Fundraising Lecture by Lord Asa Briggs

History and its Neighbours on Saturday 31 March at 2.30pm.

Professor Lord Briggs (Asa Briggs), is perhaps the best-known living historian in Britain and he is giving this fundraising lecture for the Wiltshire Heritage Museum. He gives this description of his lecture:

Historians of all kinds are concerned with perspectives. How and why do they change? In my lecture I will draw on my own experience inside and, just as important, outside universities. I shall also draw on some of the remarkale experiences of your remarkable Society* founded in 1853. I have been as deeply interested in the relationship between local, national and global history as your Society has. I have deliberately chosen the same title for this lecture as I chose for my inaugural lecture as Professor of History at Leeds University in 1955.

Lord Briggs was formerly Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sussex and Chancellor of the Open University. He is a renowned historian and one of the most respected to write on the Victorian era.

*The Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, which owns and adminsters the Wiltshire Heritage Museum, was formed in 1853.

Tickets cost just £10 and you will be helping us to continue to maintain the nationally important collections we hold. We are an independent charity and only 10% of our income comes from public funding. We face an annual deficit in excess of £50,000.

The lecture will be at Devizes Town Hall and tickets can be purchased online, or by contacting the Bookings Secretary on 01380 727369.

Half-Term Holiday Activities at Museum

Workshops are being held on three days during the half-term holidays, and taking inspiration from our own collections, there is a different theme for each day.

On Tuesday 25 October children can be inspired by some of the Museum’s oddest objects to make their own Witch Bottle and engraved talisman for protection at Halloween! Mythical Creatures is the theme on Wednesday 26 October and, to celebrate The Big Draw, children will be able to meet a curious creature from the Museum’s own collection and create their own mythical creature. Parents can join in the fun on Thursday 27 October and be Rock Detectives, discovering more about rocks and fossils through a variety of activities.

Two workshops are held each day, starting at 11am and 1.30pm, the morning workshop is suitable for under 7s and the afternoon for ages 8 and over. Both workshops last approx 1½ hours. Cost is £3.50 per child and prior booking is essential - contact the Education Officer, Rebecca Warren on 01380 727369 or e-mail us.

Axe in our collections featured in the Times!

The Times has an article about Jadeite axes - and features the axe in our collections from Breamore!! To quote from the article "a superb example from Canterbury came from the same block as an axe from Breamore in Hampshire, although these two were made centuries apart".

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/article6497835.ece