Category Archives: Uncategorized

Museum staff and volunteers are off for a power nap in a darkened room with a cuppa now October half term and Halloween are over. Then it is back to it as the Christmas preparations such as wrapping presents and building grottos and putting up decorations begin. The week or two around Halloween is now […]

Staff at Bromwich Hall- The Manor House Museum have been asked this question on several occasions. Well actually it isn’t pink, it is red ochre and we’ve painted over other parts of the building with yellow ochre, gold ochre and what looks like a lime wash! What! painting a medieval building bright colours, why? Shouldn’t […]

The early life of Haden Old Hall. Haden Old Hall also known as The Tudor Hall stands in Haden Hill Park on top of Haden Hill next to Haden Hill House, a Victorian addition to the site dating to the 1870s. If you look at many publications or old newspaper reports you will see that […]

The only way a visit to the museum could be improved is if there was more food…..apparently. Exhibitions aren’t things to just be looked at at Sandwell Museums At Wednesbury Museum & Art Gallery we have just said goodbye to ‘A journey through colours’ – celebrating 30 years of creativity’ the fantastically vibrant Asian art […]

I was working front of house the other day at Oak House and while the Oak House staff delivered summer holiday activities and space themed fun in the visitor centre, I manned the house itself and spoke to visitors as they came in to look around (or younger visitors who came in to do the […]

As I was sharing some information with colleagues I mentioned that in 1701 a malt tax was introduced which raised the price of beer and forced the poor to drink water increasing Cholera and other water born diseases across the country. This reminded me of our continual struggle in museums to correct so many commonly held myths about […]

” The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love colour the most.” John Ruskin I woke up on Thursday morning having dreamt about moving Ruskin Pottery around. Luckily my dream wasn’t a nightmare and I didn’t drop any in my sleep! Anyway the reason for this dream was that moving Ruskin Pottery around […]

‘I was born in Old England, near the foot of Hamstead Bridge, in the parish of Handsworth, about four miles from Birmingham, in Staffordshire, and according to my after-knowledge on the 20th or 21st day of August, in the year of our Lord 1745.’ Francis Asbury is a well know figure in American history and […]

Sandwell Museum sites open again from the beginning of April to general visitors after being closed since the end of the Christmas activities in December. This doesn’t mean however that museum staff have been sat around finishing off the last of the Christmas chocs since January. Not in the slightest – In fact the winter […]

News, stories and what’s going on behind the scenes. Wednesbury Museum The Manor House Museum Oak House Museum Galton Valley Pumping Station Haden Old Hall (next to Haden Hill House) Haden Hill House Bishop Asbury Cottage. The Art’s Cafe in Central Sixth.