BRECKNOCK Museum is proud to look after many items connected with our area’s agricultural heritage. With Harvest Festivals taking place this month, we’re looking at a splendid photo.

“This photo shows a magnificent large-scale harvest festival display in Thomas Coke’s Chapel in Brecon, which was where the Co-op is now,” explained Senior Curator Nigel Blackamore.

“In Britain, thanks have been given for successful harvests since pagan times,” he continues “but the modern British tradition of celebrating Harvest Festival in churches began in 1843. That was when Rev. Robert Hawker invited parishioners to a special thanksgiving service at his church at Morwenstow in Cornwall. From this developed the annual custom of decorating churches with home-grown fruit, vegetables, flowers, and greenery for the Harvest Festival service.”

Harvest festivals traditionally take place on the Sunday nearest to the Harvest Moon. This is the full moon that occurs closest to the autumn equinox (around September 23). Often a loaf of bread is baked, sometimes in the shape of a wheat sheaf, using the last of the harvested grain. The loaf is taken to the church as a symbol of thanksgiving for the harvest.

“It’s fascinating to see the loaf taking pride of place in the centre of the chapel’s display,” Nigel enthused. “Sometimes a plough might be bought into the church for blessing so the next year’s harvest will be plentiful, but we can’t see from this photo if that was the case in Dr Coke’s Chapel!”

In recent years Harvest Festival celebrations have shifted emphasis to become more about sharing with those less fortunate than ourselves or raising money for charity. For example, Brecknock YFC has for several years supported Reaching Romania by filling shoeboxes, Talgarth has held an annual harvest festival auction in aid of the Wales Air Ambulance, and last year the junior section of Christ College supported Brecon Food Bank.

Continuing the agricultural theme, the museum is looking for items to put in an Agricultural Memory Box as part of its ongoing work in the community,

“Our Memory Box Loan Scheme is aimed at those working with, or caring for, older people,” explained volunteer co-ordinator Caitlin Gingell. “Each box has a particular theme and is full of small objects from the mid-20th century – all of which can be handled. The idea is that the boxes and the objects in them can be used to jog people’s memory and start a conversation.”

Memory box topics currently include Cooking and Baking, Photography, Childhood, Men in the 50s and 60s and shopping. “We have twelve different themes at the moment”, added Caitlin, “But what we’d really like is to have a box about agriculture, so we can make a real connection with elderly people for whom agriculture has been a big part of their life.”

If you have any small items connected with agriculture which might be suitable for a memory box, eg. tools that are safe to handle, get in touch with Caitlin on 01874 624121, or by email at [email protected].