Registered Charity No. 1070698
Last Updated 25/6/10
Home | About Us | Contact Us | Members | Shop | Services for Schools | Links
| About our town | Members Page | ||
|
This page is for membership news, for requests for membership assistance and for general communication between the museum committee, volunteers and prospective members. Dates for 2010
AGM was held 25 May 2010 at Phoenix House.- AGM 19th August - Fun activities at the Library for families - 10am till 12. Themes - World War II and the Anglo-Saxons 28th September - "The Romance of London's River" - Tony Farham - 7pm Phoenix House 25th October - "The Mary Rose" - Tony Sapey 15th November - (Monday) "Pilgrimages and Travel in the Middle Ages" - Imogen Corrigan - 7pm Phoenix House We are here ! There are still many people who do not know that we exist or where we are. We would like to know your thoughts on this ! The Plough Artefacts
A
unique and precious collection - The
Hidden Garments and
many other objects
from the Plough
Inn,
East The Future Now we are being drawn into the discussions concerning the future of the town and the proposed developments to the north of the railway line. We are constantly making the case for increased resources for the cultural life of the area by having a facility that will include a concert hall, an art gallery and some sort of museum display. I think that we are now establishing a case for 'heritage' to be a factor in all future plans. |
Social Events Please ring Joyce on 01622 884497 - if there is sufficient demand, we will organise ! Museum "Revamp" Work has taken place to re-organise and improve the displays in our Museum. We hope you will be pleased when you next visit. Our history discussion group meets monthly in Phoenix House normally on the second tuesday of each month. It centres mainly on local history and is very informal. We may, occasionally, invite a guest speaker with a special interest. We are investigating the origins of Sittingbourne street names amongst other things. For areas of current study, and news of dates for this group see here.. The Milstead Manor A former owner of Milstead Manor has given to the museum all the papers she has accumulated on the history of this historic house and its occupants back to the 12th Century. She will also donate a child's shoe which was found under the floor. It is probably from the 18th century but we will have it properly dated. We must first find out how best to preserve and display it before it finally comes to us. The house is thought to be haunted by the ghost of a little girl who died from falling down the stairs.
Come and See You are more than welcome to ring 423215 and book a visit.
Museum Quiz For children visiting the museum there are some simple quiz sheets with 8 questions about artefacts, pictures and displays in the Museum. Bring the children and get them to put their completed sheet in the box. There will be a prize draw each month. Group Visits Perhaps you belong to a club or Association and would like to organise a group visit. Please contact the Secretary (details above) to arrange. Computer Display We now have a rolling display of some of our collection of pictures of Sittingbourne yesteryear. We are preparing a computer tour of the museum which will be available in Room 1 to assist visitors with a disability. StoryboardsAs you tour the museum you will find storyboards in each room to help explain exhibits. Do use them, they will add to the Sittingbourne Experience we aim to provide.
|
Wanted: We are always looking for volunteers to act as guides and to help out in the museum when it is open. Any members willing to help for three hours should contact the chairman, Peter Morgan. We are especially in need of documentation assistants who are able to use a computer. Training will be given ! Don't be afraid that you lack knowledge of our history, full training will be given !
ANGLO-SAXON FINDS We are involved in the conservation work on the grave finds from the Meads in 2008. We are still seeking volunteers to assist with this process. We have introduced two new lines in our shop. We are selling our very own tea towel and shopping bag which carry images of Sittingbourne. Either of these would make an ideal gift for a friend either resident in the town or from far away. We also have our unique porcelain thimbles embellished with the museum logo (stagecoach), a very collectable item. These are on sale in the shop on Saturdays, but you can also order by phone from Shirley on 01795 471993. Bookmarks We have some very nice bookmarks. They are free. Many thanks to Swale Borough Council for printing them. Why not come and collect one ?
2010 Management Committee meetings are planned for:
All Thursdays at the Phoenix Centre, 7pm unless otherwise stated:
13 July 2010 3 August 2010 5 Oct 2010 7 Dec 2010
AGM 25 May 2010
Committee Members: Chairman: Allen Whitnell Secretary: Paul David Treasurer: Graham Downes Shop: Shirley Mannouch Social Sec.: Joyce Whitnell Membership: Joy Lazzeri Education: Helen Allinson Curator: John Hull Minutes: Eileen Hull member: Clifford Cork member: Peggy Jackson member: Vicky Mayatt member: Peter Morgan |
|
The post office, now site of Argos 1950s ? |
|||
|
Skills and local knowledge wanted ! Do you have skills that the museum could use ? You might be a good communicator, a computer wizard, a keen historian, or a good carpenter ! We need Receptionists on Saturdays, Documenters on any day, Friends to help when school parties come visiting. Please let us know if you can offer your services ! Come and Help Your Knowledge Can you answer any of our questions or help our readership with their research ? Click here for some questions on local history. |
Personal Histories
Do you have memories of life in Sittingbourne ? Your working life last century ? The war ? The town as it was ? Your childhood? Please share them with us by e-mailing or sending them to us so that we can display them either in the museum or on this web site. Click here to see the personal histories.
|
||
|
Recruitment
We have 520 members but we need more. If you have a friend or neighbour who might be interested please call us. I will deliver a recruitment pack to them showing the advantages of membership and the services we have on offer. We can give conducted tours, help with homework etc.
There is always plenty going on and we would invite your help and participation. If you would like to be actively involved in the work of the museum, please ring 423215 to discuss what work needs to be done and how you can fit in. We need more volunteers to be able to expand the work of the museum and to help make local people aware of the rich heritage of our town and countryside. Do consider coming and joining us.
Yours sincerely Peter J. Morgan (Chairman)
An Emergency Plan Every museum is expected to have an Emergency Plan so that, if a disaster happens, we have given forethought to the protection and salvage of our artefacts. We have called together three members of the Management Committee to examine a model Emergency Plan and adapt it to our local situation. We have been on courses to learn what to plan and do. We hope to produce a definitive plan by the spring and get it adopted by the Management Committee. Thanks to M-real We are exceedingly grateful to M-real {the Kemsley paper mill) for their generosity over the years in the printing of this newsletter and the Journal. It has enabled us to produce literature not only for existing members but also for the recruitment of new ones. That is why our membership now stands at over 500 persons. Now, M-real is ceasing production of paper and the mill is to be closed so we will be loosing that favour. I want to say a personal 'Thank you' to my friend, Kane Wootten, whose unfailing willingness to do the printing for us has been a god-send to us. We can not thank him enough for the help and service he has done for the museum. Now, we are trying to find another sponsor for our publication and it is exceedingly difficult. No one has emerged yet. We may possibly have to go to commercial printers. If anyone knows of a kind printer who will do us a favourable deal, please let me know.
|
Activities in the Museum We continue to improve and to computerise our documentation, but more help is needed.
The architect working on the refurbishment of the Coniston Hotel asked for some guidance and advice on themes. We may be able to have some display space for some of our large photographs depicting such events as the Duke of York's visit to the town and its industries in the 1930s.
Swale Borough Council is developing its cultural strategy and we have been invited to contribute to the heritage elements of this important document. The Horace Grensted scrapbooks (all 17 of them) have been examined and we have arranged to purchase copies of the photograph of pupils at the Wesley Methodist School which was in East Street in the 1880s. This will form part of a future journal together with other details we have studied. The Crown Quay Cache We
received a phone call from some employees of Jewson, Builders’ Merchant,
who occupy the site in Crown Quay Lane, which used to be the barge
building yard of Charles Burley, brick makers of Sittingbourne and barge
owner. That business was sold to Wills & Packham also into bricks and
barges.
In the roof space of the main barge-building shed, the Jewson employees
had found four large boxes of documents. Inside were Apprentices’
Indentures, Company Minutes, land transfer records, lists of vehicles
owned and even a parchment which was dated 1595 and appears to be in
Latin. We went to examine the contents of the boxes and were granted
permission to make a simple catalogue of what was there. Application was
made to the Board of Directors of Jewson & Co. for all the documents to
be donated to the Sittingbourne Heritage Museum and that was granted.
They are now with us and are awaiting further detailed examination.
We will have more to report in the future of other exciting gifts the
museum has received further revealing aspects of local history. Peter J. Morgan (Chairman) Thanks to our Curatorial Adviser, Giles Guthrie
Every
museum is supposed to have a professional curator as a Curatorial
Adviser to make sure
that we are doing the right thing by the historic artefacts we store and
display. We were exceedingly lucky
in having Giles Guthrie, the
Keeper of Human History at the Now we are searching for a new Curatorial Adviser and are finding it very difficult; but we keep trying.
|
What's New We continue to receive an amazing range of artefacts for the museum all of which tell a story. Here are some of them 1 A fire mark, from the Phoenix Insurance company, now in the process of restoration to its former colours. 2 Mrs Daisy Rumble's band music, her degree certificate and photographs. She was the cinema pianist in the days of silent films in the Queens Cinema 3 An old gas stove has been installed in cellar 2 and completes our 1939 kitchen. 4 A model of the Thames sailing barge "Kathleen" which was built at Milton Creek in 1900. 5 A paper mill scrap book which was rescued from a skip many years ago. It contains newspaper cuttings referring to the Mill and national events in the 1920s. 6 A commemorative brochure of the abdication of King Edward and his farewell to the Nation (1936). 7 Two gasmasks (1939) in pristine condition from Mrs. Freestone. |
|
|
Cleaver & Co. West Street |
|||
