ACCREDITATION
The Museum Libraries Archives Council has now awarded Athelstan Museum the status of Full Accreditation
The certificate will be displayed in the museum
Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this success
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MARK HORTON
The evening with Dr Mark Horton held in the town hall on 25th November was a great success. Mark is a family friend of Christine MacLachlan and he very kindly agreed to give a talk free of charge to raise funds for the museum.
The talk was entitled The Archaeology of 'Coast', the popolar BBCTV programme. Mark described in a vivid and entertaining style what goes on behind the scenes when making TV documentaries and he illustrated his commentary with some excellent slides.
The evening was attended by more than 100 poeple who enjoyed a glass or two of bubbly and some splendid canapes when they arrived.
The evening raised more than £1200 and particular thanks are due to Christine MacLachlan whose idea it was and who organised the event so successfully.
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"PRIZES"
Museums and heritage are an organisation dedicated to improving museum standards. Each year they hold a competition, "Awards for Excellence" under various headings for new museum projects. In April 2009 we were persuaded to enter.
With Phil Clayden who helped to design and fit the museum we put in an entry for the "Project on a limited budget" category.
There was much too-ing and fro-ing, trying to decide on the mot juste or the telling point and also to produce a DVD as back up material. Charley Graley, whose father, Simon was once Chair of Friends of Athelstan Museum produced the film for the DVD.
In May the judging of Museum and Heritage Awards for Excellence was completed and sadly, we didn't win!
The winner was Warrington Museum with an exhibition called 'Mr Smithies and the Lost Tombs of Peru'
All we can say is that it must have been a very, very good exhibition! We were told that our category attracted more entries than ever before and more than any other category so we don't feel too downhearted; we did well to be shortlisted. To be in the first 5 from 32 isn't bad and here is the certificate to prove it:
Congratulations and thanks to everyone, especially Phil Clayden and his team. See Phil's website:
www.solidart-furniture.com
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'St. ALDHELM'
A talk given by Jim Gunter at the museum on 9th March
St. Aldhelm – the most important Englishman ever – possibly : an intriguing title and the talk was even more intriguing. Jim Gunter, who is a professional archaeologist with his own company TALITS and an expert on Early Saxon England, gave the Friends of Athelstan Museum a wonderful and amusing talk on Aldhelm.
The museum was packed to hear him initially cast doubts on some of our versions of Malmesbury’s early history. He believes that Aldhelm was educated on Iona, and not by Maidulph (or Maeldub) at his hermitage in Malmesbury; indeed he thinks it likely that Maidulph never even existed!
He then went on to extol Aldhelm’s role in the 7th century as an intelligent and educated man, probably of royal descent who was uniquely able to bring the king and church together, who was able to act as king- maker and to establish the Christian faith firmly in this country. He influenced the law and its administration and fostered education. In short Aldhelm was the man who united the varied strands in that early society to provide the platform from which “England” was able to grow.
He was thus able to reassure us that Malmesbury, for Aldhelm was the first Abbot of Malmesbury Abbey, had played an important part in Saxon History – as, of course, everyone there already knew!
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