Category Archives: museum

Abingdon Museum: Guess the stairs to the roof

Guess the stairs to the museum roof
It is half term week and the Abingdon Museum staff are expecting more visitors up the museum stairs.

In the Attic Gallery there are models dressed in the fashions from 1066 to the 1980s. Inspired by a book on a millennium of fashion, Lisa Jayne Smith has dressed 110 models from Saxon and Medieval times through to the 20th century.

But how many stairs will you have to climb to visit the museum attic, or the museum roof? Find out in the following video. It also counts the number of stairs to the basement (12) and to the sessions hall (37).

MG 100 – Evolution of an Icon: A Report

The Abingdon County Hall Museum is hosting an exhibition titled “MG 100 – Evolution of an Icon,” commemorating the 100th anniversary of the MG brand. This exhibition takes visitors through MG’s history, highlighting the iconic models, record-breaking achievements, and influential figures who shaped the brand.

The exhibition begins in the sessions hall as a series of information boards, each board exploring one aspect of MG’s story. The exhibition continues upstairs in the attic area. You can learn about:

MG Early Days: Morris Motors and MG. MG Finds Identity. Rise of the MG Midget.
Lord Nuffield: The visionary owner and Managing Director of Morris Motors who played a pivotal role in MG’s development.
Cecil Kimber: The Managing Director who is credited with shaping MG’s unique identity.
MG Car Club: John Thornley founded the MG Car Club in 1930, fostering a passionate community of enthusiasts.
The War Years: The repurposing of the factory for wartime production of tanks.

The exhibition highlights MG’s post-war achievements with sections on:

The MGA: An export success, particularly popular in the USA.
Syd Enever: MG’s chief engineer, who played a key role in the MGA and MGB.
The MGB: Another iconic model that achieved great export success, especially in the American market.
The New Midget: A successful smaller sports car featuring a smaller engine.
EX Numbers: A section dedicated to ‘EX’ numbered prototypes and parts, not all of which reached production, showcasing MG’s spirit of innovation.
MG’s racing heritage: Racing drivers, George Eyston and Goldie Gardner
The End of MG Abingdon: The decision by BL to prioritize a Triumph model over the MGB, and other factors that led to closure of MG production in Abingdon.
MG After Abingdon: The brand’s continuation with production shifting to other locations including China.

Beyond the information boards, the exhibition offers :

Films: A film featuring Sterling Moss and an MG record-breaking car, and a documentary showing the process of lifting the last MGB into the museum.
Vehicles on Display: A showcase of MG car models in a display case allows visitors to see dozens of models together.
Additional Exhibits: The exhibition features various artifacts including a section of the assembly track, and design drawings by Peter Neal. He is now the club archivist who collaborated with the museum staff in making the exhibition.

For more details about the exhibition, visit the Abingdon Museum website: https://www.abingdon.gov.uk/event/exhibition-mg-100-evolution-of-an-icon. Admission FREE.

The museum is financed and overseen by Abingdon Town Council.

Abingdon County Hall Museum looks at options for New Lift as Old Lift is repaired

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The Abingdon County Hall Museum has a small lift from street level that can take visitors to the cellar area. It first opened in July 2012, but has been out of order for all of 2023. Repairs are now underway.

In 2010, plans to install a lift to the main gallery were rejected by English Heritage, who argued that it would have caused harm to the Grade II listed building. However, Abingdon on Thames Town Council, who run the museum, have said in the past that they are committed to making the museum more accessible and are currently considering options for a larger lift. The museum manager was asked in the finance committee meeting of June 2023 to report back on options, and money has already spent on the project of a new lift.

In the meantime, visitors to the museum who need to access the upper floors can use the staircase. The staircase is located at the back of the building and has 120 steps.

Lost

The Lost Monuments of Abingdon exhibition at Abingdon County Hall Museum explores buildings and structures that have disappeared from the town. The exhibition features a range of excavated artefacts and information boards. It opened on July 1st and runs until October 1st.

The lost monuments include:
* Abingdon’s Iron Age Oppidum (traces of a ditch indicate the iron age town’s defences)
* Abingdon Abbey Church
* Abingdon Market Cross
* Barrow Hills
* Mastervision TV Mast
* Union Workhouse (with model)

There is a video of Jeff Wallis, an archaeologist, walking around Abingdon and pointing out places where the Iron Age Oppidum and a Roman Temple have been excavated. An interactive map allows you to explore the locations of the lost monuments without visiting the museum at https://www.abingdon.gov.uk/lost-monuments-of-abingdon/tour.html.

I found the exhibition to be very informative and interesting. Thanks to local historians, the museum, and Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council, who run the museum.

Jeff Wallis leads a tour of ancient Abingdon on Sunday, 16th July. See https://www.abingdon.gov.uk/event/guided-walk-through-ancient-abingdon