Welcome to the 24 Hour Museum news in brief page for the week ending November 25 2007.
23.11.2007 - Papplewick Pumping Station in wheelchair appeal
Papplewick Pumping Station is appealing to people in the Nottingham area for donations of secondhand wheelchairs so that mobility impaired visitors to can access the more far-flung areas of the sprawling site.
As an independent museum and registered charity, the museum does not receive local government funding and relies on donations from the funders and general public to remain open.
Catherine Gough, marketing and events manager for the museum said: “All donations are gratefully received, but it is paramount that the wheelchair is in good condition.”
Anyone able to make such a donation, should contact Papplewick Pumping station on 0115 963 2938, collection can be arranged.
For information about the station itself, that will be in full steam on December 29 and 30, people can visit their website at www.papplewickpumpingstation.co.uk
23.11.2007 - London's Chinatown calls for East Asian artists
Chinatown Arts Festival 2008: Five Circles is inviting East Asian artists to submit proposals for two major new pieces of public art for London’s Chinatown.
The commissions are part of 'China Now', the UK’s largest ever festival of Chinese culture, and are funded by the National Lottery.
To organise the submissions, London based arts organisation Chinatown Arts Space have joined Chinatown’s principal landowners Shaftsbury Plc.
The first, open only to East Asian entrants resident in the UK, is a vibrant contemporary, £6,000 mural to be mounted for two years on the side of a building at the far end of Horse and Dolphin Yard in Chinatown, an area that houses a Chinese market.
The second commission, open to East Asians residing anywhere in the world, is an eye-catching £20,000 sculpture that will be exhibited permanently on the side of a building, where Wardour Street meets Shaftesbury Avenue.
Full details of the requirements for the commissions, the specifics of each site and information about the festival itself can be downloaded from www.chinatownartsspace.com or telephone Parker Harris on +44 (0) 1372 462 190 for more information.
22.11.2007 - Conan Doyle Collection gets new expert guidebook
With over 16,000 items, the Arthur Conan Doyle collection at Portsmouth's City Museum can challenge even the most dedicated sleuth.
Now help is at hand with a new Conan Doyle booklet, called 'A study in Sherlock: Uncovering the Arthur Conan Doyle collection' written by expert Dr Neil McCaw.
The booklet is a perfect companion to the collection and includes a foreword by actor Stephen Fry, Patron of the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection, Lancelyn Green Bequest.
It is available from the Visitor Information Centre and Portsmouth City Museum priced at £3.50. Postal copies can be ordered through Wendy Dillon 023 9283 4183 or email wendy.dillon@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
22.11.2007 – Medieval Newcastle uncovered in city centre
Diggers have downed tools after uncovering walls, pottery and glass during work to expand the Eldon Square shopping centre in Newcastle.
The stone walls below the ground, which date back around 500 years, could well have been part of the forerunners to the modern day shops. The walls appear to be part of cellars under the businesses or homes that once lined Newgate Street.
Archaeologists are now excavating the site to see what other discoveries they can make. Building work will then resume.
21.11.2007 - Bolsover Castle hit by vandalism and theft
English Heritage reports that Bolsover Castle has been heavily targeted by theft and vandalism and as a result it has taken measures to substantially increase security at the site.
Since the beginning of 2007, four of the castle's lodges have been targeted by thieves on approximately 12 occasions to steal roofing lead that will cost in the region £2,700 to replace. Other incidents include vandalism to the castle's magnificent fountain; two of its statues have been severely damaged and unfortunately only one has been replaced.
In addition, English Heritage's staff at the castle have been subjected to abusive behaviour from groups of local youths and total vandalism repair costs have risen to £12,000.
English Heritage has been working closely with Bolsover District Council, Bolsover Town Council, Bolsover Police and other members of the community to tackle the problem. A youth liaison programme has been launched which incorporates visiting local youth organisations along with events aimed at giving the younger generation of Bolsover access to character building challenges including camping.
Security patrols of the grounds at night have been increased whilst permanent CCTV will be in place in the New Year at a cost of £70,000. In the town the Bolsover Safer Neighbourhood Team has increased the number of officers patrolling the town centre, whilst officers also visit the castle daily to ensure that all is well.
"With the help of all residents of Bolsover we can not only eradicate this threat from the town but also help us to protect its heritage," said John Coulson, Head of Visitor Operations at English Heritage.
Anyone with information about criminal incidents in Bolsover are asked to contact the Police on 0845 123 33 33.
21.11.2007 - British Library archives Haemophilia and HIV Life Histories
The unheard voices of people with blood disorders infected with HIV through their treatment have been recorded as part of two oral history projects - Haemophilia and HIV Life History Project, and HIV in the Family.
The material was presented to the British Library at a reception on Tuesday November 20 2007.
Extracts of these incredible stories of survival and loss can be heard on www.livingstories.org.uk and the complete interviews through the British Library Listening and Viewing Service in London.
“This is a brave and exceptional oral project, recording rare insights into shifting medical care practices, changing public attitudes and personal coping strategies," said Rob Perks, Curator of Oral History at the British Library. "The interviews are an important addition to the Library's growing health collections."
In the early 1980s 1,200 people with bleeding disorders were infected with HIV through contaminated blood products, of whom over 800 have now died. Thirty people with bleeding disorders and HIV and thirty-six relatives of haemophiliacs who contracted HIV told their stories, which explore how haemophilia and HIV has affected both family and individual lives.
20.11.2007 - Historic Scotland sells rare malt whisky for £165 a bottle
Historic Scotland is offering the perfect Christmas gift for whisky lovers with two Dallas Dhu single malts.
But anyone who wants them will have to be quick as they are limited editions which are expected to be highly sought after by collectors.
Only 261 bottles of the 46% proof Dallas Dhu 23 Year Old have been produced and 590 of the 56.3% proof Dallas Dhu Cask Strength, which is 24 years old. The prices are £120 and £165 respectively.
“Any new bottling of Dallas Dhu is an eagerly anticipated event among whisky connoisseurs and we expect these limited editions to be very popular," said Aundrea Hollington, Historic Scotland head of retail.
The Dallas Dhu distillery, near Forres, was built in 1898 and closed in the 1980s. It is now a major visitor attraction in the care of Historic Scotland.
20.11.2007 - Natural History Museum's Annual Science Lecture looks at flooding
The Natural History Museum's Annual Science Lecture is to tackle the issue of gloabal warming and what Antarctica's melting ice sheets could mean for flood defences around Britain.
Guest speaker Professor David Vaughan of the British Antarctic Survey will be at the museum on Tuesday November 27, between 19.30-21.00 to talk about recent studies that suggest the world's ice sheets and glaciers hold enough water to make sea levels rise by 70 metres - and how they seem to be melting faster than past scientific predictions have suggested.
Now in its thirteenth year, the Natural History Museum's Annual Science Lecture has established itself as one of the most important forums for stimulating scientific debate.
19.11.2007 - Big Conversation winners to debate slave trade
Three schools have been selected to participate in a national panel debate and showcase following their outstanding entries in the national Big Conversation competition in 2007, based on the transatlantic slave trade.
Winning students, who submitted journalistic work on the legacies of the slave trade, will discuss their views alongside leading figures from education, the arts and media at the National Maritime Museum on December 6.
The winning schools are Andrew Marvel Business and Enterprise College (Yorkshire and the Humber); Aylesbury High School (South East); and Plumstead Manor School (London).
19.11.2007 – Plymouth Museum and Gallery to close for refurbishment
This, combined with match funding from Renaissance in the Regions; the Department for Culture Media and Sport and the Wolfson Foundation Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund means that the Museum will be able to revamp the majority of its ground floor galleries, as well as its foyer and shop area, and display objects which have not been on show for many decades.
Plans include three new galleries that will showcase ethnographic, archaeological and maritime collections.
In order to undertake the redevelopment the Museum will close to the public from November 24 2007. The first floor is scheduled to re-open in May 2008, followed by the official opening of the refurbished ground floor in September 2008.
19.11.2007 - Royal Artillery Museum receives Foyle grant for library and archives
Firepower, The Royal Artillery Museum at Woolwich in London, has received a £25,000 grant from The Foyle Foundation towards the core costs of the Royal Artillery Library and Archives for one year.
The Royal Artillery Museum’s Library consists of books, periodicals and other published works from as far back as the 16th century concerned with the history and science of artillery. The Museum’s Archives contains pamphlets, manuals, personal and technical papers, photographs and documents, together with British Army artillery unit records from the 18th century to the present day. The Archives contain over 5,000 separate collections donated to the Museum by Royal Artillery units, members and ex-members of the Regiment, the Ministry of Defence and the general public.
“We are most grateful to the Foyle Foundation for this grant” said Eileen Noon, Firepower’s Chief Operating Officer. “It will enable us to continue our conservation programme and preserve our heritage for future generations.”
