To the Workhouse

It was time to head South.
So much to see, so little time.

As soon as we saw there was a Workhouse to be see how could you miss it.

Last night was spent in a very pleasant country pub, The Owl, in a small town country town called Hambelton.
It was a real community centre and by the looks of some of the community they had been since youth.

The Workhouse was built in 1832 to hold 158 paupers and I’m not going to bore you with all the details (that’s Google’s job) but I will tell you that one of the classifications was “Able Bodied Idle and Profligate “.
Those of you who know where you fit need no further details.
The basis of the Workhouse sounds rather like the conservatives idea of welfare.... those who were poor were so because of the own fault and any relief should be as minimal, low cost to the wealth and as nasty as possible. All things are new again.

Was a great place though.Read more