News - D-Day for museums (Museums Sheffield)

A BUDGET cut which led to opening hours being slashed at Sheffield museums and galleries could be reversed today.

Crunch talks are taking place between Sheffield Council and Museums Sheffield which are set to result in extra funding.

The meeting comes as the trust, which runs the Graves and Millennium Galleries, and Weston Park Museum, revealed it has spent £17,000 on a new website which aims to bring in extra revenue through an online shop and by making it easier for supporters to leave donations.

Today’s meeting will discuss how to implement Labour’s pledge to restore opening hours at Graves Art Gallery – which was threatened with closure but instead had its opening times cut from six to three days. Other museums also had their hours cut.

Eric Hildrew, head of marketing and communications for Museums Sheffield, said: “From our point of view, we’re keen to ensure that any restoration of funding is sustainable and doesn’t lead to the reduced hours situation repeating itself again in nine months’ time.”

Mr Hildrew said the new website was designed to pay for itself and boost the trust’s revenue.

He said: “Our new look website cost £17,000. This was paid for last year, before funding was reduced, and was only possible because we received funding for other marketing costs freed up some core budget to cover it.

“Our digital marketing officer post is now redundant, and I took the business decision a while ago that we needed to invest in an up-to-date website to prepare ourselves for what is clearly going to be a few years of austerity.

“In the long term, online is way cheaper than off-line marketing. Some of the new features – online shop, online donations, better corporate hire promotion, will bring in revenue.

“I’m pleased to say we worked with local start-up business Rckt, so every penny of the website budget has gone back into the local economy.”

Sheffield Council’s old Lib Dem administration reduced the Museums Sheffield’s £2.3 million annual budget by £328,000 during 2011/12 – but the cuts were reduced to £279,000 after a public outcry.

Graves Art Gallery’s reduced hours are 10am to 2pm on Thursday and Friday, and 11am to 3pm on Saturday. It used to open six days a week, for longer hours. Museums Sheffield has also reduced hours at the Millennium Galleries and Weston Park Museum and is making nine of its 105 staff redundant, with others on reduced hours.

 

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/d_day_for_museums_1_3408467

 

Website is at: http://www.museums-sheffield.org.uk/

Event - Vintage cars head to show (Auckley)

A FLEET of vintage cars, tractors and motorbikes will be descending on Auckley, Doncaster, for a three-day extravaganza this weekend.

The Vintage Vehicle and Machinery Show, which has attracted 200 exhibitors, takes place at Hayfield Lakes over the Bank Holiday from Saturday to Monday, each day from 10am to 5pm.

Attractions include vintage tractors, miniature steam engines, model displays, and traditional fairground amusements.

Proceeds from the event will be shared between Doncaster Children’s Hospital and Save Britain’s Heritage. Admission is £4 for adults, £2 for OAPs and children.

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/lifestyle/vintage_cars_head_to_show_1_3408475

News - 1,500 jobs in £200m plans to open ‘Black Diamonds’ stately home (Wentworth)

MORE than 1,500 new jobs are part of a £200 million museum, hotel and business centre plan to transform Wentworth Woodhouse - opening the ‘Black Diamonds’ stately home to the public, The Star can reveal.

Owners hope the massive development and detailed restoration of the 18th century house will be completed in time for a 2015 opening.

And they reckon the plans will turn the Grade I listed property - currently one of the biggest private residencies in Europe - into the leading attraction of its kind anywhere in the world.

They estimate it will attract 150,000 visitors each year to see it in South Yorkshire.

Wentworth Woodhouse, on the Rotherham-Barnsley border - just a short drive north of Sheffield - is the former home of the Fitzwilliam coal-mining family dynasty, shrouded in secrecy for years and the subject of Catherine Bailey’s best selling book, Black Diamonds.

The stunning private family home, which is twice the width of Buckingham Palace, with 1,000 windows, 365 rooms and had stabling for 100 horses, can only be viewed by the public at a distance from a right of way through Wentworth Park.

But the The Star was given exclusive access on a guided tour inside the home by the existing owners, who outlined their plans ahead of Dan Cruickshank’s look at the property in his BBC2 TV series Country Houses Revealed, on Tuesday, May 31, at 9pm.

VIDEO: Press the play button to watch our special video report, including a chat with the owner and a tour of the magnificent home.

YOUTUBE: You can also watch on YouTube, where it can be played on the iPhone and iPad - click on the External Link in the column on the right.

Clifford Newbold, the 85-year-old London architect who bought the building in 1999 and is overseeing the development, said: “This is a magnificent house. We want to return it to its former glory, protect it for the future, and place it once again at the heart of this community.”

The property has fallen into considerable structural disrepair, thought to be because of huge mine shafts dug all around it between 1943 and 1979.

But the new plans - already given informal backing by both English Heritage and Rotherham Council - would see the central house completely restored in all its original detail and opened up as a museum. One part of the huge east wing would be transformed into a 70-bed hotel, with the remainder set to become a spa.

The huge stable block will be converted into office space,

exhibition rooms and a conference venue.

From http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/exclusive_1_500_jobs_in_200m_plans_to_open_black_diamonds_stately_home_video_1_3404410

 

You'll need to go to the website to see the video

Event - Decoding Dining at Welbeck 1695-1914 (Welbeck)

Dinner with a Duke: Decoding Dining at Welbeck 1695-1914, exhibition focuses on 400 years of entertaining at the home of the Duke of Portland, looking at the lavish and fashionable tableware, entertaining as social duty, and the specialist departments that included hothouses, bakehouse, poultry house, dairy, fruit and vegetable gardens along with stories of servants eating and drinking to much while the family was away, Treasury Gallery, Harley Gallery, Welbeck, near Worksop, until February 2012.

From: http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/arts/listings_exhibitions_events_may_19_may_26_2011_1_3407865

News - Restoration plan for South Yorkshire stately home (Wentworth Woodhouse)

A stately home in South Yorkshire is set to undergo a multi-million pound restoration and development that will see the building transformed into hotel, museum and spa.

Wentworth Woodhouse, between Rotherham and Barnsley, has been privately-owned by an architect from London since 1999.

But now plans have been drawn up to transformed the building and open it for public access by 2015.

English Heritage said it welcomed the plans for the estate.

The property is the former home of the Fitzwilliam coal mining family but had fallen into a state of structural disrepair, partly because of the number of mining shafts in the area.

Office use

The building boasts 1,000 windows and has 365 rooms along with stables for 100 horses.

Part of the scheme would see the stable block converted for office use.

English Heritage and Rotherham Council have backed the scheme.

The main house would be restored to its original condition and opened as a museum.

Part of one wing of the property would become a 70-bed hotel and spa.

A spokeswoman for English Heritage said: "We are working with the owners to help them to secure the sustainable re-use of this fantastic place.

"We are particularly keen to see the stables repaired and brought into business use, which would be a real asset for the area, and have been helping to put funding in place for this".

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-13502248

Event - Take a step back in time on trail (Carrington)

A GUIDED walk along the Carrington History Trail is being held for the second time.

People should meet at Sherwood Library from 10am next Saturday, May 28. Tea and coffee will be available and people can see a photographic display on the history of Carrington.

The walk sets off at 10.30am and lasts for around two hours.

People can also meet local historian Terry Fry, who created the trail together with Carrington Tenants' and Residents' Association.

Leaflets about the trail, which includes 21 historic points of interest, have been distributed to local shops, Sherwood and Central libraries and the Tourist Information Centre in the Nottingham city centre.

Peter Maxfield, city council neighbourhood action officer for Sherwood, applied for funding to print the leaflets.

Carrington is roughly the triangle formed between Hucknall Road and Mansfield Road, with Sherwood to the north.

The development of Carrington village began in 1825, when an estate was sold at auction. Plans were drawn up by William Surplice, the architect who designed St John's Church in Carrington.

For more details, call the library on 0115 915 1155 or email the association at contact@stefancartier.com.

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/step-time-trail/article-3579256-detail/article.html

News - Gem discoveries are declared as treasure (Notts)

A MEDIEVAL stud and a 17th Century ring found in Notts were among the items classed as treasure at an inquest.

The hearing at Nottingham Coroners' Court heard that the gold and garnet stud was found by Nigel Somerfield, when metal detecting in north Notts last year.

The exact location of the find was not declared to prevent others digging up the land.

The stud was sent to the British Museum, where experts confirmed that it was a button from a sword scabbard.

It has been dated to the early seventh century, probably between 600 and 650AD.

The stud is small, but similar to items discovered in the Staffordshire Hoard – the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork ever found, valued at more than £3 million.

As the stud was more than 300 years old and contained more than ten per cent precious metal, it was formally declared as treasure by Stephanie Haskey, Assistant Deputy Coroner for Notts.

She said: "The British Museum has said that museums are interested in acquiring the stud, but it is not clear exactly where it will go and whether it will join its more famous comparisons or stay locally."

Other items declared treasure at the inquest included a 18th Century silver thimble, found in Southwell by Gary Zdanowski and a gold ring found in Notts in July last year by Trevor Avis.

The ring has black enamel patterns on the outside and words engraved on the inside which roughly translate to say 'Let local amenity separate annuity'.

The court heard that it had been dated to the 17th Century and that similar items were exhibited in the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The rings were often given as gifts between lovers and friends, and were sometimes used as wedding rings.

Newark and Sherwood museum have expressed an interest in acquiring the ring. Its value was not disclosed.

Miss Haskey thanked Mr Avis for reporting the item.

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/Gem-discoveries-declared-treasure/article-3581919-detail/article.html