Two exciting new Food History talks - Wakefield and Castleford

 Wakefield Museum

This lively and entertaining talk by Dr Annie Gray (recently seen as an expert on Great British Bake Off!) will take us through the sometimes strange world of historical alcohol!  Booking is essential as places are limited.

Castleford Museum

Influential food historian and writer, Ivan Day will present an illustrated talk depicting some of the more elaborate foodstuffs from late medieval and early modern Europe.  A feast for the eyes! Booking essential as places are limited.

Crocs and old bones!

We have been busy this half term with schools and family workshops.  From the Ancient Egyptians to creating animation on iPads we have provided inspiration, creativity and enjoyment.

Using iPads pupils have taken stills and short films, editing work together to create a short slideshow of visits to Wakefield Museum.  Pupils have used an object from the Waterton display, at Wakefield museum, as inspiration to draw their own amazing animals.

Inspired by the Waterton collection of 'created' animals, year 2 pupils designed their own on iPads!

Pupils have also had the opportunity to come up close to objects from the museum's archaeology collections.  Egyptian artefacts have been taken into school to support their learning.  The objects allowed pupils to gain further insight on the ancient beliefs and culture of the past.

A mummified crocodile was among the objects taken into school this week!

The explorer Charles Waterton was brought to life in a 'Specials Week'. KS1 Pupils were enthralled by the tales of Charles’ trips to the rainforests of South America and learned about the habitat of the caiman crocodile.

Charles Waterton (Histrionics) proud of his collection

This week we have also launched a completely new session in which pupils become archaeological scientists to examine the effects that diet can have on our bones.  This new session has been developed for the You Are What You Ate project – a collaboration with The University of Leeds and The University of Bradford, and has been very well received so far!

The teachers in the very first session said:

What immediate impact do you think the experience had on the pupils?

Interest in investigating and drawing up on conclusions from the evidence – this is something that we expect them to do during lessons and this workshop enabled them to see why we do this.

The class were very interested and it gave them the opportunity to use clues and look for evidence to develop their thinking. I am sure it developed their interest in learning about the past.

And the responses from pupils were just as enthusiastic:

What did you enjoy about your visit to the Museum?

About skeletons which will help me in my future because I am going to be a doctor.

I liked working with the bones and putting them together.

That I could learn with my friends and listening to other people.

These sessions: Skeleton Secrets, are being offered free for a limited time. If you would like to book a session for your school, please email or call 01924 302700 for more information.

Our Crafty Crocs have been busy creating fish and sea themed crafts.  From lolly stick fossils to turtle shell printing and seascape painting our group of 2-5year olds have been up to their elbows in paint.  The next Craft Croc session is on Tuesday March 4^th at 10-11am and 1:15 – 2:15pm – to book call 01924 302700 or e-mail 

If you are interested in learning and events with Wakefield Museums, do visit our new site, Museums Learning, where opportunities for schools, families and adults will be regularly updated.  

Happy New Year

Wakefield Museums wish you a Happy New Year

Happy New Year card from the museums' collections 1950-1970

We hope that 2014 will be a happy and healthy year for you.  As for Wakefield Museums, we are going to be very busy.  Here is a taster of what we'll be up to. We hope you can join us....

At Castleford Forum Museum we will be welcoming lots of visitors to this fantastic new venue and exploring ways of working with the local community to develop our displays and tell the stories of the area.

2014 marks 100 years since the start of the First World War.  We have a programme of events and activities planned to commemorate this including:

- Tweeting entries from a 1918 diary in the collections (follow on Twitter @WW1_Diary)

World War 1 Diary entry blog.

- The Great War Inspires exhibition at Pontefract Museum from 25 January

The Great War Inspires blog

- A Great War trail at Wakefield Museum from July 2014

Special exhibitions & displays next year will include costume, bikes & boats.  Events will be hosted for families throughout the school holidays; as part of the Wakefield Art Walk & to support national campaigns such as Museums at Night.

Our You Are What You Ate Travelling pod will continue to tour around the district's libraries. 

Whatever we do next year we'll keep you informed on this blog.  Thank you for reading throughout 2013 and hope you continue to enjoy our offer next year.

Wakefield Museum has gone potty about Christmas!

The latest display to adorn the foyer of Wakefield Museum has been created with a seasonal theme.

A stunning selection of over 25 medieval pots have been displayed in a festive shape…

Here is the display being created (can you tell what it is yet?)


A selection of medieval pots from the museum collections



The first pots go in

It's taking shape

Just adding the finishing touches...

Ta da!

The theme of medieval pots was decided upon to support our new travelling pod display that is currently touring around Wakefield Libraries.  The travelling pod has been funded by the Wellcome Trust as part of the ‘You Are What You Ate’ project.  This project has produced three temporary exhibitions which have explored the theme of healthy eating in very different ways. The pod will spread the healthy eating message further as it is based on the three exhibitions.  You can see the pod at Airedale Library and Learning Centre until Monday 14 January, it will then be moving to South Elmsall library.

The travelling pod and the display at Wakefield Museum is part of the You Are What You Ate project, funded by the Wellcome Trust and in partnership with Wakefield Council, the University of Leeds and the University of Bradford. 

New museum display goes to Airedale Library!

Over the last 3 years, the 'You Are What You Ate' project has used evidence of medieval eating habits to examine how people eat today.  The project has included 3 exhibitions:

Sugar and Spice And All Things Nice at Wakefield Museum in 2011 (featuring some amazing 'bling' objects for medieval fine-dining)

The Dark Side of Eating at Pontefract Museum in 2012 (featuring the grim and grizzly effects of bad diet on the skeleton)

Food For All Seasons at Wakefield Museum in 2013 (featuring a stunning illuminated Book of Hours)

But we couldn't leave it there!

All 3 exhibitions have been distilled down into one display, which is now set to tour around the districts' libraries. 

The 'pod' will be in Airedale Library and Learning Centre until 12 January

The interactive 'pod' went into Airedale Library and Learning Centre this week - along with its bones, beer goggles, medieval cooking pot, recipe cards - and more!  A lot has been squeezed into this small display. Talks, school sessions and family activities are all being programmed in the libraries.

The pod is in Airedale until Sunday 12th January, and then moves onto its next venue.  Watch this space!

Plenty to see and do - including recipe cards to take away!

The mould triumphed!

On Wednesday this week Wakefield Museum had a fascinating talk from Ivan Day, food historian.  Ivan informed and entertained visitors on a talk entitled The Triumph of the Mould as part of the You Are What You Ate project funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Original moulds from Ivan's personal collection were shown to the audience along with explanations as to how they were used and what food types would have been moulded within.

One highlight of the evening was the display of specially made deserts all of which were spectacular not only in design but in behaviour!

From jelly to cheese and biscuit to flummery and even ice cream moulds - the array and style of food preparation in the past leaves has left just a shadow of influence on modern foods.

It is a cameo brooch? No, it's a jelly/flummery!  Made in an original 18th century mould

Another 18th century flummery

The wobble on this steeple flummery was astounding!  How could a footman presenting this to table keep a straight face?

Beautifully handcarved sugar walnut moulds - put the 2 halves together and hide inside some sweets or a motto!

Amazingly detailed moulds from Ivan's collection

Free Adult Events at Wakefield Museum

The secret of good beef: modern day beef production and the factors influencing the eating quality of beef

Wakefield Museum, Learning Zone

Thursday 27 June, 6.30pm

Adult talk - John Mackey

Johnny will take at look at how quality beef cattle can be raised on a diet of grass. After a brief background to his family farming business, he will take the audience on a walk through the life cycle of a beef animal from birth to slaughter, focusing on the four main factors influencing beef eating quality - diet, breed, growth rate and stress.

Entry is free and there is no need to book.

For more details, email or phone (0113) 343 1910.

The triumph of the mould
Wakefield Museum, Learning Zone

Wednesday 3 July, 5.45pm prompt

Adult demonstration - Ivan Day

Solomon's Temple - from a 1769 recipe

In this illustrated talk and demonstration, food historian Ivan Day will survey the remarkable genre of figurative food from the late medieval period to the eighteenth century. He will not only bring some remarkable wooden, ceramic and metal examples from his own collection, but demonstrate the unmoulding of early seventeenth century gingerbread, Georgian flummeries, sugar work and jellies from original period moulds.

Ivan Day with a couple of his moulded flummeries

Booking essential as places are limited - please call 0113 3431910 or email to book.

Both of these events are being run as part of the You Are What You Ate project in partnership with the University of Leeds, and University of Bradford - funded by the Wellcome Trust.

See here for the full programme of this season's talks, all on the theme of 'food for all seasons'.

New medieval manuscript on display at Wakefield Museum

The Food For All Seasons Exhibition at Wakefield Museum opened in March and runs until September.  The exhibition demonstrates what was on the menu season by season in medieval Wakefield.

As part of the display we have had the amazing opportunity of exhibiting some very rare and beautiful objects, on loan from the University of Leeds Brotherton Library:  3 intricately decorated books of hours.

The second book of hours being put on display

 

Due to the delicate and sensitive nature of these loans the manuscripts have to be protected from light and have the pages turned every 7 – 14 days to prevent any light damage.  The books can only be on display for a short amount of time.  The first book of hours has now been returned to the Brotherton library and replaced with an equally stunning manuscript. 

The book of hours has had a special mount made to safely hold it open for display

 

Don’t miss this rare and special opportunity to view these incredibly beautiful books.

This exhibition is part of the You Are What You Ate project, funded by the Wellcome Trust and in partnership with Wakefield Council, the University of Leeds and the University of Bradford.

Fun for families over half term holidays

We have had a busy half term delivering a variety of workshops to children aged 2 upwards across the district.

“. . .  really enjoyed it and facilities + staff were great. Thank you “

Families at Airedale Library had the chance to learn all about the fascinating, delicious and very very dangerous history of Britain's national drink. Along with the chance to look at some rarely-seen things from the museum collection, participants made their own teapot craft to take home!

At Wakefield Museum, families had a look at some mad-sounding medieval medicine, and recycling was the theme at Pontefract Castle.

 "We learnt about ancient rubbish and enjoyed making bows and arrows"

At Sandal Castle families learnt how Medieval folk would have made all their necessities from naturally sourced materials. Participants were invited to create some really cool things with natural materials at this fun workshop, including a bug village!

For the younger visitors to Wakefield Museum we created some food inspired art and crafts with oats, beans and peas – all food that was available in the medieval times.

“I liked the food project. It encouraged my daughter to think about which colour suited the different parts of her picture”

Our youngest visitors made sculptures and pictures from foodstuffs

Our next event is this Thursday, 6 June.  An adult talk 'A taste of living history: organic gardening today' by Bob Sherman.  6.30 in the Learning Zone, Wakefield Library and Museum.  No need to book.

Bob Sherman is Chief Horticultural Officer at Garden Organic, the national charity for organic growing, and has been gardening organically for nearly 40 years. He has been a regular contributor to gardening magazines for many years and has written and contributed to eight books.

Since 1996, he has had responsibility for Garden Organic's Heritage Seed Library (HSL), a collection of rare, historic and endangered vegetables, now including seed of more exotic imports that have been grown here through several generations by immigrants to the UK from all over the world.

The collection and purpose behind it are the focus of his talk, 'A Taste of Living History: organic gardening today'. The talk will explain the value of this heritage and show how organic gardening looks to the future whilst respecting the past.

This talk is part of the You Are What You Ate project, funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Tonight at Wakefield Museum

Tonight is Artwalk night!

Wakefield Museum is proud to be part of this city-wide event.  

Come along from 5pm to 8pm.

Have a Historical Encounter!

Wakefield Museum’s temporary exhibition, Food For All Seasons, explores what was on the menu season by season in medieval Wakefield. With some amazing objects on display, including a medieval book of hours and the chance to peek into the larders of 14th century Sandal Castle, this exhibition is sure to whet your appetite…  

Drop in to meet: Thomas Dayville, Castle Steward

Thomas Dayville is a busy man. As Castle Steward he must manage the staff, keep up with the daily routine and of course serve his lord in the best way possible. With making sure the Castle is kept in good repair, and the stores well provisioned it’s never ending...

Part of the You Are What You Ate project, funded by the Wellcome Trust and in partnership with Wakefield Council, the University of Leeds and the University of Bradford.

Free entry 5 – 7.30pm

MadeInWakefield @ Create Cafe

Made in Wakefield by YOU! 

Click on image to enlarge

Knitter, painter, song writer, sewer, crocheter, card maker, poet, doodle drawer, designer, paper folder, or just like making stuff? Get away from those distractions and come do your creative thing! Bring your notepad, your needles, your pencils, your wool. We’ll provide the space to allow your mind to wander and your creative juices flow.

Whatever you make, come and make it with us, together.

Made In Wakefield is a hub for creative activity to showcase, inspire and celebrate all things made in the Wakefield District. Whatever you’ve created, however big or small, loud or quiet, Made In Wakefield is here to celebrate you!

There will also be a DOODLE WINDOW, with all materials provided, and some performances in the ground floor atrium from Wakefield singer songwriter Martin Waterhouse, and Ossett poet Matt Abbott. Tony Wade from Faceless Company will also be on hand to help you make your very own wire figure sculpture throughout the evening. Silk paintings by workshop participants across the district will also be on display.

So there’s plenty to do, see, hear, watch and participate in, even if you don’t have any projects of your own to work on, and even if you do!

Free entry 5 – 8pm

Create Cafe Artwalk Menu

Wakefield Artwalk Special:

2 Courses with a tea or coffee - £10

Soup of the day with fresh bread £4
Create noodle soup £4
Classic Caesar salad £4
Warm salad with green beans, bacon and avocado £5

Spelt risotto, butternut and Yorkshire blue £6
Grilled salmon, herb mayonnaise, potato salad £6
Grilled bacon chop, pineapple salsa £6
Create marinated vegetable skewers, cous cous salad £6

Vanilla cheesecake, rhubarb syrup £3.50
Bakewell tart £3.50
Chocolate brownie £3
Treacle tart £4

Fun for Museums at Night!

Last Friday saw 2 very different events at Wakefield Museum for Museums at Night. Museums at Night is an annual campaign during which museums around the country open their doors for out-of-hours events.


Our events included 'Museums at Knight' - a family event.

A knight in shining armour told tales of daring adventure!

Wakefield Museum and children’s library (at Wakefield One) were visited by a medieval knight who enthralled younger and older visitors alike with his interactive tale of dragon slaying and princess rescuing adventures.  Children aged 3 - 12 were invited to join the knight to help tell tales of his medieval quests.

Down in the museum itself visitors took part in a dragon themed trail and crafts.  With paper dragons and dragon mask making the museum was sure to require our knight's help...

Visitors were encouraged to come dressed for the event!

Comments from visitors included:
 ‘very well organised the boys loved it, thank you’

‘He was fab, please use him again’

‘Good for parents too!’

Thanks to our Medieval Knight for his story telling and interactive adventure.

  

On the same evening, we also had a very different event, but just as fun!  To come to an adult talk on historical vegetables called 'Flatulence and Phlegm', you would perhaps expect something a little different...

Dr Annie Gray, food historian, is a wonderfully entertaining speaker, who had her audience enthralled, inspired and giggling in equal measure!

Dr Annie Gray with the foods made to historic recipes

Annie explained that the range of vegetables available in the past was greater than it is today. Plants which are difficult to cultivate, or take a lot of space, now have very limited availability - such as the huge, beautiful cardoon which needs to be blanched to prevent it from tasting of cat wee!

We learned the virtues of samphire (and its correct pronunciation), that tea made with cleavers was supposed to keep you slim (but tastes 'green'), and that carrot puddings made from hollowed-out carrots filled with a pudding mixture aren't worth the effort (and look like severed fingers!).

Everyone gets stuck into the food samples after the talk!

Annie also explained that artificially colouring foods isn't a recent phenomenon - spring butter, produced before the cows go into pasture, is rather white, and so was coloured with carrot or saffron to make it yellow.

A final, random snippet - apparently hares have ear wax!  (Just to show that a talk on historic vegetables isn't just about rabbit food!)

Thanks again Annie - a very enjoyable evening!

Free adult talks and events in May

Free talks and events for adults this month (the next on Thursday 16th!). For more details, visit the project website. 

Click on image to enlarge

May Half Term Holiday Activities

With the Spring Bank school holidays getting ever closer it’s time to start thinking about organising those trips out with the kids. So why not take a look at all that the museums and castles have to offer with our free family workshops. 

Places go fast so book early!

Click on image above to enlarge

And our fame spreads...

From the Wellcome Trust Blog this week:

Exhibition planning for beginners: from idea to execution

30 Apr, 2013

tags: Exhibitions, Food, History

by Wellcome Trust

Food for all seasons poster

The idea of running an exhibition in association with a public engagement grant is probably quite a common thing to come up with. Actually planning and launching one is much more difficult. Iona Mcleery offers her experience.

It all starts with a plain white box: four walls and a floor…

There are numerous questions to answer when coming up with a small exhibition to accompany your project: where is it to go, what objects and images can be displayed, and most importantly what is the key message to be transmitted through the exhibition: why do it in the first place?

For You Are What You Ate: Food Lessons From the Past, we answered these questions with the help of the experienced cultural officers on the project team from Wakefield Council’s museum service in West Yorkshire.

Click here to read the whole story!

Wakefield gets ready for Museums at Night!

To celebrate Museums at Night, Wakefield Museum is planning two events on Friday 17th May

For families:

Come and meet St George!

Museum at Knight!
Come and hear our Knight tell the tale of George and the Dragon as you have never heard it before!

Interactive storytelling and workshops for children aged 3– 12 years old.

Fancy Dress encouraged, so come on all you budding princesses, knights (and dragons!)

The Knight will be running the session twice: 6 - 6:30pm and 7 - 7:30pm - starting in the Children’s Library and followed by a museum trail and craft activity.

Booking is essential on 01924 302700 or e-mail 

For adults:

Flatulence and Phlegm: cooking with herbs and salad in seventeenth century England

A fun food talk (with tastings) with the wonderfully entertaining Annie Gray!

Annie Gray will deliver a fun and informative talk (with food tastings) at Wakefield Museum, where you will find out more about cooking in seventeenth century England. During our last chat with Annie, there was a suggestion of Tarragon Cream being on the menu, so don't come expecting just a boring lettuce leaf to try!

This event is free and open to anyone over 18 (starting at 6pm prompt). Booking is essential. Call  (0113) 343 1910 or email to book.

A Seventeenth Century Salad

A Meat Melon!

Annie Gray is an independent historian who works as a researcher, as a costumed interpreter and a consultant to historic sites looking to maximise the potential of their kitchens and dining areas.  
She pops up on TV regularly - recently seen cooking with the Hairy Bikers!

See the events tab at the top of this page for more!

Food For All Seasons

On Wednesday we had a good audience for the official opening of Wakefield Museum's new temporary exhibition - Food For All Seasons.

The exhibition uses documentary evidence to explore the seasonal availability of food in 14th century Wakefield - and compares it to what is available now. Looking at food shortages, and their effects on the body, medieval farming, storage and feasting, the exhibition is full of stunning medieval images and exciting objects - even including a reconstruction of the Sandal Castle larder!

In particular, for the first time, the exhibition brings together on display loans of documents including the Wakefield Manor Court Rolls, Graves' Accounts and a beautifully illuminated Book of Hours.

The 'Summer' section of the exhibition - exploring medieval farming and displaying tools from Sandal Castle

The 'Winter' section looks at feasting, and displays a range of medieval tableware from Sandal Castle

Medieval documents are 'brought to life' by a pair of talking heads

The exhibition displays some beautiful medieval objects

Visitors were entertained by medieval musician, Peter Bull - here seen playing the hammered dulcimer.

Medieval music at the entrance of the exhibition

The exhibition also includes seasonal recipe cards to take away - including a medieval recipe, and a medieval-inspired recipe from Create Cafe.  Visitors to the opening were treated to samples of Create's recipes in the cafe - and very popular they were too!

Visitors enjoying the medieval-inspired recipes from Create

Food For All Seasons is the third exhibition from You Are What You Ate: Food Lessons From the Past - a project run in partnership between the University of Leeds, the University of Bradford and Wakefield Council, funded by a Wellcome Trust Society Award.  The exhibition runs until the 29th September.

The project includes free talks, workshops and activities.  For information of forthcoming events, see the project website.