OMG!!! is what I have to say about Bournemouth’s Russell-Cotes Museum. And I’m not a person who says OMG.
Bournemouth’s Russell-Cotes Museum was such a lovely surprise. I’d put it on my list of things to do whilst I was in Bournemouth just because it was a thing to do. I didn’t know what to expect from it, but fortunately that has never stopped me wanting to explore somewhere new. I knew it was a museum and I knew it was in an old house, both things I like, so I was expecting to enjoy it. What I wasn’t expecting was to be so completely wowed by it.
This is the entrance way – what a fabulous first-view it is!
I walked round with eyes wide, jaw on the floor, and finger clicking away on my phone taking a zillion pictures. None of which really do it justice because it’s one of those places you have to see with your own eyes to believe.
Sitting beside Van Gogh’s bed, being surrounded by swirling stars and strolling through sunflowers are just some of the reasons why Van Gogh Alive is a must-visit experience.
When I first saw adverts for Van Gogh Alive I though it sounded … well, a bit silly really. And what would be the point of going to seeing replicas of his works when I’ve seen many of the originals, including having been to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam numerous times?
Then I started to hear the reviews and realised there might be a bit more to this exhibition than I’d thought. Finally I was convinced and booked a ticket for just before Christmas.
The nearest I’ll probably ever get to going to the moon.
I’d never heard of Jock McFadyen until the most amazing picture of a giant moon popped up as a Facebook advert.
I had to go to see the actual painting. Fortunately, the painting was part of an exhibition at the Lowry which is just a tram ride away. I hadn’t looked round the Lowry Gallery for years so was keen to spend a few hours in the gallery, revisiting the L S Lowry collection as well as seeing the Jock McFadyen exhibition (he’s the one who painted the giant moon, in case you haven’t guessed).
From Bonnie Prince Charlie’s cutlery to Dolly the sheep and from Lewis Chessmen to the St Ninian’s hoard, here are 9 reasons why exploring the National Museum of Scotland should be part of your Scotland itinerary.
The National Museum of Scotland might not be high on your list of must-sees when you visit Edinburgh, but you really should try to find the time to squeeze a visit in.
Here are 9 reasons why you should explore the National Museum of Scotland.
A kaleidoscope of colour and a cacophony of sound – everyone should go to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo at least once in their life.
This year I was lucky enough to go to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo for the first time. It’s one of those things I’ve always intended going to, but during the dates it’s on I’m either far too north or in a completely different country. This summer I did things a bit differently and built in a few weeks holiday based around Edinburgh so I could go to the Festival and the Tattoo.
I’ve only ever heard people talk about how wonderful it is and not once come across anyone disappointed with it, so I was expecting it to be good. But you know what? Even with my expectations already high, I was still blown away by it. It’s one of those things that you really have to experience to appreciate it properly. If I lived in Edinburgh or if it was at a different time, I’d go every year.
In case you’re planning to go next year, or even if you’re not sure what the Tattoo actually is and are wondering if it’s something you might fancy doing one day, read on for my Beginner’s Guide to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
I had a lot of questions before I went to the Hay Festival for the first time and you probably will too. So I’ve written a Hay Festival Survival Guide to answer them.
I’ve just returned from a fabulous week at the Hay Festival. It was my first time there and I really don’t know why it took me so long to actually get there. As it was my first time I wasn’t too sure of what to expect and so in case you’re planning to go next year I thought I’d write this Hay Festival survival guide whilst everything is still fresh in my mind.
The People’s History Museum documents the history of ordinary working people with posters, banners and artifacts.
I’ve been to this museum a few times before, sometimes for talks and sometimes to just look around it. I always manage to learn something new.
This time I was looking around with a friend’s daughter who is currently studying in Manchester. As she was originally from Manchester, but moved away as a child, this was a good place to re-introduce her to her roots. Continue reading “People’s History Museum, Manchester”
You don’t have to be a military history buff to be fascinated by the many stories told in this museum.
I’m not particularly into military history which was a bit of a problem when I was given a unit of local history to teach. The unit included lessons on the Lancashire Fusiliers which I was expected to plan myself. Fortunately Bury is home to the Lancashire Fusilier Museum so I took myself along one Saturday to do a bit of research and recce it for a potential class trip. Continue reading “Fusilier Museum, Bury”
I was only in Umeå because that was where the bus ended up and it was where I could pick up the night train back to Stockholm. I’d spent the summer walking northern Sweden’s Kungsleden trail and now I was on my way home. Continue reading “Västerbottens Museum, Umeå”
The British in India Museum is hidden away in a warehouse in Nelson (Lancashire). It’s not signposted and is difficult to spot. We drove past it several times before we spotted the sign over a side door to the warehouse reception area. As it’s closed at the weekend I’d already waited a long time for the chance to see it and so was determined not to let its camouflaged location beat me. Hardly surprising really that it ranks at one of the top five least visited museums in Britain.
The museum started life as the private collection of Henry Nelson who had served in India in the 1940s. He came home with a suitcase of souvenirs and continued to develop his collection and his interest. By 1972 he had enough to open a museum.
The museum is as museums used to be. It smells musty and is crammed with artifacts and memorabilia; everything from a tiger (complete with black and white photo taken of the party who shot it) to medals, newspaper cuttings to weapons and clothes to model soldiers. There’s a lot of information to read and even more to see. We walked round several times, each time seeing things we hadn’t noticed first time round.
The Indian Princely States could not afford war elephants, so they trained infantry on stilts to combat the elephants of their wealthy neighbours. The officer is on foot.
Originally the museum was housed in a building in Colne and it moved to its present location a few years ago after the death of its founder. His son now runs the museum, but it is a sideline to the warehouse. The entrance is shared with the warehouse reception. The man on reception walked us through to the museum and from then on we were left to our own devices. He told us that there are a lot more artifacts in storage, but it’s a massive job searching through everything and getting it all catalogued.
A rather ornate, but completely collapsible camping chair. It puts my canvas camping chair to shame.
Although it seemed obvious that the museum could do with a full-time curator and a new roof, as well as a bigger space, part of me hopes it will never change. There aren’t many museums left like this and visiting it is an experience in itself. And I like that I’ve been to one of the least visited museums in the country.
Detail from the top of a carved chair
I wonder what the number one least visited museum is? Maybe I could go there next?
I’m sure I had some of these as a child. They seem so politically incorrect now.
