Saturday, November 14th, over 600 people came through Lynde House for the first time since the move to its current location at 900 Brock Street South. Many thanks to the Whitby Station Gallery for including us on their tour! WHS Volunteers and Station Gallery Volunteers were on hand in each of the rooms, we wish to thank all involved.
All eight rooms in Lynde House Museum were decorated top to bottom for the holidays by Michael Penny and his staff from Penny & Co.
Every detail was carefully thought out with colours of decorations befitting every room. Delicate ivory-blush roses with soft pale greenery on the dining room table are an example of the subtle detailing designed by Michael, as the wallpaper itself is soft green with images of ivory-blush roses throughout.
Tour goers stood at each doorway commenting on the thoughtful beauty of the decorations which enhanced but did not take away from the period furnishings. One woman I just happened to overhear exclaimed, "It is as if I am standing here and the Lynde family is about to come in for Sunday dinner!"
When we were still knee deep in boxes that had just come out of storage, Michael Penney and his team came to have a look at just how much would be involved in decorating Lynde House for Christmas. Everyone rolled their eyes and wondered how this magic could actually be achieved in time. Michael, unperturbed said, "We are used to sorting out messes! It has been a dream of mine to one day decorate Lynde House for Christmas and I am so pleased that I can help." ... And help he did, for over the next four weeks he and his chief elf Chloe McPherson worked together with Whitby Historical Society's, Executive Director, Kirstyn Allam to unpack, sort and place artifacts along with the help of teams of volunteers. All this had to happen before a single decoration could be placed.
Thank you Michael Penney! Your expertise in placing artifacts in just the right spots to show them to their best advantage made all the difference.
Penney & Company
114 Dundas Street West, Whitby Ontario L1N 2L9
905.493.7300
Visitors to the homes on the tour were hosted to coffee and tea at the Visitor Centre next door by volunteers from the Whitby Seniors’ Centre ( Thank you Kim! )
Special treats provided by Cordon Sue Sweets.
Chef Susan, took really good care of visitor's sweet tooth!
Cordon Sue Sweets
215 Mary Streeet East Whitby Ontario L1N 2P4
(905) 668-2722
Volunteers of Whitby Historical Society and the Station Gallery greeted visitors and showed them through the facility. Here volunteers receive some last minute encouragement from Kirstyn, before opening the doors to usher in all the visitors lining up outside the door.
This blog is only a peek at what awaits you at our next tour. Come visit us November 28th 2015 from 11:00am to 4:00pm (free admission) when you can walk through all of the rooms at Lynde House Museum, feel the quiet of yesteryear in the Christmas Past decor by Michael Penney. We invite you to sign up as a member of the museum and receive advance notice of special events and free tickets to some events. Bring a friend and we'll see you on November 28th 2015.
The stockings are hung,
Time once begun, is now stopped still.
I climb into bed trying my best to hear
The almost silent rustlings of reindeer
As they anxiously try, the bags of toys, not to spill.
Santa's sleigh jostles as with the slight of his hand
He jumps down the chimney and lands,
Right at the foot of my bed...
Shhhhhh, I covered my head
And before I knew it, he was off in the night
Leaving a bulging stocking that before was so light.
Should I peak, should I parents awake?
Or munch on a treat in secret delight!
by: Trina Astor-Stewart, VP Whitby Historical Society
Blog and Photographs, Trina Astor-Stewart
