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News and Views

Featured image for our 51 Voices roundup.
Author
Joe
/
Published Date
December 14, 2021

51 Voices: Discovering Treasures

Explore the many collaborative creative projects and partnerships that have formed part of 51 Voices, our 70th anniversary celebrations.

Carolers ring handbells at Christmas.
Author
/
Published Date
December 13, 2021

Have Yourself a MERLy Little Christmas: a Christmas special

Make yourself a cuppa and put on your Christmas jumper. We’re setting rural history to the music of your favourite Christmas songs.

Author
Tim Jerrome
/
Published Date
December 8, 2021

The history of the servants’ ball

The servants’ ball has had a long tradition in the country house estates of Britain and only really died out after the Second World War.

Author
Alison Hilton
/
Published Date
November 30, 2021

Updates on COVID-19

Read about how we are keeping our visitors, staff and volunteer safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cut-outs of our livestock portraiture in a Louth market.
Author
Joe
/
Published Date
November 25, 2021

The lives of sheep and cows

How do we tell new stories about cows, sheep, farmers and their lives led together? Read about a project that has been doing just that.

Author
Joe
/
Published Date
November 23, 2021

Confessions of an award-nominated Museum Studies teacher

Meet Dr Rhi Smith, whose work in bringing the University of Reading’s museum collections to students and staff alike has been nominated for a Times Higher Education award!

detail of the stained glass peacock window in the reading room at The MERL
Author
Alison Hilton
/
Published Date
November 19, 2021

The reading room is home!

We are pleased to announce that our reading room will be reopening in its usual space from Tuesday 23rd November 2021.

Biscuit tin, Huntley and Palmers, 1951-52, Reading Museum - 51 Voices
Author
Alison Hilton
/
Published Date
November 15, 2021

51 Voices: Writing Voices

Read our latest roundup of 51 Voices, where we focus on the writing produced through partnership with poets, University students, and a local school.

A cropped section from the front cover of the 1951 edition of the Country Code.
Author
Ollie Douglas
/
Published Date
November 11, 2021

A week at The MERL: our reflections on COP26

As COP26 unfolded in Glasgow, a range of activity was underway at The MERL, bringing together many different approaches to the issue of the changing climate and its impact on rural livelihoods and wellbeing.