"I'm the King of the Castle and you're the dirty rascal" That was the cry from Sarah Short on Sunday (18 October), our recent competition winner as she spent the day as King of The Castle at Clitheroe Castle Museum. Sarah and her 5 loyal subjects descended on the Museum for an exciting day of exploration, adventure and fun - a day fit for a king!
As Site Manager of Clitheroe Castle I had the honour of welcoming Sarah and her retinue to our wonderful museum. I must say that I had a great time – it's not often that I get to dress up in costume as a Medieval woman and take such a lively group around our venue.
Once Sarah joined me in character –complete with royal robes and crown, and her loyal subjects had dressed up in t-shirts adorned with Sarah's own exclusive personal crest, we set off on our tour around the Museum. The girls couldn’t wait to explore the galleries and enjoyed looking at the new interactive displays, whilst learning about the intriguing story of Clitheroe and the Ribble Valley through the ages. If you haven’t been to see us yet come and take a look - we’ve had a complete facelift and look amazing! Our new look galleries will take you through 350 million years of history. Explore our modern spaces. Discover changing exhibitions, learning and meeting areas. We’re open 11am to 5pm daily until 31 October and 12 noon to 4pm November – March.
Following the tour the girls were welcomed into the Stewards’ Gallery where a feast fit for a king awaited them. We dressed the room in a medieval theme complete with knight in shining armour banners, cups, plates and individual menu scrolls for Sarah and her loyal subjects. A delicious three-course meal followed including a warming bowl of leek and potato soup, roast chicken with all the trimmings and a delicious pudding to finish, all made by Kathy and her team at our Museum cafe. The verdict from the King and her loyal subjects- yummy!
With the group suitably full they made their way to meet Ribble Valley's Mayor, Cllr Beverley Jones (pictured) who presented Sarah with a certificate and her own framed royal crest. Another copy of the crest was presented to Sarah so that she could personally mark it with her own initial using wax and a seal. Look out for this next time you visit us – we’re putting it on permanent display to mark Sarah’s exclusive day as King of the Castle.
To end the afternoon we went ‘behind the scenes’ and got hands-on with some museum objects covering everything from a silk dolls dress to creepy museum bugs. The girls got this rare opportunity to find out more about the work of our conservation team and to find out more about object handling.
If you're looking for inspiration over the October half term then why not come and see us on Tuesday 27 October and help us celebrate the Big Draw’s 10th birthday with our art and craft sessions. Budding young artists can get creative between 11am-12pm for the first session or if you need a little longer to get the kids ready join us 1pm-2pm instead. Places are first come first served so call us today and speak to one of our friendly staff to book your place: 01200 424 568. Alternatively, if you like things frightfully fun then visit on Saturday 31 October and take part in our Halloween crafts & spooky stories in our Myths & Legends Gallery.
One last thing! As we put away the banners from Sunday in the Steward's Gallery it's reminded me to tell you about our next instalment to the gallery. From 24 October until 10 January 2010 we will be hosting the Ribble Valley Open Inspired - an exhibition showcasing the work of 40 artists living and working in the Ribble Valley. There are some stunning pieces in a range of media from paintings to sculpture and you can take home a unique memento of your visit and purchase one of these pieces of local art. With such a variety of styles and prices, there is something to suit every taste and pocket!
Admission to the Steward's Gallery is free.
Museum Admission charges £3.50 Adults, £2.50 Concessions and Kids go free.
Rachel Jackson, Assistant Keeper, Clitheroe Castle Museum
Sounds like you really made it a magical day. I would have loved something like this when I was a kid!
Posted by: Kate Roberts | 22 October 2009 at 08:44 AM
What a great competition prize - this really is something different.
Posted by: Sally | 21 October 2009 at 04:25 PM