Here’s a picture from our official opening event for our new front door. In attendance are Tony Pearce (current County Councillor for Caterham Valley) cutting the ribbon, with Jefferey Grey (former County Councillor for Caterham Valley )and Mark Wiles (Museum Chairman.)
The Museum signed a 5 year lease on Thursday 21st May for Room 001 in the Basement area of the Soper Hall. This space has both internal and external access and will allow the Museum to relocate large slow moving items, as well as non-important items such as spare tables and chairs, gazebo, projector screen etc. All of which will free up important space on the Museum site itself.
The Museum has received a grant from Your Surrey County Councillor Fund for racking in the new store.
Our shop has some lovely new additions that celebrate the places we all know and love in our corner of Surrey, e.g. Museum Teatowels featuring well known local landmarks and a brand new selection of mounted local scenes captured by talented local photographer “The Urban Countryman”. Perfect as gifts or a treat for yourself! see Goods for Adults – East Surrey Museum for more details
We’re committed to making our museum welcoming and accessible to all visitors, including wheelchair users, those with hearing issues, guide dog users and families with children who have special educational needs, so we’ve added a new page to our website on museum accessibility. You can visit it here.
Our new special exhibition on schools in East Surrey is open! It covers schools including Caterham, Eothen, Hillcroft, Whyteleafe County, Purley County, St Michael’s Limpsfield, Commonweal Lodge, & Marden Lodge.
As well as text and photos, you’ll find items like school play programmes, scrap books, school magazines, and even a punishment cane from days of old on display.
Our museum has a new front entrance – we think you’ll agree that it makes the museum look a more welcoming and friendly place, and it has also provided easier access for those with mobility issue and parents with small children.
Many thanks for the generous support for this project from “Your Fund Surrey Small Projects Community Fund” (through local County Councillor Tony Pearce. )
One of our most striking recent acquisitions is this rather wonderful restored trench organ. Please visit us and have a good look at it; if you want to know more about trench organs – e.g. what they are, and why they are called “trench organs” – you will find out in this podcast https://oldfrontline.co.uk/2023/08/12/great-war-music-with-beverley-palin/
We’ve received some amazing items, some going back to the reign of the Emperor Julian II (AD 360-363), found by detectorists in and around Bletchingley. The items displayed here, and more, are now on display with explanatory texts.
We have two interesting additions to our Victorian Room. One is a poster for International Stores’ product “Celindo Tea”; the other is a photo of International Stores’ Caterham branch. Can you date them? Come in and have a look at them, and their accompanying text.
We have several new local village history books by the Bourne Society, and a new book celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Stockton to Darlington railway in stock – why not come in and have a good look?
A big, big THANK YOU to Gatwick Airport Community Trust, Curry Fund and Caterham Oxted & Godstone Lions for providing funds to improve the dinosaur/fossil area in the children’s room.
We have some great new and second hand books on sale at great prices – especially if you are a car or railway enthusiast. In addition to the books shown here, we’ve also got brand new copies of “Surrey and the Motor” at a mere £5 – under half RRP – please come in and have look.
