Chatting Behind the Lines - Curator's tales and musings

Even though I am furloughed, I watch with interest what is happening out there in the big wide world with regards to Museums and the Arts. Social media has enabled organisations to expand their contact in the virtual world and Cumbria's Museum of Military Life is out there too thanks to the hard work of Nick, our remaining member of staff. So I was excited to see that the BBC and Museums Association were promoting Museum From Home today. Yes I know another hashtag, but times are tough in the cultural world with online interaction an essential mechanism to engage with audiences and promote Collections. The concept of Museum From Home is simple - encourage Museums to run a series of social media posts throughout the day focussing on their Collections and the activities they would normally hold. Enable virtual visitors to gain an insight into the wonderful world of Museums. Sounds easy...but with limited staffing and remote working, easy it ain't! However, never one to mi...

#International dance day Whilst trawling through twitter earlier, I noticed it is international dance day. What a great subject for tonight's blog! I debated about recording a few steps from a salsa or a waltz, but felt no one would want to witness two left feet (plus I can't actually waltz!) so have parked that idea. But never say no. It maybe a worthwhile watch in the future. I do have a dancing past, which may astound you all. No, I have not appeared in the audience of early episodes of Top of the Pops nor was I short-listed for a local version of Strictly. Yes, as a small child I used to go to ballet classes. Whilst we were stationed in Colchester, my dainty self (no comments here please!) regularly attended a local ballet school. Granted, I was just five/six years of age but I showed promise, mother made my ballet tutu and I performed a mean polka at my ballet exam. Which I passed with flying colours. However, aspirations at being the next Darcy Bussell (more like Mar...

It is 2140hrs and I find myself just starting to tackle my daily blog post. Is this too late? I have spent the last couple of hours designing a workshop on how to make bunting for the forthcoming VE day celebrations. In the middle of this was my weekly Ranger Guide meeting with eight of my Rangers. Time just ticked away and I really felt that I needed to call it a night when WHAM! I realise I had forgotten to write my blog. It's a double whammy really as I hadn't given much thought to content either. You may say well that really is quite poor and I should have a schedule all ready to rock and roll, when in reality I often decide on the daily update by either: the skin of my teeth influence of something that has happened during my day some significant or important date/anniversary that I can link into When I first undertook the challenge of writing a blog, it seemed somewhat romantic and quite an easy task. Don't get me wrong; I'm no Wordsworth or Bronte. But d...

Whilst trawling through photographs today, I came across several taken from those halcyon pre-pandemic days at the Museum, taken in 2018. This was the year when Carlisle  Castle hosted the touring Weeping Window sculpture as part of its nationwide tour. Six weeks of sunshine, visitors and long working days. The event saw free entrance to the Castle and over 140,000 visitors enjoying this unique opportunity in Carlisle. The Museum supported the tour hosting school visits and veteran tours. At the same time, we hosted our first open art Remembrance 100 exhibition. Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, we worked with the fantastic Jamie Barnes, an exceptional freelance curator, to encourage Cumbrians to submit artworks for the exhibition. The result was a professional and creative response to Remembrance that was right and fitting in 2018, complimenting the external poppy display. All this seems such a time past, yet 24 months ago we were busy planning and working with English He...

Sunday night and I've not written this post. Which is not a good move when I was trying to keep on top of writing daily. No excuses - I've been at the laptop most of the day researching and writing a funding application, the weather has been cloudy and I haven't had the urrge to be outside. Should have nailed the blog post by lunchtime. I was reminded that today was the original London Marathon date, another sporting victim of the COVID-19 situation. I received my yearly phone call from my friend who ran it with me in 1996 - the usual joke call that mentions vaseline, queueing for toilets, sprinting for the finish. Made me smile and remember the 26+ miles ran all those years ago, the training and the feeling of elation when I completed it. Infact, I was that elated that I undertook London again the following year. The only two marathons I ever attempted. Don't know whether I am up to that sort of mileage now. I am not designed for long distance running. I noti...

On this day 105 years ago, soldiers from the 1st Battalion, The Border Regiment were amongst the first to disembark on X beach on the Dardanelles Strait. With service personnel from Australia, New Zealand, France, India, and others from the British Army the ill-fated allied attack on Gallipoli had begun. I knew very little about this campaign until I started working at the Museum. Within the Castle site, one of the buildings is named 'Gallipoli' and I remember seeing the Mel Gibson film many years ago and assumed that the allied forces were predominantly ANZAC. I was introduced to the publication Glory is No Compensation about the Border Regiment's involvement and soon got talking to our very knowledgeable volunteer John, who had also visited the peninsular.  I was keen to find out more about Gallipoli and with the centenary of the campaign looming closer, work out how could the Museum commemorate it. Luckily, we have a small but great selection of photos of this camp...

With this wonderful weather and the lack of time away, the eighteen year old and I decided to go 'on holiday' in the garden this week. Not quite exotic climes, but a great way of breaking the routine of being at home. I've aways liked camping. We have camped as a family, first taking the eighteen year old away for the first time when she was five months old. I've camped with Guides, Scouts, friends, in the UK, France, Germany and even Uganda. I've camped in all weathers and in all seasons. There is nothing like being in a tent. So it seemed logical (did I mention my cancelled holiday?) that we recreated a night away by pitching the tent in the backgarden.  I did suggest we pack our bags, leave the house by the front door then go round to the backgarden and pitch up as if we were arriving at a campsite. But that didn't go down too well, that idea. We did have a family barbeque and lit the chiminea to have that real outdoor experience. The night went fair...

Thought I would start today's blog off with the famous quote from Shakespeare's Henry V as a good St George link. What better way to begin this post than using the quintessentially English playwright's quote from a famous King who defeated the French at Agincourt. Yes, today is St George's Day. The patron saint of England, Portugal, Venice, Soldiers and Farmers. Never came to England or fought a dragon. But as he is the patron saint of soldiers it seems appropriate to include a photograph from our collection of red roses being handed out on St George's Day. Plenty of posts on social media today, especially on military sites, wishing everyone a Happy St. George's Day. As a former member of the Scout Association, we too commemorated this date, regularly parading on the nearest Sunday to St. George's day whatever the weather. I appreciate that there is more than St. George for home nation saints within the UK. This written by someone whose birthday i...

Today was my weekly venture to the shops to purchase essential items for the family. Like most people, I am learning how to plan meals, activities and shop accordingly. That initial 'Oh my goodness, how much?' at the checkout, has been replaced with the realisation that I was probably spending more pre-pandemic when I just popped in and out of shops to solve our families' food problems. The anticipation at being let out of the house and talking to folk face-to-face outside the family unit is almost too much to bear. I am up and dressed and head down to Sainsbury's (other supermarkets are available) for the weekly queue pre-8am. This morning on arrival at the Store I had a minor panic - no queue! Is it shut? With a deep breath I headed to the entrance, checking with a high-viz clad worker that everything was normal. 'Yes,' she said 'Just seems a little quieter this morning!' Fabulous. A cruise round the aisles would be a breeze today. My bible is al...

Being furloughed is proving an interesting experiment. Initial plans to do all those jobs that have been waiting for free time for so many years, are still waiting to be done. To be fair, I did tackle one of my many carrier bags full of holiday memorabilia the other day and have started to tidy the spare bedroom. I have to include my kitchen antics and the baking fest that seems to have started. But my plans to be creative, read books, research relatives...well they seem to still be waiting for action. Although furloughed, I still have to undertake some statutory tasks for work. So first thing today I was on the phone to HMRC (I think they had just sat down at their desks when I phoned) chatting through a deferral of payments with a nice lad from the North East. I had already been domestic and the resulting washing went on the line plus I also managed my daily exercise, so not too bad today. What amazes me is where the time seems to go. I had tasks to complete this morning, a video...

When I went on my laptop this morning, the inevitable pop-up reminded me that today's Veteran's Lunch had been cancelled. Sadly, we had to cancel the lunch in March too. And probably May's will also be called off. These monthly lunches have been up and running for just under two years and are proving very successful. Now overseen by three wonderful volunteers, my input is minimal but I still like to attend and check in on everyone. The initial idea came about as part of our commitment to work with veterans. Hosting a light lunch at the Museum seemed a great idea, encouraging folk who have served in the Armed Forces to meet up with others in a relaxing environment over a brew and a sandwich. We trialled it before Christmas in 2017, with the help of funding from the Asda foundation, but due to limited timescale we had a poor attendance. Undeterred, we decided to try it again in July 2018 as part of our Remembrance project. This time assisted by HLF funding, we scheduled r...

Another beautiful weekend in lockdown. A bit of gardening, making the tea, speaking by video call to friends in New Zealand. Everything feels kind of surreal at the moment. Life carries on inside my house but outside, in the big wide world, everything is very different. As I was putting together today's blog post, I was going through photographs deciding which one to use. I came across this one, a photo of an item from the Museum's collection. A First World War sweetheart cushion. It made me think about the soldier that made this item. Covered in tiny pins by a recuperating serviceman to pass the time but also help him with dexterity as he sat in his hospital bed or chair. Passing the time - something that we are trying to do at the moment. Infact the eighteen year old has just decided painting by numbers is the order of the day. Different ways to keep people occupied, whether now or 100 years ago. The sweetheart pin cushion was displayed in our exhibition 'A Stitch i...

One thing that this lockdown has enabled me to do is develop my video conferencing skills. Initially this was for meetings with colleagues, but I have now branched out into using the facility for catching up with friends. From chatting to friends in New Zealand and Switzerland, I have even managed to encourage both my mum and my parents-in-law to branch out into this new technology. But tonight it is my weekly 'Saturday Night In' with a dear group of friends. We had come back from our annual weekend away just before the pandemic was declared and have now  g ot into the routine of meeting up on-line for a wee drink on a Saturday evening. Tonight it is quiz night - one of the girls has put together a set of questions to keep us occupied. I never thought I would see the day when I met up with friends for a social get-together through a computer screen. Keeping in contact with friends and relatives during this crisis is really important. I have undertaken phoning two veterans...

Every morning, early doors before folk are out and about, I force myself out of bed to undertake my daily exercise - one day a short three mile run alternating this with a five mile bike ride - in my local area. I'm lucky as I live in a semi-rural locality within four miles of Carlisle, nestled in between a couple of farms. I have been watching the neighbouring fields to await the arrival of lambs. Despite going out armed with my phone to snap photographs, I seem to have missed seeing fields of wee white fluffy lambs and have noticed fewer fields of sheep. Where are they all hiding? Are farmers keeping them close to home for ease? Do the sheep not realise the need for me to capture them on film during this pandemic? At last, panic over, during the last week this all seems to have been rectified. The sheep are back. You can tell I have too much time on my hands and I need to fill my day. Nearby sheep beware - here comes a purple-haired woman, clutching her mobile, ready to ...

16 April 1746. The supreme commander of the English army, The Duke of Cumberland, had pursued the Scots north. On the morning of the 16th, the two armies faced each other in battle order. Constant English artillery fire encouraged the centre of the Scottish line to launch an attack. Lasting barely an hour, this final battle on British soil left over a thousand Jacobites dead with English losses of three hundred. In 'Butcher' Cumberland's front rank were the 34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot, anticedent of the Border Regiment. They found themselves on the extreme right of this front line and were scarcely involved in the battle, losing only three men out of 24 officers and 435 other ranks. I often wonder what it would have been like to be on the battlefield hundreds of years ago. Would I have been frightened at the scene before me? Of elated by the cause I was supporting? Ironically, a few years ago, part of the popular 'Outlander' series was filmed a...

Whilst the Museum is closed, we still have to regularly check Alma Block to ensure that everything is safe and secure. Today, Nick's visit co-incided with the blossoming of the only tree on-site. With the sun shining, the vibrant pink blossom looks beautiful against the background of the buildings. As the blossom has a short shelf life, none of the Castle visitors will be able to see this beautiful springtime display this year. Shame. We certainly have been blessed with some fine weather recently. I am desperate to get outside into my garden although  I have managed to sew some seeds and start the growing season off in the Wooding household. We cleaned our greenhouse so I can put the seeds in there during this wonderful weather, bringing them into the house at night. This all makes me seem like I know what I am talking about! I do like to grow tomatoes and cucumbers - there is nothing quite like taking them off the plant and immediately eating them. I also have potatoes...

Today should have been our monthly Tuesday talk at the Museum. Our regular lectures have developed, over the last few years, into a varied programme of talks offering a variety of subjects to interested audiences. From the Battle of Waterloo to the Warsaw Uprising, the work of the Commonwealth War Graves to sewing on the frontline - all of our speakers have provided a fantastic range of interesting topics for people to get their teeth into. This month's speaker, Dr Peter Johnston, was going to talk about the British Forces in Germany charting the British Army's complex relationship with Germany since the end of the Second World War.  For 75 years more than a million service personnel have served in Germany, though the Army's reasons for being there have changed throughout this period. (National Army Museum website) All the more interesting as many of our v eterans have done a tour of Germany as part of their military service, from  guarding Hess at Spandau, to Berlin o...

Easter Monday. As it's Easter, I put together an Easter egg trail for the eighteen year old. This was a regular activity we used to do every year up to about five years ago. Now she is too cool to take part in such activities. But as we are stuck in the house together, I thought it might be time to resurrect the trail. Despite the initial grumblings, she took on the challenge. As she is a teenager, I felt I had to make it more difficult and age-relevant. No rabbit ears and Easter bonnets in this house! I sent the clues on her mobile phone and she trudged round the house and garden recovering the eggs that I had hidden first thing this morning. Amazingly, she finished the trail in good humour and we laughed at how she had looked but not seen some of the eggs.  It is not easy staying at home with your parents when you are eighteen, and we are having to keep up her spirits as the weeks progress. Tomorrow should have been the start of her last ever school term. Instead she is u...

I should be packing my rucksack now. Getting excited at the prospect of 12 days away. Checking I have my passport, boarding pass, suntan lotion. Instead I am on my computer checking to see that my flight is cancelled and I can get a refund. Allow me to self-wallow in pity today please. Although currently not working, being on furlough is not quite the same as heading to the airport, queueing at passport control and puchasing the airport coffee.  Today I was due to head out on my travels to Jordan, a historical fest to feed my eternal interest in the past.  I had planned this adventure late last year, finalising my plans over the Christmas holidays before the world was consumed by a pandemic. I have always wanted to visit Petra and was excited about the whole trip, travelling on my own and immersing myself in historical visits before ending the trip with a few days on the Dead Sea. All sounds very idyllic and I certainly was looking forward to the break. Plus a chance ...

Working from home has given me a routine of sorts and so far the virtual world seems to be behaving. Obviously coffee and a wee snack helps me get through the working day   but what is concerning me is that I don't need any excuse to visit my kitchen and surf the cupboards to find items to consume. Now on furlough, I hope that this need for sustenance with my coffee might actually decrease. However, in reality the eighteen year old's need to fill her day has meant she has resurrected her desire to bake. Yesterday's cream egg brownies shows you the nutritional value of the sort of cooking she is undertaking. Even I have attempted cake-making, which is quite a miracle, as t hose of you that know me will be aware I am not a natural in the kitchen. Nigella Lawson I am not. Early memories of school cookery classes involved my bread rolls being made an example of to the class to highlight  what not to do. Enough to put any ten year old off cooking and baking!   My Christma...