloise brings a passion for local history and heritage, and we’re excited for all the new ideas and energy she’ll bring to the team.

Keep an eye on our social media channels and this page for updates and news in the coming weeks, and do pop in and say hello soon!

Click here to read our July newsletter, featuring our June review, Home Guard exhibition and our upcoming Washday Weekend!