Welcome to the 24 Hour Museum news in brief page for the week ending August 19 2007.
17.08.2007 - Evidence of early man discovered by young archaeologist in Herefordshire
Emily White, a young archaeologist from Hereford, has unearthed some of the earliest evidence for people living in Herefordshire in prehistoric times.
The youngster found three flints whilst out fieldwalking in 2006 and reported them to the local Finds Liaison Officer, Peter Reavill, who works for the Portable Antiquities Scheme.
The three flints date from some of the oldest periods in British History; the Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age), and the Neolithic (New Stone Age).
Members at Hereford Metal Detecting Club, of which her parents are members, thought that Emily’s flints were so interesting they awarded her a special shield. This was for the best artefact discovered in 2006 by using your eyes only – rather than with a metal detector.
17.08.2007 - Archaeologists dig up Wigan in search of Romans
A dig is currently underway in central Wigan to discover whether the city was once a significant Roman settlement.
Archaeologists are looking for evidence of a Roman fort to decide whether the area was the site of the major Roman settlement called Coccium, believed to have been in existence between the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.
Oxford Archaeology North are leading the dig behind the Wiend Children's Centre off Millgate, which will soon become the site for a local amenities complex including an aquatics centre.
17.08.2007 - Centrifuge facility given listed status
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has ‘listed’ a 1950s Centrifuge, still very much in use and unique in the UK, and which is one of only 20 in the world still used for testing the effects of acceleration and G-forces on airmen and equipment.
The 'Man Carrying Centrifuge Facility' - otherwise known as Building F49A - is capable of 30 revs per minute (equivalent to 9G) for humans and 55 revs (30G) for equipment, and is part of the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough in Hampshire.
All of the anti-G systems currently used by the RAF fast-jet aircrews have been developed and tested at Farnborough. It also has an aerospace application to simulate launch and re-entry forces, and was used in 2005 to train and assess Dr Greg Olsen, the third ‘space tourist’.
"Listing the Farnborough centrifuge will ensure that its significance to our history is taken account of should any future development proposals come forward,” said Culture Minister Margaret Hodge.
The building has been listed as Grade II to ensure that care will be taken over decisions affecting its future and that the case for its preservation is taken fully into account in considering the merits of any redevelopment proposals.
16.08.2007 - Go ballistic at the Royal Marines Museum
The Royal Marines Museum in Southsea, Hampshire will host its Go Ballistic event on August 19, with musketry demonstrations, tales from an 1805 gunner's mate, the Fort Cumberland Guard and a chance to learn more about the science of ballistics.
"You will find out what an explosion is all about, why a bullet travels down the barrel and the chemistry and physics that happens every time the trigger is pulled," said Andy Whincup, Learning and Access Officer for the museum.
"We won't tell you all this, we'll show you with simple but explosive experiments that (with a bit of care) you can try for yourselves."
16.08.2007 - Gallery version of Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait showing for first time in Edinburgh
The gallery version of Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait, the acclaimed film by Turner Prize-winning artist Douglas Gordon and French-Algerian artist Philippe Parreno, is showing for the first time at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh.
There are three screenings a day until September 2 2007 and entrance is free. The film follows in real time the movements of the celebrated and infamous ex-captain of the French national football team, Zinedine Zidane, during the 90 minutes of a match between his Spanish club Real Madrid and league rivals Villareal in April 2005.
This is the first European showing of the gallery version of the film, presented as a double projection, one screen showing the highly edited cinema version from 2006 and the other showing unedited footage from just one of the 17 cameras used in the filming process.
Showings are at 10.30am, 1pm and 3pm daily.
16.08.2007 - Police in search for Skara Brae graffiti vandals
Orkney Police are searching for the people responsible for daubing graffiti on the ancient remains of the neolithic village of Skara Brae above the Bay of Skaill on Orkney's west coast.
Historic Scotland staff found the graffiti in house one in the settlement on the morning of Tuesday August 14.
Police believe the culprits may have spent the night at the settlement because they daubed: "Brian Finlay slept here 13-8-2007" as well as "scouse celts". Orkney CID are now looking for six occupants of a Silver Hyundai, registration number LT56 CZJ.
Anyone with information is asked to ring Kirkwall Police Station on 01856 872241 or call the confidential line on 01856 870999.
15.08.2007 - New Culloden website launched
The National Trust for Scotland has launched a new Culloden website in English and Gaelic, which recognises the impact that the battle had on Gaelic language and culture.
The site includes a preview of a new film that immerses the viewer in the battlefield experience, a key feature of the new Culloden visitor centre, due to open in autumn 2007.
Other sections on the website detail the past, present and future of the battlefield, provide links to school resources and ways to find out more about clan history. There is also a virtual tour of the new visitor centre.
"With worldwide interest in Culloden these web pages will enable us to provide updates on the new centre and exhibition online and will help us to promote the exciting developments happening here at Culloden," said Alexander Bennett, Culloden project co-ordinator for the National Trust for Scotland.
15.08.2007 - Heritage 'TopLots' to be made available on eBay
Museums and heritage sites across the UK are to offer a unique selection of 'TopLots' to be bid upon using internet auction site eBay. In October 2007 anyone will be able to bid on behind the scenes tours and unique experiences offered by museums, historic houses and heritage organisations.
It is the first time such a diverse selection of privileged access and exclusive experiences from the heritage sector have been brought together in one major auction. Lots include a footplate ride on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, being a Roman soldier for the day at Arbeia Roman Fort and becoming a conservator for the day at the Manchester Museum.
Check the TopLots website to find a full list of what lots will be on offer.
15.08.2007 – Volunteers sought for York Observatory
York Observatory, in York Museum Gardens, is now open to visitors every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, and every other Friday, following a successful volunteer recruitment campaign
It’s the oldest working observatory in Yorkshire, and contains a clock from 1811 that works by observing the positions of the stars – once making it the most accurate timepiece in York.
The volunteers have been trained by the Museum’s curator of astronomy, and now more are sought to keep the Observatory open seven days a week. To find out more, contact volunteers manager Fiona at Fiona.burton@ymt.org.uk.
15.08.2007 – Dig to uncover history of Fort William, Scotland
Archaeologists from Glasgow University are to carry out an excavation in September to find out more about the history of the town of Fort William.
The town was named after a fort at Inverlochy which was strengthened in 1690, housing 1,000 men, in turn named after William of Orange. Its troops were involved in the Massacre of Glencoe, and the Fort was besieged by Jacobites after the Battle of Culloden in 1746.
The team hope to find remains of the original fort and town, of which there are now little visible evidence, and the exact location of the Battle of Inverlochy. Despite the site’s historical significance, it has been little studied, physically.
It is hoped that material recovered from the dig will go on display at the West Highland Museum, Fort William.
15.08.2007 – Grants of £237,000 in 2006/07 for industrial and scientific heritage items
The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) awarded grants totalling £237,000 over the past year to help museums in England and Wales acquire and conserve items of outstanding scientific and industrial importance.
In a report on the funding programme covering the year 2006/07, grants detailed include £20,000 for the conservation of the last surviving steam herring drifter in the UK, based in Lowestoft, and grants for items such as a fossil ichthyosaur, a photograph album documenting the early history of the Royal Institution and a vintage combine harvester.
15.08.2007 – English Heritage properties near foot and mouth zones
Two English Heritage properties in Surrey are in the region where foot and mouth disease has been found. At the moment, Defra has advised that no precautions are necessary except in the ‘protection zones’ immediately around affected farms.
Waverley Abbey and Farnham Castle are in the wider surveillance zone, but remain open as normal. Visitors to the Abbey are asked not to approach livestock and keep dogs on leads; the Castle is in an urban area.
15.08.2007 – Technical hitch holds up installation of Couple in Newbiggin Bay
Wansbeck Council and contractors Westminster Dredging said today that a major technical problem has developed with the crane barge due to lift the artwork Couple into place on the breakwater being built in Newbiggin Bay.
As a result, the barge has had to be towed into the Port of Blyth, to enable repairs to be carried out. This will mean an unavoidable delay in the installation of the artwork, which at this early stage is estimated at several days.
14.08.2007 - Historic rings stolen from Somerset County Museum
Two rare historic rings have been stolen from Somerset County Museum in Taunton. A display case at the museum was broken into and the gold, gem-set finger rings were taken.
One ring dates from the late 13th or 14th century and has a twin bezel set with a turquoise and a garnet. The other dates from the 16th century and is set with a dark orange carnelian intaglio engraved with four oxen.
They are both Treasure finds acquired by the museum through the Portable Antiquities Scheme. Somerset Police are investigating the incident - if you think you have come across these objects please get in touch with PC Stephen Linton at Taunton Police Station on 0845 4567000 or Crimestoppers on 0800555111. Photos of the missing rings can be found on the scheme's website.
14.08.2007 - National Archives in free book clearance
The National Archives in Kew, London, are holding a free one-day clearance of library and finding aids on August 21 2007.
The clearance will mostly consist of copies of published lists, indexes, calenders and reference works relating to archives and records that are no longer needed.
All the items will be handed out on a first-come-first-served basis. There is no fee at all, but the books must be taken on the day. Doors to the clearance open at 10am.
14.08.2007 - Huge offshore sculpture ready to be installed in Northumberland
Couple, a 12.5 metre-high sculpture of a man and a woman created by artist Sean Henry, is due to be installed 350 metres from the shore at Newbiggin by the Sea in Northumberland.
If all goes to plan Couple should be installed on a breakwater that is part of a new costal protection scheme during a four day weather window, between Wednesday 15 to Saturday 18 August.
The complete installation process is expected to take between six and 12 hours and Couple will become the UK's first permanent offshore sculpture.
13.08.2007 - Leighton Buzzard Railway plans expanded Steam Up weekend
The Leighton Buzzard Railway is aiming to go one better than in previous years by having no less than eight working steam engines at its annual Steam Up weekend, running on September 8 and 9 2007.
The star of the show will be WDLR No 778, the recently restored Baldwin 4-6-0T, which celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. An additional attraction will be a rake of wagons, which will provide demonstration freight workings around the Page's Park layout between passenger train departures.
There will also be guided tours of the Nine Acre quarry on the Saturday. The event is one of the UK's top narrow-gauge railway events, showcasing one of the largest and most diverse working locomotive collections in the country.
13.08.2007 - Online Scots language resource completed
Much of the Corpus is made up of transcripts of spoken language linked to audio recordings, so that users can hear or analyse features of Scottish accents and pronunciation.
Among the texts included in SCOTS are a large number of spontaneous conversations in varieties of Scots along with interviews with well-known figures like Ian Rankin and Suhayl Saadi, plus collections of personal correspondence and diaries and documents from the Scottish Parliament.
The SCOTS team, from the University of Glasgow, are now working on a similar resource covering the period 1700-1945.
