Museum of Oxford
Dec 2015
NEWSLETTER Museum of Oxford
Welcome We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
We need your help!
That’s right, it’s that time of year again, and it’s time for the Museum of Oxford’s Christmas and New Year’s newsletter! This time our historical article comes from a new member of MoOFs, Emma Robertson. She attended a talk about life in Medieval Oxford, focussing on John de Beresford, the mayor of Oxford during the Black Death and the St Scholastica Day Riot, which you may remember from Peter’s article last time. Olivia Kippax Jones, a member of our Young Volunteers Group, tells us what ‘Damifino’ actually means, as well as about the process of planning and the actual execution of the event! Carmine Rugna is in the Mayors Chair and finally, MoOFs would like to wish you all season’s greetings and tell you about a couple of events that they are holding, both as part of the 40th Anniversary Celebrations and for the New Year!
Interested in Contributing to MoOFs or the newsletter? Email djuler@oxford.gov.uk to find out more!
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Museum of oxford
Dec 2015
wish
all re aders a ver y Me rry C and a hristm Happ as y New Year!
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Museum of oxford
Dec 2015
Life in Medieval Oxford A talk by Michelle Bayne-Jardine As a new member of the Museum of Oxford Friends, I had been eagerly anticipating the talk on ‘Life in Medieval Oxford’ by lecturer Michelle Bayne-Jardine on 5th November. As one of my favourite periods of history combined with the great city of Oxford, I knew it would be interesting and caught my attention immediately as an event I would love to attend.
The incident led to armed clashes between the local towns people and other students, or as Michelle commented, between the Town and Gown. The riots lasted over two days resulting in many deaths and the dispute was eventually settled in favour of the University. John de Beresford was stripped of his Mayor title for
Taking place in the magnificent Victorian Courtroom, the atmosphere was exciting when I entered. The Courtroom is very beautiful with lots of wood panelling and it definitely felt like stepping back in time. I took a seat (on the Barristers bench!) and introduced myself to the other guests near me. I was impressed with the turnout, as the seats began to quickly fill up. Michelle was stationed at the front of the Courtroom, notes in hand, ready to begin and after a brief introduction by Judith (MoOFs’ Steering Group Chair) a hush fell, and the talk began. The title of the talk 'From Manciple to Mayor to Manacle', charted the life and times of John de Beresford who obtained the Mayor position of Oxford during one of British history's most turbulent times, the Black Death. Michelle began with de Beresford’s origins, he may have been born in Burford, and then continued on with his rise to Mayor. There were many interesting facts linked in too. For example, a fun note is that The Black Death was not the name coined at the time of the outbreak, instead being called The Great Plague or Great Pestilence and that the first documented case of the Plague was from a sailor in Weymouth on the south coast of England. Michelle talked with obvious passion and interest of de Beresford’s time in office, giving special attention to the St Scholastica Day Riot. The riot started in a tavern (near the Carfax Tower) where two Oxford students, who were drinking there, began to complain about the poor quality of the drinks and then proceeded to assault the tavern owner. Mayor de Beresford called for the University to arrest the students, however the University subsequently refused.
failing to keep the peace and was imprisoned in the Tower of London by the King. Thereafter on St Scholastica’s Day the Mayor and councillors had to march through the streets and pay an annual fine to the University until 1825. To say I am sure this was not how de Beresford wished his time in office to be remembered is an understatement. As the talk came to a close, Michelle finished by answering questions from the audience and was rewarded for her brilliant talk by Peter Simpson, organiser of the event and member of MoOFs’ Steering Group, with a gift. Michelle generously gave her time free-of-charge and I hope she realised how much we all appreciated her sparing the time to come and speak to us. The talk was unique as it marked the 100 year anniversary of the talks held here for the recuperating soldiers of WW1. As a gap year student before I return to University next September, I very much hope that MoOFs plan more of these great events and that I am able to attend them. Emma Robertson MoOFs 3
Museum of oxford
Dec 2015
Museums at Night: Damifino! Damifino, a threatening enough sounding title for a Halloween event, but what does it actually mean?
According to mentalfloss.com, surely an authority on Victorian slang, the creative cuss is a contraction of “damned if I know.” This sentiment was certainly one our group of young people were feeling mid-summer 2015 when asked to name their upcoming event. And thus Damifino was born. Bringing together a group of disparate people whose only common traits were that their ages fell between 16 and 25 and that they loved museums could have been a disaster waiting to happen. However, the variety of experiences and ideas brought together in this way made for a very creative and imaginative planning process. We began to talk about the Halloween event early in the summer, holding meetings sporadically in which we discussed themes, activities, budget, publicity, and how best to involve the Museum’s collection in the evening. Once we hit September we began to discuss practicalities such as lighting, how to build a tent in the event space and how on earth to make a photo booth! Having to be occasionally reeled back from the impossible by Museum staff, we came up with a plan. Our event was to be a relaxed drop-in evening, vaguely Victorian-themed with tours led by a wonderful character dreamt up by the more creative in the group – ‘The Collector’.
The Collector, a Victorian man fascinated with amassing gory and gruesome historical objects, would allow the guests to learn more about particular objects in Explore Oxford that they might not otherwise have known about. The character featured in all our publicity for the event and was played on the night by an actor from Hidden Track theatre. The figure was partly inspired by the likes of Alderman William Fletcher who had the Museum’s Dance of Death panels decorating his halls. The night itself went off with a bang. Well actually, it went off to the sound of bagpipes playing outside the Town Hall. However, apart from the unplanned concert our guests enjoyed, they could also get their tarot cards read, take silly Victorian-esque pictures in our photo booth, and of course experience a tour of Explore Oxford, highlighting the creepier nature of some of the objects. The collector guided guests around the Museum pointing out Oliver Cromwell’s death mask, the tomb of St Frideswide, the knucklebone pavement and more. So, what else did we offer? Classic Victorian Halloween games such as apple bobbing and doughnuts on a string, drinks and delicious homemade food, the opportunity to share scary moments and deepest fears, and some great performances by more actors from Hidden Track theatre. The evening was very successful, the attendance was beyond what we hoped for and the experience we gained from it was invaluable. We have had some really positive feedback, especially concerning the tours. This reaffirms what we already know, the Museum of Oxford has a lot to offer its visitors, and events such as Museums at Night are a fantastic way of helping people engage with the history of Oxford. Planning and running this event has been a great experience for me personally and I am sure I can speak for the rest of the team in thanking the Museum of Oxford for allowing us to have a go! What will we do next? Damifino!
Olivia Kippax Jones 4
Museum of oxford
Dec 2015
The Mayor’s Chair: Carmine Rugna Carmine Rugna’s home is Rossano, a town in Calabria, Southern Italy, in the province of Cosenza, not far from the Strait of Messina and Sicily, and there he grew up with his parents, two sisters and a brother. Rossano’s houses, Carmine tells me, all have large windows and balconies – his own has three – to celebrate the area’s long bright days, open skies and coastline where temperatures rarely fall below 8°C. While at school Carmine developed a talent for drumming; he enjoys jazz and rock music and admits to being a supporter of both AC Milan and Arsenal – though he finds tickets to the Emirates Stadium very expensive! On leaving school, Carmine completed a course of study at Cosenza University into the history of culture that links history, in particular art history, with museums and libraries as illustrious places of learning. Cosenza, I learn, is renowned world-wide for its cultural institutions, including a beautiful old quarter, a castle, an open-air museum and a Romanesque-Gothic Cathedral. But his home area, Carmine tells me, is one of the least developed in Italy, and on completing his course the onl y means of earning money was unfulfilling seasonal work on the land around his home. Carmine moved to Rome about three years ago with his girlfriend Giusy (Giuseppina), already a qualified pharmacist, both in search of a productive and satisfying lifestyle together. They lived there for six months but things were no better. At this point, Giusy took on a six-month au pair post in Headington, Oxford with a family of three young children and after only three months suggested Carmine join her. She was finding Oxford the place where their future could lie and now works full-time in Oxford, undertaking at the weekends locum work to supplement her income. And since arriving in England two years ago, Carmine has been working full-time at Mc D o n a l d s i n He a d i n g to n a n d p a r t- t i m e a t Homebase, Cowley, a strenuous 51- hour working week. But his great love, he tells me, is communicating with customers in his increasingly fluent English that serves him well in both work-places. He opted to volunteer at Explore Oxford because it offers the opportunity of
talking with an extensive range o f v i s i to r s , a l l curious about Oxford’s history. His dream is to work in one of Oxford’s cultural centres, whether museum or historical library, later taking on research into his b e l o v e d historical/ cultural topics. As we talk C a r m i n e constantly checks his iPad for posts available locally in these fields. Both unwavering Roman Catholics he and Giusy regularly attend the Ro m a n Catholic Church in Headington, tr ying when possible to keep Sundays free for religious observation, often helping young people in Sunday School. They are now living in a flat in Wheatley, and return to Rossano as often as they can, hoping that one day their families will visit them in Oxford. They have a car of their own to be able to access work places as necessary - Carmine proudly shows me his British driving licence - and enjoy occasional trips away from Oxford, to Stonehenge for example where they can jointly develop their grasp of older British history within their happily newly-adopted country.
Prue Drew 5
What’s on…
Dec 2015
At the Museum? The Secret History of Oxford’s Christmas – Paul Sullivan 17th December, £5, 6pm – 7:30pm, The Old Museum Join local author Paul Sullivan for a festive look at Oxford’s Christmas past. There will be tales from his range of publications on Oxford, along with songs and merriment. There will even be mince pies and mulled wine! Reservations can be made at the Gift Shop.
Blackout! 21st December, FREE, 10:30am – 3:30pm, Heritage Learning Centre Come along to find out how Christmas was celebrated in the midst of war, battling against blackouts, bombs and material shortages! Discover more about the toys and gifts of the 1940s and have a go at making your own, taking inspiration from the ‘Make do and Mend’ culture of WW2. Mark Davies – Alice in Wonderland 27th January, FREE, 6pm – 7pm, Heritage Learning Centre (TBC) Set to coincide with Lewis Caroll’s birthday in 1832, local Author, Mark Davies, will to give a talk about the inspirational people, places and events on or by the river, to be revealed on a virtual Victorian voyage.
Elsewhere? Late Night LiveFriday: Heroes and Villains 29th January, 7pm – 10:30pm, Ashmolean Museum Find out if you’re a superhero or supervillain and attend this special late night of action-packed adventure, exploring heroes and villains through time and across cultures! There will be live performances, creative workshops, behind-the-scenes talks and bars.
6 Contributors: Felicity Hammond (editor) Yi Wu (design) Prue Drew, Olivia Kippax Jones, Emma Robertson, Judith
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