Picnic Basket

42.1976 Miss Gladys Ward’s picnic basket

This charming tea-making basket was the faithful companion of Walton resident Gladys Ward during her river expeditions aboard her skiff. In her 60s and 70s, the dedicated long-distance oarswoman rowed year after year almost to the source of the Thames and back down again, with the wicker basket by her side. At 27 cm tall, it neatly accommodates all the necessary equipment for a comforting brew on the go: a small spirit stove with its own stand and kettle, metal caddies for tea, sugar, and biscuits, enamelled teacups, saucers and rectangular plates, a teapot, and a spare fuel cannister. These types of baskets became popular traveling accessories from the late 1890s onwards, and there are similar examples in other museum collections used for train or car journeys. Remarkably, sugar and loose-leaf tea can still be found inside the smaller canisters, serving as a tangible reminder of the basket’s use.

42.1976 Miss Gladys Ward’s picnic basket contents

Gladys moved to Walton as a young girl in the late 1890s and remained there until her death in 1976 at the age of 88. Skiffing and punting along the Thames were extremely popular leisure pursuits in the early 20th century. Photographs in our collection show Gladys with her mother, two brothers and friends enjoying river trips in the skiff, built in 1907 for her older brother Arthur. This double sculling skiff named Barbara, which Arthur and Gladys would race together in the Walton regatta and other local competitions, could also be adapted for overnight camping by drawing a canvas tent over the top. Sadly, both her brothers died during WWI, but Gladys continued to use the boat single-handed. In her 60s and 70s, after the death of her mother, she took extended solo holidays on the river, documenting her adventures in beautifully written diaries, and becoming something of a local celebrity. In these accounts, she describes sociable encounters with other boaters and lock-keepers, her interactions with the local wildlife, nights under canvas or in local inns. She lovingly details observations of familiar trees and flora, her experiences of the changing nature of daylight and the elements, and the relief of a warm cup of tea after a long day’s travelling.

In later life, Gladys was a member of Walton and Weybridge local history society, sharing her reminiscences of old Walton, and remained a familiar presence in the rowing community, giving out prizes at Walton Regatta. She went to great lengths to create an annual Easter garden in St Mary’s church and was regarded with great affection in her community.