Victorian artefacts that have been unearthed at one of Cornwall’s much-loved attractions have been renovated and put on display for the summer season.
A baby walker, pushcart, and a bicycle from the Victorian era, as well as a carriage from the early 20th century, have all been found at Flambards, Helston and have been renovated by indoor attractions cleaner, Daiga Grinberg.
Daiga has cleaned the indoor attractions, including the Victorian Village and Britain in the Blitz, for the past 11 years.
The Victorian Village, which opened in 1986 has won several national awards for its authentic reconstructions, which include original granite setts salvaged from Bath and a wood block floor recused from demolition diggers in a school in the north of England.
Besides the village, there is also Britain in the Blitz and the Chemist Shop Time Capsule which was rescued from Somerset after it closed in 1909. Flambards rescued the shop, numbering and recording thousands of artefacts right down to the cobwebs, before disassembling and transporting it to Helston to create an exact replica.
General manager Richard Welby said: “These hugely important, period-correct pieces have been in secure storage due to their importance. The historical value is immeasurable as these items simply are not available on the open market.
“Any remaining examples are in private collections and realistically not available to view publicly.
“They needed a really good clean, but they are now on display for everyone to enjoy, thanks to Daiga’s hard work and dedication.”
The renovated artefacts can be found in the exhibition room with the wedding dresses.
Daiga’s devotion to preserving the indoor attractions is a year-round job. When Flambards closed for winter last year, she spent from September to December deep cleaning the 48 rooms of the Victorian Village.
With thousands of artefacts included inside every replica shop which includes a tailor, ironmonger, dairy, pub, toy shop, tobacconist, and haberdashery, Daigas work takes a long time. The toy shop alone can take almost two days to clean.
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However, Daiga enjoys talking to the visitors who walk around the village. She said: “I particularly love the coach parties who come in because they always have so many questions about the displays.
“I am interested in history, so I do my best to answer them.
“Every day I wake up and look forward to coming to work. That hasn’t changed for 11 years.”
For more information on Flambards' opening times a day, including the indoor attractions, visit www.flambards.co.uk.
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