Welcome to the 24 Hour Museum news in brief page for the week ending March 8 2008.
07.03.2008 - Museum of East Anglian Life 2008 season pushes the green agenda
The Museum of East Anglian Life opens its doors for the 2008 season on Sunday March 16 with its traditional free Stowmarket Day.
The day will provide the opportunity for visitors to see what’s new around the museum and take advantage of a 25% discount on the normal price of a museum season ticket. During last year's Stowmarket Day year the museum welcomed almost 2,000 visitors.
This year the museum will also deepen its commitment to the environment by encouraging its visitors to go green. Visitors arriving by public transport or bike will receive £1 off their admission fee. In June in partnership with Natural England the museum will also hold an event to promote local food and farming.
“Climate change encourages us to think global and act local," said museum director Tony Butler. "If we can encourage our visitors to think a bit more about where their food comes from they may think twice about buying products like apples which have been flown halfway round the world when there are perfectly good orchards on our doorstep.”
07.03.2008 – Roman shops under Cirencester’s historic Corn Hall unearthed
A significant Roman discovery has been made in Cirencester, under the floorboards of the town’s 19th century Corn Hall.
Refurbishment work uncovered remains of a Roman shopping parade in the form of walls dating back nearly 2,000 years. The remains would have been adjacent to the famous Roman Raod, Ermine Street, which ran from Silchester to Gloucester
The shops at the Corn Hall site would have been quite grand, and remains have been found of a bakery oven, cow, pig and sheep bones, a dozen Roman coins, pottery fragments and a small, intact glass perfume bottle.
Part of a medieval stonework dragon from 1140 was also found, which would have belonged to Cirencester Abbey.
07.03.2008 – Anglo-Saxon graves found at Peterborough Cathedral
Rare grave markers from the 11th century have been found during repair works in the grounds of Peterborough Cathedral.
Analysis of the eight markers, found by workers repairing ancient stone walls, has shown that they could have belonged to monks, or more probably to ordinary townsfolk who wanted to be connected to the cathedral. They will go on temporary display at the cathedral after cleaning.
07.03.2008 – York campus development to allow archaeological discovery
Archaeological excavations taking place on the site of an extension of the York University campus are revealing some enticing finds from the last 2,000 years, including Iron Age, Roman and medieval artefacts.
Current work has already turned up a remarkable Iron Age waterhole with preserved wickerwork lining and a previously unknown Roman building from the third or fourth century AD.
Initial analysis suggests that the only evidence of high-status Roman architecture at the Heslington village site dates from quite late in the Roman period, which might indicate York was little more than a military enclave during the early years of occupation, only developing into the full-scale imperial settlement of Ebarocum centuries later.
The university’s archaeology department is planning to run a live dig for community groups and students at the site.
06.03.2008 – Sunken WWII Royal Navy ship found off Norway
The wreck of a Royal Navy destroyer sunk by the German navy in 1940 has been discovered 305 metres under the icy waters of a Norwegian fjord.
HMS Hunter went down on April 10 with the loss of more than 100 lives, and has remained unlocated until this week, when a Norwegian minehunter found her.
The minehunter, HNOMS TYR, was out on a large multinational exercise, when its echo sounder discovered the sunken vessel. It soon became clear that the wreck was that of Hunter, which was sunk during the Battle of Narvik. The action resulted in the first Victoria Cross of the war being awarded.
A ceremony to pay respects to the lost ship and men will take place later this week.
06.03.2008 – Scotland launches proposals for protecting marine heritage
Scottish Ministers have unveiled their proposals for policy on the marine historic environment and potential new legislation to protect it. It is the latest in the Government’s Scottish Historic Environment Policy (SHEP) series produced by Historic Scotland.
New legislation to protect the marine historic environment is proposed for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. This consultation proposes broadly similar legislation for Scotland to be embedded within a proposed Scottish Marine Bill.
The new legislation would broaden the range of marine historic assets that can be designated on the basis of ‘national importance’, establish mechanisms for consultation prior to designation, and appeal procedures’.
The 12-week consultation period invites views, from the public, on Scottish Ministers’ policies for the marine historic environment via online, written submission or by email. The responses from the consultation will help form the basis of the policy paper which will be released by ministers in final form in 2009.
05.03.2008 - Suffolk family wins Lord of Rings quest at Anglo Saxon village
Some Suffolk grandparents and their three grandchildren are celebrating after winning this year’s Ring Quest, a popular Lord of the Rings-themed family challenge during February half-term at West Stow Country Park and Anglo Saxon Village.
The Wilson family (pictured) from Bury St Edmunds, beat off competition from hundreds of others from as far afield as Yorkshire and Hampshire.
Herbie, Dylan and Fenton (aged 11, 7 and 6 years), were delighted with their prize, a Trivial Pursuit DVD featuring questions from all three Lord of the Rings films. They all agreed: “It was absolutely awesome to win and take part!”
The Ring Quest was more popular than ever this year, with over 1500 people taking part and several families enjoying the challenge for the fifth year running.
05.03.2008 - English Heritage launch training sessions for re-use of churches
An English Heritage workshop in Derby will help conservation officers keep pace with the increasing pressure on church buildings to adapt and accommodate new uses.
The workshop at St Mary's Catholic Church in Derby on Tuesday March 11, will provide specialised training for local authority planning and conservation officers to assist them in fulfilling their role in managing change at historic churches and chapels.
"Historic church buildings are facing increasing pressure to accommodate new uses," said Anthony Streeten, Regional Director of English Heritage in the East Midlands.
"English Heritage works in partnership with others to find ways of altering churches for continued ecclesiastical use, and of re-using former churches for secular purposes whilst ensuring the character of these buildings is not lost."
04.03.2008 - Artes Mundi Prize 2008 judges announced
The judging panel for the Artes Mundi Prize in 2008, worth £40,000 has been announced.
The judges, Xu Bing, Jack Persekian, Tuula Arkio and David Alston will choose the winning artist, who will be announced on April 24 2008.
Artist Xu Bing won the inaugural Artesmundi Prize in 2004. Curator and writer Jack Persekian directed the Middle East's prestigious Sharjah Bienniale in 2007. Tuula Arkio, former General Director of the National Art Galleries, Helsinki, is a freelance curator and writer. Curator David Alston is Arts Director of Arts Council Wales.
The shortlisted artists for the prize are Lida Abdul, Vasco Araujo, Mircea Cantor, Dalziel + Scullion, NS Harsha, Abdoulaye, Konate, Susan Norrie and Rosangela Renno. Their works will go on display in an exhibition at National Museum Cardiff on March 15 2008.
03.03.2008 - Kew Palace opens more of its hidden secrets to visitors this summer
This summer Kew Palace will reveal more of its fascinating hidden history than ever to visitors when its intriguing attics are opened to the public for the first time during a series of exclusive summer evening tours.
The tours will offer visitors a unique opportunity to experience the magic of Kew Palace after hours. The story of the royal palace, the setting for many personal family dramas and King George III’s sanctuary during his bouts of illness, will be explored and a palace expert will take visitors into Kew Palace’s fascinating attics, where the Royal family’s servants lived amongst labyrinths of rafters.
Never previously accessible to the general public, visitors will be able to see recently discovered early 17th century paint decorations and witch marks.
Tickets cost £25 per person and include wine and nibbles. Tours start at 5pm and last approximately 90 minutes. Summer evening tours take place twice monthly on Sundays only. For details and bookings call 0844 482 7799 Kew Palace on 020 3166 6140.
03.03.2008 - Tracey Emin buys up East End factory to turn into artist studios
Tracey Emin has purchased a listed building in Spitalfields in order to turn it into a huge artist studio.
The artist has spent £1.5million on the former weaving works known as Tenter Ground, with the intention of saving it from becoming bars or restaurants. Restoring the building will bring the total cost of the project to £4million.
She has called it ‘a stupid project in a way’ because of the cost, but justifies the large price tag because of her wish to keep Spitalfields an area for artisans. Emin lives in a Huguenot house on Fournier Street, just around the corner from Tenter Ground, off Brick Lane.
03.03.2008 - Farnham Centre for Rural Life promotes art of ploughing the furrows
Members of the Central Southern Vintage Agricultural Club (CVAC) will be having a go at furrowing during the 2008 'Plough In' organised by the Centre for Rural Life in Farnham Surrey.
The annual event is being held at Pierrepont Farm in Frensham - just a short tractor ride from the museum - on March 15 and 16 2008.
Not for experienced plough persons, many of the ploughers will not have used the plough before and the day offers a chance for beginners to learn the craft of ploughing and talk to some more experienced hands to pick up ideas and hints.
Pierrepont Farm will also be holding its Calf Day on March 15 so there will be plenty to see and do. Visitors should park at the nearby Rural Life Centre and catch a tractor and trailer ride to the site.
