Everyone loves rocking horses! This relaxing talk features a series of attractive and unusual photographs of these traditional and historic toys.

Rachel had wanted a rocking horse from the age of two and finally got one aged 36 when she married local master wood sculptor (and musician) Ben Palmer (1937-2017). The talk covers:

• A brief history of the rocking horse
• The family of wooden horses: wheeled horses, fairground horses, etc
• How rocking horses are made: materials, skills and traditions
• The story of the Llandrindod Surgery & Hospital rocking horses made by Ben in the 1980s
• A few tips on the care and conservation of wooden antiques.
• An opportunity not only for questions but to share your own childhood or family memories of rocking horses

Speaker biography

Rachel qualified as a Museum Curator in 1985 and was involved in the development and interpretation of Acton Scott Working Farm Museum in Shropshire, Birmingham City Museum & Art Gallery, Beamish Open Air Museum in Co Durham, Hartlepool Art Gallery & Maritime Museums, Powys County Museum Service and Rhayader’s community museum at CARAD.

She has a lifelong interest in livestock and agricultural history and, despite growing up in Sussex, worked on a beef and sheep farm in Radnorshire in her school holidays.

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