News - Man wants to help house city artefacts (Nottingham)

THE head of a bus firm has revealed his hope to devote part of his site to housing treasures from the county's past.

Simon Barton, managing director of Bartons plc, said the city should be proud of its past – and that if the local authorities could not afford to keep museums open, he would be happy to take the artefacts for display as part of a cultural exhibition.

He points to closures and cuts at museums like Brewhouse Yard, the Industrial Museum at Wollaton Hall and the Lace Centre in the city centre.

Mr Barton said: "I can understand why councils may find it hard to keep certain attractions open in the face of budget cuts, but we find ourselves in a position where we can intervene and help.

"There must be hundreds if not thousands of items that are either stuck in archives or in museums that have been closed down. And what I'm saying is that we have a ten-acre site and great access to the area, and I would be delighted to house them to put them on display until such a time as they have the space and funding to house them again."

The site of Bartons plc, on the High Road, Chilwell, lies on the route of the new tram line which will run between the city centre, Beeston and Chilwell. Currently, it is used as a space for art exhibitions and other events.

Mr Barton added that he thought it was a "real shame" that more wasn't done to promote the county's heritage.

He added: "It's just a case of getting round the table and talking about the ideas we have.

"This isn't just an idea we've had on a whim – it's something we're seriously considering and looking at how it could work."

Councillor Dave Trimble, city council portfolio holder for leisure, tourism and communities, said: "The city council agrees absolutely about the importance of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire's local history and heritage and we welcome offers of support by all other enthusiasts and supporters. However, accreditation by the national bodies that govern museum standards is also paramount if we are to continue to attract additional funding and support to improve our collections.

"The help of enthusiast and volunteers has enabled us to increase the opening hours of the Industrial Museum. Our intention is to seek similar community support for the Museum of Nottingham Life [at Brewhouse Yard] – the museum is not closing. Our proposal is for the museum to continue to be available for pre-booked school parties and for other groups of ten or more, when booked in advance, and will still be open to the public for special events."

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Man-wants-help-house-city-artefacts/story-15175838-detail/story.html

News - Museum of Nottingham Life closure 'a mistake'

Closing the Museum of Nottingham Life to general visitors would be a mistake, Nottingham's Civic Society has said.

Visits to the attraction would be reduced to just groups and schools under the city council's budget proposals, saving £40,000 a year.

The authority said that tough decisions had to be made as it bids to save £20m from its budget for 2012/13.

Ian Wells, from the civic society, said authorities needed to be responsible for the heritage on their doorstep.

"It is very sad and very short-sighted," he said.

'Great interest'

The Museum of Nottingham Life, housed within five 17th Century cottages at Brewhouse Yard, depicts the social history of the city over the last 300 years.

It contains reconstructed 1920s shops and a Victorian school room.

"They have really made the past attractive there at a time when we have a great interest," Mr Wells said.

"We accept that cuts have got to be made but it always seems one particular area that seems to be hit."

Presenting its budget proposals for 2012/13 to its executive board on Tuesday, Nottingham City Council said its priority was to support jobs and the local economy and protect services for vulnerable people.

As well as changes to the city museum's opening times, the authority announced plans to cut 195 council jobs and the closure of the Marlestones elderly persons care home in Bulwell.

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-16614775

Event - Hyson Green Exhibition (Nottingham)

“It felt like one great big communal house with loads of different people living in it.”

“I was washing up and I kind of had this feeling somebody was watching me and I turned around and this ghostly nun stood at the kitchen door. I was terrified, absolutely petrified.”

“As kids, we were known as Greenies because we live in Hyson Green and we were proud to be Greenies. And, as an adult, I was proud to be a Greeny as well.”

Those are just some of the things that people remember from living at Hyson Green Flats - one of Nottingham’s best-known urban landmarks during the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.

Now, people can find out for themselves what life was like at the Flats, by visiting an exhibition about the building and the people who lived there, which opens on Saturday 19th November at the Museum of Nottingham Life at Brewhouse Yard.

The Flats were built in 1965 and were demolished just over three decades later in 1988. They stood where the Asda supermarket does now, in Hyson Green. The Flats were made up of 593 individual flats and maisonettes.

The exhibition will include a new film about the Flats, which includes ex-residents talking about their memories of living and growing up at the Flats plus the chance to see objects from the Flats such as a piece of concrete that was salvaged when the Flats were demolished in 1988 and personal items including an old street sign, rent book and record player.

The exhibition opens on Saturday and runs until 15th January 2012.

Article - Museum of Nottingham Life at Brewhouse (Nottingham)

The Museum of Nottingham Life at Brewhouse Yard is housed within five 17th century cottages where you can learn about the people of Nottingham through the objects made, used or owned and the stories they tell us.

This delightful museum is sited in Brewhouse Yard at the base of Castle Rock, a location that itself reveals much about Nottingham's social history. The museum depicts the social history of Nottingham over the last 300 years and is housed in five 17th century cottages adjacent to the famous 'Trip to Jerusalem' public house. Brewhouse Yard once contained a thriving community of 20 houses, with a population of 127 people at its peak.

Today the surviving buildings house the museum and contain a mixture of reconstructed room and shop settings, and gallery displays including 'Toys' and 'Community Showcase' which highlights work by local groups or individuals. An image of the caves entry at The Museum of Nottingham Life In the adjacent Rock Cottage is a reconstructed Victorian Schoolroom and a new exhibition 'Growing up in Nottingham'. Also discover a system of man-made caves built into the rock. Once used by the former residents, they now house museum displays including a reconstructed air raid shelter, and are fully wheelchair accessible.

From: http://www.guide2nottingham.com/news/858/Museum-of-Nottingham-Life-at-Brewhouse

Article - The summer of 81 and there's a riot in The Green... but is it racial or 'an excuse to jump on the bandwagon'? (Hyson Green)

THERE are those who think the Hyson Green riots were an explosion of racial hatred and others who believe they were over something and nothing.

In the summer of 1981, cities across England saw a sudden eruption of street violence. Brixton, in London, and Toxteth, in Liverpool, saw the worst incidents, blamed on a combination of racial tension and inner-city deprivation.

Hyson Green became Nottingham's battleground – especially the decaying warren of flats built 20 years earlier.

But was the violence black against white or just a copycat outbreak?

Whatever the cause, which is still a subject of lively debate, everyone agrees the violence changed the face of Hyson Green forever.

Lifelong resident Deborah Burton, 56, chairman of BOBs, a residential association covering Bridlington, Oldknow and Brown streets, said: "It was over something and nothing, an excuse to jump on the London bandwagon, to cause as much trouble as possible for the police.

"The police were much tougher in those days. They had to be because so many problem families had been pushed together in the flats.

"They wanted to get back at the police and it all escalated from there."

Chris Cope, 44, who lived in Fisher Street, said: "It didn't come as a surprise. London was happening and it was copycat stuff.

"It wasn't racial, it was just the young against authority. In those days, there was only black and white and they clubbed together."

Former police constable Steve Eley, 60, who was on the front line during the riots, remembers the moment the trouble broke out.

"We were already out and about, around a dozen officers with riot shields and protective clothing.

"A man was distributing leaflets calling for Babylon...it meant 'burn down the police station'.

"He was arrested and it kicked off. He and the officer went through a shop window and that was it.

"Within half an hour it was bedlam. We were being attacked with bottles, poles, concrete blocks, anything and everything.

"We backed up against a church wall, across the road from the Cricket Players pub. They threw a load of what we thought were petrol bombs at us. Fortunately, it was paraffin and it did not ignite.

"One of our lads, Ross Davies, was on his first operation. He was knocked out by a house brick, which scratched my visor as it came past me."

It would be 14 days of 12-hour shifts before PC Eley and his colleagues were told to stand down.

They were helped through the ordeal by the support of law-abiding Hyson Green people.

"They came out and gave us tea and sandwiches. They were lovely people, salt of the earth, and they didn't want the trouble any more than us."

There are many stories and legends that have grown up from the riots – like that of the Nottingham City bus driver who was en route to Hyson Green just as the trouble was flaring up on that Friday night in July 1981.

As his double-decker nosed its way through the trouble-strewn streets, trouble broke out on his bus.

According to local legend, a youth attacked a woman on the bus but, led by the brave driver, passengers grabbed the young thug and threw him off.

In a night of running battles, hundreds of youths attacked police, fire-bombed vehicles and looted shops.

Rachel Bennett, 40, was ten years old at the time. "The riots changed everything," she said. The looting ruined the south side of Radford Road and I don't think it has ever really recovered.

"The night before the riots, I can remember youths piling up bottles on the flat roof behind the Cricket Players. They had planned it for a couple of days."

Now, a major project is under way to sort the myth from fact and build a social history of Hyson Green during those troubled times. It has been launched by the city-based Partnership Council with a £43,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant. An exhibition based on people's memories is planned at the end of the year at the Museum of Nottingham Life, in Brewhouse Yard and everything the researchers collect will be lodged with Leicester University's oral history archive and Nottinghamshire's public archives.

If you would like to take part in the Hyson Green flats project, contact Helen Bates at the Partnership Council, Unit C, Tennyson Buildings, Forest Road West, Radford, NG7 4EP; telephone 0115 970 8200, or e-mail helenb@partnershipcouncil.co.uk

If you have a story about living in the flats, or memories of the riots, contact Andy Smart at Bygones, Nottingham Post, Castle Wharf House, Nottingham, NG1 7EU or e-mail andy.smart@nnmg. co.uk

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/summer-81-s-riot-Green-racial-excuse-jump/story-13078302-detail/story.html

Festival of British archaeology - Open days flag up Nottingham's archeaology

Nottingham's historic caves network are once again under the spotlight as part of the countdown to the Cultural Olympiad 2012.

Nottingham City CollectionsThe work carried out by amateur archaeologists and antiquarians in Nottingham in the caves and in other areas of the city is opened up at the Museum of Nottingham Life at Brewhouse Yard.

Behind the scenes tours, coin identification and a drop-in session to see the current 3D scanning work in Nottingham's caves take place this Friday (22nd July) with additional tours next Friday, July 29.

The events, part of the Open Weekend countdown to the 2012 Olympics, also mark the national Festival of British Archaeology this weekend.

On show are the early explorations of Nottingham's underground cave network by antiquarian George Campion, whose efforts have done much to help modern day archaeologists understand medieval Nottingham, and the work of 18th century builder, surveyor and architect William Stretton. Stretton was the first local collector of numismatic items such as coins and medals and many of his collection of 17th century Nottinghamshire tokens are now with Nottingham City Council's Museums and Galleries.

The behind the scenes tours of Brewhouse Yard's Archaeology Section, housed in the Waterworks Building, will start from the museum shop at 10.30am and 2pm. The tours include the Nottingham Urban Archaeological Database, to see the modern recording of Nottingham cave sites, and the museum's stores to see objects from Campion, Stretton, Thoroton and other antiquarians.

This Friday Dr David Walker of Trent and Peak Archaeology, based at the University of Nottingham, will show visitors some of the 3D scans produced as part of a current recording of the network of caves. Nottingham has in excess of 500 caves but the main focus of this project will be those which are protected under English Heritage and are currently accessible.

Members of the Numismatic Society of Nottinghamshire will be at the museum from 2pm to show visitors some of the museum's handling collection and to identify any coins, medals or tokens the public bring along. A talk on the Iron Age Log Boats in the collection, including those saved by Campion, will be given on 4th August at 1pm at Nottingham Castle, as part of the current 'Along the River Trent' exhibition.

Tours will last just over an hour and will cost £2.50 per visitor. Advanced booking is advised and the tour will involve stairs. Young Archaeologist Club members and those with objects for identification will be granted free access, for all other visitors normal charges apply.

Councillor Dave Trimble, Nottingham City Council's Portfolio holder for Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said: "The UK Cultural Olympiad runs alongside the 2012 London Olympics, extending the Olympic involvement to many more people and communities and giving us opportunities to highlight our heritage, arts and culture to the rest of the world."

"As the Open Weekend coincides with the Festival of Archaeology it is a chance to pay tribute to many of these Nottinghamshire antiquarians and the modern day archaeology societies whose efforts have contributed and continue to contribute so much to our understanding of the local archaeological record. It is a great opportunity to get up close to real objects, to talk to specialists, get your numismatic items identified and find out what's going on in archaeology in the city right now. Nottingham's caves have been the subject of two recent television features and the open days also give us another chance to discover more about their fascinating history."

From: http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=15369

Event - Celebration night for city's arts and history projects (Nottingham)

A showcase of community art and heritage projects from across Nottingham is being held at Nottingham Contemporary.

Called Connecting Communities through Culture, the event on Tuesday, June 21 from 5pm to 8pm brings together cultural venues and Nottingham community groups who have taken part in projects at Nottingham Castle and Brewhouse Yard Museum of Nottingham Life, the Museum of Nottingham Life at Brewhouse Yard, Wollaton Hall, Newstead Abbey, Nottingham Contemporary and the New Art Exchange. The evening has been organised by Nottingham City Council Museums and Galleries.

A performance by Yard, from the New Art Exchange and a presentation highlighting Nottingham Contemporary young people's projects by Get Involved 17 will be followed by an evening of short films including Nottingham's Vocal Map in response to the British Art Show 7, and films about the regional and national award winning projects cataloging the John Player Advertising Archive and restoring Nottingham City Museum's Brough Superior car.

The Lord Mayor of Nottingham, Councillor Michael Wildgust, is attending on the night along with those involved in the projects and representatives of their organisations.

Councillor Dave Trimble, Nottingham City Council's Portfolio holder for Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said: "This is a great opportunity to celebrate the excellent opportunities and results from the community arts and heritage projects in the city over the past year.

"Community projects such as these have been taking place for several years but this is the first time our organisations have come together for a joint celebration of their achievements. But following on from this, I am sure we will be able to work even more closely together in the future."

Anyone who would like to attend should contact Faye Sadler at faye.sadler@nottinghamcity.gov.uk or phone 0115 8762191.

From: http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=14885

Article - Trawl through old albums for pics of doomed flats (Hyson Green, Nottingham)

ORGANISERS of a history project are appealing for photos and other memorabilia for an exhibition about the former Hyson Green flats.

The exhibition will be staged at the Museum of Nottingham Life, at Brewhouse Yard, this summer.

It is being put together through the On the Flats project, run by the Partnership Council to tell the history of the flats, which were demolished in 1988.

The exhibition will feature residents' memories and old maps and information about the area, including what Hyson Green was like before the flats were built.

Organisers are looking for people to loan photos taken inside or outside the flats and elsewhere in the neighbourhood. They are also appealing for memorabilia from the 60s, 70s and 80s, such as clothes, records, household items, toys and newspapers.

All items will returned once the exhibition has finished.

To find out more or to donate an item, call Helen Bates on 0115 9708200 or e-mail Helen@hysongreenhistory.org.

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/Trawl-old-albums-pics-doomed-flats/article-3601292-detail/article.html

News - Museums open for free as part of the BBC's Big Day Out (Notts)

Many museums across Nottinghamshire are offering free entry to their exhibits on Sunday, 20 March 2011.


They are taking part in BBC Radio Nottingham's Big Day Out, a celebration of the county's history and heritage.


BBC Radio Nottingham's breakfast presenter Andy Whittaker is behind the idea.


He said: "I think we're all very good at visiting museums and attractions when we go to other cities in the UK, but not on your doorstep."


The presenter added: "It's time to discover more about where you live!


"This is the third time we've done this and the attractions involved all show off what they have in their collections."


Thousands of people took part in last year's Big Day Out, held in March 2010, with several museums announcing record numbers.


Free entry


There are over 30 museums in Nottinghamshire and many of them are involved in the third Big Day Out.


Some are waiving their fees on the day whilst others are opening especially.


All the venues taking part in the Big Day Out are offering free admission in some form.


Please check the details below for the attractions you are interested in as in some cases you will need a print out of this page, or to book in advance.


Calverton Folk Museum, Main Street, Calverton, NG14 6FG, is dedicated to Victorian Calverton, with four rooms exhibiting period furniture and dress. There is also an actual framework knitting machine on display. The museum will be open from 2.00pm until 5.00pm on Sunday, 20 March 2011.


Clumber Park, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, S80 3AZ *** VOUCHER NEEDED *** Three thousand eight hundred acres of idyllic scenery and wildlife, all nestled amongst the remnants of Clumber's grand past. The voucher is not yet available to download on the National Trust website. A direct link to the voucher will appear on this page shortly.


D.H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum, 8a Victoria Street, Eastwood, NG16 3AW *** PRINT OUT NEEDED *** This house is where David Herbert Richards Lawrence was born in 1885 and is the first of the Lawrence family's four Eastwood homes. Through a guided tour you will be able to learn about his family life and the type of working class home and mining family that shaped his formative years. The venue is open from 10.00am until 4.00pm on Sunday, 20 March 2011. For more information call 01773 717353.


D.H. Lawrence Heritage Centre, Mansfield Road, Eastwood, NG16 3DZ, offers an exhibition on D. H. Lawrence and the local area's proud mining history. As a boy Lawrence would pick up his father's wages from this impressive building, which was the offices of the local coal owners, Barber, Walker & Co. As it's National Science and Engineering week, there are sessions on mining heritage including children's trails and quizes at Durban House. The centre is open 10.00am until 4.00pm on Sunday, 20 March 2011.


Dukes Wood Oil Museum, Eakring, Dukes Wood, NG22 0DR, combines an area of ancient woodland with what was the site of the UK's first oilfield. Some of the 'nodding donkey' pumps have been restored and can be seen on the trail. The museum is situated on the nature trail and contains many artefacts and pictures dealing with the story of UK Oil fields both offshore and onshore. The museum will be open from 10.00am until 5.00pm. For more information call 01623 882446.


Flintham Museum, Inholms Road, Flintham, Nottinghamshire, NG23 5LF, looks at rural life through the eyes of a village shopkeeper. Behind the museum there is a community shop so visitors will be able to see and talk about the differences in shopping over the last 100 years. They will be serving cakes made from wartime recipes and will have the recipes available for visitors to take away. Behind the community shop there is a modern weather installation and visitors will be invited to record the days weather and perhaps make comments about global warming or their experiences during this year's extreme cold. The museum will be open from 11.00am to 4.00pm.


Galleries of Justice Museum, The Lace Market, Nottingham, NG1 1HN, preserve the site of Nottinghamshire's old courthouse and county gaol and maintain a vast collection of spine chilling artefacts relating to crime and punishment. The senior curator is offering free unique architectural tours for Big Day Out. Learn about the fascinating building and its secrets and see areas of the building not normally open to the general public. This tour is very different to the museum's family actor led tours. Tours last around 45 minutes to one hour and start at 11.00am and 1.00pm. Booking essential (there are 25 spaces on each tour - first come first served).


Green's Windmill and Science Centre, Windmill Lane, Sneinton, NG2 4QB, was built by the father of notable scientist and mathematician George Green in 1807. Many of our technologies today, such as mobile phones, are based on Green's amazing ground-breaking theorem. Today the still-working mill is a popular museum and science centre, which teaches new generations of children about the valuable work of George Green. The centre is open 10.00am - 4.00pm and as part of National Science Week go along and see for free some hands-on science experiments! For more information call 0115 9156878.


Iron Age Roundhouse, Woodview Farm, Mansfield Lane, Calverton, Nottingham NG14 6HP. The Roundhouse was built in 2006 as a research project looking at construction methods using the same tools, timber and building materials that were originally used over 2,500 years ago. Once completed it became apparent that the house had a second function as an educational resource complementing traditional classroom teaching methods. The inside is set out to illustrate how an extended family of between 12 to 20 people would have lived and worked together. The Roundhouse will be open between 1.00pm and 4.00pm on the Big Day Out. There is no need to book.


Laxton Heritage Museum and Village Tour, Main Street, Laxton, NG22 0NX. Join Stuart Rose on a guided tour of Laxton village and its agricultural heritage. The tour will include a visit to the site of Laxton Castle and the open medieval farming fields ending with a look at traditional Victorian farming tools. Tours will last about three hours so bring outdoor clothing and comfortable walking footwear. Unfortunately there is not access for wheelchair users. The tour commences at 10.00am departing from the Laxton Visitor Centre in the car park of The Dovecote Inn. Please ring Stuart Rose to book your place on 07939228353 or 01777871702.


Mansfield Fire Museum, Fire Station, Rosemary Street, Mansfield, NG19 6AB. There's a new look to the Fire Museum as this is the first event after a major refurbishment. There are new display cabinets and up to date computer and heating systems along side the history of firefighting through the ages. There will be outside demonstrations, plus vintage vehicles and a tombola plus refreshments available. The Fire Museum is normally only open by appointment but will be open for free on Sunday, 20 March 2011, from 10.00am to 4.00pm.


Newark Millgate Museum, 48 Millgate, Newark, NG24 4TS, is housed in a former oil seed mill built in 1870 in a picturesque setting on the banks of the River Trent. The museum is open from 10.30am to 4.30pm. Free entry. For more information call 01636 655730.


Museum of Nottingham Life at Brewhouse Yard, Castle Boulevard, NG7 1FB *** PRINT OUT NEEDED *** is housed within five 17th century cottages. Here you can learn about the people of Nottingham through the objects made, used or owned and the stories they tell us. Brewhouse Yard is at the base of Castle Rock, a location that itself reveals much about Nottingham's social history. The museum is open 10.00am - 5.00pm. For more information call 0115 915 3600. Admission is free for BBC Radio Nottingham's Big Day Out but you must take a print out of this page.


Newark Air Museum, The Showground, Winthorpe, Newark, Notts, NG24 2NY *** PRINT OUT NEEDED *** Located on part of the former World War Two airfield at Winthorpe in eastern Nottinghamshire. There's a diverse collection of aircraft and cockpit sections covering the history of aviation. The aircraft on display include ten national benchmark aircraft, 29 significant aircraft and 18 noteworthy aircraft as listed in the National Aviation Heritage Register. Open 10.00am - 5.00pm. Admission is free for BBC Radio Nottingham's Big Day Out but you must take a print out of this page in order to get in.


Nottingham Castle Museum, Off Friar Lane, Off Maid Marian Way, Nottingham, NG1 6EL *** PRINT OUT NEEDED *** A magnificent 17th century ducal mansion built on the site of the original medieval castle has a vibrant museum and art gallery housing collections of silver, glass, decorative items, visual arts, paintings and Nottinghamshire archaeology and history. Open 10.00am - 5.00pm. Last admission 4.30pm. For more information call 0115 915 3700. Admission is free for BBC Radio Nottingham's Big Day Out but you must take a print out of this page.


Nottingham Transport Heritage Museum, on Mere Way just off the A60 south of Ruddington, NG11 6NX houses a collection of steam and diesel locomotives, and is currently the northern terminus of the Great Central Railway (Nottingham) heritage line. The NTHC also houses a classic road transport collection, and is home to the Nottingham Society of Model and Experimental Engineers. The centre will be running free diesel hauled trains on a short trip during the day and all the attractions will be open for free too.


Papplewick Pumping Station, Rigg Lane, Ravenshead, NG15 9AJ *** PRINT OUT NEEDED *** is Britain's finest Victorian Water Works and the only one in the Midlands to be preserved as a complete working water pumping station. Papplewick Pumping Station was built between 1882 and 1884 to supplement the water supply for the growing city of Nottingham. Admission is free on the Big Day Out only to those with a print out of this webpage.


Stonebridge City Farm, Stonebridge Road, St Ann's, NG3 2FR *** PRINT OUT NEEDED *** will have all the usual attractions available, including animal feeding, small animal holding, kiddies play area, picnic area and farm shop. Admission is always free. The farm will be open from 10.00am to 3.00pm. Get a free bag of animal feed (one per group) with your webpage print off.


Vina Cooke Museum of Dolls, The Old Rectory, Great North Road, Cromwell, Newark, NG23 6JE, is now in its 28th year and houses a large collection of dolls and other collectables dating from the 18th century to the present day. The museum is situated next to the mediaeval church in the tiny village of Cromwell just off the A1, five miles North of Newark. The museum is open from 11.00am to 4.00pm. Free admission for BBC Radio Nottingham's Big Day Out.


Wollaton Hall Natural History Museum, Nottingham, NG8 2AE. is set in an Elizabethan mansion located in a 500 acre deer rark. Daily tours of the hall give you a chance to see behind the scenes, such as the Tudor kitchens or the beautiful Prospect Room with views over the natural landscape. Stylish courtyard café on-site. Car Parking charges apply. For more information call 0115 915 3900.


The Workhouse, Upton Road, Southwell, Nottinghamshire NG25 0PT *** VOUCHER NEEDED *** lets you discover how society dealt with poverty through the centuries. Explore the segregated work yards, day rooms, dormitories, master's quarters and cellars, then see the recreated working 19th-century garden and find out what food the paupers would have eaten at the Southwell Workhouse, the most complete workhouse in existence. The voucher is not yet available to download on the National Trust website. A direct link to the voucher will appear on this page shortly.


From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/nottingham/hi/tv_and_radio/newsid_9413000/9413601.stm

News - Nottingham city museum opens up archaeological stores

Nottingham City Museums is offering a chance to go behind the scenes at its archaeological stores, offering a rare look at its prehistoric collection.

 

Manager Ann Inscker said: "Visitors will see material that hasn't seen the light of day for a long, long time."

 

The objects include flint tools from 50,000BC and an array of axes, hammers, spears, swords and pottery.

 

Most of the items in the collection were found in Nottinghamshire or the East Midlands.

 

Many have been found on the banks of the River Trent, through dredging in the 1960s and 70s.

 

"One of the former county archaeologists refers to it as the richest river in Europe for archaeology," said the collections manager. "The richness is here but it is behind the scenes."

 

The reason for this, Ms Inscker explained, is down to space and the national curriculum in schools, which starts with the Romans.

"[This has meant] we have a lot of material that doesn't have a front end," she said.

 

The archaeological collection began life at the Castle Museum in 1878. It has been built up over the last 130 years through donations.

 

It generally has less than one per cent of its 23,000 objects on display at any one time.

 

"People don't understand how much material we have," said Ms Inscker.

 

The objects are available for research and scientific analysis and Ms Inscker stresses the importance of keeping a local collection.

 

She said: "If everything is in London it will go into deep storage and it will take six months for an enquiry for you to actually get access to that material.

"By having it here it means that it is more accessible to the public.

 

"We want to learn and understand the local area from which this material comes," the collections manager added.

 

"If we left it all to people in London - they're not going to want to come up to the provinces and learn about archaeology here, not to the same extent and with the same passion we do.

 

"We need to make sure the facility stays here."

 

Behind the scenes tours of the prehistoric collections at Brewhouse Yard, Museum of Nottingham Life, will take place on 18 February, 6.30pm to 7.30pm, and 24 February 2011, at 10.30am and 2.00pm. Advance booking is advised, as places will be limited. Telephone: 0115 915 3620

 

From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/nottingham/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_9398000/9398120.stm