When I started researching this community project we completed, I didn’t realise how important this historic little shop was to the people of Littleport.
I found it fascinating, and I hope you do too.
At the beginning of July, we were recommended to the lovely Jennifer by her son jack, who we work very closely with. She was looking for a company that could clean the floor p a little and seal it to give it a little protection.
Joao, our wood specialist technician and Nicola, our office manager, went out to view the floor and realised this would be a lovely project to do, so we took on the challenge free of charge.
As you know, here at Art of Clean, we love giving back to our beautiful communities, and this project was another way to thank the community of Littleport for their ongoing support.
If you are a lover of fenland history, read on, but if you would like to see our project, please see the section headed ‘Our part in preserving history’, and there is also a YouTube video if you would like a visual.
Over 100 years ago, in 1893, J.H Adams & Sons built the ironmongers shop in the beautiful little village of Littleport.
It still has the same fixture and fittings it had when it was a much-loved shop. It even has the old draws and shelves which once would’ve homed the items they made, imported and sold.
This little shop once served all classes of building and domestic ironmongery. It was a one-stop shop for everyone in its vast community and held many loving memories for the whole village.
Among some of the substantial history behind Adams, their claim to fame was that they became the Norwegian Hagen speed skate’s sole importer.
The shop would fit, maintain and sell skates for all their customers.
Did you know that locally there was a famous skating match help on the flooded moors in Littleport late 1900s and early 20th century?
How did it become the Adams Heritage Centre:
Sadly the shop closed its doors in 2010. A local businessman purchased me with the idea of preserving its history for our children to learn for many more years.
It now has heating, a kitchen to the rear of the building and disabled toilet access. The centre holds an archive of materials and many items that were made by the ironmongers all them years ago.
This project meant a lot to the team at Art of Clean, and we knew how loved it was by the people in the village and what an honour it was to be allowed to help preserve the history of its beautiful wood floor.
The whole wood team was aware this was a 100-year-old solid wood floor. It was old and worn and very much needed some love and attention.
However, this use means the floor has its fantastic character and preserving this was very important to Jenifer, so we made it necessary.
Clear as much debris and excess soil, so no more damage is done in the process.
Joao and Brandon used a diamond brush to brush the floor gently.
The team took great care with this step as it was about adding to the history, not removing it.
To seal it, we used Magic Oil Ergo, a product made by Pallmann and specially designed to enhance the floor’s beautiful history and protect it for many years to come.
As you can see the history was preserved beautifully, and we were left with a beautiful rich historic floor:
To purchase this product and many more, please click here.
This wasn’t our usual restoration because we really wanted to preserve as much of the history of the floor as we could.
So that’s everything. I’m sure you can agree that the love the guys put into their work speaks volumes. It is about ensuring you, our amazing customers, get the service you deserve.
I hope you enjoyed reading, have a fantastic day.
If you would like to read about some of the other community projects my amazing colleagues have taken part in, check this out:
Another project we enjoy doing:
For further advice or information on our Carpet and Soft Furnishing care, please do not hesitate to contact the Art of Clean team on 01223 901551 in Cambridge. Our services include Carpet Cleaning, Upholstery Cleaning, oriental and area Rug Cleaning, Curtain Cleaning, Patio, and Driveway Pressure washing, Leather Cleaning, Stone and Tile Floor Cleaning, and Wood Floor Sanding and Restoration. We also supply new flooring and carpets through our sister company Art of Flooring. Our Dry-Cleaning service is provided by Farthings Cambridge
Written by Tracey Gilbey, Marketing and Admin Coordinator at Art of Clean.