New Year, new Blog pages!

Happy New Year to all our readers!  

2012 was a very busy year for Wakefield Museum, and 2013 promises to keep up the pace!

Developments of the new Wakefield Museum continue, as we now also focus on developing a new museum space at The Forum, Castleford, not forgetting the changing temporary exhibition programme at Pontefract Museum and the campaign to save the Ackworth Hoard to display there.

From now on, this Blog will keep you updated on museum activities across our venues, as well as museum outreach in the community and behind-the-scenes peeks into the museum store.

If you've not already signed up to email updates on this Blog - why not treat yourself for New Year?!

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.

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.

 

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

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

Artwalk at Wakefield Museum - this Wednesday

Wakefield Artwalk is a recurring evening of exhibitions, events and cultural entertainment open to everybody.  On the last Wednesday of every other month venues across Wakefield City open their doors free of charge, to exhibit visual art, hold a performance or host a form of cultural activity. 

Wakefield's new museum is delighted to become part of this event - from 5pm to  8pm.

This month art walkers can meet Nino Vella,  the curator of our latest exhibition, ‘Images of Wakefield’, which celebrates artists’ views of the city over the last 250 years.



Images of Wakefield Exhibition

Each event the museum will be hosting something different, from arts and craft activities, local choirs and special events. Wakefield Library and local studies will also be open so it’s a perfect opportunity to pop in and explore our new building.

If that isn't enough to tempt you, our new cafe Create are staying open for the event, and putting on a special deal.  Starter, main course and drink for only £10!

Starters:
Caesar salad
Caesar salad with dry cured bacon
Warm slad with green beans, bacon and avocado
Salad selection
Vegetable Soup with selection of breads
Create Broth

Main courses:
Spicy meatballs
Ploughmans
Grilled salmon, herb mayonaise,  potato salad
Grilled bacon chop, pineapple salsa
Create marinated vegetable skewers,  cous cous salad
Slow cooked ham hock, beans and toast
Spelt risotto, butternut abd Yorkshire blue
Roast squash, sweet potato, watercress and onion salad

Create delivers coaching and paid work experience for vulnerable and marginalised people to help them  develop the skills they need to gain permanent employment (and their food is really good!)

The weird and wonderful come to the Museum!

Today the museum and library joined in with Wakefield's Victorian Christmas Festival.

The wonderfully crazy Palace of Curiosities delighted visitors with tales of their collection of exhibits.  Cleopatra's hand, a unicorn's horn, two-headed pig and even a mermaid were displayed in the museum.

The Palace of Curiosities - would you trust these men?

Mermaid-flavoured rum, anyone?

Getting close to the exhibits - perhaps a little too close for comfort!

Meanwhile, storyteller Sue Allonby was telling tall tales by the Victorian Fireside.  Families loved listening to - and taking part in - her interactive tales.

Storytelling in the Front Room

Storytelling by the hearth