REM Northamptonshire Museums at Night

press release

11.05.10

Late night cruises and tours by candlelight across Northamptonshire this weekend

Night owls can look forward to a weekend of nocturnal adventures as museums and galleries alike inspire fresh discovery by opening their doors to late night visitors as part of Museums at Night 2010 – the annual after-hours celebration.

Museums and galleries across the country are uniting to open up their collections to the public, with late opening hours and a huge range of activities for all and the East Midlands boasting a great range of events this weekend.

Museums at Night is organised by Culture24 and will take place from 14 -16 May to coincide with the Europe wide campaign La Nuit de Musées.

Renaissance East Midlands is supporting the family friendly events and museum openings happening at night across the East Midlands. In Northamptonshire these include a cruise down the Grand Union Canal  as part of “Narrowboat Night” offered by Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum or enjoy a candlelit tour of the home of George Washington’s ancestors at Sulgrave Manor.

Sulgrave Manor

Sulgrave Manor by Candlelight

Friday 14th May 6.30 pm to 10pm with tours at 7pm & 8.30pm

Gift Aid Adult £7.25 Child (5-6yrs) £3.50 Family (2 adults + 2 or more children) £18.50

Tel 01295 760 205

Take a candlelit tour of the home of George Washington’s ancestors. See the beautifully restored rooms as they might have looked in times past with candles casting soft and evocative shadows. Listen to the stories of family life. Enjoy the garden on an early summer’s evening.

Continued

Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum

Narrowboat Night at Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum

15 May 2010 10am-8pm

Admission is normally £4.75 for 1 adult but for one night only, you can buy 2 tickets for the price of 1

01604 862229 or david.henderson@thewaterwaystrust.org.uk

Take a leisurely stroll through 200 years of inland waterways history, as we extend our opening hours especially for Museums at Night. Explore the mysteries of this intriguing part of our heritage through working models, videos, pictorial and three dimensional displays portraying every aspect of the waterways.

From amazing feats of engineering to the shining brass and colourful decoration that contrasts so sharply with the harsh reality of canal life, you will find something to interest all the family.  You can cruise along the Grand Union Canal in splendid tranquility on one of the trip boats operating at Stoke Bruerne. The entire collection of this museum is a Designated Collection of national importance.

This is a rare opportunity to visit your local museum during the evening and the exciting activities should appeal to regular museum goers and new customers, adults and children.

For the latest information and to find out what’s happening near you visit www.culture24.org.uk/museumsatnight

ENDS –

For further information, interview requests and pictures contact:

Mandy Dearsley

E: mandy@hollandalexander.com

T: 0116 261 6867

or Louise Holland

E: louise@hollandalexander.com

T: 0116 261 6868

Notes to Editors:

  1. Museums at Night is organised by Culture24 and is funded by MLA. For further information visit www.culture24.org.uk
  2. Museums at Night Weekend will take place over the weekend Friday 14 – Sunday 16 May. The Europe-wide celebration will be on Saturday 15 May.
  3. Culture24 is a registered charity and not-for-profit online publisher, working across the arts, heritage, education, and tourism sectors.
  4. Renaissance is the MLA’s ground-breaking programme to transform England’s regional museums. Renaissance East Midlands leads and delivers the programme across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire for further details visit www.renaissanceeastmidlands.org.uk
  5. La Nuit De Musée was introduced by the French Culture Department to succeed Printemps de Musées and takes place on the Saturday nearest to International Museums Day (May 18).  It is now supported by the Council of Europe. In 2009, over 2,500 museums in 41 European countries took part. For more information visit www.nuitdesmusees.culture.fr
  6. MLA is the government agency for museums, libraries and archives. Leading strategically, MLA promotes best practice to inspire innovative, integrated and sustainable services for all. Visit www.mla.gov.uk

Holland Alexander. Be Inspired. Events, Marketing & PR Agency. London & Leicester.


REM Northamptonshire Heritage Awards Winners

 

press release                                                                


22.07.10

County museums are award winners 

Northamptonshire Museums and heritage sites were announced as award winners at the Renaissance Heritage Awards award ceremony held at Kelmarsh Hall on 22 July 2010.

 The ceremony celebrated the work of museums and heritage collections throughout the county, with Desborough Heritage Centre winning Museum of the Year.  

 The Awards recognise excellence in museums and heritage sites across the county, they are in their fourth year and this year are supported by Northamptonshire Enterprise Limited as well as Renaissance East Midlands.

 The 2010 winners are:

Best Event 2010

Joint Winners:

The Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne for The Canal Village at War

and Rushden Historical Transport Society for 50th Anniversary of last timetabled train from Rushden Station

Best Exhibition 2010

Winner: Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Trust for Ironstone Quarrying Before Mechanisation

 Inspiration Award for Best Special Project 2010

Joint Winners:

 The Tithe Barn Museum/ Prebendal Manor for Exploring Archaeology through the Senses

 and Sulgrave Manor for Washington Garden

Work with Children and Young People 2010

Winner: Naseby Battlefield for The Sound of Naseby Battlefield

 Collections Care and Development 2010

Winner: The Bromham Parochial Library at Canons Ashby

Museum of the Year 2010

Winner: Desborough Heritage Centre

 Judges Special Award 2010

Winner: Northampton Museum and Art Gallery

 People’s Choice Award 2010

Winner: The Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne  

 Kate Dent, Head of Tourism at Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd, said “What a fantastic climax to what has been such an exciting project for all of us, last night’s awards presentations really were the icing on the cake! We extend our huge congratulations to all the finalists and a special well done to the winners. All the museums involved have impressed us with the quality of service to visitors, what a perfect excuse for people to get out and about in Northamptonshire and experience the museums for themselves!”

 Jane Seddon, Northamptonshire Museum Development Officer and the co-ordinator for the Awards, said: “Choosing one winner from the high quality of entrants has been a really difficult task for the judges this year. The awards ceremony celebrates the work of all our county’s museums and heritage collections and reminds us how lucky we are to have access to such diverse and such high quality venues and exhibitions, providing great days out for all the family in Northamptonshire”.

 ENDS

The Northamptonshire Renaissance Heritage Awards ceremony is on Thursday July 22 at 6pm.

 Photo opportunity of the winners: 11pm

 For more information contact: 

Jane Seddon on 07825 061202   janeseddon@northampton.gov.uk  or

Catherine Hallsworth on 0116 252 7392  catherine.hallsworth@leicester.gov.uk

 Notes to Editors

The Northamptonshire Renaissance Heritage Awards are part of the East Midlands Renaissance Heritage Awards and similar awards are happening in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire and Rutland. 

 Renaissance is a £150 million programme to transform England’s regional museums. For the first time, investment from central government is helping regional museums across the country to raise their standards and deliver real results in support of education, learning, community development and economic regeneration. Renaissance is helping museums to meet people’s changing needs – and to change people’s lives. 

Holland Alexander.  Be Inspired. Events, Marketing &  PR Agency. London & Leicester