As the nights get that bit lighter and the bulbs – and the weeds – start poking through, we can look forward to the world coming alive for the spring and summer. All this heralds the opening of the Wymondham Heritage Museum season.
The museum and Bridewell Tearoom open on Monday March 9th and are open daily until Sunday November 8th.
The first special will be for Mothers’ Day on Sunday March 15th. Spoil Mum, bring her along for a relaxing step back in time followed by a homemade goody in the Tearoom.
Our Easter events will have all the usual trails and children’s crafts with themed snacks in the Tearoom.
A new display this year will feature the 150th anniversary of the nearby Browick Road School. Included will be the school’s history, memories, photographs, and even old exercise books.
More details of opening times and admission prices are available on our website.
Meet the Volunteers
Wymondham Heritage Museum is entirely run by volunteers. But just who are they? Starting this month, I’m going to introduce you to some of these dedicated people who work so hard to maintain the museum and stage innovative exhibitions.
First, let’s meet Sarah Standley. Sarah is joint vice-chair of the museum committee, display manager, Friday day leader of the stewards, and co-manager of the gift shop.
It’s perhaps not surprising that Sarah is so heavily involved with the museum. She comes from a family with a close interest in local history.
Sarah said: “When I was young, Dad was a collector of postal history – stamps and postmarks, and then he started turning the postcards over and thought, I like these pictures. So he started his postcard collection, and we’d go to postcard fairs together. The family collected their own subjects. Dad collected postcards of Norfolk, Mum, Royalty, my brother, Norwich City Football Club, and I collected children’s artist Mabel Lucie Attwell.”
Sarah’s father, Philip, published a number of books featuring his postcards. Sarah followed in his footsteps in 2007, publishing her own book, "In and Around Wymondham - Then and Now”.
She adds: “Dad was a young boy in the Second World War. He loved aeroplanes and remained interested in the war and aviation for the rest of his life. We’d even go on picnics to Mildenhall to watch the planes! I definitely got my love of history from Dad."
In 1886, Sarah’s great-grandfather, Charles H Standley, opened a hardware store on Town Green known locally as "The Little Dustpan". Six years ago, the museum recreated the Little Dustpan in the main gallery, and it is now one of its most important visitor attractions.
“Before I became a volunteer,” Sarah said, “I'd visit the museum every year with Mum and my son Miles to see the new displays. Miles loved the children’s archaeology dig. In 2014, I was recruited to the museum as a steward by local historians Anne and Adrian Hoare. I took over as display manager in 2017. My first display was "The Lost Pubs of Wymondham". It proved popular and is now a permanent display. Other displays have included “Wymondham Women in World War One” and "A Tribute to Wymondham Firefighters".”
Sarah has help from other volunteers to produce the exhibitions, and draws on her personal archive for material. What’s next for Sarah?
“I’d like to do a ‘Made in Wymondham’ display, which is pencilled in for 2027. My Aunty Betty was a professional seamstress in the town. She made my mother’s wedding dress in 1961, which I’ve still got. We have a bench in the Brush room allegedly made of wood from former Wymondham Abbey pews. Sam Marriott, my friend and fellow volunteer, has a lovely archive of her great-grandfather Arthur Proctor, a cobbler. He passed his footwear trade on to his son Colin. All these plus more will form part of the exhibition.”
Sarah would welcome anybody who has anything or information on products made in Wymondham.
“I’ve made many great friends through volunteering at the museum,” says Sarah. “I love meeting visitors and taking part in our activities and events. It’s hard work but very enjoyable.”
If you would like to join Sarah and the team or can help with her “Made in Wymondham” project, please email info@thewhm.org.uk
