Category Archives: heritage

Decanting a Museum

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Museum soon to close
As you can see, in the Sessions Hall, some cases have already been emptied.
Museum soon to close
Most of Abingdon’s collection is already deposited away in the museum store at Standlake, but there are some items stored away at the top of the stairs, on the top floor of the County Hall… an old gramophone, the bones of an Ichthyosaur, drawers for holding a printer’s typeset…
Museum soon to close
Everything is carefully photographed and labelled, then wrapped for safe transit.
Museum soon to close
Chris Gale is in charge of decanting the museum and is packing it all away into boxes.

Halfway up the museum stairs

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Musuem soon to close
At the end of the month the County Hall museum will close for redevelopment. The staircase is not going to be altered, although in the early days the idea to sink a lift up the central shaft was suggested.
Musuem soon to close
The staircase has been used in recent years to display a brief history of Abingdon.
Musuem soon to close
One display says ‘Entrusted to mother earth’ and tells of the collapse of Roman rule and the coming of the Saxons.
Musuem soon to close
Then about half way up the stairs one reaches the Sessions hall where the main exhibition, reception desk, shop and coffee shop are currently to be found …

Mieneke Cox Tribute Event

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Mieneke Cox Tribute Seminar
A line-up of nine local historians led a tribute event to the historian who inspired a generation… Mieneke Cox.
Mieneke Cox Tribute Seminar
It was a sell out event and took place in the west wing of St Helen’s Church.
Mieneke Cox Tribute Seminar
Pictured above are  Dick Barnes,  Jackie Smith,  Manfred Brod, Michael St John Parker, Sarah Wearne, and Janey Cumber.

The program involved
1. Roger Thomas – Tribute to Mieneke Cox
2. Jackie Smith – Christ’s Hospital
3. Dick Barnes – St Helen v St Nics
(Lunch)
4. Michael St John Parker and Sarah Wearne – Abingdon Grammar School
5.  Janey Cumber – Did the people of Abingdon miss the Abbey?
6.  Manfred Brod – The first Earl of Abingdon
(Break)
Allen Doig – Restoration of the painted ceiling in the Lady Chapel at St Helen’s
Peter Gale – History of the Town Museum
Ian Miles – Abingdon Pageants. He asked when are we next going to have a pageant involving the community or is the tradition to die?