Local History Centre

I was in Poole with my family, and visited Poole Museum - and the very impressive Local History Centre. It shows what can be done to bring a local history collections and old building to life! Something to aim for ...

A fantastic place!

More comments from the visitors book! Particularly impressive is the comment about the reception that the visitor had at the museum - they really weren't a friend or relation!!!

WANHS Library cataloguing trial using Google Books

I have just catalogued a sample of WANHS library books using Google Books. The results were pretty comprehensive, I could find most books, except for one printed in 1643, a theatre programme and one particular edition of a book published in small runs.

However, using Booksearch across the collection reurns a Server error - not great news.

I have added an RSS feed of newly catalogued books to the blog, and it might be possible to add it to the main website.

Seeking Roman Calne - the Hunt is ON

The Archaeology Field Group are just starting a new project to identify the location of the settlement thought to lie under modern-day Calne. the first stage is to ask people to bring pottery from their back gardens to be identified, and then we go form there.

The project was launched at the Calne 'Party in the Park', with over 150 people visitng the Museum's sand, many attracted by the chance to strike a Roman coin. One person was so interested, he came back with a small 9ct gold disk, which we both had a go at striking. Gold is, however, rather harder than the alloy we use! No wonder the romans used full-scale sledge-hammers to strike coins ...

200th birthday of Devizes Town Hall

Devizes Town Hall is 200 years old this year, and the event is being celebrated by a Ball, with the lucky people that got a ticket dressing, acting and dancing like those that went to the launch party! We hope that the museum will be helping with education activities, and also by having a Georgian- themed Family Day on the day following the Ball. It should be great fun - and some of my colleagues are already thinking about costumes ...