On Sunday I finally got myself along to the Katherine Mansfield birthplace. I’ve lived a matter of minutes away from it for almost 10 years but never ventured in. It costs only $5.50 for an adult but Sunday was open day so it was free. Free coffee was also on offer but being such a coffee snob I didn’t partake.
I was told they were having a very busy day when I arrived but when I compare it with visiting similar attractions overseas, it wasn’t busy. Then again it wouldn’t want to be because it is so small. When I say small I don’t mean the overall size was smaller than I expected, maybe cramped would be a better description. There wasn’t enough space in most of the rooms for more than 1-2 people at a time. I wished they had moved the barriers forward a little with less stuff in the rooms. I didn’t spend long in the house but thought I might go back nearer christmas when they decorate for the season. I’ll need to try and find a quiet time when the elderly aren’t standing in doorways bending the ears of those who work there, telling them they recognise all the furniture from their grandparents’ houses.
It got me thinking about the Doors Open Days scheme in the UK. You get free access to 100s of buildings across Scotland in the month of September. Different towns have their open days on different days during each weekend. It is all about the buildings and you can see a mix of buildings which are usually open to the public and some which are open especially. You can see buildings from the ancient and historical to the modern and spectactular. Maybe Wellington could have a Doors Open Day.
