A-Z of Services

Wrexham Museum Diary

The fourteen months leading up to February 14th 2011 were very eventful for Wrexham County Borough Museum and for the staff who work there.

Wrexham County Borough Museum – a great building and now a much better museum.

The staff and the displays had to move out.
The heritage service had to move to Bersham Heritage Centre.
The building was emptied.
Tenders for the construction work were made, judged, and accepted.
The builders moved in, did their work and eventually moved out.
The designers and the museum staff worked together with film makers, interactive manufacturers, computer programmers, community groups and illustrators to create the new displays.
These are just a few of the jobs that happened during the fourteen months prior to the reopening

For a behind the scenes view, read the museum diary. Each contributor will write in their own style.

John Exhibitions
Karen Education
Archive

John Exhibitions

Tuesday 4th January 2011

Six weeks to go and a lot to do! Rob and Steve from the local newspaper turn up to see how work is progressing. They can see we have a mountain to climb, but we will make it.

Wednesday 5th January 2011

Downloading and saving images all day for the graphic panels for Gallery 1. EDM want the graphics for the Prehistoric timeline. Where are they as we signed them off weeks ago?!

Early designs for the outside banners

Thursday 6th January 2011

Trying to find directional speakers for films in Gallery 3 at a reasonable cost. So far the costs are all four figure sums, which is way beyond our budget! Send texts for Prehistory, Age of the Princes, Holt Castle and Victorian Wrexham off to the designers.

Monday 10th January 2011

Draft text for the new museum brochure. Meet with Holt Local History Society and the Caer Alyn team. Their films are ready and they are all questions about the opening. Workhaus, the fit-out contractors, are back on site.

Tuesday 11th January 2011

Work on new souvenir brand for the museum with local illustrator, Carl Parry.

Unsuccessful designs for the planned artwork to use on souvenirs.

Entrance corridor, cases just arrived, 11.01.2011

Brymbo Man zone, 11.01.2011

Entrance to the Hippodrome, 11.01.2011

Gallery 1 from the door to the archives search room, 11.01.2011

Wednesday 12th January 2011

Site meeting with James from the designers, Bright 3D, and Terry, the project manager from Workhaus. Nothing beats a face to face meeting, even if it does last several hours!!

Idea for mount for the Bronze Age Rossett Hoard

Thursday 13th January 2011

The case for Brymbo Man is proving a challenge: holding the stones of the cist upright, supporting the weight of the all the stones, and manoeuvring it all into place. James from Heritage Interactive makes contact as he is waiting for the content for the touchscreens. I can foresee some late nights and weekends working to meet the deadline.

Friday 14th January 2011

More debate on how to support the stones in the Brymbo Man cist. It has to be sympathetic, unlike the old display. Research images for the Wall of Images and gather ideas for the Time Tunnel ceiling.

Saturday 15th January 2011

Research and create rough maps of medieval and 17th century Wrexham ready for artist to create professional versions!

Monday 17th January 2011

Gather images for the new brochure, as well as for the entrance and exit areas of Gallery 1. Start writing the introductory text for Gallery 1. The intro is always the most difficult.

What’s best for the reception desk? Some early ideas from the designers, Bright3D.

Tuesday 18th January 2011

Matty, Steve and I re-design one wall in the Brymbo Man zone to solve a problem found by the fit-out contractors – a case and an interactive on different sides of the same wall are in the way of each other. Phew! The central display case is finally signed off.

New design following a discussion with the architects, Austin-Smith:Lord

Wednesday 19th January 2011

Proofing panels all day long, both English and Welsh texts. Contact interactive manufacturers – got to make sure they are liaising with Workhaus so the installation can go-ahead smoothly. Fingers crossed! Saving images to disk and posting them up to Bright3D almost every day it seems. Terry from Workhaus is getting worried – will he have the graphics in time to create the display?

Thursday 20th January 2011

More text writing, more proofing and more image searching and saving!! Trying to find a nice historic quote about Wrexham. Looks like George Borrow has the best lines. More worries over whether the Age of the Princes game will fit. We agree to lower it rather than have to redo all the graphics.

Friday 21st January 2011

Don’t panic is the word from Steve the Manager, but we all know there is a lot still to do as the ‘state of play’ email details:

So state of play as of now is:

Cases

Just received revised drawing of L to include these powder coated panels but otherwise all signed off. Cases B, C, D, E, F, G, V, W, X , J, T, M, N & O installed to varying degrees, Other cases namely A, K, ?L, R, S, U and Y to be installed next week (when will HIQ be ready ?). I like the idea of dressing the cist as discovered, I can provide the trowel etc etc.

Interactives

Z9: Dating game is almost ready to come to site, but there may be an issue with the case J location
Z8: People’s Collection - needs internet access only
Z14: Conflict between Age of Princes and case K has been resolved by switching areas around in Z11 and moving case K a bit to the left.
Z12: Change and Continuity almost ready to come to site, query about paint finish to cabinet - JG to liaise with JS
Z16: Holt Castle model - awaiting delivery- problem with moulding to be resolved asap.
Z20: Smelly Old Town - awaiting delivery - no outstanding issues
Borough Reporter - liaison required to ensure good fit to build.

AV

Zs 5/6 audio - content not ready, being chased
Z7 - Video wall presentation, in work delivery?
Z10 audio - awaiting delivery
Z13 - Rossett Hoard AV - awaiting delivery
- Romans t/s - system ready- waiting addition data and images
Z15- labelling t/s -system ready waiting for data
Z16 - Holt Films - awaiting delivery
Z17 - Hippodrome films - awaiting delivery
Z19 - Your Town t/s - system ready- waiting addition data
- labelling t/s -system ready waiting for data
Z23 - Football t/s - data ready - investigating software.
- Galley 2 - ambient audio - do we want to find something football related? (without the swear words)

I've asked the AVIs to let me know as each system goes live and we will get the suppliers into commission as and when, rather than doing it all in one go.

Graphic Panels (Zones)

Z2 - in work, awaiting design
Z5/6 - time tunnel ceiling graphic- waiting design
- Friends donors - waiting manufacture and names (James we need to discuss this)
- Project sponsors - JG to draft text
Z8 - Text written, awaiting translation, graphics sent
Z9 - awaiting sign off & wall measurement
Z10 - awaiting sign off
Z11 - text and graphics sent awaiting design
Z12 - graphics sent, awaiting design
Z13 - Text and graphics sent - awaiting design
Z14 - awaiting sign off
Z17 - Suggest use of appropriate poster holders to take film posters
Z18 - awaiting design
Z19 - text and graphics sent - awaiting design
Z20 - awaiting sign off
Z24 Z23 - Football exhib 1 - graphic panels to be painted out and use applied vinyls for Football exhibition. James can you brief Terry

I would go and lie down in a dark room, but it is ‘engaged’ and there is a queue outside. Final interpretation texts sent to the designers.

Saturday 22nd January 2011

Holt Local History Society visit the museum to see where their display will be.

The Holt and Caer Alyn team at the museum, 22.01.2011

Monday 24th January 2011

Collect replicas for our planned hands-on interactive from Ancient Arts. Panic over artwork for the Borough Reporter.

Tuesday 25th January 2011

Martin the designer is working at full pelt up at Bright 3D with visual proofs of the new display panels flying through the ether from Edinburgh, which means: yet more proofing and more image searching and saving so we achieve the standards we want!!

Ideas for stopping a plaster model sculpture of an angel by Joseph Morcom from falling over.

Wednesday 26th January 2011

Why did I agree eighteen months ago give a talk on the Mold Cape today?! Email example label off to volunteer, Heather Vernon, who is working on the labels for the animal related objects in the Big Case.

Thursday 27th January 2011

Starting to make progress – signed off designs for two zones of the gallery and the artwork for the Borough Reporter. Work with Virginia to decide all the mounts and supports for the objects going on display.

Window manifestations for the glazed extension – all the objects are from the museum collection, 27.01.2011

Friday 28th January 2011

Meet Elizabeth Royles, curator at the Grosvenor Museum, Chester, to choose artefacts from the Holt Roman legionary tile works for display in Gallery 1. Seek out object images for outside banners. Sign off Time Tunnel ceiling and revised version of Holt Castle interpretation.

Caption: The design for the ceiling in the entrance corridor – all examples of local heritage, 28.01.2011

Original design for Holt Castle and Border Disputes area of Gallery 1, 28.01.2011

Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th January 2011

Big push to write content for the touch screens in Gallery 1. Write Iron Age interpretation panel. Content for Roman Remains touch screen finished yesterday. Today worked on text for Wrexham in 1898.

Entrance corridor to Gallery 1, 29.01.2011

Gallery 1, 29.01.2011

Gallery 1 from the door to the archives search room, 29.01.2011

Tuesday 1st February 2011

David and Adam the technician help me assemble the dismountable display cases in Gallery 3. You almost have to do the hakka first before lifting some of those big pieces of glass.

Wednesday 2nd February 2011

The mobile walls arrive for Gallery 3. There appear fairly easy to assemble and move around, at least as long as I can tap into some of David’s common sense. It’s all go in Galleries 1 & 2:

Mike the decorator at work in Gallery 2, 02.02.2011

Matty working with the graphics in Gallery 1. The gallery will test his wallpapering skills, 02.02.2011

Thursday 3rd February 2011

Spanner falls into the works with the Borough Reporter. Designer and manufacturer working to different dimensions. Spend whole evening creating additional new stories to fill the unexpected blank space on the belt. Grrr.

Graphics going up, 04.02.2011

The pressure is starting to get to some of the Workhaus team, 04.02.2011

Friday 4th February 2011

We solve the problem with Borough Reporter. Karen Education and Eleri attend the Wrexham Histories Festival, while I revise and sign off the Holt Castle and Border Disputes panel again.

Saturday 5th February 2011

Sign off the last of the panels for the Gallery 3 exhibition. Touch screen texts for the Animal Associations display in the Big Case off to Heritage Interactive – thanks to Heather’s hard work.

Sunday 6th February 2011

Work on touch screen content for Wrexham Your Town in 1898 and 1950. Fourteen hours later… zzzz

Monday 7th February 2011

One week to go – the place is a building site with shopfitters, electricians, joiners, decorators, IT and AV installers everywhere! What appears utter chaos is actually very productive, even if Matty from Workhaus looks close to the edge at times.

The final deadline approaches as Terry from Workhaus lays down the law in a blend of determination and pragmatism:

Can we make sure that all the graphics the project are signed off today and all artwork has been forwarded to Quarmby’s. please!

We are now in the final week and not all the artwork has been approved? printing will need to completed for some areas no later than Wednesday to allow delivery to site and to complete the areas. Yes we may have some graphics that will not be ready but these should only be directional signs.

Sign off final displays for Gallery 1.

Tuesday 8th February 2011

EDM and AIVAF arrive on site. The Age of the Princes game and Smelly Olde Wrexham look fab. Nev and Carlos get to work fitting the Borough Reporter news reel into its wall after some initial concerns it was too large. Start writing all the short labels for the objects in the cases.

Wednesday 9th February 2011

The Armour lads are levelling the case. The doors are massive, yet Marcus seems to lift them singlehandedly into place. Matty and team secure the armature in place that will support the capstone after Steve and I discuss where it should go.

Brymbo Man zone in Gallery 1, 09.02.2011

The central case – early in the morning, 09.02.2011

The central case – later the same day, 09.02.2011

How many people can work in one gallery at the same time? 09.02.2011

Brymbo Man’s new home, 09.02.2011

Installing the central case, 09.02.2011

The Welsh text for the touch screens arrives in time. Work on a mini map of the museum with Nicky from Marketing. Bill and Stuart from Hanmer bring in the artefacts rescued from the 1889 fire at Hanmer Church.

Artwork for the object labels in the Curiosity Case at the entrance to the Hippodrome

Thursday 10th February 2011

Call into Wrexham Plastics to collect the label holders, and visit our off site store to gather as many bottles as possible for the Café case. Problems with the script documents for the Roman Remains touch screen mean I spend most of the day copying and pasting the various versions in English and Welsh into a final all encompassing document.

Brymbo Man zone – Matty and Mike fitting the graphics, 10.02.2011

The central case – the final fitting, 10.02.2011

Heaving the big screens into position, 10.02.2011

Richard from EDM is downstairs installing the prehistoric timeline interactive ‘The Dating Game’ into Zone 9. The lads from Workhaus and Fusion join forces to heave the four flatscreens into position in the Wall of Images and Andy from Armour and his lads finish the installation of the massive central case. Completing that case transforms the room. The door is on Brymbo Man’s case – Workhaus and Steve manoeuvre the massive capstone into its new place – hovering above the open cist.

Karen Education and Virginia Collections positioning items from the Welsh Football Collection in Gallery 2, 10.02.2011

Friday 11th February 2011

Probably the toughest day of the project. Three days to go and the galleries are packed full of people working hard to get the museum ready in time. The technology is struggling to do its job. The touch screen for Border Disputes is in Belgium rather than Wrexham. Synchronizing the screens on the Wall of Images is proving impossible. Dave (Centre Screen) hobbled in on crutches to install the film and will come back tomorrow to finish the job. James (Heritage Interactive) arrived bleary eyed from programming the content for the information points and quietly got to work. I was still sending over Welsh amends as his colleague stuck at it to meet the deadline. The café is full of plinths…

Steve and I lift, manoeuvre and jiggle the cist stones into the case and it looks so much better than before. Kaytee and team finish the displays in Gallery 3. The electricians arrive in the nick of time and promise to come back Monday first thing to finish connecting up the kit for the Crogen film. Eleri’s upstairs organising the text for the Corridor Case labels. Finally sign off the gallery labels as the final Welsh text arrives and is slotted into place. Gavin and Cain, the joiners, are here all day and we help lift the ‘plaque unveiling stand upstairs to the main courtroom.

Saturday 12th February 2011

Good progress made today: Esther, Eleri, Kaytee, Joy and Virginia help me to install the collections in Gallery 3. The Acton Dog is positioned in his case. The Jagusch coal sculpture and Gambrinus are in the corner cases by the Wall of Images.

Joy Local Studies & Esther Archives preparing objects for display, 12.02.2011

Caer Alyn group, just after displaying their finds, 12.02.2011

Eleri Education and Esther Archives prepare the Acton Dog for going on display in his specially made museum case, 12.02.2011

Matty, Terry and team install the final graphic panels in the gallery. The ceiling graphic goes into the entrance corridor and looks wonderful. It was really worth the effort seeking out some decent images for it. Slowly the main gallery is changing from a workspace into an amazing museum experience.

It’s 9pm in the evening and the Workhaus team are still here – putting the manifestations on the glass walls of the glazed extension.

Steve the Manager with Terry Hewson (Workhaus project manager, left) and the Workhaus lads, 12.02.2011, 22:00hrs

Sunday 13th February 2011

Everybody in. With the galleries cleaned, we install the objects in the People & Places case and the Big Case. Joy and Eleri tackle the fiddly label holders, while Esther, Virginia, Karen and I start positioning the plinths and the shelves ready for the objects to be positioned.

Brymbo Man’s new home, just before we sealed the case, 13.02.2011

Gallery 1, the night before the opening, 13.02.2011

Position the labels and arrange the display panels in Gallery 3. Finish just before the clock strikes midnight.

Monday 14th February 2011

Final tidy up. Install Neil’s cinematic posters celebrating historic events from Wrexham’s past in the old Hippodrome notice board. All the front of house staff are in their new uniform. Even Steve the Manager has a suit and tie on!!

The VIPs arrive including Professor John Davies, author of A History of Wales, and Cllr. Dutton, long time supporter of the museum. Speeches and the plaque is unveiled, later the mayor cuts the ribbon and the galleries are soon packed out. One job is completed and another begins…

Cllr. Bob Dutton, OBE., compère for the official opening, 14.02.2011

Professor John Davies, in full flow during his learned and entertaining speech at the official opening, 14.02.2011

Brymbo Bryn, the Museum Mascot, at the official opening, 14.02.2011

People’s re-opening of Wrexham County Borough Museum & Archives, 15.02.2011

People looking round Gallery 1, 15.02.2011

Wrexham County Borough Museum & Archives, 24.02.2011

Karen Education

1st July

Visited Penley Madras School to do a workshop on Toys in the Past. The children designed a mini-museum with the toys and had the opportunity to make a thaumatrope. Great fun was had by all.

3rd July

Took the main road show to Scientriffic at Glyndŵr University to show our zoetrope and to make more thaumatropes. People were fascinated by the weight of the chain mail and just how fit you had to be to be a ‘knight in shining armour’.

6th July

Took the main road show to the International Eisteddfod at Llangollen. The children enjoyed trying on the costumes, designing what they would like to see in their favourite museum and making thaumatropes.

13th July

Visited Victoria Junior School to work with some parents and children. We looked at Toys in the Past and had a good time playing with the replica games.

In the evening I visited the Acorns Youth Club in Penycae and met some children I had worked with when I visited Ysgol Penycae. This time we looked at Toys and Games. The children enjoyed the skipping and playing dominoes.

19th July

Visited Ash Grove Care Home to work with the residents. Took along some artefacts relating to life on the Home Front. Very interesting discussions about rationing and having evacuees to stay.

22nd July

Took the main road show to Ty Mawr Community Fun Day. A damp day didn’t deter the visitors from making thaumatropes and having a good time.

25th July

Took the main road show to Bellevue Park to help celebrate it’s centenary. Happy Birthday!

26th July

Visited the Buddies After-school club in New Broughton to look at Toys and Games in the past. The children created their own museum display and then had a good time playing with the replica toys.

27th July

In the morning I visited Victoria School holiday club to look at Toys and Games in the past. Again the children created their own museum display and especially enjoyed playing with the marbles and making thaumatropes.

In the afternoon I visited Gwern Alyn Care Home with the Toys and Games. Not much playing but a lot of discussion.

28th July

Visited Garth School to look at childhood in the past. The children dressed in costumes from different ages and then played with replica toys from those periods.

31st July

Bersham Heritage Centre hosted a World War I road show which was very interesting.

1st August

Attended ‘History Alive!’ at Bersham Ironworks with the main road show and a big thank you to all our helpers for their assistance with this.

3rd August

Visited Garth School to look at the work of J.C. Edwards and the children then designed their own tiles.

10th August

Visited Garth School to look at life during the war. The children had their own identity cards and we made model Anderson shelters.

11th August

Visited Friends After-school group at Acton Park School to look at life during the war. We made model Anderson shelters and talked about what it was like to be an evacuee.

13th August

Visited a group of Home Educators. They were also working with some loans boxes and having a good time washing the clothes and practising their best handwriting.

August 20th

Took the big road show to Bangor-on-Dee racecourse and had an object lesson in how to put up a gazebo (and take it down again) in a howling gale. Thank goodness for chainmail to weigh everything down on the tables.

August 22nd

Went with the road show to Brymbo Sports and Social Club to help Rowlands Chemists celebrate their 200th anniversary. The thaumatropes went down well, the star attraction here were the photographs.

August 24th

Visited Garth School holiday club with the mini ‘Museum on Wheels’ and looked at the Romans. The children enjoyed trying on the helmet and then we worked on some mosaic patterns of owls.

August 30th

Enjoyed a lovely day at Gresford Fete with the big roadshow. The sun shone and people enjoyed looking at the photographs and trying to match up famous Wrexham characters and the objects associated with them.

September 13th

Back in the office after a week learning about the Tudors and wondering how many meetings I can fit into a day!

September 15th – 22nd

Useful meetings with various groups to make progress with the corridor cases and with the audio-visual elements to the new gallery.

September 25th

Attended the launch of the Young Roots project at Caer Alyn.

September 27th

Attended a really good training day about the Foundation Phase which will be continued next month.

September 29th

Went to Alexandra School to work with Years 5&6. We looked at the Gresford Colliery Disaster.

Week beginning 4th October

Members of the Education Team from the National Library Wales are in town delivering workshops based in Ysgol Morgan Llwyd. It would have been nice to hold the workshops in the Museum but we are still officially designated as a building site.

5th October

Visited Alexandra School to work two groups of children who looked at some old toys and became mini curators creating their own displays which they ‘opened’ to the visiting public (the rest of the group). They also played with some replica toys.

7th October

Took the ‘Museum on Wheels’ to Ysgol Cynndelw After School Club. We looked at childhood through the ages and the children had the opportunity to dress up in the replica costumes and play with the appropriate toys. ‘Marbles’ were very popular but ‘Merrills’ was considered hard!

Week beginning 11th October

Members of the Education Team from the National Library return to deliver their second week of workshops. The participants are really enjoying this opportunity.

12th October

Met the group of pupils from St Joseph’s School who are going to help with the Corridor Case project for the refurbished museum. They started to think about the objects on display in a museum and what visitors would need to know. Next time I visit they will vote for their theme.

14th October

More training about the Foundation Phase and how the museum can enhance work done in schools.

15th October

Meetings about shop stock!!! Why did that make me think about Christmas lists?

19th October

Visited Bwlchgwyn After School Club to look at Seasonal Traditions of bonfires and ‘guisers’.

21st and 22nd October

Visited Cefn Mawr Primary School to deliver two World War 2 workshops to Years 5&6. The children designed some great gas mask masks amongst other things.

27th October

Visited Owls Out of School Club at Garth School to look at Seasonal Traditions, the ‘guisers’ won.

November 2nd

Lots of meetings regarding the corridor cases that various groups are helping to curate.

Visited Barker’s Lane After School Club to look at what life was like for the people of Wrexham during the war especially if you were a child. Very colourful Anderson Shelters were made as well.

November 3rd

Took part in a workshop which is coming to the museum in the new year. Great fun!

November 4th

Visited St Joseph’s School to find out the theme for their corridor case which is Childhood. The group are really looking forward to choosing the objects now.

November 5th

Final preparations for a pilot workshop to be delivered in school next week.

November 9th

Delivered the pilot workshop on the theme of the Tudors at St Mary’s Catholic School. Very interesting to see the children designing an outfit fit for a King and Queen.

Visited Darland School who are helping with the Corridor Case project to find out their theme. The group will be focussing on coalmining and in particular the Gresford Disaster.

November 11th

Joined in a poignant two minutes silence.

Attended the National Library of Wales President’s Evening and the opening of their exhibition in the Library.

November 13th

Took the big Roadshow to a Family and Local History Day at Yale College. No children but some very interested and knowledgeable adults.

November 15th

Lucky enough to have been invited to attend the filming of one of the films which will be shown in the new main gallery. Very interesting!

November 16th and 17th

Two very good days with Years 5 & 6 of Victoria School looking at Britain since the 1930’s but particularly Wrexham during the Second World War.

November 18th

Very interesting meeting with some participants in another film for the new gallery. There are some great stories just waiting to be told.

November 20th

Took the mini Museum on Wheels to Cefn Mawr. The photographs were a big success.

November 24th

Visited Victoria School to judge their Historical Wrexham project. Some excellent work had been produced and the decision was tough. Congratulations to all concerned.

November 26th

Interesting afternoon viewing the ‘directors cut’ of the film shot last week about the making of the Rossett Hoard! Very Hollywood! Thanks to Ancient Arts for all their help in making this such a success.

November 29th

The museum mascot has been named … welcome to BRYN. Many thanks to the pupils of St Mary’s Brymbo for all their help.

December 1st

Visited St Joseph’s School to start looking at objects for their corridor case and to think about the placing of the objects on display.

December 2nd

Took the ‘Museum on Wheels’ to the After School club at Ysgol Cynnddelw to look at traditional Christmas Crafts. The children produced some lovely cards and tree decorations.

December 7th

Davies Community Films at the museum to film some contributions for the ‘Hippodrome’ section of the new gallery.

December 8th

Took the ‘Museum on Wheels’ to Bwlchgwyn After School Club to look at Victorian Christmas Crafts. The children tried sewing some lavender scented tree decorations and made some cards, very creative and all that lavender smelled lovely.

December 10th

Took the museum mascot, Bryn, to meet the children at St Mary’s School, Brymbo, who had named him and who go to school just a few streets away from where ‘he’ was discovered in 1958.

Started to pack boxes as the office is being moved back to the museum building.

December 13th

More packing and the mini move back is underway! Wait until the turn of the year when the great move begins!

December 14th & 15th

Meetings and yet more meetings! Auditioned voiceover artists able to speak English and Welsh for one of the new audio visual presentations.

January 27th

Rhosnesni School visited the museum to make the final choice of objects for the Corridor Case and had a really good discussion about rationing. The rationed goods didn’t make the final display.

January 31st

The Friends of the Museum visited to make their final choice of objects for the Corridor Case. Who can remember the price of drinks in the 50’s?

February 1st

Oh my goodness, it’s February already! 13 days to go! At least the Corridor Cases have objects in them now.

February 2nd

Ideas for the panels in Gallery 2 sent to Martin for some design magic to happen.

Visit Bwlchgwyn Out of School Club to look at the Tudors. The children enjoyed dressing up and trying on the pattens (wooden over-shoes to keep your feet out of the mud). They all contributed to making a clove and orange pomander. Great fun!

February 4th & 5th

First drafts of the panels for Gallery 2 arrived, some minor tweaks but they look good.

Took some of the Roadshow activities to the Wrexham Histories Festival at Glyndwr University.

February 7th

Went to Ysgol Rhiwabon to lead an object handling session about Brymbo Man and the times he lived in. No, we didn’t take his skeleton just some replica artefacts.

February 8th

Give talk on Toys in the Past to Parciau Ladies Club. A few ladies tried the skipping ropes and the cup and ball and they were better than me.

February 11th

Start to clean the shirt holders ready for the cases in Gallery 2.

February 12th

Finish off the cases in Gallery 2. The first exhibition showcases some of the items from the National Football Collection of Wales. Who would make your Hall of Heroes?