Wrexham Museum Diary – February – March 2010

John Exhibitions

Monday 1st February

Met with Llai Local History Group. Hope they want to work with us on a joint exhibition.

Tuesday 2nd February

A chance to be white van man again shepherding museum property around the county borough. Ventured out to the Ceiriog Valley to help the tramway group.

Wednesday 3rd February

Interview on Calon FM to promote the Boring Bar and the Wrexham Lager Collection. They both star in a forthcoming BBC Wales television series.

Thursday 4th February

Over to Liverpool to learn about museum ethics. No laughing! It’s a very serious subject as it’s all about trust.

Friday 5th February

The last old display case leaves the building for a new life displaying the memorabilia of the Welsh Guards.

Saturday 6th February

Started work on developing a new look for the museum website!!

Sunday 7th February

Watched the Seven Ages of Britain on the BBC. Wouldn’t it be great if someone donated their local mediaeval finds, similar to the pilgrim badges found on the banks of the River Thames, to the museum!

Monday 8th February

Stinking cold. Only capable of doing paperwork. Unfortunately no shortage of that!

Tuesday 9th February

Returned objects on loan from the Grosvenor Museum, Chester. Arranged meeting to talk about borrowing some Roman artefacts
for new gallery.

Wednesday 10th February

Finally sourced lifting gear to move the capstone from Brymbo Man’s cist. Developed idea for encouraging younger visitors to explore Victorian Wrexham.

Thursday 11th February

Travelled out into the Maelor to meet Hanmer Community Heritage group. Very organised and a real village too!!

Friday 12th February

Up to Plas Pentwyn to find out whether Coedpoeth Local History Group want to take part in the planned exhibition. They’re really enthusiastic.

Saturday 13th February

Draft new brochure as otherwise won’t be translated in time for Easter publication.

Monday 15th February

Phone and email are on divert; I am on leave.

Wednesday 17th February

Visit the new Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, after its £61 million refurbishment. Worth a visit just for the King Alfred Jewel alone!!

Monday 22nd February

Back to over one hundred emails and no spam I can just instantly delete

Tuesday 23rd February

Mammoth planning session with Karen Education. How many months are there in a year? Ideally about 15.

Wednesday 24th February

David, a crane and I shift the Brymbo Man capstone (approx 300-400 kg). It is a real prima donna: awkward, unstable and prone to throwing its weight around. Hats off to those Bronze Age folk for doing the job by hand!!


The kit has arrived! One counterbalanced crane capable of lifting 500 kg.


How to shift a Bronze Age capstone? Using crane and appropriate slings transfer the capstone onto a pallet.


Slowly move the capstone out of the museum. (It can swing violently on uneven floors!)


Carefully manoeuvre the capstone into the van, then drive round to the store loading bay.


Unload capstone onto waiting pallet stack. Collapse. David Visitor Services masterminded the operation and it took its toll!

Thursday 25th February

Give talk to Wrexham Erddig Rotary club at the Ramada Hotel. Better food than the Wynnstay!!

Friday 26th February

Big meeting up in Gwersyllt – almost an institutional dating agency as the National Library are looking for partners.

Monday 1st March

Young offenders team fail to turn up, so Karen Education and I fill the walk-in skip. We’re the walking wounded by the end of the day, but the skip is full!


How much junk can you bring out of one building?

Tuesday 2nd March

Cross the border to ask if we can borrow some Roman artefacts from the Grosvenor Museum. They are keen to get more of their North Wales collections on show.

Wednesday 3rd March

No comment!!


A memento from when County Buildings was home to the North Wales College of Art & Design’s fashion department.


Do you know Jan or Debs, presumably two fashion design students?

Thursday 4th March

Call out for all staff. We fill another walk-in skip. The building comes alive once the clutter is cleared as you can appreciate its Victorian architect’s original vision.


Museum staff take a break after shifting all the rubbish and countless broken chairs from upstairs.


Artefacts rescued from Fenn’s & Whixall’s Mosses awaiting collection by their owners, Nature England (formerly English Nature).

Friday 5th March

The museum building is empty. Well, almost. Without a bit of work with a chainsaw, no one will shift Brymbo Man’s display unit.


Former local policeman, Emlyn Edwards, stands in the now empty Court room No.1.

March 9th

Big meeting with Phil Cope about the Following the Flame project to mark the 2012 Olympics in Wales. The focus is on ‘Being the best’ so will appeal to everyone.

March 11th

Started work on online tour of museum building.

March 12th

Brute force is the major ingredient on site at the moment. They are stripping out the building and the tools of choice: the sledgehammer and the crowbar!! Just like in Stockdale’s story of the Wilkinson brothers at Bersham Ironworks.


Entrance way to main gallery. Opened out with the removal of the doors. 12.03.2010


Main gallery from door to special exhibitions gallery. We show a series of photos from this doorway to show how the work is progressing. 12.03.2010

March 13th

Visit a bit of hidden history: the churchyard of St John’s in Rhosllannerchrugog. Very gothic.

March 15th

Just received the possible covers for the latest museum information and events programme. Love the elephants, though might baffle a few people.

Whs.covers.pdf
Caption: Draft covers for 2010 museum brochure.

March 17th

Look round the planned display space at Llay Miners Welfare Institute. They are keen to find a new role and avoid the fate of the Miners Institute on Grosvenor Road, Wrexham.


Llay Miners Welfare Institute, Llay. Llay is about five miles north of Wrexham town centre.


Carved wooden tympanum celebrating the village’s history inside Llay Miners Welfare Institute

March 22nd

Gok Wan and his fashion makeover show may be coming to film at Bersham Heritage Centre.

March 24th

Just found out our twin ‘town’ Markischer Kreisz has a wire museum and a needle museum. The other end of the market compared to Brymbo Steel or Bersham iron.


Main gallery from door to special exhibitions gallery – ready for the real building work to begin. 25.03.2010


Inside the small gallery. Removing the false ceiling revealed the original ceiling of the Militia Depot guard room. 25.03.2010


Lifting one of the original paving stones from the front of the museum in preparation for work to start on the glazed extension. 25.03.2010

March 26th

Two mammoth planning sessions with colleagues for the museum makeover.

March 29th

Holiday activities start at Bersham Heritage Centre.

March 30th

Researching medieval Welsh history: it’s a photo finish to decide whether the Welsh fought each other more than they fought the Saxons, Normans or Flemings.  


Working on the foundations for the new glazed extension.

April 1st

Get inside the museum building. They’ve made some real progress this past week:


Former magistrates’ retiring room, after removal of partition wall. 01.04.2010




County Buildings’ historic wallpaper collection as revealed by building work on the first floor.



ISG joiners putting in supports for new floor in the old stairwell at the back of the museum. 01.04.2010


Main gallery from door to special exhibitions gallery, after removal of skylight. 01.04.2010


Joiners’ workshop in the front loggia. 01.04.2010


Kango-hammering down the base for the floor of the new glazed extension. 01.04.2010

Karen Education

March 1st

Happy St David’s Day!

Had a good time on Saturday 27th February at Bersham Heritage Centre where we made Daffodil cards, thaumatropes and planted leeks in preparation for St David’s day.

March 2nd

Welcomed Penygelli School to Bersham Heritage Centre and Ironworks to look at the life and career of John Wilkinson.

March 10th

Spent a lovely afternoon with the residents of Ashleigh Court Care Home learning about Old Wrexham (a big help to this newcomer).

March 15th

Another lovely afternoon, this time with the residents of Ash Grove Care Home again learning about Old Wrexham and I remembered some of the things I was told last week.

March 19th

Welcomed some children from St Chad’s School Hanmer, (including ‘Lorry-mad’ Jack!), to Bersham Heritage Centre to look at the life and career of John Wilkinson.

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