Monday, December 24, 2012

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas from the Museum Team!
Wakefield Museum is open from 9.30 to 5pm
24th, 27th and 31st December.

Hobson's sweet shop on Little Westgate. The window is full of crackers, stockings and other Christmas novelties. 1920

Earthenware mixing bowl, made by Clokie and Co. The bowl was used by the Clokie family to make the Christmas pudding from about 1908 to 1950. It is chipped and cracked from much use.

All of these images, and lots more, are available through our online collections resource.


Monday, December 17, 2012

A tasty exhibition

Work is currently taking place designing the next temporary exhibition at Wakefield Museum.  Due to open in March 2013 this tasty exhibition will look at food for all seasons.  Part of the exhibition will look at what was stored in the larder at Sandal Castle in 1322! This included 21 bacons and a whole load of herrings! We are spending time searching for wooden barrels and fake bacon…

We are also looking into displaying a jug found in the moat at the Sandal Castle, possibly flung in there following a riotous evening of entertainment…imagine having a giant knees up at Sandal Castle…cheers!
A medieval jug found  in the excavations of the moat at Sandal Castle
This exhibition is part of an exciting project working with the University of Leeds and The University of Bradford, funded by the Wellcome Trust. 
For more details of You Are What You Ate, see the project website.
 

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

A Week of Time Travelling

The learning and skills team have been time-travelling this week.  From creating Tudor medicines to planning a 'dig for victory' garden pupils from around the district have been learning about the past with hands-on activities and meeting characters from the past. 

Pupils from Wrenthorpe and Horbury held 1940s mornings - starting with a cold, brisk walk to school as evacuees they met with 1940s housewife Dorothy Rainey to handle original wartime objects to support their learning. 

Pupils from Flanshaw met with Ann Dixon, resident of 126 Nelson Street during the 1800s, to handle Victorian objects and discuss the life of Victorian children.

A Tudor afternoon took place at Featherstone All Saints, with each Key Stage 2 class participating in an exciting role play session which saw them assisting Mistress Grace in the preparation of tooth polish, headache remedies and herbs for warding off plague! 

It's enough to confuse anyone!

Learning Officer, Louise Bragan as Victorian Housewife, Ann Dixon

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

More Crafty Crocs fun!

The second monthly session of Crafty Crocs took place at Wakefield Museum and Learning Zone yesterday.

Children aged 2-5 years (along with their grown-ups) took part in specially prepared festive crafts and looked at the museum collections.  Activities included using the museum for an i-spy trail before turning their list of objects into an advent calendar inspired craft.  They also used triangles to create Christmas trees with tissue paper baubles, and got messy hand printing antlers onto reindeer!

i-spy trail around the museum
'Advent calendar' of museum objects

Hand prints make perfect antlers!
The finished reindeer!
Sessions for the New Year are now being advertised, booking is essential as places are limited. 

Contact 01924 302700 or email to book your place for:
 February 5th, March 5th, May 7th, June 4th and July 2nd 2013