"Rosemary" - As for Rosemarine, I lett it run all over my garden walls, not only because my bees love it, but because it is the herb sacred to remembrance, and therefore to friendship.
Sir Thomas More.
Saturday, July 30, 2005
New Feature - Herb of the Week
"Rosemary" - As for Rosemarine, I lett it run all over my garden walls, not only because my bees love it, but because it is the herb sacred to remembrance, and therefore to friendship.
Sir Thomas More.
What's Happening...
The museum has been incredibly busy over the past couple of weeks. The school holidays have really given us a boost. Even though we're still behind on numbers from last year we are now starting to catch up.
Work on the new window display has started. We had a fabulous donation of herbal remedies from Bristol's Frenchay Hospital Medical Museum which closed this year. Joyce has been researching all the plants to find their common names and uses, Carole has labeled them and they are now in the window on some very fine shelves that Graham whipped up from scratch last week. (I helped by drawing a line with a pencil.)
We also had a fantastic donation of items belonging to famous occultist William "Bill" Gray and some of these will soon be gracing the window as well.
A new board has been designed by John Hooper which reinforces the size of the museum. The building looks quite small from the outside and some people don't realise how much is inside. It has a floorplan and several photos of the interior illustrating the large amount of space and numbers of artefacts.
Retail has picked up with the t shirts proving very popular. Steve Patterson's unique Dark Mirrors are also doing very well.
As for general Boscastle news: Clovelly Clothing is charging ahead with the rebuild and is on track to reopen on August 16, exactly one year after the flood; the Riverside is now fully reopened; and a long (approx 200 metres) tunnel has been uncovered in the harbour which will be investigated by an archaeological team. Should be interesting!!
Work on the new window display has started. We had a fabulous donation of herbal remedies from Bristol's Frenchay Hospital Medical Museum which closed this year. Joyce has been researching all the plants to find their common names and uses, Carole has labeled them and they are now in the window on some very fine shelves that Graham whipped up from scratch last week. (I helped by drawing a line with a pencil.)
We also had a fantastic donation of items belonging to famous occultist William "Bill" Gray and some of these will soon be gracing the window as well.
A new board has been designed by John Hooper which reinforces the size of the museum. The building looks quite small from the outside and some people don't realise how much is inside. It has a floorplan and several photos of the interior illustrating the large amount of space and numbers of artefacts.
Retail has picked up with the t shirts proving very popular. Steve Patterson's unique Dark Mirrors are also doing very well.
As for general Boscastle news: Clovelly Clothing is charging ahead with the rebuild and is on track to reopen on August 16, exactly one year after the flood; the Riverside is now fully reopened; and a long (approx 200 metres) tunnel has been uncovered in the harbour which will be investigated by an archaeological team. Should be interesting!!
Monday, July 18, 2005
Off to Buckingham Palace
Back from London after a heat filled day at Buckingham Palace on Thursday July 14. If you haven't heard, Graham was invited to the first Garden Party of the season due to his efforts in the flood last year. He was the first emergency officer on the scene and called in the other rescue services. I was invited to tag along too.
There were around 8,000 people there so we didn't get to actually meet the Queen or any of the other royals but we had a nice look around a couple of rooms in the Palace and a rather teetering (for me in highish heels and with a dickie knee) walk around the Palace Gardens. It was incredibly hot and the papers reported that about 40 people fainted and had to be Red Crossed back to health. Graham was in his black Coast Guard uniform so he was almost one of them.
I've attached a photo of us in our glad rags on the way to the Palace. We weren't allowed to take photos while there. We have a lovely photo of Gerald Gardner at the gates when he went to a garden party in the early sixties which Graham wanted to replicate but it wasn't to be. Nice to follow in the old chaps footsteps though!
While in London we also popped in to Atlantis Bookstore to say hi to Geraldine, then on to the British Museum to check out John Dee's scrying mirror in the Enlightenment Hall. We were most amused when, later that evening, after an excellent meal in a central London restautrant, we had to be evacuated due to a fire in the building. We had to make our way through some rather acrid smoke as the restaurant was downstairs so we were extrememly pleased to get to fresh air. Do you think we're disaster prone??
The next night we were in a pub, looked up at the television and what should be on but yet another repeat of A Seaside Parish. Graham's fuzzy face was emblazoned across the screen along with those pictures of the flood. Most disconcerting!
Anyway we're back now and lot's of new items have arrived for sale in the museum shop. Steve Patterson has made some dark mirrors and some amazing witchposts from wood salvaged from the museum after the flood. The duplicate books are selling really well as are the miniature brooms. We've also had a delivery of some stunning athames and wands.
To answer a query re Graham's Landrover, yes he will be having a witch logo painted on the side. Until next time........
There were around 8,000 people there so we didn't get to actually meet the Queen or any of the other royals but we had a nice look around a couple of rooms in the Palace and a rather teetering (for me in highish heels and with a dickie knee) walk around the Palace Gardens. It was incredibly hot and the papers reported that about 40 people fainted and had to be Red Crossed back to health. Graham was in his black Coast Guard uniform so he was almost one of them.
I've attached a photo of us in our glad rags on the way to the Palace. We weren't allowed to take photos while there. We have a lovely photo of Gerald Gardner at the gates when he went to a garden party in the early sixties which Graham wanted to replicate but it wasn't to be. Nice to follow in the old chaps footsteps though!
While in London we also popped in to Atlantis Bookstore to say hi to Geraldine, then on to the British Museum to check out John Dee's scrying mirror in the Enlightenment Hall. We were most amused when, later that evening, after an excellent meal in a central London restautrant, we had to be evacuated due to a fire in the building. We had to make our way through some rather acrid smoke as the restaurant was downstairs so we were extrememly pleased to get to fresh air. Do you think we're disaster prone??
The next night we were in a pub, looked up at the television and what should be on but yet another repeat of A Seaside Parish. Graham's fuzzy face was emblazoned across the screen along with those pictures of the flood. Most disconcerting!
Anyway we're back now and lot's of new items have arrived for sale in the museum shop. Steve Patterson has made some dark mirrors and some amazing witchposts from wood salvaged from the museum after the flood. The duplicate books are selling really well as are the miniature brooms. We've also had a delivery of some stunning athames and wands.
To answer a query re Graham's Landrover, yes he will be having a witch logo painted on the side. Until next time........
John Dee's mirror
Graham checking out John Dee's scrying mirror at the British Museum - I believe it's polished Mexican obsidian
Monday, July 11, 2005
A Couple of Bits
Just a couple of new things to let you know about. Graham has finally taken delivery of his refurbished Landrover. A farmer from the PLymouth area donated his old Landrover to Graham when he heard his had been destroyed in the flood. Spookily our friend Ron, who had previously offered to do any Landrover restoration work we may need, lives on the farm next door to the donated one. Coincidence perhaps??! Any way, after a few initial hiccups all seems to be well and she is now taking pride of place outside the museum.
Another bit of recycling is also taking place in the form of a "new" pew. Graham had been looking for a bench seat to place near the shrine to enable people to sit and relax. At the local auction on the weekend we noticed a couple of bashed up old pews and successfully bid on one of them. It turns out they were from the Wellington Hotel and were rescued after the flood. It's now been sanded down, waxed up and looks rather fab.
We're off to a Garden Party in Buckingham Palace this week. Graham has been invited due to his services to the Coastguard during the flood. (We think that's why anyway.) We should have some interesting photos for the blog next week. that's if he let's me put one of him in a uniform on the site.
I've put in a couple of extra photos this week just because they're rather lovely. Graham took them on one of his early morning walks recently: a close up of a spider web covered in dew, and a far off shot of the White Tower poking out from the sea mist. Hope you enjoy them.
Another bit of recycling is also taking place in the form of a "new" pew. Graham had been looking for a bench seat to place near the shrine to enable people to sit and relax. At the local auction on the weekend we noticed a couple of bashed up old pews and successfully bid on one of them. It turns out they were from the Wellington Hotel and were rescued after the flood. It's now been sanded down, waxed up and looks rather fab.
We're off to a Garden Party in Buckingham Palace this week. Graham has been invited due to his services to the Coastguard during the flood. (We think that's why anyway.) We should have some interesting photos for the blog next week. that's if he let's me put one of him in a uniform on the site.
I've put in a couple of extra photos this week just because they're rather lovely. Graham took them on one of his early morning walks recently: a close up of a spider web covered in dew, and a far off shot of the White Tower poking out from the sea mist. Hope you enjoy them.
Friday, July 08, 2005
Pan
Last week we had a charming donation of a lively Pan figurine cast in Bronze. He was made by sculptor Barbara Foster and will shortly take pride of place in a new window display.
Our display of flood photographs outside the museum's front door has been replaced with a map and photos of the interior of the museum. The building looks small from the outside so we thought it important to show just how much space the museum takes up. The 3 boards of flood photos remain inside the entrance as people are understandably very interested in how we were affected.
We will be working to revamp our main window display as well. It had to be done very quickly to be ready for the re opening but we feel it needs a bit more "oomph".
We've been having problems with people parking in the museum spaces so when I was in Salem I picked up a rather fun sign which hopefully will deter errant parkers. (See photo)
Business remains steady but still a little behind last year. Regulars will be pleased to hear that the Riverside Hotel has reopened. I believe their restaurant will also be fully up and running next week. Clovelly Clothing is steaming ahead with their rebuild as well. The roof on the crypt at The Otherworld will also be finished in the next few days.
More soon
Our display of flood photographs outside the museum's front door has been replaced with a map and photos of the interior of the museum. The building looks small from the outside so we thought it important to show just how much space the museum takes up. The 3 boards of flood photos remain inside the entrance as people are understandably very interested in how we were affected.
We will be working to revamp our main window display as well. It had to be done very quickly to be ready for the re opening but we feel it needs a bit more "oomph".
We've been having problems with people parking in the museum spaces so when I was in Salem I picked up a rather fun sign which hopefully will deter errant parkers. (See photo)
Business remains steady but still a little behind last year. Regulars will be pleased to hear that the Riverside Hotel has reopened. I believe their restaurant will also be fully up and running next week. Clovelly Clothing is steaming ahead with their rebuild as well. The roof on the crypt at The Otherworld will also be finished in the next few days.
More soon
