What Is New?
The Museum is now closed for 2014, and thank you all who have supported us this season by visiting, becoming a much valued Friend of the Museum, attending events or recommending others to come and see or join us. Over the winter we have as always major work to do. This year we are going to focus not on bricks and mortar building work, but on building up our visitors and supporters and our profile. So many of those who visit say 'we have been coming 40 years and we did not know there was a museum!' We need to become more visible, and we want you to help us do this. We will be thinking about new signs, new leaflets, and new ways to draw people in. If you have any thoughts and ideas do let us know. We believe that we offer something different and important to our dale, to visitor and inhabitant alike. Our visitors' book is full of wonderful comments: 'Glad so much is preserved we must value old items more'; 'a little gem tucked away'; 'Really pleased we came - helped us understand the area', 'fascinating, amusing and generously displayed', 'quite the most alive local history museum I've visited', now we need to spread the word. Our regular visitors know that every year there is something new and it is well worth coming back to see. Some of our projects next year will relate to generous donations, such as banknotes from the Swaledale and Wensleydale Bank; and to recent new connections such as those made with the Muker ladies who revealed an exciting group of samplers, whose story is begging to be told. To keep you engaged we are beginning a month by month quiz - we will announce the answers when we re-open in the Spring. The first question is - in what year were cattle last shown at Muker Show?
Why not become a Friend of the Museum (or encourage a friend to become a Friend!): annual membership: single £10, joint £15, family £20. Membership gives you unlimited free entry to the Museum, discount on talks with preferential booking, and our twice-yearly Newsletter!
For more information, bookings and special tours contact Helen Bainbridge museum.swaledale@btinternet.com or on 01748 884118. Keep up with news via www.swaledalemuseum.org