Events - Doncaster Heritage Festival 2013

History is set to come alive this month thanks to Doncaster’s third Heritage Festival.

Doncaster Libraries, in partnership with Doncaster Museums, Doncaster Minster and the Tourist Information Centre, are celebrating the borough’s heritage with the third Doncaster Heritage Festival.

Doncaster Local Studies Library, in collaboration with the borough's Archives Department, has organized a packed, heritage-themed programme of events to bring the town’s past to life.

Highlights include an opportunity to find out more about our splendid Minster, a chance to gain skills that will enable you to look into your own family history and events offering an insight into the history of Hyde Park Cemetery and the servants of Cusworth Hall.”

Deputy Mayor Cynthia Ransome said: “This varied and illuminating festival highlights the excellent work our award winning libraries do all year round and shows how much Doncaster Libraries and Archives, Doncaster Museums, Doncaster Minster and the Tourist Information Centre have to offer.”

The festival will be launched on National Libraries Day (Saturday 9th Feb) with two events.

The tenth annual Doncaster Local History Fair will be held between 10am and 4pm on Saturday 9th February at Doncaster Museum, Chequer Road. Local and family history societies together with commercial groups will be on hand to offer advice and displays.

The Doncaster and District Family History Society will be launching a new genealogical service in conjunction with Doncaster Local Studies Library at the Central Library, Waterdale, on the same day, between 9.30am-5pm.

During a packed fortnight of events Doncaster Heritage Festival will include mainstream and nationally renowned speakers.

 For more details, tickets or to book on a course please contact the Local Studies Library on 01302 734307 or email on central.localhistory@doncaster.gov.uk

Edited from: http://library.doncaster.gov.uk/web/arena/doncaster-heritage-festival

 

 
Saturday 9 February, 10am-4pm Doncaster Local History Fair 2013
Doncaster Museum
There will be displays and advice from local and family history societies, commercial genealogical stands, children’s quizzes and activities, local photographs and slideshow. Free admission. For more information visit http://library.doncaster.gov.uk/web/arena/local-studies or contact the Local Studies staff on 01302 734307

Monday 11 February, 2pm-3pm The Sand House: A Victorian Marvel: a talk by Richard Bell
Meeting Room 1, Central Library
Find out about the amazing Victorian house carved from a sandstone strata, the intriguing tunnels and carvings including the Elephant and Mahout and the recent related exhibition.
Tickets £2. Booking essential.
For tickets and more information please visit
http://library.doncaster.gov.uk/web/arena/local-studies or contact Local Studies staff on 01302 734307 or central.localhistory@doncaster.gov.uk
 
Tuesday 12 February, 2pm-4pm Two Norman Towns: Bawtry and Tickhill a talk by Prof. David Hey
Doncaster Mansion House

Local Yorkshire Historian and President of the British Association of Local History, Professor David Hey talks about the history of two Norman towns, Bawtry and Tickhill.

Tickets £5. Booking essential.
For tickets and more information please visit
http://library.doncaster.gov.uk/web/arena/local-studies or contact Local Studies staff on 01302 734307 or central.localhistory@doncaster.gov.uk
 
Wednesday 13 February, 10.30am-12.30pm Guided Heritage Walk: South
Doncaster Tourist Information Office (starting point)
A gentle two-hour stroll around the south of the town looking at the Georgian and Victorian heritage.
Cost £4.
For more information contact the Tourist Information on 01302 734309.

Wednesday 13 February, 2pm-4.45pm School Records Open Day
Doncaster Archives, King Edward Road, Balby
A free, drop-in exhibition of records held at Doncaster Archives relating to school in the local area.
For more information please contact Doncaster Archives on 01302 859811 or email doncaster.archives@doncaster.gov.uk

Thursday 14 February, 11am - 3pm Cusworth Cooks and Nannies: The secret life of the servants of Cusworth Hall.
Guided tours through the day. Please contact Cusworth Hall to book a place
£3 per person includes admission to Hall

Thursday 14 February, 2pm-5pm Family History for Beginners Workshop part 1: Sources
Meeting Room 5, Central Library
Learn about the sources used to begin your family history.
Free but booking essential as places are limited.
Contact Local Studies staff on 01302 734307 or central.localhistory@doncaster.gov.uk

Friday 15 February, 9.30am-12.30pm Family History for Beginners Workshop part 2: Internet sites
Meeting Room 1, Central Library
Hands-on session using various Internet sites including the free library subscriptions to Find my Past.co.uk and Ancestry.com.
Free but booking essential as places are limited.
Contact Local Studies staff on 01302 734307 or central.localhistory@doncaster.gov.uk

Sunday 17 February, 1pm - 3pm Cusworth Cooks and Nannies: The secret life of the servants of Cusworth Hall.
Family activities, crafts and tours
£3 per person includes admission to Hall

Monday 18 February, 2-4pm Enemies at the Gate: English castles under siege a talk by Julian Humphrys
Meeting Room 1, Central Library
TV and radio contributor Julian Humphrys talks about English castles and their history during sieges.
Cost £2. Booking essential.
For tickets and more information please visit
http://library.doncaster.gov.uk/web/arena/local-studies or contact Local Studies staff on 01302 734307 or central.localhistory@doncaster.gov.uk

Tuesday 19 February, 2-4pm The Battle of Wakefield 1460: a talk by Helen Cox

Meeting Room 1, Central Library
Local Historian Helen, Cox talks about one of the local battles fought between Yorkists and Lancastrians during the War of the Roses.
Cost £2. Booking essential.
For tickets and more information please visit
http://library.doncaster.gov.uk/web/arena/local-studies or contact Local Studies staff on 01302 734307 or central.localhistory@doncaster.gov.uk 

Wednesday 20 February, 10.30am-12.30pm Guided Heritage Walk: North
Doncaster Tourist Information Office (starting point)
A gentle two-hour stroll around the town centre looking at major public buildings and the town’s roman heritage.
Cost £4.
For more information contact the Tourist Information on 01302 734309.

Wednesday 20 February, 2pm-4pm Who Do You Think You Are? A talk by Nick Barratt
Doncaster Mansion House
Archivist and TV presenter, Nick Barratt talks about family history and in particular the tales behind the popular television programme, Who Do You Think You Are?
Tickets £5. Booking essential.
For tickets and more information please visit
http://library.doncaster.gov.uk/web/arena/local-studies or contact Local Studies staff on 01302 734307 or central.localhistory@doncaster.gov.uk
 
Wednesday 20 February, 7pm start The Great Fire: a talk by Clive Howarth
Doncaster Minster
The Great Fire of 1853, which saw the destruction of the original St George’s church is the subject of this talk given by Clive Howarth, churchwarden at the Minster
Tickets £5 to include refreshments and a tour of the Minster.
Pay on the door.

Thursday 21 February, 10.30am Guided Walk at Hyde Park Cemetery: ‘Doncaster’s Mayors’
10.30am at the Main Entrance at Carr Lane (near Adrian Welch Glass & Glazing)
Free but donations to the Friends of Hyde Park Cemetery are welcomed

Thursday 21 February, 1pm - 3pm Cusworth Cooks and Nannies: The secret life of the servants of Cusworth Hall.
Family activities, crafts and tours
£3 per person includes admission to Hall

Thursday 21 February, 7pm start The Archaeology of the Minster: a talk by Peter Robinson
Doncaster Minster

Peter Robinson, archaeologist and Museum Officer, gives an insight into the archaeological findings of the present day Minster and the remains of the pre 1853 St George’s church.

Tickets £5 to include refreshments and a tour of the Minster.

Pay on the door.

Friday 22 February, 10am-11am Palaeography workshop: how to read old documents

Doncaster Archives, King Edward Road, Balby

A hands-on workshop with Dr Charles Kelham, who provides an introduction to the handwriting used in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century documents.

Free but as places are limited booking is essential via Doncaster Archives on 01302 859811 or doncaster.archives@doncaster.gov.uk

 

From http://www.cba-yorkshire.org.uk/news/other-notices/doncasterheritagefestival2013

Event - Sculpture revisits the Sand House heritage (Doncaster)

ONE of the stranger chapters of Doncaster’s heritage is being celebrated with a ground-breaking exhibition at The Point.


The Sand House celebrates the weird and wonderful work of Victorian businessman Henry Senior, who created a series of stone sculptures both inside his Doncaster home and in an extensive series of tunnels underneath it.

In recognition of this bizarre - and often forgotten - aspect of the town’s history, Mr Senior’s great, great grandson Richard Bell has brought an exhibition to the South Parade art centre to keep the memory alive.

Richard said: “The Sand House was unique – an example of Victorian eccentricity and ingenuity. Thanks to support from Heritage Lottery Fund through Arts Council England, I am delighted that people will get the chance to see the sculptures and find out more about this lost marvel.”

The Sand House put Doncaster on the map from 1850 until World War II but fears of subsidence on the ground above meant it was filled in and made safe in 1984. Unfortunately, none of the original sculptures were removed - though there are hopes that it might one day be possible to revisit the tunnels.

The centrepiece will be a 40-tonne sand sculpture of an elephant and mahout, which has been created from photographs of the original Sand House.

Helen Jones, arts development manager at Doncaster Community Arts (DARTS), said: “We’ve never had an elephant in the gallery before – but with a double height roof space there is plenty of room for him and his mahout.

“Everyone at The Point is looking forward to hosting this exhibition, which celebrates Doncaster’s heritage and welcomes lots of new visitors to see Jamie’s creation.”

Yorkshire-based artist Jamie Wardley and his team spent last week creating the sculpture on site and a time-lapse film will be shown alongside the exhibition with footage of how the sculpture was created. The gallery will also feature other smaller sculptures inspired by the Sand House.

The exhibition is now fully open to the public. In the coming weeks, there will be a variety of special workshops and demonstrations to explore memories and understandings of the Sand House.

Family workshops are taking place on May 12, to teach sand drawing and carving skills at the Arts Park on Chequer Road. Tickets are available from the Tourist Information Centre on the High Street.

For more information, visit www.thepoint.org.uk/the-point

From: http://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/lifestyle/sculpture-revisits-the-sand-house-heritage-1-4512845

Talk - The Sand House – A Victorian Marvel (Doncaster)

Richard Bell will be giving an illustrated talk at the Mansion House, Doncaster on Thursday 16^th February at 1.30pm on Doncasters Victorian marvel, the Sand House.  There will also be a book signing session for the book ‘The Sand House – A Victorian Marvel Revisited’, written by Richard and Peter Tuffrey (ISBN 9781445601175)

Tickets cost £2.50 each and include a cup of tea or coffee. And are available from Tourist Information Centre, 38 – 40 High Street and the Local Studies Library, Central Library

Website – The Sand House (Doncaster)

A new website dedicated to one of Doncaster’s strangest buildings is now on the internet.

 

The sand house was dug out during the Victorian age and lasted until World War 2.  Created by Henry Senior, a businessman

 

The website is at http://thesandhouse.org.uk/