Newton Abbot Town & GWR Museum

Forde House Opening

Sunday 22nd August 2010

The 17th century building of Ford House was open to the public on Sunday 22nd August for guided tours run by  erudite  local historian Michael Martyn.  His historic tours were followed by songs created by Nicky Swann all about the history of the town.  Nicky has been researching the local history the help of the museum. She has created songs that will go towards her new CD due out in early 2011.

One of the songs Nicky sang at Ford House was based on the quirky fact that Maud Allbrighton’s extremely thick, strong hair was made into a rope swing by the ropemakers of Newton Abbot when she had it cut in the 1920s, and there are photographs of her swinging on it.

What was more extraordinary that on Sunday, Maud’s niece had come to visit Ford House and was very excited to hear her Auntie Maud’s story had been turned into a song!

Maud’s hair was donated to the museum in 2008.

Hello for those of you who don’t know me my name is Nicky Swann. I’m a singer/songwriter, guitarist and a Newton Abbot girl.
In May 2010 I released my debut album ‘Matches and Dispatches’, which received great reviews. I have played nationally, supported many great  UK artists including Show of Hands, Clive Gregson, Brian Willoughby and Cathryn Craig, Megson as well as American artists Brooks Williams and Corrine West.
I’m now looking to the future and I want to write my second album, but I want to do something that will stretch my song writing skills and write about different subject matter, away from the  ‘that boy broke my heart’ scenario.
So I have decided to look at where I come from and write an album based on local stories from my home town. I hope the album could promote the town and introduce its history to a wider audience.
It’s currently August 2010 and I’m about half way through the writing stage, and would hope the finished CD will be ready sometime early next year.
Some of the subject matter for the songs you can expect to hear include:

John Lethbridge an inspirational man who invented a diving machine in order to reverse his fortunes when he fell on hard times.
Ropewalk and the story of Maude Albrighton who cut her extraordinary long and strong hair and asked the ropemakers to weave her a rope from her hair which she then used as a swing.
Kitty Jay (Jay’s Grave) a familiar story to many Devonians I’m sure but one that I couldn’t ignore as Kitty Jay spent her early childhood in the Newton Abbot poorhouse. In her teens she was apprenticed out to a Dartmoor farmer, fell pregnant by the farmer’s son and sadly subsequently took her life.
Dr J.W.Ley did much for the poor in Newton Abbot, he was horrified by the conditions by which (particularly the children) had to live in. He wrote a poem describing the plight of the workhouse children, I have taken his poem and put it to music.
Other subject matter that I hope to include on the album will be, the ball clay mining industry, Tuckers Maltings, and Second World War bombing raids of Newton Abbot.
For more information you can join the mailing list at my website and receive regular updates http://www.nickyswann.com
Debut Album Reviews
“accomplished”
David Burke
R2 Magazine                                                         

Two Stories Exhibition

August 11th to August 27th 2010

Two stories an exhibition on ‘The lost history of Poland and Britain’ was opened by the Mayor of Newton Abbot, Cllr Mrs Carol Bunday on 11th August.
Susan Young photographer and writer has developed the exhibition of photographs and words telling the destruction of Poland by Soviet Russia, together with Britain’s role in its demise.  The exhibition has already been exhibited at County Hall, The Devon record Office, and the Flavel Arts Centre, to mention a few.
The exhibition reflects the ‘two stories’ are not just those of the people of Poland during and after the war, but also the ‘two stories’ surrounding the British government’s dealings with Stalin.  Susan Young states that
‘Only by learning of past mistakes can we hope to prevent them in the future.
Only by understanding the past can we show understanding in the present’
Many Polish people have already visited the exhibition and been deeply moved by it.
Access to the exhibition is via the museum entrance, there is no admission fee.  A catalogue of the exhibition is available at the main entrance price £1:50.
The exhibition will not be available on the 24th August, or on Friday afternoons from mid-day, and access to the exhibition is not available on Saturday’s, we apologise for any inconvenience this might cause. 
The exhibition finishes on the 27th August at 12:00am. 

Above: Susan Young writer and photographer, Halina whose story has been told by Susan Young in a book called Survival is....The Ultimate Defiance, and Cllr Mrs Carol Bunday Mayor of Newton Abbot.

Newton Abbot Museum is awarded the Nautiek Trophy by The Historical Diving Society!

The museum has been awarded the Nautiek Trophy for an exhibition which, in the opinion of the judging panel has done most to forward the knowledge of diving history to the general public.  The judging panel,all whom had visited the John Lethbridge exhibition, was unanimous in its choice.

The trophy was first awarded in 1998, since when it has been held by museums in France, Italy, America, Sweden, Denmark, Poland and Slovenia as well as the UK.

The trophy is held by the winner for one year, and will be awarded to the museum in Portsmouth on the 13th November 2010.

The efforts of the staff and designers who brought the Lethbridge exhibition together have been well rewarded with this recognition.  The museum staff could not be more delighted to acquire this International award!

The award will be displayed for the first time in March 2011.

The South West Museum Federation held a ‘Handling and Packing’ workshop at Newton Abbot Town & GWR Museum on Thursday 3rd June.

The workshop was run by Helena Jaeschke, Conservation Officer at Exeter Museum, with clear and sensible advice.  Museums as far afield as Gloucestershire, Bristol and Swindon attended with many others from all over the South West.  All of them left at the end of the day with an enormous amount of new and helpful, information to care for their museum collections in the future.

Councillor Carol Bunday (pictured below), the new Mayor of Newton Abbot talked to the Guides and officially launched their exhibition, created by Newton Abbot Guides and facilitated by the Museum. 

The display is accessed through the Museum to the Council Chamber.

Above - Taking a look at the new 'Sights & Sounds' exhibition

Above - Procession through the town

Above - Unveiling of the boards

                                          Above - Historic information boards