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Weekly what's on: 24th to 28th November

Author
Alison Hilton
Published Date
November 25, 2014

Although the MERL galleries and garden are currently closed for redevelopment, there are still events and activities taking place at the Museum and Special Collections. Below are details of this week’s events. Further details of forthcoming events can be found on the MERL What’s On pages or on the Special Collections pages.

 

H and P christmas biscuitsHuntley & Palmers: a Christmas selection
25 November to 23 December
Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm
Staircase hall, Museum of English Rural Life

This seasonal display shows off some of the visual delights in the University’s extensive archive of local biscuit manufacturer, Huntely & Palmers.

 

SC booksRural reads plus…
Thursday 27 November
5.30-7.30pm
Free, drop-in (£1.50 for tea and biscuits)
Staircase Hall, Museum of English Rural Life

As MERL is now closed until early 2016 to allow work on the Our Country Lives redevelopment project to take place, the popular Rural Reads book club is expanding its reach to draw on the University’s vast Special Collections for reading inspiration, with the potential to read anything from Ian Flemming to Mills & Boon, chosen by you. The book to read for the November meeting is The Beetle: A Mystery by Richard Marsh. Everyone is welcome to come along and join in an informal discussion in the atmospheric setting of the beautiful Victorian Staircase Hall. Visit the ‘Rural Reads plus‘ web page for full details

Hedgehog extravaganza
Author
Joe
/
Published Date
July 24, 2025

The Friday Walks, with Man in the Woods

In this episode of The MERL podcast, we speak to Bristol-based artist Scott about his artistic practice documenting weird Britain.

School group in the garden
Author
Joe
/
Published Date
July 21, 2025

Another brilliant school year

Learn about the highlights of our schools and learning programmes from the 2024/25 academic year.

Jo Clement (a woman with long brown hair and glasses) holds an object at The MERL
Author
Joe
/
Published Date
April 4, 2025

Announcing our new Fellow, Dr Jo Clement

Read how our new MERL Fellow, Dr Jo Clement, is engaging with the Robert Dawson Romany Collection to explore the heritage of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people in England.

Shepherds herding sheep across a valley.
Author
Joe
/
Published Date
February 7, 2025

Voices: introducing our 2025 programme

Get the highlights of what’s coming up in the first half of 2025: from exhibitions and displays, to free tours and talks, plus the announcement of our official podcast.

The top of a letter to William Champion, farmer
Author
Joe
/
Published Date
February 5, 2025

Thomas and Austen: a gay relationship in the MERL archives?

For LGBTQ+ History Month 2025, researcher Tim Jerrome shares how he’s using rural archives to research same-sex relationships in the countryside.

A. Hedley Richmond's drawing of a proposed garden and Lewisham Hospital
Author
Joe
/
Published Date
January 6, 2025

Landscapes of public health

How does public health impact the design of public spaces? We recap the contents of the 2024 symposium of FOLAR (Friends of the Landscape Archive at Reading), held at The MERL.