April 2013

DAIRYMAIDS AND DINKY TOYS AT THE MUSEUM

Summer? Remember it? It seems so far away. The dictionary definition is ‘The second and warmest season of the year, coming between spring and autumn’. What happens if you didn’t have a spring?

Incredibly, we’re only a few weeks away from the Halesworth and District Museum’s summer-opening period, bringing with it longer opening hours and new displays. With an enthusiastic group of new volunteers to back up our service and with the encouraging knowledge that last year more than twice as many people visited our displays and events in the Museum and the Library, we’re keen to offer as much ‘open time’ as we can. So we’ll be open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10.00 to 12.30. And in the longer term we’d like to get back to some afternoon openings as well.

This year, Curator Mike Fordham is setting up two new displays. One will describe the intriguing story of dairy production – milk, butter and cheese – in our area, through from farmhouse activity to the heyday of the United Dairies plant in Bungay Road, which overlooked the railway station until its closure in 1968.

Elsewhere, and with children of every age in mind, there will be a display of toys and comics of yesteryear from the Museum’s collections, a chance to come along and reminisce with us or, if you’re very young, to be amazed at what kept us amused in the days before Atari, XBoxes and Wii.

The Museum’s summer season up at the Railway Station starts on 1 May. Come and see us. And don’t forget: if you can’t get there in normal opening hours, you can always ring Mike Fordham to try to arrange a special visit.