A-Z of Services

Wrexham Museum Diary - November 2010

John Exhibitions
Karen Education

John Exhibitions

November 1st

Meet Holt Local History Society & Caer Alyn Group. They’ve produced a couple of excellent films for showing in Gallery 2.

November 2nd

Researching medieval illustrations and costume for Age of the Princes snakes & ladder game.

November 3rd

Tested smells for Smelly Olde Wrexham on a volunteer family. The old river is truly rank and will be ideal for the evil smelling ditch that used to be in Eagles’ Meadow.

November 4th

Researching Victorian clothes and faces to supply to Neil Edwards, the illustrator for our reproduction 19th century local newspaper.

November 5th

Bonfire Night – you just can’t escape history, it’s everywhere!

November 6th

Out taking photographs in Gresford and around Wrexham’s historic streets for Neil’s illustrations.

November 8th

Researching for the cinema posters in the Hippodrome. Each poster will commemorate a local historic event as if it were a film.

November 9th

Deep in the archives finding material for the Wrexham Your Town database. There’s some great documents if you are patient.

November 10th

Meet Carl Parry, the illustrator, to agree artwork for the Age of the Princes game. Are you ready to take on the challenge and become prince of all Wales?

Draft artwork for the Age of the Princes snakes and ladders game.
© Wrexham Heritage Service/Bark Design

November 11th

Write interpretation for the Llay Hoard. The hoard is a collection of Edward I and Edward III coins found near Wrexham that will be on permanent display in the new gallery.

One of the illustrations created to help interpret the Llay Hoard.
© Wrexham Heritage Service/Bark Design

November 12th

Draft ideas for re-opening publicity to fit in with the theme: Fall In Love With Your New Museum.

November 13th

Attend Family & Local History Fair at Yale College. Debate of the day: were the original dogs on the gateway to Acton Park wooden or stone? Failed to convince people they were wooden.

November 16th

Checked initial ideas for the nineteenth century newspaper illustrations. Headed deep into the Welsh countryside for the filming of the Making of the Rossett Hoard.

Dave Chapman, experimental archaeologists, enjoys a brief break in the filming.

Some of the replicas used in the filming of the Making of the Rossett Hoard

Dave Thompson, film director, and Dave Chapman run through the final script for this section of the film.

Filming outside in the cold at night!!

Filming the fiery furnace while it is being stoked by Dave Chapman

Dave pours the molten bronze into the axe moulds.

Adam, one of the assistants at Ancient Arts, with the replica of the Rossett Hoard axe which he produced with Dave Chapman for the film.

November 17th

Researching the history of Holt Castle. Come up with theory why it was called ‘Chastellion’ or ‘Castrum Leonis’ – the castle of the lion – medieval times.

November 18th

Seeking out a suitable image of a heraldic lion for the Holt castle puzzle manufacturers. Meet local historian, Alister Williams, to learn about 17th century Wrexham.

November 19th

Final collections search in readiness for the big photographic session next week.

November 22nd

Set up studio in a backroom of the museum and the work starts in bringing out the selected artefacts one by one. David Heke, the photographer, is very professional and patient!!

November 23rd

Probably photographed nearly 250 objects by the end of the day. Just the awkward ones left to do!

November 24th

Really satisfying photographing some of the larger objects in the museum collection which are so hard to capture properly on camera.

Carefully transporting the Acton Dog into the “studio”.

David Heke and Virginia Bithell prepare the backdrop to limit any reflection off the glass.

November 25th

Clear Desk policy launched. First chance to see Border Disputes films. The Bard is terrific, the Burgess’s wife terrifying.

November 26th

Mammoth proofing session – checking all the texts for the Roman Remains touch screens. The first snow of 2010.

Sample pages from the Roman Remains touch screens. Produced to help our researcher, Sarah Pevely, organise the texts for the many sections she is writing. © Wrexham Heritage Service/Heritage Interactive Ltd

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November 29th

Big discussion over height of the smells in Smelly Olde Wrexham.

Design for the ‘dice’ for the Age of the Princes game.
© Wrexham Heritage Service/Bark Design

It was snowing when we moved out and as we prepare to move back in, the snow returns…

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.