Blog

A Walk Back In Time

Dave Armitage and John Woolston from the Museum lead the intrepid walkers round the east side of Boreham Wood on this years History Walk – the 10th would you believe.  Starting from the Ark, and taking unfamiliar paths and passages, we travelled via Well End, over a suspected Roman road, down and around the MGM studio site to Elstree Way and the large number of industries that have come and gone along this area. At every significant point we could examine old photos of the area which brought the history alive.  Dave pointed out that this end of the town was originally three farms and all the roads that linked them were just paths and tracks. We ended up in Maxwell Park and the Community Centre, via the original drover’s road from the farms to The Village. An excellent walk, and no one complained of aching feet!

How The Wind Blew And Blew

The Ladies on the Stand

You don’t expect one of the requirements of being a museum volunteer to include holding up the exhibition stand and gazebo at Families Day, but it was yesterday on Meadow Park! A strong wind threatened to take us, stand and gazebo bowling across the park. A great day though. The rain held off and we managed to introduce the Annual History Walk (which took place today) and the new Exhibition which opens in the museum on Tuesday, Down The Shops. Come along and see Hansons Tea Rooms and Sweet shop…

The Men

Mayor Clive and the Tombola

Many thanks to everyone who donated or bought tickets from Mayor Clive Butchins whose Tombola on the Town Council stand was in aid of the Musuem. He raised some serious money to help us survive! Here he is with a helper grabbing the passers-by.

Flower Festival in All Saints Church

Many visitors to the annual Flower Festival in All Saints in Borehamwood will have noticed the striking Museum display.  It’s arranged in a copper tea urn loaned by volunteer Helen Stamp, and represents Sri Lanka. This year's theme is the Commonwealth.  Don’t forget our new Exhibition opening next week is all about the shops of Borehamwood, and features Hanson and Maude that well-known sweet emporium that also served Ceylon Tea among other delights.

Family Fun Day For Fathers

The Museum joined up with the Library at No. 96 again on Saturday June 18th for another Fun Day. In the Library children were entertained to Story Time with the Library staff, whilst in the Museum they dressed up for a day at the seaside, had their photo taken digitally and framed for them to decorate and take away, and donned their lab coats to discover the process of photography as it used to be. Great fun was had by all, not least by the Museum volunteers – who had a succession of delightful children (and their parents) to work with, as you can see. 

Going Down The Village

In May the museum’s reminiscence group, which meets monthly, shared memories of the town’s May Parades and the much coveted position of May Queen.

In June we looked at the topic of working lives which resulted in a lively discussion about working conditions, wages, work friendships, early typewriters and much, much more.

The topic in July will be Homes and Interior Design. Remember the wireless, the early televisions or the flying ducks on the wall? Why not come along to our next meeting, bringing your memories and even a photo or two? 

New Plaque On Woodcock Hill

A new plaque created by John Woolston, the Resident Museum Graphics Volunteer, was unveiled on Woodcock Hill on Saturday by Elstree & Borehamwood Town Mayor, Cllr. Clive Butchins.  Cllrs Pat Strack and Sandra Parnell were also on hand to show off the new plaque which describes in detail the history of the Beacon on the top of the Hill. Photo by Andrew Grady

Keeping Well In Hertsmere

Hertsmere MP, Oliver Dowden, visited the Museum stall at the Hertsmere Keeping Well drop-in Session at Allum Hall on Friday.  Providing advice, information and activities to help older people keep well, the Session involved many local organisations such as Careline, Crossroads, Age UK and Community Action Hertsmere, etc, to give carers and others ideas.  The Museum had a number of objects on display from the ‘50s and earlier which provoked memories and discussion from visitors, such as the flask and oil bike lamp seen in our photo.  Long-time local resident and Museum volunteer, Betty Chandler, greeted our MP on his way round the Hall.  Later, Museum members attended a Dementia Friends session for more detailed information in recognition of Dementia Awareness Week.

Museums At Night

Visitors discuss the late opening.

Our Museum joined in with others across the country by staying open until 9 pm on Thursday.  Visitors who couldn’t normally come in during the day found some wine and nibbles to help them peruse the current Smile Please! Exhibition, and time to study the main Boreham Wood Timeline.  A great idea to broaden the scope of the Museum’s reach.  Next time we join in will be Halloween.

Before The Festival

Mayor Richard Butler visits our stall on Saturday!  With Elaine, Alan and Betty.

A lovely sunny day for all the local organisations to advertise their involvement in the 60th Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council Civic Festival. Great to see the town buzzing with the different stalls and children’s activities. We’d had several enquiries about Dave Armitage’s Annual History Walk (on Sunday July 3rd) before we’d even built the stand! Ring the museum on 01442 454888 for the meeting point to begin the walk, or visit this website!

Plenty of volunteers to talk to visitors, lots of interesting chats – can anyone still say they don’t know where the new museum is? If you don’t – try the Museums at Night Event on Thursday next, 12th of May.

The Museum Meets The W.I.

Dave Armitage, our Museum Manager, gave a presentation to the W.I. on Monday called The Growth of Borehamwood (The Early Years). Starting with Ruby Burke’s mesolithic flint axe head - 6000 years old and in the Museum -  and then to Roman Elstree, and right upto 1914. The hour talk went down well, and was certainly appreciated.