5 minutes with… Rhi Smith
Rhi Smith is the Director of Museum Studies. She teaches our new undergraduate degree course, which students can combine with Classics or Archaeology, starting at Reading this Autumn. Find out about what she’s being doing this week in the run up to the University’s Open Days…. What have you been doing this week? I’ve just […]
Focus on collections #2: Collecting your #muscake (and eating it!)
Sit back with a cup of tea and a piece of cake (of course) and take a few minutes to read this fascinating post by Assistant Curator, Dr Ollie Douglas, on the little known cake-related collections at MERL (and elsewhere)… Here at the Museum we’ve been eating rather a lot of cake. The frenetic activity […]
My favourite object #1: a Yattendon Guild copperware vase
The first in our series of favourite objects chosen by MERL staff, volunteers and visitors, is written by Fiona Melhuish, MERL Librarian. In my work with the Special Collections rare books and MERL library I get lots of opportunities to spotlight my favourite items from our wonderful book collections through exhibitions and Featured Items on […]
Picture of the Month #1: The John Tarlton Collection
written by Caroline Benson, Photographic Assistant. The current temporary exhibition at MERL features the work of the photographer John Tarlton. This wonderful collection came to the museum in 2004 and now, on the completion of the Rural Images Discovered Project, we are ready to promote its full commercial potential. These two photographs showing domestic scenes […]
Volunteers' Voice #2: National Volunteers Week
written by Rob Davies, Volunteer Coordinator. The year has swung round once again and it is already National Volunteers Week. Every year from 1st – 7th June organisations who work with, involve or are entirely volunteer-run, celebrate all the hard work, dedication, enthusiasm and laughter that volunteers bring. I believe it is important to recognise […]
Guest post: My year in the Harris Garden by Jenny Halstead
Our first guest post is by Jenny Halstead, whose exhibition, An artist’s year in the Harris Garden opened at MERL last week. Jenny is a local artist who spent a year as Artist in Residence at the University of Reading’s beautiful Harris Garden. The resulting exhibition showcases the paintings and sketchbook studies which take us […]
OCL at the Village Fete 2013
written by Adam Koszary, Project Officer for Our Country Lives. The MERL Village Fete is only a few days away, and we are already preparing our hi-vis jackets, gazebos, bunting and scones, as well as harnessing an army of volunteers and staff to ensure everything runs smoothly. The focus of this year’s Fete is on rural crafts and […]
Focus on Collections: These wheels were made for rolling…
written by Felicity McWilliams, Project Officer for A Sense of Place, Countryside21, and Reading Connections. ‘Focus on Collections’ will be a regular feature examining our staff’s favourite objects in the museum, as well as anything interesting we find during research. Visitors to MERL will know that the wagons form a large part of the current […]
5 minutes with… Stuart McKie
Written by Alison Hilton, MERL Marketing Officer This week I have managed to catch Stuart McKie, our Admin and Operations Assistant, on a rare moment when he’s not running around the museum preparing for an event or showing visitors round. Stuart has only been in this particular role for two months, but he’s been involved […]
MERL and the Great British Sewing Bee
written by Claire Smith, Visitor Services Assistant & Learning Assistant Did you watch the Great British Sewing Bee? I’ll admit that I was sceptical at first, not being a fan of “reality” television, but I have to confess I’ve been glued to every episode, and was delighted to see Ann’s years of experience win her […]