Officially Autumn!

It became officially Autumn this week.

So, to  get us all prepared  for the colder temperatures to come, here are some autumnal-inspired objects to remind us what it's all about!


Plastic leaf-shaped mats from the 1950s

Plastic place mats in stand, 1950s

Sycamore leaf-shaped drinks mats, plastic, 1950s

Rather early for Christmas,  but an autumnal-looking Christmas decoration, made from polystyrene, c 1970s

Or how about dressing and accessorising with leaves and autumnal colours?

A tortoiseshell hair comb, 1820

Padded silk waistcoat with trailing vine and leaf pattern picked out in felt, c 1800

Come and see some of our autumnal fashion in our Style Picks exhibition at Wakefield Museum, and be inspired!

Coat, 1960s

Hat, 1950s

Hat, 1930s-1950s

Hat, 1950s-1960s

If that isn't enough, we are even  hosting a family workshop inspired by the autumnal fashion in the exhibition! 

Leaves are Falling
Thursday 30th October
Wakefield Museum - Learning Zone
The seasons are changing and we will need to start wrapping up warm. Inviting our younger visitors to join us in this autumn-inspired session. Taking inspiration from a 1960s coat on display in the museum, we will use leaves to create some autumn crafts.
Ages 2 – 5 
10:15 – 11:45am and 1:30 – 2:45pm
Free but booking essential on 01924 302700 or email

For this and all of our events and activities, visit our Museums Learning pages

Love the 1980s

The next Artwalk in Wakefield is Wednesday 24 September.  Venues across Wakefield will be opening their doors to showcase a range of artistic and cultural events and activities.  For full details see: Artwalk.

Wakefield Museum is going all 1980s for the evening.  Pop into the museum between 5pm & 7.30pm for fashion, music and Rubik's Cubes.  Shoulder pads, blue eye shadow and crimped hair all welcome.

To celebrate this 1980s extravaganza here are some objects form the collections to take you on a trip down memory lane!!!!

Fashion

Love the stylish clip-on earrings!

Walk like an Egyptian 

Blue eye shadow compliments crimped hair a treat.

New technology

Betamax versus. VHS....

The Sinclair ZX81

Music

To play mix-tapes from your mates.

The modern way to listen to Duran Duran.

Politics

Maggie!

Neil!

Charles & Di

THE royal wedding

Toys 

Possibly the most iconic 1980s object?

Did every child in the '80s have one of these?

Random 1980s object

Rid yourself of the need for pen and paper, with this handy gadget.

For more 1980s fun, be sure to come to Wakefield Museum on Wednesday 24 September. Eye Wood will be hosting a fantastic 1980s fashion show (6.30pm - 7.15pm).  There will be a chance to take up the Rubik's Cube challenge and make a Pac-Man deely-bopper!

If you have any objects from the 1980s hidden in the loft bring them along and they could end up in a 1980s display early next year! 

Well and truly Back to School!

We are delivering a wide range of educational workshops to schools across the district. Our programme of delivery is expanding in line with the changes in the national curriculum.

From the remains of an Iron Age chariot (at Castleford Museum) to those of a Viking era log boat (at Wakefield Museum) and the comparison of animal skulls, we have been looking at how we can best support teaching with objects from the collections.

Bespoke sessions are also being developed on request - including two very different sessions for Pontefract Castle - the English Civil War and the heritage of Pontefract’s liquorice-growing and trade. We are linking objects from our collections with design and art for inspiration and enquiry. We have also redeveloped our Skeleton Secrets session, previously only suitable for Upper Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3, to meet demand from lower Key Stage 2 teachers.
  

Skeleton Secrets

Our core sessions are already being delivered and booked by schools. Pupils from a local academy joined us last week to learn about the life of Victorian children, and another class came up close to Ancient Egyptian Artefacts. 

Egyptian Artefacts

We are also supporting the Big Draw 2014 with some special school sessions. Using museum objects for inspiration, pupils will think about how the past has shaped the world in which we live.  We will then take digital images and use an app to draw how the scene could look in the future.

Our World - digital drawing session for the Big Draw

For further information on the schools workshops Wakefield Museums offer, see the Learning Blog.

Waterton's Adventures - workshops for 3-5 year olds

16th September - FREE

Wakefield Museum

Come and hear how Charles Waterton captured the ferocious caiman crocodile!

Free Interactive storytelling and animal-themed workshops for children aged 3-5 years old on 16th September in Wakefield Museum.

The session will be running twice: 9.45- 10.45 and 11am - 12 noon, performed in the Museum Front Room and followed by a museum trail and craft activity.

Booking not essential, but advised on 01924 302700 or email 

Animal-themed fancy dress encouraged!

George Kellett's World war One Diary: August 1918

Throughout 2014 we will be tweeting entries from a World War 1 soldier’s 1918 diary. You can follow George Kellett’s diary entries on Twitter @WW1_Diary.

We will also post the full month’s diary entries on this blog.

For George Kellett's June diary entries please see our previous blog: July 1918

 

 

1 August 1918

Out to work at 2am. Inspection at 3pm . Went to range at 4pm did not get back to camp until 8pm

2 August 1918

Had a days rest today. Were told to clean up for the CO to inspect us in full marching order at 3pm but he did not turn up. Sent 5 franc note for Dorothys birthday which is on the 7^th.

3 August 1918

Out to work at 3am.  Finished with the stretcher bearers job had to start again making LG Post  Douchy Avenue. Inspection at 6pm

4 August 1918

Work at 3am laying beachwood track in Adinfer wood got back to camp about  9:30am.  Inspection at 3pm

5 August 1918

Days rest today.  Went down to the range after dinner  but it rained and we had to come away without firing.  Inspection at 10am

6 August 1918

Work at 3:15am in Adinfer Wood.  Back in camp again at 8:30am. Inspection at 4pm. Our man in Y coy goes on leave tomorrow.  Received a letter from Ada saying Willie is in the infirmary but progressing favourably

7 August 1918

Put on as permanent stretcher bearer. Out at 3am digging new trench in Purple line. No inspection today Clean up for tomorrow Dorothy four years old today

8 August 1918

Days rest today.  Inspection at 11am

9 August 1918

Work at 3am Purple line, deepening trench to 8’6” and cutting fire steps. Baths at 3pm. Inspection at 6pm

10 August 1918

Work at 3am.  Inspection at 6pm

11 August 1918

Work at 3am.   Went to Headquarters to pull against the tug of war team and selected to train with the team.

12 August 1918

Took my kit to Headquarters to go into training for tug of war team.  Day off today scrubbed equipment 

13 August 1918

Did 2 hrs work on the tracks had a bath before dinner. Had two pulls on the rope dinner and two more after tea.

14 August 1918

Did 1 ½ hrs work on the tracks and had a bath before dinner.  Had one hours pulling and football in the afternoon.

15 August 1918

Did 1 hours work on the tracks. Had a bath before dinner, afterwards we held on the rope for 10 minutes and had half an hours football

16 August 1918

Did not turn out at all today, I did not feel very well and Sergt Reid said I had better stay in for the a day.

17 August 1918

Went on the tracks for an hour and had a bath.  After dinner fell in Battle orders as Jerry has actioned on our front  but we were dismissed again with the order to stand to.

18 August 1918

On the tracks for a couple of hours and a bath before dinner.

19 August 1918

Besides gas [?] training we had fatigues to do today.  Did not get to bed until 11:45pm

20 August 1918

No work on the tracks today.  Had a good walk and [?] before breakfast.  PT after breakfast and a couple of pulls on the rope and another pull at 12:15pm

21 August 1918

Big push started on our front bombardment started about 5am. our Division on the attack y coy went over after the first wave.

22 August 1918

Had to stand to all day at Headquarters had to load pack mules and GS waggons case of an attack.

23 August 1918

Came up to Quesnoy farm to act as [?] all the tug of war team left together our division went over again this morning. Done very well. [?] battalion went in the line at 5:30am

24 August 1918

On [?]  from 11am to 1pm

25 August 1918

On [?] from 3am to 5am and from 7pm to 9pm

26 August 1918

On [?] from 11am to 1pm. Went up to the company  after tea.  They have no [?]  at all to sleep on.  Sleeping in open trench.

27 August 1918

Took the boys a few ciggs up tonight as they had not got a smoke.

28 August 1918

Left Quesnoy farm for Abbeville. Where we arrived at 3pm.  Made a bivy for the team.

29 August 1918

Washing [?] this evening

30 August 1918

Went out getting salvage this morning.  Had a pull on the rope after tea.

31 August 1918

Had 1 hour on the rope before we went out for salvage.  Had another hour after tea.

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.

Guest Blog: Jerry Hutchinson sees his parents on film at Castleford Museum

A visitor to Castleford Museum got in touch with us recently after viewing some films on display. He had spotted his parents; his mother featured on the film - this being the only film he had ever seen of her. 

The films are held by  Yorkshire Film Archive , but can be seen in full at Castleford Museum.

In this guest blog Jerry Hutchinson talks about the films and his parents:

On a recent visit to Castleford, my wife Sharon and I visited the excellent new museum and spotted the display on Castleford Borough Council.

We noted that there were a couple of films about Castleford becoming a Borough. I was keen to have a look at these as my dad, Ernest Hutchinson was Town Clerk af Castleford for the whole of the time that it was a Borough from the granting of the Charter in 1955 until Local Government Reorganisation in 1974.

I was also hoping that there might be a bit of film of my mum, as she died in 1984, just before camcorders really caught on, so I have no film of her.

When we watched the films, it was very emotional for me to see both of my parents. Dad was on both films, firstly the one with the Princess Royal being introduced to the Mayor, Ezra Taylor, his daughter and Consort, Olive Stokes and the rest of the Civic Party, and secondly he's the man in the wig and gown on the film about the first Council meeting.

My mum is in the lineup to meet the Princess Royal and the bit of film shows her being introduced. It's the only bit of film of her that I'm aware of and she doesn't look totally happy, I understand that she wasn't feeling too well that day, which is my fault as she was expecting me at the time, so this is my first public appearance too!

Mr & Mrs Hutchinson meeting the Princess Royal.  Screen still from the film on display at Castleford Museum

Dad's background is that he was originally from Middlesbrough and went into local government in 1927, working for Middlesbrough Corporation until he volunteered for the Royal Artillery in 1940. He saw action on the guns at Dover in the Battle of Britain and worked his way through the ranks ending the war as a Captain. After the War he qualified as a solicitor and after getting a Town Clerk's job in Bacup in 1952, he came back to Yorkshire as Clerk to Castleford UDC in1954. One of his first tasks was to seek Borough status including working with the College of Heralds on what is now Castleford's Coat of Arms. He also went with Ezra Taylor on the first visit to Herne, which started links which still remain.

Mum and Dad married in 1942 and had three children, my sister Sandra whose ashes are  interred at Castleford Parish Church, my older brother Roger and myself. We both went to CGS and in my case Castleford High when Comprehensive Education came in. Mum was a teacher, and taught at Welbeck Street School for many years.

The family left Castleford in 1974 when the Borough ceased to exist, but at the age of 63 Dad got the job of Chief Executive of North Wolds Council, based on Bridlington until retiring in 1977, when he took on running the Bridlington Priory Restoration Appeal, raising over £1 million, in acknowledgement of which his face, complete with glasses appears as a gargoyle at Bridlington Priory!

Sadly, Mum died in 1984, and Dad in 2001.

Roger and I followed Dad into both the law and local government,  Roger becoming Deputy Town Clerk of Burnley, whilst I have been Chief Executive of North Warwickshire (a former mining area which only lost its last deep mine at Daw Mill 12 months ago) for the last 19 years.

Castleford has never left our blood though, and myself and my wife and children, all born in Nottingham remain keen Tigers fans, three of us long standing season ticket holders. 

Jerry Hutchinson

18 August 2014