Volunteers Voice #11: Reviewing your volunteer programme
Written by Rob Davies, Volunteer Co-ordinator. As in all aspects of an organisation, it is always a useful exercise to review your volunteer programme. This isn’t a review of the volunteers themselves but an overall review of the entire programme. A review enables you to take a step back from your day to day work, […]
Student Spotlight #4: Joseph Arch hand casts
Maria Rabbani is a 2nd year Archaeology student at the University of Reading. The objects which I have chosen are the white plaster casts of Joseph Arch’s right and left hand. The length of the casts is 18cm and their breadth (across the knuckles) is 12cm. His hands look small and delicate, which may be […]
Student Spotlight #3: Lave Net
Mubariz Rabbani is a second year Archaeology student at the University of Reading. I have chosen to write about a lave fishing (pictured below) net as the fishing industry is an important part of the British economy as well as a contemporary issue, as increased fishing may result in environmental damage and may affect the […]
Student Spotlight #2: Man Traps
Henrik Yau is a second year Archaeology student at the University of Reading, who chose to research our Man Traps because they caught his eye, because they looked dangerous and he had no prior knowledge of them. I’ve always loved going to museums. Looking at vast collection of objects always excited me as a child, […]
Student Spotlight #1: Veterinary Medicine Box
This is the first in a series of blog posts focusing on particular objects, researched by University of Reading Archaeology students as part of their course. Kelly van Doorn is a second year BA Archaeology and Ancient History student at the University of Reading. On completion of her degree, she hopes to take up a master’s […]
Rural Reads review #5: The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier
Written by Adam Koszary, Project Officer. We had to take February off for Rural Reads this year, which allowed us plenty of time to stew on our latest book: The Last Runaway. Its author, Tracy Chevalier, is probably better known for her other historical novel Girl with a Pearl Earring, since adapted into a movie. Set in the […]
Volunteers' Voice #10: Performing Protest: Riots against technological change in the 19th Century
written by Rob Davies, Volunteer Co-ordinator On Saturday 22nd of this month a team of my volunteers are delivering Performing Protest: riots against technological change in the 19th Century. It is a performance-based event about the Swing Riots in Berkshire, which occurred in 1830-31. The event is part of Reading Science Week, in turn part […]
Keep up! Stakeholder consultation on MERL's Our Country Lives project
MERL Curator of Collections and Engagement, Isabel Hughes, brings us up to date with progress on the Our Country Lives project Our project plans are developing quite quickly now and one of the challenges is to keep all our various stakeholders informed including our volunteers, neighbours and other interested parties in the University. Last week […]
Volunteers' Voice #9 – Planning ahead
Volunteer Coordinator, Rob Davies, shares some tips for planning a volunteer programme… At the beginning of each year I sit down and think about what the New Year will hold for the volunteer programme and the volunteers. I make three lists: Beyond my wildest dreams Let’s be realistic here What can the volunteer programme do […]
Rural Reads Review #4 – Lorna Doone by R.D.Blackmore
Written by Rob Davies, Volunteer Co-Ordinator For the dark winter months of December and January the MERL Book Group ‘Rural Reads’ read Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor by R.D. Blackmore. Lorna Doone is the perfect ‘rural read’, as living and working in the countryside is intrinsic to the story and is integral to the […]