After the usual winter closure, the Museum will re-open for 2022 on Thursday, 31st March. The Friends continue to maintain, operate and administer the Museum and we hope for a return of school visits and/or craft days this year. The Friends’ AGM will be held soon via Zoom, date to be confirmed.
Twelve Stewards resigned last year, making staffing exceptionally tricky but we have been able to recruit eight new people, largely due to the plea in last winter’s Newsletter. All are now trained. The total number of stewards is now 36.
The annual Spring Training Day was cancelled last year because of COVID-19 but was replaced by two Summer training sessions once the COVID controls were agreed. However we still need more volunteers, including workers, stewards, a storeroom manager and a Curator. We remain concerned that the pandemic could continue to deter volunteers from returning.
Although we still lack a Curator, our interim arrangements and Display Team seem to be working well. The Hollis Room’s 1960s theme will continue this year. Dorothy Stapleton takes most credit for creating this with its authentic clothes of the era, including by Mary Quant. Dorothy had notable help from Robin Christian & Chris Stagg. We think it evokes the happy, carefree Sixties spirit, especially in dress, music and soccer.
Our Summer Exhibition of paintings by the late John Ainley, a founder of the Leatherhead Art Club, is still provisional. The front bay window history displays initiated by the late John Morris are changed regularly and attract much interest from passers-by.
Important maintenance work has been undertaken inside and outside the buildings, and a 2.4m demountable LEATHERHEAD MUSEUM sail-mast will be in use by the front door. A new name board is proposed instead of the banner on the East façade.
The plaque commemorating Linda Heath’s bequest has been fitted on the west wall overlooking the garden and will be officially unveiled this year.
Some rationalisation of our artefacts is needed. The L&DLHS Bookham archive has now been relocated to the Priory storeroom. We particularly recommend that a store manager role be created.
We hope you will visit and enjoy the displays. Please also encourage your friends to visit –and buy!
Peter Humphreys & Duncan Macfarlane museum@leatherheadhistory.org