🧵 A Step Back in Time…

With looms, threads and the life of weavers!

Have you ever wondered what life was like many, many years ago?In Paisley, Scotland, there’s a very special place where you can find out: it’s called the Sma’ Shot Cottages!

But what are they? And why do they have that name?Get ready for a journey through time!

👨‍🏭 Who lived there?

A long time ago, Paisley was full of weavers – men and women who used big wooden looms to make colourful fabrics for clothes, scarves and other items.

Weavers worked from home and spent hours and hours weaving threads. It was hard work!

The Sma’ Shot Cottages were the actual homes where weavers and their families lived and worked. Some rooms were for living (with the kitchen, bed and fireplace), and others were used for weaving.

🧶 What is a “sma’ shot”?

The word “sma’” means “small” in the Scottish dialect, and “shot” was a very thin thread used in the fabric.

It was super important for holding the cloth together – even though it was invisible!

Sadly, weavers weren’t paid for this little hidden thread, even though they needed it to finish the cloth.So one day, they decided to protest… and a very special celebration was born!

🎉 The Sma’ Shot Day Festival

Every year in July, the people of Paisley celebrate Sma’ Shot Day, to remember the victory of the weavers who fought to be paid for that tiny thread!

There’s a big parade, with music, drums, colourful floats and…they burn a giant puppet called “The Cork”!(Do you want to know who “The Cork” was? It was the nickname for the boss of the mill owners!)

🏠 What can you see at the Sma’ Shot Cottages?

When you visit the Sma’ Shot Cottages, you can discover what life was like more than 150 years ago!

Here are some fun things to explore:

• 🛏️ An old-fashioned bedroom with tiny beds and funny mattresses

• 🔥 A past-time kitchen with iron pots, a coal stove and no fridge!

• 🧵 A real weaver’s loom – huge, noisy and amazing to see

• 👒 People in period costumes who explain everything to you!

🤔 Did you know…

• Children in those days often helped their parents work

• Paisley’s fabrics were famous all over the world!

• The famous “Paisley Pattern” (the teardrop shape) comes from this town!

💡 Why is it important to visit the Sma’ Shot Cottages?

Because they help us:

• 🕰️ Understand what life was like in the past

• 💪 Learn how hard people worked

• 🎨 Discover old jobs and traditions

• ❤️ Remember those who fought for fairness and justice

🖍️ Activities to do after your visit:

• Draw your own house from the past with a loom, fireplace and old beds

• Invent your own fabric design with colours and shapes

• Do a fun family interview: “What was life like when you were little?”

✨ Come and visit!

The Sma’ Shot Cottages are waiting for you in Paisley for a time-travel adventure!With so many corners to explore and stories to hear, you might just feel like a real weaver’s apprentice!