Leatherhead Museum

At last, on Thursday 29th May, we were able to re-open the Museum after the accident in January. A good number were present to see Lucy Hanson, our Town Centre Manager, perform the ceremony at which both the museum and the craft weekend were declared open.
We had to buy two new display cabinets for the front room downstairs to replace those smashed by the car coming through the window. With lots of cooperation by the suppliers they arrived just over a week before the opening date and it meant that the new displays were mounted in rather a hurry but at least something was there when we opened.

We had already decided to change some displays during the shutdown and we had begun to prepare a case of pharmaceutical items containing some new items from Hewlin's pharmacy in Bridge Street. The pestle and mortar, which had spent some years in the museum garden since it was presented to the Society by the developers in 1984, had deteriorated and we had restored this ready for display. At the time of the accident it was in the front room but luckily the damage it received was fairly easily repaired. This is now in the window together with other appropriate items.

Soon after we re-opened Caesar's Restaurant opposite was being re-furbished and a large Chemist's sign was revealed over the door of 25, Church Street from when it was Brownes the Chemist. This was given to the Society and it now forms part of the window display.

Whilst we were closed the 'behind the scenes' work carried on and considerable progress has been made with recording the Society's collection. Also during the extended closure a number of interesting acquisitions were donated to us and we decided to feature some of this in the new displays.

We received a comprehensive set of joinery tools which were donated by the family of their original owner and some are being shown in the front downstairs gallery. We also acquired some laboratory test equipment from two of the research associations which used to form an important part of the town's work activity. These were from PIRA (Paper Industries' Research Association) and ERA (Electrical Research Association) and include an optical bench, a spectrometer, two pocket saccharimeters, 2a pyrometer, two tumble pots, some specialised test equipment for paper research and a chemical balance. Another weighing device, also on display, is a set of GPO counter scales made around 1852 by de Grave, Short and Fanner which were found to have a connection with Fetcham.

Have you heard of P.A.M. radios? Well we hadn't, but one of the recent accessions is a portable made by them. It looks older than it is (late 1940s) and appears hand-made. Anyway we discovered that P.A.M. made radios in Merrow, by the railway sidings, and that they had a shop in Guildford. Another new item on display was given to us after it was recently removed from a local house. It is a length of PVC insulated cable made by the General Cable Manufacturing Company which had a large cable works in Kingston Road for many years and was one of the larger employers in the town.

As well as additional work caused by the accident routine work also continues; we had to empty one display cabinet in order to change the lighting transformer which was under the plinth. Our thanks to Mr and Mrs Exwood for replacing the artefacts on display again. The convector heater in the front room has failed and so that will probably mean another repair or replacement. At least, now that the public are coming again we are getting donations in the box which all helps the Society with running costs.

We hope to improve the displays which were hurriedly put together in the few days before the opening but we feel that we have made enough changes to prevent members saying "Oh, I've seen the Museum already". Please try to pay us a visit before we close in December, it gives a lot of encouragement to those who help the museum in any way.

News from the Friends of Leatherhead Museum
The last few weeks have been busy ones, the high point being the re-opening of the museum on Thursday 29th May. The Friends were pleased to help with this important event, organising working parties to dust, clean and polish the museum and tidy and restock the garden. Everything sparkled including the workers and our thanks go to Margaret Longstreeth, John Millard, Goff Powell, Lindsay Trim, Ruth Aldridge and Margaret Pettit for their enthusiasm and hard work.

The opening ceremony attracted over 40 people with two reporters and two photographers recording the event - look at Richard Trim's photos which are on display in the museum.

The opening coincided with the first of three Craft Days 'the magic of Woodland' organised by Julia Lack and Robin Christian in which adults and children were instructed in the art of hurdle and besom made from hazel wood, a replica of which they could take home. On the Friday Justine Munson came with her potter's wheel and with great skill and patience encouraged people to make their own clay pot which could be taken away. The Mole Valley Quilters also demonstrated the art of patchwork and invited people to create their own patchwork flower mounted on a frame. Saturday saw the return of the popular Epsom Spinners with their spinning wheels, carding and braiding. The origin of silk and how it is spun was demonstrated and we were told of the joy of keeping alpacas, something for which you might need a handy field! The three craft days attracted 179 visitors, including 74 children.

Coffee Morning 21st June The day began wet and drizzly but things brightened up later and we had a record 80 plus people come to the museum. A great display of plants for sale outside encouraged 10 people to come in, have a cup of coffee, guess the name of the teddy bear, win a raffle prize, buy a cake or take away a choice item from the bric-a-brac stall. We were pleased to see members of the Society and Friends although some were involved with Bookham village day. Grateful thanks to members of the Friends Committee for their help and to Roly and Pam Edwards, Michael Perks and Carole Neeser of the Leatherhead Horticultural Society for their generous donation of the plants making the day an enjoyable and happy occasion.

Education The Friends are involved with the programme Learning through Landscapes which is a Heritage Lottery funded project aimed at encouraging children to look at the surroundings, buildings, flora and fauna around their school. Fourteen pupils from St Andrews school in Ashtead were taken on the museum's Mole trail, down Church Street, past Thorncroft Manor and the Shell bridge and the beautiful riverside walk. They were challenged to think where the Mole started ( Boxhill was one thought!) and to look at the plant life, fish and birds. The mating habits of the dragonfly produced a spark of interest and they then went off to sketch an aspect which took their fancy. Rewarding but hard going! Future ventures will be the Victorian classroom and looking at maps and the location of schools in the area.
Dr Fred Meynen

Volunteer Stewards Needed
The work is rewarding as it involves dealing with the public, receiving artefacts, answering queries and learning about local history.
Training is given, so come along and meet us - we are a friendly crowd. Please tell your friends and if you need more information give me a call.
Dr Fred Meynen 013 72 3 72930

Coffee Morning at the Museum Saturday 21st June
10am to 12.30pm. Stalls with plants, cakes, bric-brac, books and a raffle. Everyone welcome, free admission.
Come and visit your local museum.

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes the Leatherhead Museum has finally reopened after being damaged in a freak car crash earlier this year. Much of the front of the museum was destroyed in January when a car, which was turning left out of The Crescent, crashed through the front of the building on Church Street, Leatherhead. There were even fears that the 17th century Hampton cottage would collapse.

But despite the severity of the damage the museum was finally reopened last Thursday afternoon by Lucy Hanson, Leatherhead's town centre manager. Alan Pooley, 69, the museum manager, spoke to the Advertiser about his relief at seeing the museum back on its feet. He said: "I think that as the museum is run on a completely voluntary basis by people who are passionate about local history it hit us all a lot harder when the accident happened. We have been very keen to get the museum open as soon as possible and it is a great relief that this has been done slightly ahead of schedule."

The front of the museum had to be completely rebuilt to resemble its previous style. The oak display cabinets which were destroyed during the crash have also been replaced by modern glass display cabinets worth £1600. A week before the opening of the museum Friends of Leatherhead Museum began an extensive clean-up and cataloguing operation. John Morris, 68, the treasurer of the Leatherhead and District Local History Society, said: "We have had a huge job to do with cleaning all the exhibits and putting them back in the museum. The good thing is that we actually have a little bit more exhibiting space now because the new cabinets are larger."

At the event it was also announced that the museum received £7500 in donations to go towards getting wheelchair access to the building. County Councillor Tim Hall (Con, Leatherhead and Fetcham East) gave £2,500 from his local allowance and the rest came from private donations.

The museum's opening kicked off a series of craft days, organised by the Friends of the Museum, during which visitors were taught a number of ancient arts including broom-making, pottery, patchwork and spinning. The History Society have also planned a celebrity sock raffle, to take place on September 19, where the socks of seven famous names including Tony Robinson and Michael Aspel are going on sale to raise money for the museum's upkeep. Tickets cost £1 and are available from the museum.

Press Release from the Leatherhead & District Local History Society 14 May 2008

LEATHERHEAD MUSEUM OPEN AT LAST
It was to have been in the first week of April but many will know that in January, Leatherhead Museum suffered a devastating blow when a motor accident destroyed the front of the building and many of the contents. It has been ‘all hands to the pumps’ to restore the building, to make it safe for visitors and to replace the exhibits. At last this has been achieved, and the museum is ready to open its doors to the public.

The opening ceremony will take place at 1pm on the afternoon of Thursday, 29th May. It will be performed by Lucy Hanson, Leatherhead’s Town Centre Manager.

This date coincides with the launch of a favourite event, the Crafts Week-End. Each day until Saturday, 31st May demonstrations will take place during which experts at various crafts show their skills to the visitors. Armed with the necessary equipment the experts will explain the intricacies of pottery, patchwork, spinning and woodland crafts. At the same time the newly reinstated museum exhibits will be on show, and will continue to be there until the museum closes in December.

Leatherhead Museum offers a warm welcome to allcomers (grown-ups and children alike). It is situated in Church Street at the junction of The Crescent. Opening times are : Thursdays and Fridays from 1pm to 4pm and Saturdays from 10am to 4 pm. Contact can be made by phoning 01372 386348 or visiting the website at www.leatherheadlocalhistory.org.uk

Leatherhead museum is struggling to reopen following a disastrous car crash earlier in the year. The crash, which happened in the early hours of Sunday, January 6, left the front of 17th century Hampton Cottage badly damaged. A car smashed into and became embedded in the front of the building. It had to be removed by specialist teams amid fears the fragile building could collapse. Much of the interior of the Church Street cottage had also been damaged with two display cabinets containing books and archives destroyed. Historical artefacts such as pottery and china from the Victorian and Edwardian eras were also smashed in the calamitous collision.

But to many in the Leatherhead and District Historical Society it is the long-term effects of the crash that are most frustrating, as the repairs have taken much longer than expected. John Morris, the society's treasurer, said: "The museum should be open by now because we normally start at the beginning of April. But it has taken us almost three months from the accident to getting the initial repairs done." He added: "It is very disappointing for the stewards of the society who are raring to get back in and start greeting the public, but you can't have that if you have got nothing to show them."

photo: Haslam, 19 Apr 08: click for detail

However it is not all bad news, as much of the original frontage of the museum has now been restored to its former glory. Members of the society are now cautiously optimistic for a late May or June reopening. Fred Meynen, chairman of the Friends of Leatherhead Museum, said: "It all seemed to happen last week - suddenly all the windows were in place. "We are jubilant that we seem to be on track now and it is very positive that the outside of the building looks how it did before the accident occurred."

But there is still much work to be done, and although the outside has been restored, the interior is still a work in progress.
Gordon Knowles, the chairman of the museum's trustees, said: "The inside is a bit of a mess at the moment. There is still an awful lot of clearing up to be done."

Leatherhead Museum is shortly to undergo remedial work to restore the damage caused by the car crash which wrecked the front of the building last January. The museum normally reopens for the season at the start of April but this will be impossible owing to the amount of work that still needs to be done. There will be delay at least until May or perhaps even June depending on the rate of progress with the restoration.

Besides the work to ensure its structural soundness much needs to be done to restore the interior, the displays and the furniture. Some additional improvements are planned for the exhibits on the upper floor but these must wait until the load-bearing capability is assured. The funding of repairs is covered by insurance, however the Trustees are endeavouring to raise funds for the future maintenance of the 400 year old building. An appeal is in full swing.

Activities One of the aims of the Friends is to publicise the museum and the History Society and to this end we used the barrow in the Swan Centre which is provided free by the management. We chose market day 30th August as it was market day and hoping to attract the lunch time shoppers. We handed out leaflets and a membership form and although the town was rather quiet we had an increased number of visitors to the museum on that day, well worth the effort.

The Friends helped with the History Society's evening soirée held on 28th September at the museum, a social event to encourage members to come and see the changes in the museum and also to introduce a friend. Despite a damp start the evening was judged a success with mulled wine and a fine spread of canapés, cheese and biscuits to enhance the evening. A full report follows.

We have been providing hanging baskets and plantings for the museum garden and Lindsay Trim and Judith Wilson have provided the feminine touch with fresh flowers.

Stewards We welcomed two new stewards Stephen Turner and Richard Marshall and hope that they will find their work rewarding and enjoyable with us. Museum stewards are crucial to the museum and they have the reputation of providing a friendly and welcoming reception for the visitors. The Committee are holding a Christmas party for stewards and volunteers as a 'thank you' for all their hard work and effort for the museum and will be held on Monday 17th December at The Institute 7.00pm for 7.30pm.

Future Events
15th December - Museum closes till 3rd April 2008
17th December - Stewards and Volunteers party

Fred Meynen

from the August 2007 LDLHS Newsletter
At a recent meeting we welcomed Goff Powell to our committee which now consists of Fred Meynen (chair), Margaret Longstreeth (secretary and membership), Gwen Hoad (treasurer) and members Julia Lack, Alan Pooley, Goff Powell and Pat Seymour.

Craft Days
The three craft days in June attracted 135 visitors of whom 45 were children. In presenting ‘The Magic of Woodland’, Robin Christian introduced children to making a model hurdle fence and a besom out of hazel sticks, and Julia Lack helped them to create their own piece of woodland in a sand tray. She also encouraged them to recognise woodland birds and butterflies. On the second day Justine Munson brought her potter’s wheel and Meredith Worsfold his jigsaws, and on the final day the Epsom Spinners came to demonstrate the theme ‘from fleece to finished garment’. On every occasion the emphasis was on ‘having a go yourself’, and the children were able to take away the products of their craft.

Coffee Morning and Sale
We had a good attendance with the various stalls which brought a record profit. This year we carried on into the afternoon with the stalls offering plants, cakes and bring-and-buy objects, and I am grateful to all the members and helpers for their hard work.
Both the craft days and coffee morning attracted new visitors to the museum, and the craft days received good coverage in “The Leatherhead Advertiser”, all of which help to advertise and promote the museum.
Fred Meynen

MUSEUM APPEAL - EXHIBITION AND PROGRESS REPORT
On Saturday and Sunday 8th and 9th September as part of the Heritage Weekend there will be an exhibition in support of the Museum Appeal at the Letherhead Institute. Schemes to enhance the appearance of the museum will be on display. There are currently three alternatives being examined by the trustees who will value your comments and suggestions. Opening times are from 10am to 4pm. I would welcome offers of help with the exhibition.

The appeal is continuing to attract donations but there is some concern that there are very few smaller donations so far. Almost all donations have been for £50 or more. Larger donations continue to be welcome but the trustees wish to be able to thank supporters who are able to give £5, £10 or £20 as well as those who can afford to give more.

The story so far. The first 10 donors gave £613 and an income of £284 per year by standing order. The first 20 donors brought the totals to £2,023 and (by standing orders) £412. By 30 the totals were £2,714 and £635. By 40 donations had reached £3,762 and £743. The latest totals are £4,596 and £743. The regular donations are very important : they provide a breathing space during which time we can build up an endowment which will provide a regular income of £1,500 per year to keep the museum ticking over.

So far donations have been spent on:
• Maintenance of gutters
• Repointing the flint base wall between the front and middle downstairs rooms of the museum
• Renewal of the back door and rerouting the down pipes between Hampton Cottage and Devonshire House so that the water from the roof is no longer discharged on to the ground.

We need future funds to:
• Improve ventilation
• Excavate the path between Devonshire House and the Museum. This path is 18" above the museum floor. The ground needs to be 6" to 9" lower than the floor to prevent damp seeping sideways into the museum.
• Some windows need to be repaired
• Also, if it is practicable, the trustees would like to improve wheelchair access.

from the May 2007 LDLHS Newsletter
Leatherhead Museum re-opened to the public on 5th April after its winter closure. During the time that the museum has been closed the displays have been refreshed and now virtually all the display cabinets have been recently acquired and fitted with internal illumination.

As well as containing general artefacts from past times, back to Roman times, the Leatherhead and District Local History Society attempts to use its museum as a record of many of the activities of some of the major trades and industries in the area. They have major displays about Goblins, Ronsons and The Ashtead Potters.

You can learn the story of H Cecil Booth who was the inventor of the vacuum cleaner and learn of its development and how he brought his Goblin company to Ashtead just before the Second World War and established the business in the factory which had previously been used by the Rayon Manufacturing Company. They also made automatic tea making machines (Teasmades) and as well as many vacuum cleaners the museum has a large selection of Teasmades many of which are on display. Goblin also bought the Magneta Time Company and the master and slave clocks in the museum were made in Ashtead and were used in the Preston Park (Brighton) telephone exchange.

Ronsons also came to Leatherhead in the late 1930s, and from a small operation at Dorincourt they developed the manufacture of cigarette lighters until they were the largest employer in the town having built a large new factory in Randalls Road. Leatherhead Museum has a representative selection of Ronson lighters, both pocket and table lighters, fuelled by petrol and later butane. They did not only make lighters, however, as shown by the displays of gas candles, blow torches, pipes, hair dryers, electric shavers and electric toothbrushes.

The museum is justifiably proud of its collection of products from Ashtead Potters Ltd. This enterprise was set up in 1922 by Sir Lawrence and Lady Kathleen Weaver to train disabled ex-servicemen or their dependents in the manufacture of pottery. The pottery was in operation until 1935 during which time they produced a wide range of items, mainly of art-deco design many of which are in the Society’s collection and a good proportion are on display in the museum.

As well as the three manufacturers mentioned above reference is made to the Cable Manufacturing Company, Burney and Blackburne and Stanley Steam Cars. It is certain that there are still many folk living in the area who would have worked at one of these companies and would enjoy a nostalgic visit to Hampton Cottage in Church Street. The museum staff would also welcome any information which these visitors could tell them about the companies and their products.

This is a small museum which has recently been accorded Accredited Museum status and is well worth a visit, or even a re-visit.

Although they are tiny, one of their most recent displays concerns the Leatherhead Aviation Service and features the propeller from one of the aircraft operated by that company.
© P.Tarplee
March, 2007

from the May 2007 LDLHS Newsletter
NEWS FROM THE FRIENDS OF THE MUSEUM
Stewards: Briefing or training sessions were held in March. These are necessary to comply with accreditation regulations and were enjoyable as well as being instructive according to those present. A quiz dealing with procedures for the acquisition of artefacts was arranged by Alan Pooley, and first aid included a dramatic incident requiring resuscitation! The Friends can arrange to hold a two hour first aid session to include resuscitation in conjunction with the Red Cross for any members of the Society, Friends or Stewards who would like to brush up on their first aid. Please let me know if you are interested in joining such a session.

Ripley Visit: Fourteen members enjoyed the visit in March to the Ripley museum in glorious spring-like weather. The museum is smaller than ours, and is housed in an old Barclays bank building which was transported from the centre of the village to its present site next to the village hall. Les Bowerman, Chairman of the Local History Society, then gave us a guided walk through the village, pointing out buildings of architectural and historic interest, the oldest being a cottage dating back to 1391. Lunch was taken in the Talbot, an old coaching inn which Nelson was supposed to have visited. Later some time (and money!) was spent in the adjoining antique market.

The highlight of the visit was to Send Manor, home of Les Bowerman who had on display a selection of his collection of vintage bicycles including a German running machine, bone shakers and penny farthings with instructions by Les how to get on and off. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge and love of bikes, Ripley having a long association with cyclists coming from London.

Future Events: Craft days will be held at the Museum on Thursday to Saturday, 31st May, 1st and 2nd June. These will offer hands on experience for children and adults.

The Magic of Woodland with demonstrations of woodland crafts and forest management can be watched on Thursday 31st between 1pm and 4pm.

On Friday 1st June between 1pm and 4pm Justine Munson will bring her potter’s wheel and Meredith Worsfold his jigsaw, and on Saturday 2nd June from 10am until 4pm, the Epsom Spinners will come with their spinning wheel and looms encouraging you to have a go.

Coffee Morning: Our traditional Coffee Morning at the Museum will take place on Saturday 9th June from 10am until 12 noon. This will feature bring-and-buy and plant stalls, a cake sale and a raffle. Please support this event . The proceeds go to raise money for the Museum.
Fred Meynen, Chairman of TheFriends.

from the May 2007 LDLHS Newsletter
ARCHAEOLOGY REPORT
Here is a list of Forthcoming Events : -
Friday 22nd June 2007
The Normans in Normandy - The Normans in England (What the architecture tells us about the differences between them) – a Lecture by Professor Eric Fernie, CBE, FBA, FSA, FSAS of The Surrey Archaeology Society.
An illustrated lecture & reception at the Menuhin Hall, Stoke D’Abernon .
Advance booking is required. Application forms are available from the Museum.

National Archaeology Week, 2007
Saturday 14th, Thursday,19th, Friday, 20th & Saturday, 21st July
The programme for this years’ National Archaeology Week which runs from 14th to 22nd July. It will be presented at the Leatherhead Museum on the above dates.

The Standing Exhibition will feature : -
Artefacts from Roman Villa site at Ashtead ,
Roman box-flue tile & brick production from Ashtead,
Bridges & tunnels in the Leatherhead District,
Aerial Photographs and Archaeology,
Ice Age Network,
An exhibition of the work of the Portable Antiquities Scheme

Hands on Demonstrations
Saturdays, 14th & 21st July
From 1pm until 4pm Justin Munson will be showing Pot Making for children and parents

On all Museum open days from: 10.00am – 1.00pm
Reconstruct Archaeology – Romano-British box-flue tile demonstration and application of roller patterns, combing, scoring. Experiment and make your own original patterns.

Finds Day with David Williams Saturday 21st July,10am – 1pm
Meet David Williams the Surrey Finds Liaison Officer – David is interested to meet all new and established metal detectorists to look at their discoveries, to identify and record their collections.

Members of the public are also welcome to bring along artefacts discovered in their gardens or whilst out walking.
David recently appeared in the Channel 4 Production – Time Team’s “Big Dig” at Godstone, Surrey.

Saturday 21st July - Meet the Metal Detectorists
John Cole & Bill Meads have been invited to the Museum to give a demonstration on the use of Metal Detectors in support of the work of the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

John & Bill were involved in the Channel Four production of the Time Team’s ‘Big Dig’ : John at Buckingham Palace and Bill at Windsor Castle. They have also been very active in providing a very useful service to the Hatch Furlong dig at Ewell for the second year running. The timing of this event will be confirmed on the posters.

Just come along and have some fun’ and support your History Society and Local Museum. All the events are free.
David Hartley

from the Feb 2007 LDLHS Newsletter
LEATHERHEAD MUSEUM : THE 2006 SEASON AND A LOOK AHEAD
Last year we recorded 1461 visitors, an average figure, but 200 less than the previous year which of course included the birthday celebrations.

Marianne Tate from the Grange Centre who helped us one morning a month, abstracted data from the Visitors Book. This indicated that
50% came from our immediate area,
25% from London and the close South-east,
14% from elsewhere in England and
12% from Europe and the rest of the world.

In this last category we recorded visitors from: Australia, Austria, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Hungary, India, Ireland, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Poland, Seychelles, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and USA.

Whilst this may just seem of casual interest, analysis such as this is a necessary part of the work that has to be done behind the front if we are to develop and improve the service that we give to the public.

Planning for 2007
Even before the season closes, we have to look forward and prepare for the new one, This time, there will not be any significant changes in the displays : however, attention will be drawn more to the industrial and trade history exhibits in the upstairs front room.

For quite a few years, Graham Evans the Curator has set out and put together both the permanent and in particular the temporary displays, the highlight being in my opinion the story of the Titanic. We are sad to learn that he is planning to move, and thus there will later this year be a vacancy for an honorary Curator. Since our earlier appeals we have gained some help ‘round the back’ , but we are still desperately short of helpers, in administration, in dealing with conservation assessments and in other fields.

Bairstow Eves, the estate agents across the road, have once again very kindly allowed us, at no cost, the use of their meeting room for our Stewards’ briefing sessions that will take place in March. Stewards, the public face of the Society and of the Museum, are regarded in law as being effectively employees of the Society [albeit unpaid], and thus these sessions form a very important part of the operation of the Museum.
The Museum is flourishing, and I look forward to the new season. I would however just like to prod the few members of the Society who have not been in the Museum recently (and I know there are some), to come and have a look.

from the Feb 2007 LDLHS Newsletter
NEWS FROM THE FRIENDS OF THE MUSEUM
We ended last year with a flourish if not a bang when the Friends Committee held their annual Christmas party for stewards and volunteers together partners and spouses. There was a record turnout and it was good to meet our new stewards who have swollen our ranks and decreased the average age ! Our Society owes a great debt to the stewards and volunteers, the latter working behind the scenes cataloguing, indexing and boxing the artefacts, and dealing with a thousand and one other tasks to keep the museum running. Our museum has the reputation of being a well run ship and noted by visitors as being a "friendly place to visit".

Friends Events for 2007
8th, 9th and 17th March. Stewards briefing sessions
14th March. Joint visit with the History to Society Ripley Museum. This museum is even smaller than ours and the visit is to peep behind the scenes, followed by a guided walk around the village, lunch in a local pub and then a visit to a unique collection of vintage bicycles belonging to Les Bowerman, chairman of the local history society, and not generally open to the public.

5th April. Museum opens
23rd April. Friends Annual General meeting.
Refreshments and meeting followed by a short talk.
19th May. Swan Centre stall advertising the Craft Days and the
Museum
31st May, 1st and 2nd June.
Craft Days at the museum especially with hands-on experience for young and old.
9th June. Coffee morning at the museum with bring and buy, cake
and plant stalls etc.
1st September. Swan centre stall advertising Heritage Days
17th December. Stewards and Volunteers Christmas party
15th December. Museum closes
Fred Meynen

from the Nov 2006 LDLHS Newsletter
Leatherhead Museum of Local History has just been awarded Accredited Museum status.

This is the successor to the Registered Museum status that we have had over the last six years and it has been achieved through quite hard work in demonstrating to the Museums Libraries and Archives Council that we have in place the practices, policies and facilities that meet their exacting standards.

We have admitted that there are deficiencies in our standards of care of the artefacts and in other procedures but they obviously have accepted our proposed programme of work over the next few years to mitigate the deficiencies. However we will never achieve the deadlines or maintain a professional operation unless we develop a team of volunteers in addition to the few who already do sterling work around the back.

For example, we have a list of all the artefacts that are recorded as being in poor condition, and the first stage is simply to physically examine them and see if any conservation is required and thus determine if we have a problem — no specialist skill required, just common sense.

We have secretarial type work sitting around undone. We need a team of volunteers specifically to handle housekeeping duties. We need volunteers to undertake Health and Safety and Fire Safety inspections. These latter matters are mandatory legal requirements and again no specialist skill is needed, we have procedures already established, waiting to be implemented. We need help in the processing of new artefacts — (they don’t get recorded and marked by the fairies unfortunately). It may be that a few volunteers might choose to make a regular time at the Museum say a Wednesday afternoon or perhaps come at other times, whilst others as and when, We are looking for suggestions, and if you think that you might be interested then please let me know, and depending upon the response we hope to call a special meeting to establish arrangements.
Alan V Pooley 01372 374093