#005 - Apr 2016
Dorset County Museum Volunteer Newsletter Dates for Your Diary: GEOLOGY REVEALED Wed 13 April 7pm LUNCHTIME CONCERTS Thurs 21 April and Thurs 19 May 1-2pm HISTORY EXPLORED Fri 8 April 7.30pm ‘The Forgotten Conscripts: The Bevin Boys’ by Warwick H. Taylor MBE Thurs 5 May 7.30pm ‘Finding Pitt-Rivers’ by Jane Ellis-Schön NATURE IN FOCUS Thurs 28 April 7.30pm ‘Bushmaster: Raymond Ditmars and the Hunt for the World’s Largest Viper’ by Dan Eatherley LITERARY LIVES Thurs 19 May and Sat 21 May 7.30pm ‘Lawrence of Wessex: Conservations with T.E. Lawrence and Thomas Hardy Thurs 26 May 7.30pm ‘Emma Lavinia: The First Mrs Hardy with Helen Gibson and Marilyn Leah CRAFT ACADEMY Wed 6 April 10.30am-12.30pm Look out for Dorset County Museum’s new Events Leaflet available from the shop now.
Welcome to Issue no.5 of DCMVOX... With Spring upon us, the light of day is staying with us longer and so is the Museum! DCM has now extended its opening hours until 5pm daily, for the duration of summer. A big thank you to all those who attended Jane Alexander’s Consultation event in March, designed to hear your views, hopes and requirements for the new building. Further thanks, to every volunteer who helped, in any way, with our new temporary exhibition, Speed to the West: A Nostalgic Journey. The exhibition, which was only opened on 19 March, has already had fantastic feedback. We could not have curated another fantastic exhibition here at Dorset County Museum, without the help of all of our volunteers. So, thank you. As many of you will know, Jon was taken ill just before Easter. He is now recovering well and positively, but will need a period of sick leave until the end of June. There are cards for him available at the Front Desk for signature, should you wish to send him your best wishes. While Jon is away, all his responsibilities in the Museum are being covered by nominated Trustees, with Kath Fox and Anna Butler dealing with the day to day running of the Museum. Our re-development project is well on target and our Project Manager, Nick Coggins, is working closely with the Board, to continue to take the project forward in accordance with Jon’s hopes and wishes until he can re-join the team. We are deeply grateful for the support of our staff and volunteers during this time, and we know that we will be able to rely on your continued help. What would you like to see in next month’s issue? Please email your suggestions to Gabriella Crouch on development@dorsetcountymuseum.org by Mon 15 Feb 2016. Any suggestions welcome!
For two days in February and March, Dorset County Museum warmly welcomed families into the museum to take part in a fun, hands on and messy couple of hours in the Victorian Gallery. Families created everything from stags heads out of plastic cups, fossils made from paper plates, to a miniature replica of the Victorian gallery itself. (See some of the fabulous creations on our Facebook page). Our next Free Craft Academy will be held on Wednesday 6 April in the Victorian Gallery, sponsored by Battens solicitors.
As you all know, Ali will be going on maternity leave on the 16th April.
She will be raising money for SCBU at Dorset County Hospital with a sweep stake about her baby. Entry only £1! Entry form at the front desk for anyone who wants to get involved.
Collections Discovery Centre Update– Tomorrow’s Museum for Dorset Where we are...
We have now launched our webpage for the project, so please take a look at www.tomorrowsmuseumfordorset.org.
Our activity planner, Jane Alexander, has been busy speaking to many of you for your input into the project and has also been approaching visitors for their thoughts on the proposed architecture for the new buildings. During the Easter holidays, the architect’s model will be displayed in the Victorian Hall so do come and see it, if you haven’t already.
We can now announce the appointment of Elizabeth Selby who will begin her role as Exhibition Development Manager in May.
Where we’re heading... With Elizabeth Selby starting in May, there will be many exciting developments to come on the plans for the exhibitions and galleries. Jane Alexander, will continue to conduct surveys and consultations to inform her very important Activity Plan. For further news and to keep up-to-date with all the latest project updates, please visit tomorrowsmuseumfordorset.org.
MANY THANKS to all our volunteers – without you our Museum would not function as effectively as it does. Dorset County Museum, High West Street, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1XA Tel: 01305 262735 - www.dorsetcountymuseum.org
Visitor Quote of the Month: ‘A marvellous place, so much to see, so varied and comprehensive. We shall come again!’
Other Exhibitions at DCM
‘Speed to the West: A Nostalgic Journey’ at Dorset County Museum
In the Tea Room
until 7 Jan 2017
until 5 June 2016 ‘Unknown Photographs of Dorset’ by Val Dicker: Our Photographic Archive Team has a collection of unidentified photographs from the Museum’s Dorset Photographic Archive. Can you help identify them?
In the Victorian Gallery until 3 June 2016 ‘Commemoration of the Dorset Yeomanry’ with The Keep Military Museum: The exhibition centres around a painting by Lady Butler to commemorate the centenary of the Dorset Yeomanry’s charge at the battle of Agagia, which was the last regimental charge by a British regiment.
PIANO FOR SALE Jill Minchin is selling a lovely, modern, upright, six octave, Cramer piano that has been well maintained and is in good condition.
If you would like further details or wish to discuss a price, then please contact Jill on 01305 263757.
Saturday 19 March, saw the official opening of our latest exhibition, Speed to the West: A Nostalgic Journey, following a private preview with special guest Eric Knowles, from Antiques Roadshow. The private preview was a great success with over 120 guests filling the Temporary Exhibition space. We would like to thank all those volunteers who helped with Special guest, Eric Knowles (centre), pictured alongside the installation Richard Furness and Paul Atterbury, curators of Speed to the West exhibition process and helped make the exhibition look so wonderful. If you are yet to take a look around the exhibition, then please do. It’s one not to be missed! Make sure to visit the shop for some great railway themed gifts and a wonderful book on the posters featured in the exhibition available for only £9.99.
There’s a new High Sheriff in the County On Tuesday 29 March, Dorset County Museum proudly acted as the venue for Sir Philip Williams’ Declarations Ceremony. The ceremony saw Sir Philip Williams make his declarations, accept his badge of office as High Sheriff of Dorset and appoint his Chaplain and Under Sheriff in the presence of his Justice of the Peace Mrs Lucy Lock. The Shrievalty is the oldest secular Office in the Kingdom after the Crown and dates from Saxon Times. The earliest High Sheriff of Dorset on record was called Beaduherd and held office in the 9th Century, before being killed by a Viking near Weymouth from whom he was trying to collect taxes.
Katharine Jones, the new Under Sheriff, with Sir Philip Williams. Pictured alongside the former High Sheriff, Jennifer Coombs (far left).
Dorset County Museum’s own history owes much to the generosity of the Williams family, over many generations. The land the Museum currently resides on, was kindly donated to DNHAS by the Williams family and they have continued to support the Museum over many years. We were proud to host Sir Philip Williams at the Museum on a day of such importance for him and wish him all the best for his year in office.
assistance to Emma and the rest of her team. For those times when there were no duties By Jill Minchin, Volunteer Co-ordinator & Trustee connected with school visits, Sarah assisted Ali on our Front Desk and in our Tea Room, and she This month we have been very pleased to also began translating into German the guide to welcome Sarah Schaedler who has been workthe new Archaeology Gallery. She was a very ing with us for four weeks as an intern. She is from Muenster, Germany and is a trainee teach- welcome and friendly addition to our Volunteer er, and asked to come to us to improve her Eng- Team, and her excellent English put the linguistic talents of most of us to shame. lish. During her four weeks with us, the bulk of her time was spent assisting Emma Talbot with This month we have welcomed Linda Roberts school visits, during what was a very busy period who will be helping Jenny Cripps and Helen for the Education team; Sarah found this very Sergeant, and there are several other volunteers rewarding and she was of considerable
Welcome to our new volunteers….
Sir Philip Williams pictured alongside a portrait of his Great Grandfather, hanging in the Victorian Gallery.
whose placements are underway, to be announced in next month’s DCMVOX. We continue to receive applications to join our volunteers, and the GOOD NEWS is that there are now two vacancies in our Archaeology team for us to fill. We are not, however, able to accept any further requests for internships: we just don’t have the staff time or the space to mentor them. Thank you to all our volunteers for your dedication and hard work; the Museum really could not function without you.
If you would like to receive this newsletter by email please send your contact details to Gabriella Crouch on development@dorsetcountymuseum.org