Our Country Lives update: MERL goes to Stockholm
written by Adam Koszary, Project Officer for Our Country Lives. One thing I never expected from working at a museum of English rural life was the opportunity to visit Sweden. However, with some Erasmus funding me and five colleagues did just that, and went to Stockholm to see one of the world’s most successful open air […]
Our Country Lives: Supporting You Day
written by Adam Koszary, Project Officer for Our Country Lives. My mind has been focused on one particular question since arriving at MERL: how do you display rural life? Other equally pertinent questions for us are: Who is our audience? How can we appeal to wider groups? What is the core message of the Museum […]
MERL's new blogging venture
written by Kate Arnold-Forster, Director of MERL and Head of the University Museums & Special Collections Service. After months of thinking, training courses, persuading and planning, (and a good deal of procrastinating) we have finally taken the plunge and decided to launch ‘Our Country Lives – the new MERL blog’. Mainly through the efforts of Alison […]
Arts Council Award brings together Reading Museums and work experience opps for local residents
Arts Council Award brings together Reading Museums and work experience opps for local residents 27 March 2013 The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) will be awarded £275,000 and will work with Reading Museum on a new programme for 2014/15, including a series of Reading in Conflict events commemorating the First World War Centenary in […]
HRH The Duke of Gloucester unveils landmark Land Rover at University Museum
MERL was delighted to welcome HRH The Duke of Gloucester on Thursday 21 March who unveiled the Museum’s latest acquisition, a stunning example of an early Series 1 Land Rover. Read the press release on the University of Reading website Why not sign up to our newsletter? Use the form below to select the newsletters you would […]
Press release, 4 Feb '13: Heritage Lottery Fund support means enhanced experience for University museum visitors
Visitors to MERL can look forward to discovering new and exciting displays thanks to an award from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). To read the full press release on the University of Reading website, click here Why not sign up to our newsletter? Use the form below to select the newsletters you would like to receive! Email […]
Snow Update – Sunday 20th Jan
We’re open as usual, despite the weather, so please do come and see us! We’ll be opening at 2pm, but the snow is getting heavier, so we may need to leave earlier than usual to make sure that our staff can get home safely. Please call us on 0118 378 8660 to make sure that we’re […]
Snow Update – Saturday 19th Jan
We’re open as usual, despite the weather, so please do come and see us! We’ll be here from 2-4:30pm. The MERL car park is still very snowy, but you can park down the side of the museum in Acacias Road, which has been gritted. The buses are also running, the 9, 20, 20a and 21 will […]
SNOW UPDATE – Jan 18th, 12.15pm
Due to worsening weather conditions, the Museum and reading room will close at 4pm today. Reading room services may be restricted to pre-ordered items and open shelf material. Please check our website for updates regarding weekend opening. Why not sign up to our newsletter? Use the form below to select the newsletters you would like […]
Snow update – Jan 18th, 11.25am
The Museum & Special Collections reading room are currently open as usual. Toddler Time will take place at 1pm as planned. However, snow is falling heavily in Reading and we are monitoring the situation carefully. We still plan to open as usual at the weekend but decisions will be taken depending on conditions nearer the […]