Unearth the secrets waiting within the walls of our domestic spaces, in this mysterious talk by Dr Romany Reagan.

*** Tickets available here!!! ***

The secrets waiting within the walls of our domestic spaces are often not unearthed until renovation works bring these mysterious items into the light of a new day – and often a new century.

During extensive renovation works at Museum of the Home, one such secret was uncovered.

In November 2018, builders discovered an old worn boot that was hidden in a walled up chimney void from when the museum was an almshouse. What was the boot doing there? Since a chimney void is hardly a likely place to accidentally lose a boot, who put it there? What purpose did it serve? Can we truly step into the mindset of the people who interred these objects – or will they remain a mystery?

The answers to these questions come from an ancient heritage of home-protection folklore practices throughout the British Isles reaching back through time – but also practiced far more recently than you might think.

For this evening lecture, we invite you to an exclusive viewing with a chance to see the hidden boot alongside an exhibition of other historical items used in home-protection folklore. Then enjoy a glass of wine and join Dr Romany Reagan in the Studio to learn the curious history of the secrets within our walls.

Date:Thursday 18 June 2026

Time: 6.30pm – 8pm

Where: Studio, Museum of the Home – 136 Kingsland Road, E2 8EA

Price: £8.00 – £10.00