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Welcome to our seasonal newsletter containing updates from the Museum team on exhibitions, events and projects. Whether you are interested in local history, art, family activities, or just a friendly place to escape to, there are plenty of exhibitions, events and activities to choose from. Admission to the exhibitions is free, events and activities require booking, please see further information below. If you are unable to visit the Museum, but would still like to support our activities, we gratefully receive online donations.
 I am delighted to introduce myself as the new part time Museum Curator at West Berkshire Museum, sharing the role with Janine Fox. I have over 15 years' experience of working in the heritage sector, including 10 years as a curator looking after museum collections and developing exhibitions all around the country. My background is in Ancient History, but I have looked after social history collections, military collections and textile collections as well as archaeology and art. I have worked in such varied locations as Chester Castle, Hampton Court Palace and the History of Science Museum in Oxford.
Currently I enjoy walking through the permanent displays in the museum and working in the museum store, discovering the museum artefacts. I am looking forward to an Ancient Egyptian exhibition which will open in West Berkshire Museum in November 2023.
A massive congratulations to Ejae who has successfully completed their apprenticeship as Museum Hospitality Assistant. Ejae has been awarded a Distinction for their Apprenticeship in Level 2 Customer Service. Ejae has been a valuable member of the Museum team for the last 18 months and will continue to work with us as a Museum Casual.
We also warmly welcome Kat, who has very recently started in the role as Apprentice Museum Hospitality Assistant and will introduce themselves fully in the Summer newsletter.
 We have a team of dedicated volunteers who undertake various roles at the collections store. Some volunteers have been helping pack away items that have been on display in the Museum: this involves updating the database record, checking the item’s condition, and carefully packing it before placing it in the correct location.
Volunteers also process new offers of donation: in the photo, you can see Val modelling her old school scarf, which she has offered for the Museum’s collection. She has already completed an Object Entry Form, and will be writing at Acquisition Impact Assessment, which is the report sent to the Collections Panel to help them decide whether or not to accept an item into the collection. Writing the report will give Val a break from her current task of data entry, which is essential, as anyone searching for items in the future will be able to find out all about them.
Ben is continuing work on entering all the information that is provided when we receive deposits of archaeological archives, and is pleased that he now only has one year of deposits to finish! Barry is continuing work started by previous volunteers by creating a database of our Newbury Weekly News cuttings. This will enable anyone to search for them without opening and searching through every one of over 20 scrapbooks.
To commemorate the Coronation of King Charles III West Berkshire Museum launched a special Coronation themed online exhibition. This shares objects from the Museum’s collection illustrating how the Coronation of British Monarchs has been celebrated in the past: https://westberkshiremuseumcollections.org/online-exhibitions/coronations-collection/
 The Learning and Participation Officer, Clare Bromley, has with the help of two museum volunteers been trialling a series of sessions, Mini Messy Museum, for under 5s in term-time. Held on five consecutive Wednesday mornings, each session involved a ‘messy’ craft followed by a hunt for a connected museum object.
All the sessions in the pilot were themed around The Age of Dinosaurs special exhibition and the crafts included making dinosaur footprints from Plaster of Paris, a clay dinosaur egg and a paper plate Cetiosaurus. The sessions were well received: “The best toddler/preschool session we have ever been to – never stop!” “Lots of fun [and] creative ideas.” “’Brilliant’ – as Ruben would say!”
Mini Messy Museum will return in the autumn, with another run of five sessions on consecutive Wednesday mornings. They will be themed around Museum objects in the permanent exhibition. More information will be available in the next West Berkshire Heritage What’s On brochure as well as on the website (from September onwards): www.westberkshireheritage.org/whats-on
 Philip Smither is Berkshire’s Finds Liaison Officer (FLO) whose role is to identify and record archaeological finds discovered within the County of Berkshire for the Portable Antiquities Scheme. If you have found something that you would like Phil to take a look at, please book onto one of Phil’s Finds Surgeries. Phil is usually at West Berkshire Museum on the 1st Saturday and 3rd Wednesday of the month. Click here to book and to see the full list of Finds Surgery locations.
The newest Treasure find to be accessioned by the Museum is this medieval Tealby penny brooch (NEBYMM:2023.14). The silver penny is a Henry II (AD1154-1189) Tealby of Class C, Carlisle. The penny has been gilded and modified into a brooch with silver fittings attached by rivets to the obverse. The brooch is only 1 of 3 on the PAS database, all from Hampshire and West Berkshire.
 Catherine Allison.
Runs 17 May - 28 May 2023.
An Open Studios exhibition of Catherine’s artwork including landscapes and animals.
Waterways.
Runs 24 May 2023 – 19 May 2024.
Celebrating the 300th Anniversary of the Kennet Navigation through the fascinating history of the Kennet and Avon Canal.
Dazzling Water.
Runs 31st May-18th June.
Experience the pleasure of dazzling sun on water with Nick Schlee’s recent collection of work. Inspired by his brief time living next to the River Pang, follow Nick's on his journey to capture the combination of movement, light and the colour of flowing water.
Standing our Ground - The Fight to Stop the Newbury By-Pass.
Runs 28th June - 20th August 2023.
A photographic exhibition documenting the 1996 protest.
Focus on Thatcham.
Runs until 17 Sept 2023.
This exhibition will explore the parish of Thatcham’s history through objects from the museum collection and from the local community.
Hope and Pride - What is Pride and why do we need it?
Runs until 5 November 2023.
A community exhibition to coincide with Newbury’s first Pride.
House of Toomer.
Runs until 21 January 2024. Exploring the history of this prominent local family, familiar to many West Berkshire residents for the House of Toomer hardware store.
 For more information our upcoming events and exhibitions please visit: www.westberkshireheritage.org/whats-on
Messy Museum Days
Friday 2 June, drop-in, 10am-3pm
Lucky dip!
Choose a ceramic item (the choice is subject to availability on the day) to decorate with paint pens, and then take it home to use or display. £2.50 per child. An adult must remain with the child throughout the session. Drop-in activity, no need to book.
Fridays 28 July, 4, 11, 18, 25 August and 1 September, 10am-3pm
Each week a different craft themed around a historical period, including Ancient Egypt, Anglo-Saxon, Medieval and Tudor. £2.50 per child (per session). An adult must remain with the child throughout the session. Drop-in activities, no need to book.
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