PERSONALITY MUSEUMS NETWORK FOR THE EAST AND NORTH EAST
Notes of the second meeting held at Shandy Hall on 30th April 2013
Present :
Sophie Forgan
Ann Dinsdale
Alan Bentley
Ian Wolseley
Elinor Camille-Wood
Helen Williams
Claire Potter
Apologies: David Geekie
Jannette Warrener
Ann Summer
Captain Cook Memorial Museum Whitby
Bronte Parsonage Haworth
Museum Development Officer
Wilderspin National School Barton on Humber
Laurence Sterne Trust Shandy Hall
Laurence Sterne Trust Shandy Hall
Epworth Old Rectory (Wesley family)
Major Stewart Museum, Burnby Hall Gardens Pocklington
Woolsthorpe Manor (Isaac Newton)
Bronte Parsonage Haworth
1. News from our sites
a. Haworth Ann was welcomed to her first meeting. The museum has recently undergone major
refurbishment using a historic decorative scheme following analysis by Alison McDermott and
Crick Smith which started in January 2011. Redecoration was intended to make the house closest
to the way it looked when the Bronte family lived there and it is clear that the Bronte’s liked
colour. This attracted much media interest. New exhibition focusses on the history of the building
and the Bronte’s domestic life. Also currently going through a visioning process. Contemporary
arts programme is lively with lots of events including Patty Smith performance. Visitor numbers
have been lower than same period last year, probably due to very cold weather, but are now
picking up. Visitor reaction to new decorative scheme has been mainly very positive. Debate over
which period to focus on, because strongest evidence is for early 1850s when Charlotte
decorated the house after deaths of her siblings. Decided to have a couple of rooms from the
later period and the rest from earlier.
b. Captain Cook Visitor numbers slightly up on last year because now opening by appointment in
closed season for higher price (£7.50 compared with the usual £4.80). There has been no
complaint regarding higher price, but people feel privileged to be able to visit. New exhibition on
canoes is going well – includes a 2m long carved Maori canoe on loan from Hull Maritime
museum. Last year launched a fundraising drive for 25th anniversary including visit of the First Sea
Lord. Now at the end of a 2 year HLF funded scheme which enabled appointment of an activities
coordinator and exhibition catalogues. This has been very successful and the post will be missed.
Now considering the future of this – may try HLF again or Esme Fairburn. The museum won the
White Rose award for best small visitor attraction in 2012 and is now shortlisted for the allEngland final. Several staff and volunteers are going to the event. Just completed accreditation
resubmission. Museum is entirely volunteer run apart from the full-time administrator.
c. Wilderspin Ian was welcomed to his first meeting. Wilderspin was a pioneer of infant education
(ages 2-6). He had worked since 1820s and opened this school in 1845. He went round the
country setting up infant schools. A few surviving buildings are linked to him but Barton is the
only one with the playground surviving. Playground was important part of his scheme with 50%
of the children’s time spent there. Wilderspin set up 2000 schools, not always in purpose built
buildings. He was ahead of his time. Wilderspin himself is the unique selling point for the
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museum. Developing an archive. Church schools – separate story to tell in due course. The
organisation had a HLF grant to restore the museum and appointed Ian as activities coordinator,
also with English Heritage, Yorkshire Forward and landfill tax funding. Museum opened in 2009.
Numbers are increasing. School groups are important visitors. Private visitors free, schools and
groups pay admission charge. Donations encouraged and people are generous. There are issues
sometimes with out of hours visitors. There is a network of school museums which has provided
some material used as props. Some material been given to the museum by the Leeds museum of
education which closed. In process of applying for accreditation. Have had HLF ‘all our stories’
grant to help volunteers learn more about Wilderspin. Runs with 40-50 volunteers. Trustees are
active. Ian was full-time, then part-time and now freelance.
d. Shandy Hall Patrick Wildgust (curator) led us on a fascinating discovery of Shandy Hall and the
world of experimental fiction, with infectious enthusiasm. The multi-levels of history seen in the
house structure chimed with many of our experiences in our museums, as did the challenge of
finding different ways of interpreting stories for visitors in a way that is true to the nature of the
personality who lived there. The exhibition space in the cottage gives space for new work to be
seen and encourages return visitors. 4 exhibitions per year. Partnership with York Minster
enabled Shandy Hall to qualify for Arts Council funding. This year is 300th anniversary so are many
extra events. About 3000 visitors per year. Cottage used as rental but also for artists in residence
(Arts Council support). Intern in the summer for 9 weeks. 12 trustees on the board – some are
very involved. Elinor’s position is secure for the next 18 months with Arts Council funding and
then through the trust. Hopeful for further funding to extend this.
e. Epworth Old Rectory Currently surrounded by scaffolding for major conservation work to roof,
brickwork and window frames. The ‘Putting the hearth back into the home’ project has just
started – excavating the main chimney stack and restoring the 18th century fireplaces in the
entrance hall and fore-kitchen. This has already revealed sealed cupboards. It is being done
behind transparent screens so that visitors can witness the discoveries and catch the excitement.
Visitor numbers were low in March due to the weather but have picked up since Easter and are
very good at the moment with several large international groups. The shop has been completely
refitted with donated shop units from the Museum of Methodism in London (which is being
redesigned). This has made a considerable difference to the professional ‘look’ of the museum.
An AIM sustainability grant helped. Accreditation reapplication due in September.
2. Social media
a. Experience Haworth and Shandy Hall use it a great deal, particularly for Shandy Hall because they
are in a remote location for actual visitors, so on-line can reach many more people. Bronte
Parsonage launched a new website in early 2013. Epworth launched new website in early 2012
and facebook from Autumn 2012.
b. Virtual visitors Elinor reported her experience of not being able to count virtual visitors in visitor
numbers (for funders), even though interaction on line is often deeper than physical visit. Helen
reported that virtual engagement is counted in universities.
c. Impact Questions asked : Is there a return? What is the impact in terms of money and visitor
numbers? What makes it worthwhile? The intern post at Shandy Hall was advertised first on line to
attract people who were already interested enough to look at the museum on line. York Theatre’s
production of ‘iShandy’ brought 200 additional visitors to the Shandy Hall website. For Shandy Hall
social media is used for publicity. Current exhibition was advertised entirely on line – no printed
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material. For Wilderspin, the community of people interested in heritage respond to social media
– it then becomes a forum for interest and increases relevancy. Social media expands the audience
and evidence suggests it does not replace the audience who visit in person. It also allows you to
position yourself in the centre of the subject given that others will be talking about your subject on
social media – if you join in – you can give true picture.
d. Who oversees it? We discussed who in the organisation is in charge of it. Various differences.
Agreed you need a lively personality to write it, using agreed house style and abiding by a social
media policy agreed by the organisation. At Haworth, a new communications officer set up
facebook and twitter accounts. These are popular and people contribute to them. At Wilderspin a
volunteer runs social media and website.
e. Future possibilities Next step for Shandy Hall is online exhibition – can keep being added to.
Currently everything that goes up in the gallery also goes on website. eg Precious Cargos exhibition
came down a year ago but the virtual one is still visited. ‘Accidental publicity’. Request made to
MDO team for training on social media / internet in general. It was noted that the fears of
damaging comments and not being in control of content – can be overcome. You can bury or
report malicious comments and the positive impact outweighs the negative. Agreed that we would
‘follow’ each other on social media as appropriate (eg retweet our messages on twitter).
3. Threads that connect us
Books brought by Sophie:
‘Museums and biographies’ Kate Hill
‘Dr Johnson's Doorknob: And Other Significant Parts of Great Men's Houses’ Liz Workman
These led to a discussion about creating something jointly perhaps bidding for an Arts Council grant
with Museum Development support – possibly some form of booklet, prints, postcards of the textures
and objects in our historic houses. Collaboratively telling the stories from our objects can raise
awareness of all our museums and emphasises these varied and extraordinary personalities. Another
suggestion was to create a blog on which thousands of images can be uploaded free – a good project
for an intern possibly funded through a museum development grant and advertised through Leicester
University?
Other threads: Our museums are all embedded in their local communities. Education link – several
show strong parents very committed to education. Also several have links with churches – parsonage
/ rectory / clergy.
4. Friends / members schemes
a. Bronte society – people join as members. Are considering setting up a patrons / friends scheme
b. Captain Cook – worked on this last year with the help of Jean Hunter (Museum Development
support). Have called them ‘supporters’ rather than friends. Also have patrons. Scheme cost
£4000 to set up and has raised £43000 (including one grant of £25000). The website has been
essential for this because it makes paypal possible. Personal approach has been most effective
way of encouraging such support. Need to ask. Also need to think long-term.
c. We noted that ‘Just giving’ works well because it sorts out gift aid as well. This is also possible
through paypal. Also can now claim gift aid on general donations up to £5000.
d. Shandy Hall – Friends scheme is not working well. Choir of Jesus College Cambridge are visiting
for this anniversary year (Sterne’s college) – and looking at donations. Have not pushed donations
part of website. Jean Hunter is helping with this – to increase donations on line, legacy giving,
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supporters and building mailing list. In past have not offered much to Friends other than free
entry.
e. Epworth – Friends in UK and USA, and a few in other parts of the world. Annual Friends event
been held twice but has not generated much support. Now have established different levels of
giving which has proved attractive particularly overseas. Trying to share message that Friends
donations fund particular tangible things in the museum.
5. Other museums Some people interested in starting a museum about John Harrison visited Epworth
some years ago but there has been no contact since. Ian to see if he can find out what is happening.
After the meeting Ian suggested we approach the Maurice Dobson Museum in Darfield, Barnsley.
6. For discussion at the next meeting :
a. Guided tours compared with self-guided
b. Blog idea – applying for a grant – developing our idea of a joint project
c. Please bring leaflets to share at the next meeting
d. Please circulate any particular subjects you would like to discuss
7. Next meeting – To be held at the Bronte Parsonage in early September 2013. Ann to circulate a
suggested date in due course, and any practical information about the day.
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