Tales of the City - The Pen Museum

The pen is mightier than the sword! 

Nikki & I hadn't had a day out in Birmingham since before Xmas and were beyond excited to meet up on Friday. We'd made plans to visit another cultural attraction but after events conspired against us I remembered The Pen Museum at the eleventh hour. 

At its peak Birmingham was home to over one hundred pen factories manufacturing 10,000 varieties of pens and employing over 8,000 people with women making up over 75% of the workforce. 

The Industrial Revolution created a demand for affordable writing instruments. Birmingham's manufacturers were the first to adopt steel nibs, which were more reliable than the traditional goose quill pens and, from the mid to the late 19th Century, the city dominated the world's production of pens. It was estimated that three-quarters of the world's pens were made in Birmingham and the mass-production of pens which made them affordable to all, significantly impacted on the rise of global literacy in the 19th Century. By the end of the century the number of pen manufacturers in Birmingham declined to just twelve and , after WWII, the mass market success of the ballpoint pen made traditional pen nibs obsolete.

I love vintage packaging and how even the most mundane of everyday goods were always beautifully presented.

The female press operators were expected to produce a minimum of 14,000 nibs per day with fines incurred for less than perfect nibs and also for eating, drinking, toilet breaks and even singing during their average 12 hour working day. 

The good old days?  I love how places like The Pen Museum, The Coffin Works (HERE) and The Silver Factory (HERE) don't gloss over the hardships Britain's working classes endured, it's so important we're reminded of how awful the days were before Health and Safety regulations and Trade Unions. 

Poor Fanny, made redundant after 71 years of service. 

There's an area when you can practice your calligraphy....we'd forgotten what a mess those dip pens make of your fingers. 

 Nikki's far more accomplished than me, my efforts were too poor to show you!

Under the supervision of Huw, one of the museum's friendly volunteers, we were invited to have a go at making a nib from scratch. 

How those women churned out 14,000 a day is beyond comprehension, Nikki nearly decapitated herself in the process. 

Here's my finished nib - not bad for a beginner. 

The fun continued in the dressing up area...

And we had such a laugh having our handwriting analysed by Rubina. I'm a happy-go-lucky, lackadaisical optimist and Nikki's a religious, glass half-empty type. 

 The Pen Museum is housed within a former pen factory, built in 1863 on Frederick Street. 

Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11am - 4pm and on Sunday  from 12pm - 4pm.

Website HERE

The gift shop is fantastic, neither of us could resist the Anti-Satanic fridge magnet. All visitors get a complimentary nib to take away, too (as well as being allowed to keep the one we made!)

Admission is £7.95 for adults (concessions available) and we were very excited to find out that visitors are eligible for a 10% discount in the pub over the road! 

The 1000 Trades* is a gorgeously atmospheric former bag factory with an exciting choice of real ales and an array of Posh Sandwiches (menu here).

*During the Industrial Revolution Birmingham was known as the city of a thousand trades.

We opted for onion bhaji sandwiches with pints of IPA, just the job on such a bitterly cold day. 

Our museum entrance fee did allow us to return after lunch but after a couple of beers and a chinwag it was time to head back to New Street Station dodging the commuters and the madness of rush hour.

Thanks for a fab day out, bab....see you soon!