EXCITING CELEBRATION WEEKEND PLANNED FOR MUSEUM’S 40th ANNIVERSARY YEAR

The weekend of Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th September promises to be the most spectacular and exciting in the history of the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum. The Ruby Anniversary Celebration represents the climax of this, the Museum’s 40th year: the event will be two days of wonderful activities for all the family with a Community carnival, vintage rides, arena events and displays, a horticultural show, music, entertainment, and much more.

 

 

The Museum at Singleton, near Chichester, opened its doors to the public on the first weekend in September 1970. From its small beginnings, it has grown to become England's leading museum of historic buildings and traditional rural life, winning many accolades along the way. Over the weekend there will be thrills and excitement as well as the Museum’s more traditional activities: from a high-flying experience in a helicopter, to a more down to earth ride on a steam-powered carousel; from watching a dancing sheep to seeing some of the more sedate winners of the Museum’s Rare Breeds Show earlier this summer; or from whizzing down the grassy hill on a mountain board, to ambling gently along with the lantern parade on Saturday evening – this event has something for everyone!

The Parachute Regiment Freefall Team, the Red Devils, will be dropping in on the Sunday; the 3-Sixty Bicycle Stunt Team and the Kangaroos Gymnastics Display Team will thrill the crowds, and there will be a fantastic mounted display from Skinners Horse
Victorian re-enactors. In addition, the West Sussex Fire brigade will be bringing their information fire engine, which will contrast with an historic horse-drawn steam powered fire engine which will be mounting a display complete with ‘firemen’ in period costume! On the Saturday evening there will be a lantern parade and bonfire party, with lanterns made by children during ‘Wonderful Wednesday’ activity days earlier in the summer. The Museum is delighted that local Radio Station Spirit FM will support the event with a live outside broadcast on the Saturday.

The event sees the launch of a superb anniversary book, Building History: the story of the development of the Museum in its first forty years. It is edited and partly written by Diana Zeuner, following 39 years’ involvement with the Museum as wife of the late Chris Zeuner, its director from 1974 to 2001. The other main authors are founder trustee Kim Leslie; Richard Harris, the current Museum Director; and Carol Brinson, whose involvement began in 1972.

There will also be other high-profile book signings: broadcaster, novelist and Museum trustee Kate Mosse will be signing copies of her latest bestseller The Winter Ghosts, and her earlier novels Labyrinth and Sepulchre, on Saturday at noon and on Sunday at 11am. Jane Borodale, former Leverhulme Writer in Residence at the Museum, will be signing The Book of Fires which was recently short-listed for the 2010 Orange Award for New Writers, on Saturday at 4pm and on Sunday at 3pm. She will also sign her latest book The Visitor, which centres on the real and imagined lives of four of the Museum’s buildings. Finally, Ben Law, author and recognised authority on sustainable woodland management will give a presentation on his new book Timber Framing: Building Naturally Using Local Resources, on Saturday at 2pm, with a signing at 3pm.

Tickets for the Anniversary weekend can be bought in advance: in person from the Museum shop or by calling 01243 811020; on the Museum website www.wealddown.co.uk, or from Chichester and Midhurst Tourist Information Centres.

Background information
The award-winning Weald & Downland Open Air Museum has over 45 historic building exhibits and is designated by the Government for the outstanding importance of its collections. Exhibits include a medieval farmstead; a working watermill producing wholemeal stoneground flour; exhibitions focusing on traditional building techniques and agriculture; historic gardens, farm livestock and a working Tudor kitchen. The Museum runs a well-established schools programme, and an adult learning programme of courses in building conservation and rural crafts. There is a café which uses the Museum’s own flour and a shop with gifts and books on countryside and buildings themes. The modern Downland Gridshell houses the Museum’s building conservation centre and artefact collection; there is a daily tour at 1.30pm when the Museum is open, and an appointments system for visits to the collections for research purposes.

17.08.10