A. Wool Holder - holds a ball of wool and is slung over wrist while knitting.
B. Fossilised Sea Urchin - 160 million years old.
C. Skirt Lifter - when attached to a length of ribbon it enabled women in long skirts to raise the hems clear of the muddy 19th century streets (all transport was horse powered, think about it.)
;)
King's Hall An exhibition from popular local papier mâché artists
Justin Mitchell & Emily Firmin
This is a simply delightful show - it just makes you want to smile as work your way round it. There are papier mâché pictures-cum-sculptures by Emily Firmin, and automata by Justin Mitchell - that's a rough division, I think there's a fair bit of overlap in terms of who does what.
Emily Firmin, Justin Mitchell Things have gone quiet on the Museum Front. This is for no other reason than that The Beaney project in Canterbury has entered it’s final year and is beginning to exert a massive gravitational pull on the time, efforts and resources of a curatorial staff, modest in number, for such a large museum service.
So once again the coast shall have to be content with Canterbury’s leavings for a year or so. I envisage that until the Beaney opens in September, there will be fewer events and little perceptible movement in coastal museum development. However the museum team are due to deliver on an internal review that they held amongst themselves, some time in the spring. From this we should be able to discern the shape of things to come.
This year has been an encouraging one, in January we finally received the news that the museum had, for the time being, been reprieved. In May we learned about the appointment of Jo Jones the museum service’s new director and in July we got to meet her and in September the membership got to meet her at the Museum Friends social.
At the end of September the Friends stall at the Giant Picnic was the first real bit of outreach activity that we had organised for the museum, and a taste of the kind of thing I hope we will be doing more of. Friends are now invited to all private views, and the opportunity for further social and community events looks bright.
In the coming year we will need to look at helping with funding and finding ways to increase the footfall. We are in the process of joining the British Association of Friends of Museums with a view to finding support and advice from more experienced groups than ours.
In a year we have made the transition from a fairly militant campaign group to an organisation supportive of a museum that now has the opportunity to flower and become a more significant in the cultural life of the town.
Sometime in the Spring our membership secretary, Phil, will be seeking subscription renewals. Please continue to support the Friends, without community groups actively involved in these crucial services, they can easily fall again under the shadow of the axe, especially in such straitened times.
David Cross, Secretary
The committee of the Friends have had a very positive meeting with the new Director Jo Jones. We talked about ways that the Friends can get involved with the museum, not just financially, but practically. Ways in which the ideas from the community can make a real impact upon what is in the museum and what happens there.
Ideas like the People’s Case, the Picture of the Month, a return to a more mixed and vigorous exhibition programme, more regular changes in the permanent displays and better marketing, these have all been met with enthusiasm. Moves like this answer many of the criticisms that we heard from people during the “Save the Museum” campaign. But to make them and other ideas happen needs input from everyone.
When you signed the petition in 2009 or joined the Friends, you were moved to register your anger or your support, now we need to hear your voice again, come to the Social in September, write to the Newsletter or email MuseumFriends@HerneBayMatters.com
Ideas wanted, comments required and suggestions sought.
Jenny Cross, Chair
July 2011
Suugestions I have been in post as Director of Museums and Galleries for Canterbury City Council for five weeks and am really enjoying my new job. I feel very privileged to be working in a beautiful part of the country with such committed and knowledgeable staff, stakeholders and partners, including the Friends of Herne Bay Museum. Thank you to all the Friends who made me so welcome at the 'Not The End of The Pier' exhibition opening at the Museum on 5th July.
Previously I was Arts and Cultural Services Manager for Museums and Galleries for Sefton MBC, based in Southport, Merseyside. I led on the museum and gallery aspect of The Atkinson, a £16 million project to combine three Grade Two Listed buildings and integrate a gallery, museum, library and theatre. This new cultural facility will open in 2013.
One of my priorities for Canterbury district is to create a shared vision for the museum and gallery service with staff and stakeholders. A strategy for the service will also be developed and I am very keen that this is accompanied by an action plan with dates for achieving improvements to the service so that progress can be monitored.
I had a very positive meeting with the committee of Friends of Herne Bay Museum on 7th July. It was evident that the Friends have a number of good ideas and I am looking forward to our staff and the Friends working together to develop the Museum.
Jo Jones 
