New Customer Service Apprentice Georgia writes about her first few weeks at the Crannog Centre.
I am Georgia and I am one of the apprentices at the Scottish Crannog Centre. The apprenticeship is in customer service which I started on the 10th of August. When I first arrived, I was quite nervous and did not know what to expect. We started off with an introduction to everyone then we went on a tour of the crannog so we understood what we would be doing over the next year. The tour consisted of going around all the different areas; at the cooking area, we got a taster of some spelt and emmer bread and some nettle and mint tea. This was then followed on by a puppet show, which is very unique and funny. On the second day we had to do an introduction talk, which included facts about the crannogs on Loch Tay. I was the first one out of the five apprentices to do my talk, so I was very nervous! But once I had done it, I realised it was actually quite easy.
The first week consisted of shadowing our colleagues and learning about each area, we also did part of the tours. The different areas are technology, textiles, cooking and museum stewarding. In the technology area, you talk about how to drill holes into stones which are then either used as weights or for a drop spindle. You also had to talk about the lathe and how to make pots out of clay. The next area is textiles this is all about how they dyed their wool and made clothes; we also learned how to use a drop spindle, which at first I found difficult but once I got the hang of it I didn’t find it too difficult.
The next area is the cooking shelter – this is my favourite area as I have found it the easiest to remember all the facts about. I enjoy talking about and demonstrating how to make butter, grind the flour and talking about the different cooking methods. I find talking about all the items on the display table harder to talk about, but I am remembering more facts each day. The cooking area is the only place I have done a talk fully by myself with no assistance from another colleague.
We have also taken part in the puppet show which is very funny, and each time is very different and something always goes wrong! For example, the puppets trousers fall down, or the puppet falls of the puppeteer’s hand. It is a great laugh for all ages and everyone enjoys it.
We have started our own project which will last around six months. My project is making a butter dish which I will then make my own butter and cheese. I will make add different things to the cheese and butter to add different flavours. I am them going to make my own recipe book which will include iron age recipes; the recipe book will then hopefully be sold in the shop.
I have very much enjoyed my first two weeks as an apprentice at the Scottish crannog centre and am looking forward to the year ahead.
(Funding for the apprenticeship programme kindly supported by the Gannochy Trust, Museums Galleries Scotland, Perth & Kinross Council and SSE Renewables)
