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Thursday 20 December 2012

The Lymiad - a unique book

The Lymiad is a long satirical poem taking the form of letters from Lyme Regis to a friend at Bath, written during the autumn of 1818 – the height of the Regency period made famous by Jane Austen, when both Lyme and Bath were top tourist destinations. The Lymiad was published by Lyme Regis Museum just over a year ago, and is available from the Museum shop either by visiting in person or by mail order. Just phone 01297 443370 with your credit card details to order your copy!

Saturday 1 December 2012

Museum events in December

Talks

West Country Sailcloth – The flax industry in South Somerset. A talk by Tony Brook (jointly with The Lyme Regis Society). Tuesday 11th December 2.30pm at Woodmead Hall

Mary Anning Walks

Saturday 1 December 2012 13.30
Saturday 8 December 2012 13.30
Saturday 15 December 2012 13.30
Saturday 22 December 2012 13.30
Saturday 29 December 2012 13.30

Fossil Walks

Saturday 1 December 2012 11.00
Sunday 2 December 2012 11.30
Monday 3 December 2012 12.00
Tuesday 4 December 2012 12.45
Thursday 13 December 2012 09.15
Friday 14 December 2012 10.15
Saturday 15 December 2012 11.00
Sunday 16 December 2012 11.45
Monday 17 December 2012 12.30
Saturday 29 December 2012 10.15
Sunday 30 December 2012 10.45

For more information, contact walks@lymeregismuseum.co.uk

Saturday 3 November 2012

Museum events in November

Fossil Walks

  • Sunday 4 November 2012 12.15
  • Tuesday 13 November 2012 09.00
  • Thursday 15 November 2012 10.30
  • Friday 16 November 2012 11.15
  • Saturday 17 November 2012 12.00
  • Sunday 18 November 2012 12.45
  • Wednesday 28 November 2012 09.15 EXTRA WALK
  • Thursday 29 November 2012 10.00  Fully booked
  • Friday 30 November 2012 10.30  Cancelled


Mary Anning Walks

  • Sunday 4 November 2012 13.30
  • Sunday 11 November 2012 13.30
  • Sunday 18 November 2012 13.30
  • Sunday 25 November 2012 13.30

Tuesday 23 October 2012

Lyme Regis in the 16th century

Henry VIII's antiquary John Leland visited Lyme Regis in the 1530s or 1540s, and described it as "a praty market town set in the rootes of an high rokky hill down to the hard shore". He also described the town's artificial harbour, which even in those days was known as the Cobb. Rather than the solid stone structure of today, this consisted of timber piles enclosing loose boulders, as shown in the drawing which is based on a map made in 1539 (by courtesy of the British Museum).

The 16th century Cobb was a miracle of engineering for its time, and described by the Elizabethan chronicler Holinshed as "a great and costly jetty". It required constant maintenance, and in the 1620s Thomas Gerard described how stones to reinforce the Cobb were carried there buoyed up by empty wooden casks.

A scale model of the Cobb as it would have looked in Elizabethan times, made by David West, is on display in Lyme Regis Museum.

Tuesday 9 October 2012

New exhibition: Wool in the Lim Valley

Lyme Regis Museum’s new exhibition ‘Wool in the Lim Valley’ opens with a launch party on Friday October 19 at 6.30pm. Everyone is invited to drinks and free admission to see why the wool trade was so important to Lyme from medieval times to the mid-1800s.

From fleece to finished cloth, families of the Lim Valley – including their children – were involved in the production of wool. From the farms where sheep fleeces were packed into woolsacks, through the various processes of scouring, scribbling, combing, carding, spinning, dyeing, weaving and finishing, the people of Lyme and Uplyme contributed. Their workplaces were their homes, the watermills and, later, small factories along the River Lim.

The exhibition is curated by the museum’s local history experts Richard Bull and Graham Davies with help from Ken Gollop and Barbara Bull. Barbara will be demonstrating spinning and inviting everyone to ‘have a go’ during the launch party on Friday.

‘Wool in the Lim Valley’ runs until 29 November at Lyme Regis Museum: open every day during October, 10am to 5pm, and from the beginning of November open Wednesdays to Sundays, 11am to 4pm. Download Richard Bull’s research on this subject from the museum’s website. Printed copies are available from Lyme Regis Museum bookshop, telephone 01297 443370.

The photograph above shows the Lyme Round House – a wool drying tower – when it was still roofed around 1900 (picture Lyme Regis Museum).

Monday 8 October 2012

Fossil Fish

Although best known for ammonites and ichthyosaurs, the rocks around Lyme Regis contain plenty of fossil fish as well. The ground floor gallery at the Museum is currently full of them! The picture above shows just one of the many display cases, containing impressive complete specimens as well as smaller fragments of the kind the casual fossil-hunter is more likely to come across.

The picture on the right shows a large shark fin spine that was found on Monmouth Beach more than 20 years ago. At the top you can see a bite mark on the spine, which may have been made by an ichthyosaur!

Monday 1 October 2012

Museum events in October

Talks

  • Thursday 4 October 2.30pm at Woodmead Hall: Who do you think you are?,
    an interactive session with leading family-history tutor Jane Ferentzi-Sheppard. You're invited to bring along your laptop or iPad so that you can begin tracing your family tree there and then -- true audience participation! Refreshments from 2.30pm; session starts at 3.00pm. Organised by The Friends of Lyme Regis Museum. This event replaces the originally scheduled talk, "Egypt, Civilisation of the Sands" by Nicole Douek, which has had to be cancelled due to illness.
  • Tuesday 23 October 2.30pm at Woodmead Hall: Stone Circles of West Dorset, by Cecil Amor. Organised jointly with the Lyme Regis Society.

Fossil Walks

  • Monday 1 October 2012 11.15
  • Tuesday 2 October 2012 11.45
  • Wednesday 3 October 2012 12.15
  • Thursday 4 October 2012 12.45
  • Sunday 14 October 2012 09.30
  • Monday 15 October 2012 10.15
  • Tuesday 16 October 2012 11.00
  • Wednesday 17 October 2012 11.45
  • Thursday 18 October 2012 12.30
  • Friday 19 October 2012 13.15
  • Saturday 27 October 2012 09.00
  • Sunday 28 October 2012 09.00
  • Monday 29 October 2012 09.15
  • Tuesday 30 October 2012 09.45
  • Wednesday 31 October 2012 10.15

Mary Anning Walks

  • Saturday 6 October 2012 13.30
  • Saturday 13 October 2012 13.30
  • Saturday 27 October 2012 13.30

Rockpooling Walks

  • Friday October 5 14.15
  • Saturday October 20 15.00
  • Sunday October 21 15.45

To book a place on any of the guided walks, please contact us on walks@lymeregismuseum.co.uk

Sunday 30 September 2012

Mary Anning Day 2012

Yesterday was Mary Anning Day at Lyme Regis Museum, celebrating the heritage of Lyme’s most famous fossil-hunter, Mary Anning (1799 – 1847). It was a lively day of events both indoors and out-of-doors. Natalie Manifold (left) led two of her ever-popular Mary Anning walks around the town, visiting the various places that Mary lived and worked, and her burial site and memorial window in the Parish Church.

There was a packed programme of lectures in the Marine Theatre, introduced by Museum Director David Tucker (below).
The first talk was given by Richard Edmonds, Earth Science Manager for the Jurassic Coast, who gave an informative and entertaining presentation on the challenges of managing a World Heritage Site that sprawls along the Dorset and East Devon coast for almost a hundred miles. He explained that while countless sites around the world can boast beautiful coastal scenery and fascinating geology, the Jurassic Coast is unique because the way the rock strata are tilted means that by walking the hundred mile length of coast you are effectively walking through 180 million years of history, during which massive changes occurred in the evolution of life on Earth.

Richard talked a lot about coastal erosion, which, although it is understandably seen as a “threat” in human terms, is the very thing that creates the coastline and maintains its perpetual interest. Fossils are only discoverable in a brief window of time – days or weeks – after they are exposed by erosion and before they are destroyed by it. So the thousands of fossil hunters who come to the coast every year are a good thing for conservation, not a bad thing as is often supposed!

Not surprisingly, there was plenty of practical fossil hunting going on yesterday, as well as the indoor talks and Museum displays. Museum geologists Paddy Howe and Chris Andrew (right) led an enthusiastic group of fossil collectors on one of their regular walks along the beach. As well as countless ammonites and other invertebrate fossils, there was the usual find of a small but perfectly preserved ichthyosaur vertebra, which Chris can be seen holding in the photo.

There are more “Mary Anning Weekend” events at the Museum today (Sunday), and both the fossil walks and Mary Anning walks continue throughout the year.

Monday 24 September 2012

Coming up: Mary Anning Weekend

Fossil fish and sharks are coming to Lyme Regis Museum and the Marine Theatre over the weekend (29 and 30 September). Celebrating the significance of Lyme as the birthplace of palaeontology, the museum’s Mary Anning Weekend presents two action-packed days of fossil facts and fun.

Stefanie Klug (right) of the University of Bristol uncovers the secrets of Jurassic sharks; and Matt Friedman (below, left) of the University of Oxford tells the story of the coelacanth fish, a living fossil thought to have become extinct 65 million years ago but rediscovered in 1938 still swimming the earth’s oceans.

Lyme’s own Richard Edmonds, Earth Science Manager for the Jurassic Coast, explains why our coast is so important; Tom Sharpe of the National Museum of Wales tells the story of the Philpot sisters, who were important fossil collectors in Lyme at the time of Mary Anning; and Sir Crispin Tickell, environmentalist and expert on global climate change, tackles the subject of the human future.

Museum admission is free all weekend, where there is a rare opportunity to see an exhibition of local fossil fish including the Philpot sisters’ collection on loan from Oxford University Museum of Natural History. Especially for children there are ammonite polishing activities and the chance to join in making a giant fossil fish with artist Darrell Wakelam. The museum’s geologists Paddy Howe and Chris Andrew are conducting fossil hunting walks, historian Daphne Baker presents an insight into the life of Mary Anning, and Natalie Manifold takes groups on guided walks of the town as Mary knew it.

To book talks or walks call into Lyme Regis Museum or telephone 01297 443370 or email walks@lymeregismuseum.co.uk.

Full details and times of the weekend’s activities are:

SATURDAY – in and around Lyme Regis Museum
Get up close to rare FOSSIL FISH AND SHARKS. Meet the Philpot fish on a return visit to Lyme from Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
Drop in to the museum’s ground-floor gallery – FREE
Get hands-on with 3-D art – MAKE A GIANT FOSSIL FISH with artist Darrell Wakelam. Cutting-and-sticking fun for children of all ages.
Outside the museum – drop by from 11am to 4pm, materials provided FREE
Have a go at AMMONITE POLISHING with fossil experts Paddy, Chris and Brandon. Take home your own beautiful 190-million-year-old treasure.
Outside the museum from 10.30am to 4pm – materials at pocket-money price.
SATURDAY – on the beach and around town
10am FOSSIL HUNTING WALK – get out on the beach with geologists Paddy and Chris. Everyone should find a fossil!
Booking advised – phone, email or call in. Ticket £10 adult: £5 child/student.
12.30pm AND 2.30pm MARY ANNING WALKS. Do you want to know about Mary Anning’s life in Lyme? Then go on Natalie’s guided walk.
Booking advised – phone, email or call in. Ticket £6 adult: £3 child/student.
SATURDAY MORNING – in the Marine Theatre
10.30am to 1pm – A Morning of Discovery
10.30am – Richard Edmonds, Earth Science Manager for the Jurassic Coast explains its importance: Footsteps through Time: the Jurassic Coast in Context.
11.30am – John Cawley of University of Bristol reveals his new research: Pachycormus – Extinct Mesozoic Ray-finned Fish.
12.15pm – Dr Stefanie Klug also of University of Bristol brings to life: Sharks of the Lower Jurassic.
Booking advised – phone, email or call in. Ticket £6 adult: FREE child/student.
Combined ticket (morning and afternoon) £10 adult: FREE child/student.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON – in the Marine Theatre
2pm to 5pm – Living Fossils, Collectors and the Human Future
2pm – Tom Sharpe of the National Museum of Wales discusses: The Philpot Family and other Early Lyme Fossil Collectors.
3pm – Dr Matt Friedman of University of Oxford asks: Coelacanth: Living Fossil or Specialised Survivor?
4pm – Sir Crispin Tickell author of the influential Climate Change and World Affairs poses the question: The Human Future: Whither the Anthropocene?
Booking advised – phone, email or call in. Ticket £7 adult: FREE child/student.
Combined ticket (morning and afternoon) £10 adult: FREE child/student.
SUNDAY – in and around Lyme Regis Museum
Get up close to rare FOSSIL FISH AND SHARKS. Meet the Philpot fish on a return visit to Lyme from Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
Drop in to the museum’s ground-floor gallery – FREE
Get hands-on with 3-D art – MAKE A GIANT FOSSIL FISH with artist Darrell Wakelam. Cutting-and-sticking fun for children of all ages.
Outside the museum – drop by from 11am to 4pm, materials provided FREE
Have a go at AMMONITE POLISHING with fossil experts Paddy, Chris and Brandon. Take home your own beautiful 190-million-year-old treasure.
Outside the museum from 10.30am to 4pm – materials at pocket-money price.
3pm – Listen to Daphne Baker’s fascinating insight: MARY ANNING – FOSSIL PIONEER about the life and times of the Anning family in Lyme.
FREE – in the museum’s geology gallery (first floor)
SUNDAY – on the beach
10.45am FOSSIL HUNTING WALK – get out on the beach with geologists Paddy and Chris. Everyone should find a fossil!
Booking advised – phone, email or call in. Ticket £10 adult: £5 child/student.

Thursday 6 September 2012

Museum Exhibition: ‘... Where I Intend to End My Days’

News release from Carole Halden, Marketing Manager, Lyme Regis Museum:

Jennie Pearson’s textile exhibition ‘... where I intend to end my days’ has opened at Lyme Regis Museum. It celebrates the connection between Lyme and the early colonial history of Australia, in particular drawing on the story of the Spencer family of Lyme Regis.

At a preview of the exhibition (on Saturday September 1) the artist’s husband Adrian Pearson, who has researched the history of the early pioneers, gave a short talk ‘Sir Richard Spencer: a corner of Lyme in Western Australia’.

The exhibition is part of Lyme Regis ArtsFest and runs until 15 October. The museum is open every day (10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 5pm on Sundays) with free admission on Sunday 9th and 16th September.

Everyone is invited to a drop-in workshop with Jennie Pearson on Wednesday September 12 between 11am and 4pm. Take a sketchbook or camera – collage materials will be available – for a day of inspiration, encouragement and discussion. Materials and admission to the museum is free.

The picture shows Jennie Pearson with her husband Adrian Pearson (left), and the museum's chairman of trustees Stephen Locke. Photograph by Carole Halden.

Tuesday 4 September 2012

Lyme Regis Artsfest 2012

This year's Lyme Regis ArtsFest takes place from Saturday 8th to Sunday 16th September, at venues around the town. The Museum is hosting the following events:

Art Workshop, Wednesday 12 September
Drop in free 11am - 4pm
Get creative with local artist Jennie Pearson! Bring your sketchbook or camera (there will be collage materials available if you prefer that) and prepare to be inspired by the museum's collections. Drop in between 11am and 4pm for a day of arty encouragement, convivial discussion and refreshments. Also, there is an opportunity to see Jennie's textile exhibition in the Rotunda gallery and understand her interpretation of the story behind it. Admission and materials are free.

Re-collection - launch and reception, Thursday 13 September
 17.30 - 19.30 at the Museum, free entry
Thursday 13 September sees 'The Art Crawl', an evening of events at various venues around Lyme Regis. The Museum will host an open house with the chance to meet some of Lyme's talented artists involved in 'Re:collection', and to hear their plans for creatively reinterpreting museum artefacts that have inspired them. Drinks and art chat between 5.30pm and 7.30pm. ('Re:collection' is an initiative by ArtsFest and the museum to support the creation of a contemporary archive of works across the arts, inspired by the museum's collections.)

Saturday 1 September 2012

Museum Events in September


3pm Thursday September 6: Rockpooling
Explore rockpools out on Broad Ledge with Lyme Regis Museum marine biologist Chris Andrew and geologist Paddy Howe. See at close quarters the magical world of seaweed, fish and creatures like velvet swimming crabs and squat lobsters that lie in the wake of the receding tide. Meet at the museum.

6.30pm Saturday September 8: A Look at George Vialls
Lyme Regis Museum was built in 1902. Its architect, George Vialls produced a stunning building in Northern European renaissance style with a grand staircase. Join the museum’s former curator, Max Hebditch, in looking at the life and career of this outstanding architect. Saturday September 8, drinks from 6.30pm - all are welcome, free.

11am - 4pm Wednesday September 12: Re:collection Workshop
A drop-in day for adults at Lyme Regis Museum – sketch or photograph the museum’s collections. Join artist Jennie Pearson with your sketch book or camera for a day of inspiration, convivial discussion and encouragement. Collage materials provided and a glass of wine at midday – all are welcome, free.

10am - 5pm Saturday September 29 and Sunday September 30: Mary Anning Weekend at Lyme Regis Museum
A weekend of talks, walks and children’s activities. Fossil fish and sharks will be the theme of a programme of talks by six scientists in this field of research. Among the speakers will be the eminent environmentalist Sir Crispin Tickell; Tom Sharpe of National Museum of Wales; Dr Matt Friedman of the University of Oxford; John Cawley and Dr Stefanie Klug of University of Bristol; and Richard Edmonds, Jurassic Coast Earth Science Manager. Tickets for these talks are available at the museum shop. A highlight of the weekend will be a return visit to Lyme of the Philpot sisters’ collection of fossil fish. The sisters lived in Lyme at the time of Mary Anning and their important collection went to Oxford University in 1880. Museum admission is free all weekend.

The programme of activities for Mary Anning Weekend is:

SATURDAY – in and around Lyme Regis Museum
Get up close to rare FOSSIL FISH AND SHARKS. Meet the Philpot fish on a return visit to Lyme from Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
Drop in to the museum’s ground-floor gallery – FREE
Get hands-on with 3-D art – MAKE A GIANT FOSSIL FISH with artist Darrell Wakelam. Cutting-and-sticking fun for children of all ages.
Outside the museum – drop by from 11am to 4pm, materials provided FREE
Have a go at AMMONITE POLISHING with fossil experts Paddy, Chris and Brandon. Take home your own beautiful 190-million-year-old treasure.
Outside the museum from 10.30am to 4pm – materials at pocket-money price.
SATURDAY – on the beach and around town
10am FOSSIL HUNTING WALK – get out on the beach with geologists Paddy and Chris. Everyone should find a fossil!
Booking advised – phone, email or call in. Ticket £10 adult: £5 child/student.
12.30pm AND 2.30pm MARY ANNING WALKS. Do you want to know about Mary Anning’s life in Lyme? Then go on Natalie’s guided walk.
Booking advised – phone, email or call in. Ticket £6 adult: £3 child/student.
SATURDAY MORNING – in the Marine Theatre
10.30am to 1pm – A Morning of Discovery
10.30am – Richard Edmonds, Earth Science Manager for the Jurassic Coast explains its importance: Footsteps through Time: the Jurassic Coast in Context.
11.30am – John Cawley of University of Bristol reveals his new research: Pachycormus – Extinct Mesozoic Ray-finned Fish.
12.15pm – Dr Stefanie Klug also of University of Bristol brings to life: Sharks of the Lower Jurassic.
Booking advised – phone, email or call in. Ticket £6 adult: FREE child/student.
Combined ticket (morning and afternoon) £10 adult: FREE child/student.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON – in the Marine Theatre
2pm to 5pm – Living Fossils, Collectors and the Human Future
2pm – Tom Sharpe of the National Museum of Wales discusses: The Philpot Family and other Early Lyme Fossil Collectors.
3pm – Dr Matt Friedman of University of Oxford asks: Coelacanth: Living Fossil or Specialised Survivor?
4pm – Sir Crispin Tickell author of the influential Climate Change and World Affairs poses the question: The Human Future: Whither the Anthropocene?
Booking advised – phone, email or call in. Ticket £7 adult: FREE child/student.
Combined ticket (morning and afternoon) £10 adult: FREE child/student.
SUNDAY – in and around Lyme Regis Museum
Get up close to rare FOSSIL FISH AND SHARKS. Meet the Philpot fish on a return visit to Lyme from Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
Drop in to the museum’s ground-floor gallery – FREE
Get hands-on with 3-D art – MAKE A GIANT FOSSIL FISH with artist Darrell Wakelam. Cutting-and-sticking fun for children of all ages.
Outside the museum – drop by from 11am to 4pm, materials provided FREE
Have a go at AMMONITE POLISHING with fossil experts Paddy, Chris and Brandon. Take home your own beautiful 190-million-year-old treasure.
Outside the museum from 10.30am to 4pm – materials at pocket-money price.
3pm – Listen to Daphne Baker’s fascinating insight: MARY ANNING – FOSSIL PIONEER about the life and times of the Anning family in Lyme.
FREE – in the museum’s geology gallery (first floor)
SUNDAY – on the beach
10.45am FOSSIL HUNTING WALK – get out on the beach with geologists Paddy and Chris. Everyone should find a fossil!
Booking advised – phone, email or call in. Ticket £10 adult: £5 child/student.

Art Exhibition until 15 October
The museum’s new exhibition, ‘... where I intend to end my days’ by local artist Jennie Pearson, explores family links between Lyme and early pioneers of her native Western Australia. Jennie’s hand- and machine-stitched textiles make the connection with references to Lyme people such as Sir Richard Spencer who, in 1833, set sail to become Government Resident of the fledgling settlement in Albany, South West Australia. The exhibition is part of Lyme’s ArtsFest and admission is free on Sunday 9th and 16th September. It runs until 15 October when the museum is open every day (10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and  11am to 5pm on Sundays).

Mary Anning Walks
  • Sunday 2 September 2012 15.00
  • Sunday 9 September 2012 15.00
  • Sunday 16 September 2012 15.00
  • Sunday 23 September 2012 15.00
  • Saturday 29 September 2012 12.30 & 14.30
Fossil Walks
  • Saturday 1 September 2012 11.15
  • Sunday 2 September 2012 11.45
  • Monday 3 September 2012 12.15
  • Tuesday 4 September 2012 12.45
  • Wednesday 5 September 2012 13.15
  • Friday 14 September 2012 09.00
  • Saturday 15 September 2012 10.00
  • Sunday 16 September 2012 10.45
  • Monday 17 September 2012 11.30
  • Tuesday 18 September 2012 12.00
  • Wednesday 19 September 2012 12.45
  • Friday 28 September 2012 09.15
  • Saturday 29 September 2012 10.00
  • Sunday 30 September 2012 10.45
The picture at the top of the page shows Lyme Regis Museum, whose architect was George Vialls, while the one on the left shows the cupola Vialls placed on the top of the Museum. Both photographs are by Peter Wiles.

Friday 24 August 2012

New Exhibition at Lyme Regis Museum

News Release 24 August 2012

Lyme Regis Museum’s new exhibition, ‘... where I intend to end my days’  by local artist Jennie Pearson, explores family links between Lyme and early pioneers of her native Western Australia.

Jennie’s hand- and machine-stitched textiles make the connection with reference to Lyme people such as Sir Richard Spencer who, in 1833, set sail to become Government Resident of the fledgling settlement in Albany, South West Australia.

A preview of the exhibition on Saturday, September 1st, begins at 6.30pm with drinks and an introduction by Adrian Pearson, ‘Sir Richard Spencer: a corner of Lyme in Western Australia’. All are welcome, free.

The exhibition runs from September 1st to October 15th.

Picture captions:
1. Textile image of Lady Ann Spencer, wife of Sir Richard Spencer
2. Textile image of the Spencer’s house in Cobb Road, Lyme Regis

Wednesday 22 August 2012

Friends of Lyme Regis Museum Book Sale

The Friends of Lyme Regis Philpot Museum will be holding a BOOK SALE on Bank Holiday Monday, 27th August. This will start at 10.30 AM and will be held outside the Museum, or if the weather is poor undercover at The Inn Place, Pilot Boat Inn.

Everything from as-new hardbacks to used paperbacks... all at bargain prices!


Friday 3 August 2012

Museum Events in August

Rockpooling
Wednesday 8 August at 3.30 pm
Discover rockpooling on the beach at Lyme Regis with museum marine biologist Chris Andrew and geologist Paddy Howe. See at close quarters the magical world of seaweed, fish and creatures like velvet swimming crabs and squat lobsters that lie in the wake of the receding tide. Rockpooling groups leave the museum according to the tides. Just one date in August: Wednesday 8th at 3.30pm.

Facts on Fossils
Saturday 11, Sunday 26 and Monday 27 August at 2.30pm
Discover Facts on Fossils with museum geologists Chris Andrew and Paddy Howe. Learn how to find fossils; bring along your own discoveries for identification and handle some extraordinary fossils recently found on the Jurassic Coast. A mini master class for all ages and levels of interested fossilists.
Meet at the Langmoor Room, Jubilee Pavilion on Marine Parade on August 11, August 26 and August 27 at 2.30 pm. To book: tel 01297 443370 or email walks@lymeregismuseum.co.uk; price £4 adults; free children/students, includes free museum admission.

Family Fossil Days
Thursday 9, Thursday 23 and Saturday 25 August
Family Fossil Days – fossil hunters Paddy Howe, Chris Andrew and Brandon Lennon are at Lyme Regis Museum for mini fossil festivals in August. Cut and polish an ammonite and make it the most beautiful fossil of all time to take home. Handle 190-million-year-old treasures, ask questions and bring your own prized collection for identification. Impressive finds on display including spectacular recent discoveries. Free admission to all. Ammonite polishing on each day except 23 August.

Mary Anning Walks
Saturdays 4, 11, 18 and 25 August at 3pm
Explore the paths and streets of Old Lyme as Mary Anning knew them with guide Natalie Manifold. Mary Anning Walks depart from the museum every Saturday during August at 3pm.

Fossil Walks
  • Friday 3 August 2012 11.30
  • Saturday 4 August 2012 12.15
  • Sunday 5 August 2012 12.45
  • Monday 6 August 2012 13.15
  • Tuesday 7 August 2012 13.45
  • Wednesday 15 August 2012 09.00
  • Thursday 16 August 2012 09.30
  • Friday 17 August 2012 10.15
  • Saturday 18 August 2012 11.00
  • Sunday 19 August 2012 11.45
  • Tuesday 21 August 2012 13.00
  • Wednesday 29 August 2012 09.00
  • Thursday 30 August 2012 09.45
  • Friday 31 August 2012 10.30

Thursday 2 August 2012

Family Fossil Day

News release from Carole Halden, Marketing Manager of Lyme Regis Museum:

Ammonite polishing was the big attraction at Lyme Regis Museum’s Family Fossil Day on Thursday 26 July. Around 250 children and adults found their way to the sea-side terrace of the museum to join in the polishing activity. For ammonite polishing, the fossils are first sliced in half; the beautiful coiled inside chambers are then visible and it is this surface that is polished by sanding in a circular motion on coarse, then fine, wetted sandpaper and finally a sanding wheel until it is smooth and shining.

Family Fossil Days with ammonite polishing will take place again on Thursday August 9 and Saturday August 25. Museum geologist Paddy Howe with fossil experts Chris Andrew and Brandon Lennon will lead the fun, answer questions and impart their outstanding fossil knowledge as they work; and there will be free admission to the museum.

The picture shows Iris Goldbach and Alina Schuff, all the way from Hamburg in Germany, enjoying last week's event.

Friday 20 July 2012

Fossil events 25-28 July

With the start of the school holidays, there are lots of fossil-related events coming up at Lyme Regis Museum, including the first of four Family Fossil Days on Thursday 26 July with 'open house' at the museum and lots of opportunities for seeing, handling, hearing and talking about fossils. Also a gazebo outside on the terrace for even more activities, including the ever popular ammonite polishing. We're open free of charge all day from 10am to 5pm.

Wednesday 25 July sees a rockpooling session out on Broad Ledge to explore the magical world of sea creatures left in the wake of the outgoing tide. It meets at the museum at 3.45pm and takes about an hour and a half. Price £5 adults; children and students £2.50.

On Saturday 28 July there is a 'Facts on Fossils' mini-masterclass for all ages and levels. It is a session in learning how to find fossils, handling the extraordinary fossil finds that Chris and Paddy bring along, taking the opportunity to have your own fossils identified and much more. It usually lasts an hour... Price £4 for adults; free for children and students.

Wednesday 11 July 2012

Facts on Fossils

'Facts on Fossils' is a new regular event organized by Lyme Regis Museum. It is more than a talk - it is a a learning experience for all ages and levels of interested fossilists, with plenty of fossil handling, tips on how to find and identify, and lots of recently-found extraordinary fossils to see and hear about, as well as a bring-your-own-fossils-for-identification offer.

Chris Andrew and Paddy Howe will be leading 'Facts on Fossils' in their own action-packed, fun-filled style in a new venue: it will be held in the Langmoor Room on Marine Parade on most occasions. Tickets for 'Facts on Fossils' are £4 for adults and free for children.

This month, the first 'Facts on Fossils' events will be held at 2.30 pm on Sunday 15th and Saturday 28th, with more sessions to come over the rest of the year.

Friday 6 July 2012

Lyme’s Paralympic Gold

In the 1984 Paralympic Games in New York, Lyme Regis resident Diane Wiscombe won a gold medal. Her magnificent achievement is the subject of a new exhibition ‘Lyme’s Paralympic Gold’ at Lyme Regis Museum which opens on Thursday 12 July. Di Wiscombe, who died earlier this year, was the daughter of Muriel and Tony Wiscombe of a well-known local family. Her father died two years ago.

Di Wiscombe, born in 1965, was one of twins born prematurely and was diagnosed as having cerebral palsy. The disability first affected her walking but, later in life, movement of her arms and hands became more difficult. She attended Saint Michael’s Infant and Junior Schools between 1970 and 1976 and then became a weekly boarder at Princess Margaret School, Taunton, a school for children with physical disabilities.

In 1981 Di moved as a full-time boarder to the prestigious National Star Centre at Cheltenham. Her intention was to return to Lyme and run the office of the family business, A. and F. Wiscombe, a long-established Lyme building company, but her life changed when she met Ken Black, swimming coach at the Star Centre. Recognising Di’s potential he entered her in local and regional swimming galas and soon she was competing in major competitions.

Convinced that she could win medals at the highest level, Di stayed in Cheltenham until 1985 to continue her punishing training schedule. The haul of medals grew larger and she began to compete internationally. Di was picked for the British Paralympic team for both swimming and boccia, a form of bowls played with small, sand-filled leather balls.

The 1984 Games in New York were the first Paralympic Games to be held in the same country as the summer Olympic Games. The opening ceremony was presided over by President Ronald Reagan whom Di met at the ceremony.

It proved to be a triumphant Games for the British contingent who won 331 medals and came second in the medal table. Di won two medals: a Gold for the 25 metres freestyle swimming, where she set a new world record, and a Silver medal for women’s individual boccia.

Di returned to Lyme in 1984. She needed to maintain her schedule and was helped by the Royal Marines at Lympstone, who pushed her to her full potential. Di’s mother Muriel also became part of the training team.

In 1988 Di was picked for both the swimming and boccia teams and travelled to Seoul, Korea, without her family. The British team came third behind the USA and West Germany with 183 medals. Di won a Silver medal for boccia.

In 1991 Di moved from the family home to a bungalow in Jericho, Lyme, where with support she was able to lead an independent life. She worked on her computer, travelled and enjoyed shopping trips and concerts.

In 2011 Di took on the challenge of driving a specially adapted car which would enable her to drive free of her wheelchair. Sadly, Di died before she had a chance achieve this.

‘Lyme’s Paralympic Gold’ exhibition, curated by Ken Gollop, will run from Thursday 12 July until the end of September.

Everyone is welcome to the museum free of charge on the opening day of the exhibition, which is also the day of the Olympic Torch procession through Lyme Regis. The museum is open every day: from 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday, and 11am to 5pm on Sundays. Entrance ticket for a year is £3.95 for adults, £3.45 for seniors; children and students free.

Sunday 1 July 2012

Museum Events in July

Rockpooling walks (Sunday 8, Monday 9, Tuesday 10, Wednesday 25 July)

Discover rockpooling on the beach at Lyme Regis with museum marine biologist Chris Andrew and geologist Paddy Howe. See at close quarters the magical world of seaweed, fish and creatures like velvet swimming crabs and squat lobsters that lie in the wake of the receding tide. Rockpooling groups leave the museum according to the tides: Sunday 8th at 3pm, Monday 9th at 3.30pm, Tuesday 10th at 4pm, Wednesday 25th at 3.45pm.

Know Your Fossils! (Sunday 15 , Saturday 28 July)

Lyme Regis Museum’s fossil experts Chris Andrew and Paddy Howe invite you to ‘Know Your Fossils!’ at the Museum at 2.30pm. Lots of real fossils to handle and tips on how to find and identify. Bring along your own discoveries for identification.

Family Fossil Days (Thursday 26 July)

Fossil hunters Paddy Howe, Chris Andrew and Brandon Lennon are at Lyme Regis Museum for mini fossil festivals in July and August. Cut and polish an ammonite and make it the most beautiful fossil of all time to take home. Handle 190-million-year-old treasures, ask questions and bring your own prized collection for identification. Impressive finds on display including spectacular recent discoveries. Free admission to all.

Mary Anning Walks (Saturday 7, 14, 21, 28 July)

Explore the paths and streets of Old Lyme as Mary Anning knew them with guide Natalie Manifold. Mary Anning Walks depart from the museum every Saturday during July at 1.30pm.

Fossil Walks

  • Monday 2 July 2012 09.00
  • Tuesday 3 July 2012 10.00
  • Wednesday 4 July 2012 11.00
  • Thursday 5 July 2012 11.45
  • Friday 6 July 2012 12.30
  • Saturday 7 July 2012 13.15
  • Tuesday 17 July 2012 09.15
  • Wednesday 18 July 2012 10.00
  • Thursday 19 July 2012 10.45
  • Friday 20 July 2012 11.30
  • Saturday 21 July 2012 12.00
  • Sunday 22 July 2012 12.45
  • Monday 23 July 2012 13.15
  • Tuesday 24 July 2012 14.00
  • Tuesday 31 July 2012 9.00

Monday 18 June 2012

Coade Stone

“Coade Stone” was a popular building material in the 18th and 19th centuries, often used for intricate ornamental mouldings because of its durable and hard-wearing nature. Despite the name, it isn’t natural stone but an artificial ceramic that was moulded rather than sculpted. It was named after its inventor, Eleanor Coade (1733–1821), who owned and managed a large factory in Lambeth—quite a feat for a woman in those male-dominated times. In 1784 she acquired Belmont House in Lyme Regis, which she used as a summer residence.

The photograph shows an example of Coade stone on display in Lyme Regis Museum. This is one of the two gate piers that flanked the entrance to Belmont in Pound Street. The picture below is a watercolour painted by L. Meux in the 1920s or 30s, showing the gate piers in situ outside Belmont House.

As mentioned in a previous post, the status of Belmont is currently at risk, and it was made the subject of an appeal by the Landmark Trust.

Friday 1 June 2012

Museum Events in June

KNOW YOUR FOSSILS
SATURDAY 2, MONDAY 4, SUNDAY 10, SATURDAY 16, SUNDAY 24 JUNE 2.30pm
Lyme Regis Museum’s fossil experts Chris Andrew and Paddy Howe invite you to Know Your Fossils at 2.30pm. A talk with lots of real fossils to handle and tips on how to find and identify. Bring along your own discoveries for identification.

JUBILEE DISPLAY CELEBRATION
SATURDAY 2 JUNE 12noon
Following the Jubilee Civic Parade, call into Lyme Regis Museum at mid-day for glass of wine to celebrate the opening of the Jubilee display Seven Centuries of Royal Lyme. Free admission all day.

FAMILY FUN DAY
WEDNESDAY 6 JUNE 11am – 3pm
Join half-term Family Fun Day at Lyme Regis Museum when dinosaurs and mythological creatures will fill every spare space – because anything is possible with card and collage! Make your own dragon or dinosaur, pegasus or phoenix, to take and put on display at home. Suitable for children up to 11 years old. Free admission for adults and children and free art materials. No need to book, just drop into the museum any time between 11am and 3pm and get creative with local artist Alison Bowskill.

FOSSIL WALKS
Sunday 3 June 2012 09.15
Monday 4 June 2012 10.15
Tuesday 5 June 2012 11.15
Wednesday 6 June 2012 12.00
Thursday 7 June 2012 12.45
Friday 8 June 2012 13.30
Saturday 9 June 2012 14.00
Sunday 17 June 2012 09.00
Monday 18 June 2012 09.45
Tuesday 19 June 2012 10.15
Wednesday 20 June 2012 11.00
Thursday 21 June 2012 11.45
Friday 22 June 2012 12.15
Saturday 23 June 2012 12.45

MARY ANNING WALKS
Saturday 2 June 2012 13.30
Saturday 9 June 2012 13.30
Saturday 16 June 2012 13.30
Saturday 23 June 2012 13.30
Saturday 30 June 2012 13.30

Tuesday 29 May 2012

Banksy in Lyme Regis

At the beginning of April this new piece of street art was discovered in Lyme Regis, as was mentioned at the time on the Lyme Regis Society blog. It depicts an origami-style crane holding a goldfish in its beak, and is located by the river where Coombe Street meets Mill Green. It looks like the work of the world-famous Bristol based artist, Banksy.

Natalie Manifold now reports that the picture has been confirmed as a genuine Banksy! The photograph below is featured on the official Banksy website at http://www.banksy.co.uk/outdoors/crane.html:

Friday 25 May 2012

A moth evening in Lyme Regis

As part of the nationwide Museums at Night initiative on Friday 18 May, Lyme Regis Museum held its first moth evening! Dr Phil Sterling, Dorset County Council’s natural environment manager and ecologist, gave a talk at the museum, and then led over 30 people to a site off Charmouth Road, where mercury vapour lights had been set up by Alan Kennard and Marjorie Waters. Some 36 different species were seen over a two hour period. Pick of the catch was a Ruddy Carpet, a nationally scarce moth, but known to inhabit Lyme. A Cream Wave also stood out amongst the more common species such as Flame Shoulder, Hebrew Character, Scalloped Hazel, Green Carpet, Iron Prominent, Pale Tussock and Twenty-plume moth.

The left-hand picture below shows Phil Sterling identifying one the catch to members of the tour group. On the right can be seen two of the moths that were caught: the yellow one is a ‘Brimstone’ (Opisthograptis luteoilata) and the other specimen is a ‘Green Carpet’ (Colostygia pectinataria).

Saturday 19 May 2012

New acquisitions

The photograph shows some of the new objects on display in Lyme Regis Museum. As well as objects found on the beach and old souvenirs of Lyme, there is the deckchair attendant's ticket machine and branding iron. Both objects were rescued from the Marine Parade shelters before the recent refurbishment work started.

The 'brand' on the branding iron reads LRTC, for Lyme Regis Town Council. It was used to mark deckchairs to deter people from walking off with them!

Thursday 10 May 2012

New Museum Director

A new director has taken up his duties at Lyme Regis Museum. David Tucker arrives with the ambition that the museum should become to Lyme Regis what the Tate is to St Ives.

‘That means a bigger museum building’, he confirms, ‘And recognising our strengths – which are in palaeontology of course, but also our link with Mary Anning (it was on the site of her house that the museum was built), and in Lyme’s literary connections.

‘Immediately, I shall be building relationships with other Lyme organisations. For instance the Development Trust and its plan for a Jurassic Coast Studies Centre – the museum and such a development complement each other.’

David Tucker has 20 years’ museum experience, most recently as County Museums Adviser for Dorset, where his involvement was instrumental in acquiring important fossils for Jurassic Coast museums.

Wednesday 9 May 2012

Ammonite research

‘Epifaunal worm tubes on Lower Lias ammonites’ is the rather daunting title of a research paper published in the Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association, which describes parasitic worms that can be seen on numerous fossil specimens in the Lyme Regis Museum’s collection. On the example shown here, the worm tube starts just above the point marked O in the ammonite’s umbilical seam, follows the umbilical seam for over half a whorl in the same direction as the ammonite growth, and then crosses the penultimate whorl where it is overgrown by the ammonite. It continues around the periphery of the ammonite and terminates well short of the ammonite aperture (the white bar indicates a scale of 5 mm).

You can read the full paper, with many more illustrations, on the Museum’s website.

Tuesday 1 May 2012

Museum Events in May


LYME REGIS FOSSIL FESTIVAL

SATURDAY and SUNDAY 5 and 6 May

Free entry to Museum - Download flyer
See superb fossils and William Buckland’s coprolite table. Discover the extraordinary story of Mary Anning and – this weekend only - see archives that shed light on the geologists she associated with courtesy of the Museum of Wales.

Ammonite Polishing: Polishing has never been this much fun! Turn your ammonite into the most glittery fossil of all time, with help from Paddy, Chris, Harry and Ben. Both days 10am-4pm in the marquee. Small charge for the ammonite.

Paint your own Fossil Plaster Cast: Make and take home – family fun activities with Phil Anslow. Both days 11am-3pm in the marquee. Small charge for materials.

Family Fossil Hunting Walk: SATURDAY 9.45am and SUNDAY 10.45am. Get hands-on on the Jurassic Coast with the Museum’s celebrity fossil hunters Paddy Howe and Chris Andrew. Educational and fun. Maximum of 15 people per guide. Walk takes 3 hours. To book – telephone 01297 443370 or email walks@lymeregismuseum.co.uk. Adults £10, Children £5.  Meet at museum.

Mary Anning and her Geologist Friends: SATURDAY 11am and SUNDAY 3pm. Share the thoughts of the 19th-century gentlemen fossil hunters who became Mary Anning’s friends. Illustrated by archives from National Museum of Wales, Tom Sharpe talks about the unusual relationships between Mary Anning and Buckland, Conybeare and De la Beche. FREE - no booking required. Suitable for age 12 and above.  Venue: museum.

Dinner with Dr Buckland: SATURDAY AND SUNDAY 12noon. Nineteenth-century scientist-clergyman William Buckland boasted that he had eaten his way through the whole of animal creation. Neither sentimentality nor revulsion stopped him devouring slices of crocodile, hedgehogs, puppies and mice. Join him for dinner! Harry Ford plays Dr Buckland in a performance of William Plomer’s outrageous comic verse. FREE - no booking required.  Venue: museum.

Mary Anning Walk: SATURDAY 1.30pm. Explore the paths and streets of Old Lyme as Mary Anning knew them with guide Natalie Manifold. Walk takes about 1½ hours. To book – telephone 01297 443370 or email walks@lymeregismuseum.co.uk. Adults £6, Children £3.  Meet at museum.

What Kept Ammonites Afloat? SATURDAY 3pm and SUNDAY 11am. Insight into the lifestyle of Lyme’s quintessential fossils; how they lived, were bitten and played host to hitch-hiking worm tubes! A reconstruction of the lifespan of an ammonite, by Prof Chris Paul. FREE - no booking required. Suitable for age 12 and above.  Venue: museum.

MUSEUMS AT NIGHT

FRIDAY 18 MAY

Come to Museums at Night, the annual after-hours celebration of the arts, culture and heritage at Lyme Regis Museum – free entry.

Hedge Britannia at 6.30pm: Author Hugh Barker talks about his enthusiasm for the hedgerows and hedges that shape our landscape and are among our most ancient monuments. From segregated fields and twisting hedgerows to hedge-laying champions and topiary-tenders – no aspect of the hedge world escapes him. Free. No booking required.

Drinks at 7.30pm: Refreshments and book signing by Hugh Barker.

Museums at Night Moth Ball at 8pm:
What do moths get up to at night? Find out during this evening with Dr Phil Sterling – a talk, followed at dusk by a walk to see the nightlife of the local moth world. We will walk to an area off Charmouth Road, Lyme Regis, to see what species are attracted to our lights, captured, identified then released. Dr Sterling is Dorset County Council’s natural environment manager and ecologist, also the county moth recorder. He will be assisted by entomologist Alan Kennard and museum zoologist Chris Andrew Free. Please make a booking for the Moth Ball to avoid disappointment – numbers are limited: telephone 01297 443370 or email walks@lymeregismuseum.co.uk Sensible shoes needed – and sequins if you would like!

WALKS

E-mail walks@lymeregismuseum.co.uk to book your place...

Fossil Walks

  • Friday 4 May 2012 09.00
  • Saturday 5 May 2012 9.45
  • Sunday 6 May 2012 10.45
  • Monday 7 May 2012 11.30
  • Tuesday 8 May 2012 12.15
  • Friday 18 May 2012 09.00
  • Saturday 19 May 2012 09.30
  • Sunday 20 May 2012 10.15
  • Monday 21 May 2012 10.45
  • Tuesday 22 May 2012 11.15
  • Thursday 24 May 2012 12.30
  • Friday 25 May 2012 13.00
  • Saturday 26 May 2012 13.30

Mary Anning Walks
  • Saturday 5 May 2012 13.30
  • Sunday 13 May 2012 13.30
  • Saturday 19 May 2012 13.30
  • Saturday 26 May 2012 13.30
  • Sunday 27 May 2012 13.30

Rockpooling Walks
  • May 9 14.15
  • May 10 15.00
  • May 11 15.30
  • May 23 13.00
  • May 27 15.30

Saturday 28 April 2012

Oscar Wilde in Lyme Regis

Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900) was one of the most celebrated playwrights of the nineteenth century. He was born in Dublin (where the statue pictured on the left can be seen), but spent his later years in London. He came to Lyme Regis for a holiday in 1891, and stayed at the Old Monmouth Hotel  (then called the White Hart). According to a sign inside the hotel, Wilde scratched his name on a window!

Thanks to Patience Gent for drawing my attention to this story. Patience also mentioned that the parents of the 20th century novelist John Masters used to live in Lyme Regis.

For the many other literary figures associated with Lyme, see the Museum's Writers and Artists page.

Tuesday 24 April 2012

Book Night at the Museum

Lyme Regis Museum took part in World Book Night yesterday – an annual celebration of reading when tens of thousands of people worldwide give books within their communities to spread the joy of the printed word.

The Museum gave visitors copies of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – a great work of literature and a title that is appropriate for Lyme Regis with its Austen connections.

Local residents and visitors from Denmark, America and Australia who were among those calling in to the museum on April 23 were able to see the Jane Austen family items on display there and receive a free copy of her book. Some were first-time Austen readers, others passionate book-lovers, all wanting to pass on the thrill of reading to someone they knew.

Clockwise from top left, the picture shows Margaret Rose (Chairman of the Friends of Lyme Regis Museum), Elma Tahir from London, Shirley Sibbick from Christchurch, Jan Salling Andersen of Odense, Denmark (birthplace of another great storyteller, Hans Christian Andersen) and Robin and Garry Spry all the way from Queenscliff in Australia.

Friday 20 April 2012

Lyme Regis ArtsFest

The Tenth Lyme Regis ArtsFest will take place in September this year, but planning ahead for 2013 is already underway with a new and exciting initiative for all artists, writers, performers, craftspeople, photographers and musicians called “Re:collection”

Conceived by ArtsFest Creative Directors Karol Kulik and Christine Allison, Re:collection is a year-long project about inspiration, ideas and creation. Inspiration from where? Answer... Lyme Regis Museum!

As Christine puts it, “That wonderful gem of a place nestled in the heart of our town holds an array of artefacts in all shapes and forms. These collectively record our Lyme Regis history, geology, folklore, domestic life, sea life, famous and infamous residents and more. Each exhibit has its own story to tell. If one exhibit could ignite a creative spark in an artist, what would be the outcome? A painting, a sketchbook, a book of poems, a drama, a dance, a piece of music, a film, a series of photographs, an animation, an embroidery, a sculpture, a happening, a book, a workshop – the list is only limited by your imagination.”

“Go to the museum and look with new eyes,” she continues. “Find something that makes you curious, use it as springboard for ideas and get the creative juices flowing. The smallest of things could inspire a huge abstract painting, a theatre production or a sculpture, let your imagination loose.”

The project has already spawned some interesting proposals, and ArtsFest will be seeking funding for the more ambitious projects that require substantial budgets. Re:collection will be formally launched at ArtsFest 2012 in September, and all artists' work will need to be completed by September 2013, culminating in a group show at The Malthouse and other suitable venues in the town. Artists of all disciplines (individuals or groups) are urged to visit the museum now and email their ideas and plans to the ArtsFest organizers.

Sunday 15 April 2012

A gift to Lyme Regis Museum

Lyme Regis Museum is pleased to have received a gift of a large framed photograph that has hung in the Lyme Regis branch of the Lloyds TSB bank for many years. Pictured above is the bank’s local manager Joanne White handing over the picture to museum chairman Stephen Locke (on the left) and the museum’s newly appointed director David Tucker (right) .

Mr Locke said 'The museum is very grateful for the gift of this picture. It shows how Broad Street in Lyme Regis looked for the 1980 filming of John Fowles' book French Lieutenant's Woman. This was an important event in the town's recent past and illustrates its literary connection to John Fowles. The museum is also proud that Fowles was its curator while filming was taking place.'

Sunday 1 April 2012

Museum Events in April

WEDNESDAY 4 APRIL 11.00 to 3.00 at the Museum

Easter Family Fun Day at Lyme Regis Museum
Get creative with Alison Bowskill. From Easter chicks to first swallows, birds will be everywhere! Drop into the museum to make and decorate your own Easter bird to take and hang up at home. Free admission for adults and children and free art materials. Suitable for children ages 5 to 10 years.

SATURDAY 7 APRIL 10.00 to 1.00 at The Inn Place, Pilot Boat Inn, Lyme Regis

Book Sale and Coffee Morning
Have a coffee and browse hundreds of quality books.
Admission £1.00 includes refreshments. Bargains galore! Coffee! Conviviality!

SATURDAY 7 APRIL 2.30pm at the Museum

Know Your Fossils
Lyme Regis Museum’s fossil experts Chris Andrew and Paddy Howe (right) invite you to come along to discover how to find and identify fossils, and to see and handle their more unusual finds. Bring along your own discoveries for identification. No booking necessary.

Thursday 12 APRIL 2.30pm (approx) at Woodmead Hall

Fairgrounds in Wartime
A talk by Kay Townsend. Organised by The Friends of Lyme Regis Museum
The talk will follow the Friends' AGM

SUNDAY 15 APRIL 2.30pm at the Museum

Know Your Fossils
Lyme Regis Museum’s fossil experts Chris Andrew and Paddy Howe invite you to come along to discover how to find and identify fossils, and to see and handle their more unusual finds. Bring along your own discoveries for identification. No booking necessary.

TUESDAY 24 APRIL 2.30pm (approx) at Woodmead Hall

Poundbury, urban triumph or disaster?
A talk by Martin Pakes (this replaces the previously advertised talk)
Jointly with The Lyme Regis Society
The talk will follow the Society's AGM

Fossil Walks

Join fossil experts Paddy Howe and Chris Andrew on their famous fossil hunting walks and find your own 150-million-year-old fossil. For adults and children alike, it’s an unforgettable experience. Walks last around 3 hours. To book a place telephone 01297 443370 or email walks@lymeregismuseum.co.uk
  • Thursday 5 April 2012 09.30
  • Friday 6 April 2012 10.15
  • Monday 9 April 2012 12.30
  • Tuesday 10 April 2012 13.15
  • Wednesday 18 April 2012 09.00
  • Thursday 19 April 2012 09.30
  • Friday 20 April 2012 10.15
  • Saturday 21 April 2012 10.45
  • Sunday 22 April 2012 11.15
  • Monday 23 April 2012 11.45
  • Tuesday 24 April 2012 12.15
  • Wednesday 25 April 2012 12.45

Mary Anning Walks

Join guide Natalie Manifold and explore the paths and streets of Old Lyme as Mary knew them, and learn about the life of the ‘greatest fossil hunter ever known’. The walk takes about 1½ hours. To book a place telephone 01297 443370 or email walks@lymeregismuseum.co.uk
  • Saturday 7 April 2012 13.30
  • Sunday 15 April 2012 13.30
  • Saturday 21 April 2012 13.30
  • Saturday 28 April 2012 13.30
  • Sunday 29 April 2012 13.30

Rockpooling

Join marine biologist Chris Andrew and geologist Paddy Howe and see at close quarters the magical world of creatures like velvet swimming crabs and squat lobsters that lie in the wake of the receding tide. The sessions last around 1½ hours. To book a place telephone 01297 443370 or email walks@lymeregismuseum.co.uk
  • April 4 10.00
  • April 11 15.00
  • April 12 16.00
  • April 26 14.30
  • April 27 15.00

Sunday 25 March 2012

Rockpool Ichthyosaur

Chris Andrew, Lyme Regis Museum's Education Officer, sent these photographs of an interesting new fossil find by Museum geologist Paddy Howe. Here is what Chris says about them: "Paddy found some scattered Ichthyosaur bits on Saturday 10th March. The pictures show the vertebrae that Paddy first spotted in a pale mudstone at the bottom of a rockpool. Several friends volunteered to help. Paddy had to clear the sand covering the bones, so you have a nice picture of him sweeping the rockpool. Unfortunately the mudstone was very crumbly and all the bones came out separately. Paddy got both front limb bones (humerus) and about ten vertebrae, a few paddle bones and rib sections."