New acquisition! An Anderson Shelter has been donated to the museum. We’ve dismantled it into its component parts and aim to refurbish it in the coming months and display it in the museum. Watch this space for more news.
We have a new cabinet dedicated to medieval items in our John Bushby Room – here are the top two shelves – why not come in and have a look at all five shelves?
There’s more on our medieval items at Medieval Ages – East Surrey Museum (and an interactive quiz on medieval English history.)
New stock in our shop – retro sweets!
How many of these do you remember from your childhood? Would you still enjoy them? What would your children / grandchildren think of them? Buy a few and find out!
A very nice thank you letter from the 4th Caterham Brownie group who visited us recently.
Brownies, Scouts, Woodcraft Folk and similar youth groups are always welcome to visit us – see Youth Groups – East Surrey Museum for more
We’re recently refreshed some of the displays in the John Bushby Room, including this impressive display of Bronze Age items. For more on the Bronze Age displays, have a look at Bronze and Iron Ages – East Surrey Museum – (try the online quiz), or better still, pay us a visit!
We’re continually displaying new items in our museum; recent additions include this “kiddiclock” and Victorian child’s dress. To find out more, please visit https://eastsurreymuseum.com/recent-acquisitions/ – or even better, come into the museum!
Croudace Homes recently spent one of their Corporate Volunteering Days at the Museum. They redecorated the porch and handrails, and tidied the front garden. Thank you to Senuth, Nicky, Charlotte and Suzanne at Croudace for your help!
Check out our Museum’s new entrance sign when you next visit us
We’ve signed up for the “Kids in Museums” manifesto!
“Kids in Museums” is an organisation which works with museums, heritage sites and cultural organisations nationwide to make them more welcoming for children, families and young people. More about them at https://kidsinmuseums.org.uk
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.)
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
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.
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.
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 – which will frees 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.
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.
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.
More on our Victorian Room at https://eastsurreymuseum.com/victoriana/
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.
