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News In Brief - Week Ending October 21
By 24 Hour Museum Staff
15/10/2007
Welcome to the 24 Hour Museum news in brief page for the week ending October 21 2007.
Image: photo of a pool surrounded by columns with a large church behind it
19.10.2007 - Roman characters to bring ancient baths to life
Visitors to Bath’s Roman Baths will soon be greeted by characters from the venue’s past.
The venue, which is Bath and North East Somerset’s biggest tourist attraction, will be employing costumed actors playing the part of ancient Romans every afternoon from October 20 2007.
They include Peregrinus, a traveller from Trier in the Rhineland, visiting the shrine of Sulius Minerva at Bath, Sulinus, a local sculptor working on an extension to the baths, Flavia and her servant Apulia, sampling the latest treatments the spa has to offer, and Antigonus, a retired legionary reminiscing about his campaigns.
Two of the characters will be at the museum every afternoon from 2pm.
19.10.2007 - Workmen discover Saxon burial site under Winchester school
Workmen have found the remains of 12 Saxon bodies buried below a school near Winchester.
The workmen were digging foundations for new classrooms at Twyford School and police were called before archaeologists from Wessex Archaeology discovered the bodies were around 1,300 years old.
The bodies will be moved to Winchester Museum and the building work will recommence after the burial site is further excavated to make sure all the remains and any other artefacts are discovered.
19.10.2007 - £2.7m makeover of Owain Glyndwr Centre planned
The Owain Glyndwr Centre in Machynlleth, North Wales, has revealed plans for a £2.7m project to transform the venue.
Staff at the centre are applying for funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Welsh Assembly Government to commemorates the life and history of the medieval Welsh prince who led a revolt against English rule
A new building is planned to house an exhibition about the uprising, and other features will include an audiovisual centre, learning facilities for school and college visits plus a shop and café.
Image: a photograph of a large slate walled house set in grounds
18.10.2007 - Sir Neil Cossons Opens Historic YHA at Coalbrookdale
Following a substantial refurbishment by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Sir Neil Cossons OBE, Chairman of English Heritage, has officially re-opened YHA Coalbrookdale, Shropshire.
Extensive upgrading work has transformed the former Literary and Scientific Institute, which was built in the 19th century, into a modern youth hostel, appealing to today’s more discerning group travellers.
“The Ironbridge Gorge has always been a very popular destination with school groups and we now have a second superb hostel for them to visit in addition to YHA Coalport,” said YHA Chairman, Chris Darmon.
The redevelopment of the property cost in the region of £700,000 with funding provided by The Heritage Lottery Fund, The European Regional Development Fund and a partnership between the Youth Hostel Association, the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, the Museums Libraries and Archives Partnership along with contributions from a number of private charitable trusts.
18.10.2007 - Work to commence to update the historic quay at Brancaster
A £260,000 construction project that will greatly improve the fishing facilities in the North Norfolk village of Brancaster will begin on October 22.
The work, which is backed by the National Trust, is expected to take 16 weeks to complete and will see the construction of an entirely new quay, allowing local fishermen to be able land their catch onto a new deck directly from their vessels.
Additional work between now and the end of January 2008 includes the stabilisation of the current historic quay, improvements to the coastal footpath and new interpretation panels explaining the significance of this site.
Image: an aerial photograph of a fortification surrounded by the sea
17.10.2007 - Fort George to get 18th century sea defences
Historic Scotland has returned to the 18th century for inspiration on defending Fort George from its greatest antagonist – the sea.
Major repairs are planned for the south walls of the great artillery fort, which has withstood the full force of the Moray Firth for nearly 250 years, and architects at Historic Scotland have returned to original plans for inspiration.
Inspired by the 18th century solution of providing a shingle bank, staff at Historic Scotland will be protecting repairs to the walls of the fort with a modern version of the shingle bank - a rock armour wall.
The original plans are held in the National Library of Scotland. In all, the Library has over 50 military plans showing the construction of the fort. These plans and many other military maps can be seen online at http://www.nls.uk/maps/military/index.html
Image: a photo of an oval portrait of a Victorian gentleman with a bald head and exuberant sideburns
16.10.2007 - Manx National Heritage acquires historic mining artefacts
Manx National Heritage has acquired two fascinating objects connected to the island's mining history.
The first is an historic oil portrait of George W Dumbell, a major figure in the commercial life of the Isle of Man in the 1840s and 50s and founder of Dumbell's Bank and Chariman of the Great Laxey Wheel Mining Company.
Dumbell is credited with bringing extra investment to the mining company to overcome the problem of flooding in the mines.
He is also, together with the designer Robert Casement, considered as the man behind the creation of the Great Laxey Wheel, which today remains the island's greatest industrial monument. The painting was donated by the widow of George Dumbell's great great grandson.
The other item is a decorative coal shovel presented to James Polglase - the former Captian of the Great Laxey Mine. Polglase was forced to resign by George Dumbell in 1873 after agitating for better wages for miners. The shovel was acquired at auction in England.
Both items will go on display at Manx Museum in Douglas as part of its Social History Gallery.
16.10.2007 - Historic Clock returns to Melford Hall
A unique year-long clock by famous 18th century clockmaker Street, is returning to its home at the National Trust Property Melford Hall in Suffolk.
The clock, which only requires winding once a year, is considerd to be one of the most important clocks in the Trust's collection and will be installed in the Tudor property on October 19 2007 following 18 months of conservation work.
16.10.2007 - Visitor experience transformed as Lady Lever Art Gallery gets new entrance
A new entrance to the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Liverpool opens on October 17 that is set to give visitors direct access to the heart of its stunning collections.
The new west door will allow people to experience the grandeur of the building and its displays straight away with the two bronze statues by Edward Onslow Ford - Linus and Dancing - greeting visitors as they enter.
In additon two large stone urns have been brought out of storage and will be placed at the new entrance.
Image: a photograph of two men in tights and medieval gear firing longbows
15.10.2007 - Yorkshire Robin Hood secures silver arrow at Helsmley Castle
Yorkshire folk were celebrating at Richmond Castle on Sunday October 14, when Yorkshire’s Robin Hood fought off stiff competition from Nottingham’s Robin, as English Heritage hosted the second part of its Silver Arrow Competition.
The friendly contest, pitted Yorkshire’s Robin Hood – Rotherham man, Stephen Lunn – against Nottingham’s Robin, Tony Rotherham, in a competition which recreated the famous Silver Arrow competition in which legend says the hooded man competed nearly 800 years ago.
The competition took place over two days, with the first heat at Nottingham Castle on Saturday and the second at Richmond Castle on Sunday.
Final scores across the weekend were 305 to Nottingham and 370 to Yorkshire. Nottingham's Tony Rotherham, who competed with a broken finger, presented Stephen Lunn with a hand-made arrow, with a silver head, as his prize for winning the competition.
Those inspired by seeing the experts show off their skills with a medieval longbow can try their own hand at archery next weekend at Mount Grace Priory, near Northallerton, when 14th century archers from Arrowflight welcome visitors to medieval have-a-go archery on Saturday October 20 and Sunday October 21. From 12 noon to 3.00pm.
15.10.2007 - Oriel Mostyn launches Wales' smallest art gallery
Gallery bosses at Oriel Mostyn, which is being renovated until 2009, have established a temporary exhibition space in Llandudno that lays claim to being the smallest art gallery in Wales.
The mini gallery, which measures 8.5 metres by 2.8 metres, will host its first exhibition - of the work of Gareth Morgan and Tom Goddard - from November 13. When it opens in 2009 the new Mostyn will have five galleries.
15.10.2007 - Works begins to preserve wreck of steam-powered submarine
Divers have begun work to preserve the wreck of The Resurgam II, the world's first steam-powered submarine.
Designed by a Manchester clergyman, the Victorian submarine sank off the coast of Rhyl in North Wales in 1880. Now divers from the Trafford Sub-Aqua Club are carrying out vital conservation work - removing debris and inserting rods to help keep the hull together.
It is hoped the wreck will one day be salvaged and displayed in a museum.
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Information published here was believed to be correct at the time it was prepared. Welsh language pages developed with CYMAL: Museums Archives and Libraries Wales, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government.