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The
Friends of the Green Howards |
The
Friends of the Green Howards Regimental Museum |
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| Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment (19th Foot) The North York Militia, The North York Local Militia & North York Rifle Volunteers | |||||||
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News
and Notices |
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| The following items may also be found on this page, - select from the menu below to be taken to the relevant item. | |
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News From "The Green Howard" |
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Programme of Events |
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Photos of Friends and Friends Events |
NEWS FROM THE MUSEUM
The Friends’ Cocktail Party –23 November 2007
The Committee of the Friends of the Green Howards Museum and their senior Patron, Field Marshal The Lord Inge, were hosts to over 70 guests in the Museum on Friday 23rd November 2007.
The event was organised by Maggie Houghton, a Committee member, in order to introduce individuals in the Richmondshire area to the new-look Museum in the hope that they will spread the word and become a Friend of the Museum. There are already 700 Friends throughout the country, but it is the hope of the Committee to increase this number to a thousand.
Museum Guides and Volunteers helped to show the guests around the various galleries and the Normanby Room and explain some of the treasures in the collection, which date from 1688 to 2006. Throughout the evening, wine, soft drinks and small eats were served to make it a convivial occasion.
Later in the evening the Chairman of the Friends, Major David Nicholson, welcomed the guests formally and explained the rationale of the evening before inviting Lady Inge to draw the tickets for the raffle. The three prizes included an old coloured print of the Zetland Hunt, a statuette of a musketeer in the Regiment (c1690) and the pictorial History of The Green Howards.
The majority of the guests had often passed the medieval church in the centre of Richmond market place but had no idea that it held a wonderful display of regimental militaria and Richmond Town’s silver. As the guests departed with the Green Howard magazines and application forms to become Friends, all said that they would return. Let us hope that they will also join the growing number of Friends of the Museum.
Cleaning and refurbishment
The mammoth task of cleaning the uniforms started in earnest in early January.
The dedicated museum volunteers have been working on a rota every working
day of the week to ensure that the collection was at its best for the opening
of the museum on the 4th February 2008.
All uniforms have been vacuumed, all buttons polished and all cases swept and cleaned. The carpets throughout the museum and headquarters have also been professionally cleaned. New lighting has been fitted in the silver cases, top floor exhibition area, the model soldier case and the Napoleon snuff case.
All Regimental and Town silver has been cleaned. The ram’s head snuff- box has been sent away to a local silver repairer to have its impressive Cairngorm quartz jewel fittings repaired. The silver cases have been redisplayed to show off the magnificent collection.
The various original watercolours of the regiment have been carefully cleaned, conserved and reframed by Mrs Maggie Houghton. They will be redisplayed in the Gordon Gallery of the Museum. We wish to thank Mrs Houghton for her assistance.
Interpretation panels throughout the museum are being replaced to help retain the fresh look of the museum collection.
The ‘Over the Wall’ Exhibition.
A new exhibition will grace the middle floor of the Museum, written by one
of our Guides, Jim Brown, with assistance from the museum staff. The exhibition
is entitled ‘Over the Wall’ and explores the old Green Howard
Barracks in Richmond from its creation to current use. The exhibition is
sponsored by the Army Museum Ogilby Trust and the Museum, Libraries and
Archives Council, who have provided £2000 towards the display and
promotion of the exhibition. The display is expected to run from February
until the end of September 2008 and is a must for all those who remember
their time as recruits or training staff in the barracks on top of Gallowgate
Hill over looking Richmond.
Window Displays
A design company is due to visit the museum in February to assist with the
exterior and window interpretation of the museum. The company will focus
on the history of the building and the contents within to promote the museum
to visitors to the town.
Volunteers
New volunteers have started at the museum. We now have a balanced mix of
retired servicemen making up the guides and local people assisting with
the digitization of photographs, conservation and cataloguing, reception
and shop work.
Museum Accreditation
Three volunteers are assisting the Curator with the Museum Accreditation
Scheme (to remain a registered museum) as part of the Museum, Libraries
and Archives requirement. We are updating the museum’s Acquisitions
and Disposals Policy, our Forward Plan, Marketing Plan, Disaster Plan, Risk
Assessment for Visitors Plan and Documentation Plan. These documents will
then be proof to the MLA that the museum is professional in its outlook
and we will then remain registered and be able to receive future funding.
The Museum Shop and School Visits
New shop lines have been introduced including a range of Green Howards chocolates
and a local Richmond Swaledale Cheese. I would like to encourage all Green
Howards to show their support for the museum and indulge in one of our new
edible products! A teacher will work at the museum for five days thanks
to further funding from the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. She
will work alongside the Museum Assistant and Collections Officer to give
us an understanding of what teachers and pupils expect from a school visit.
Read German Pistol
The pistol captured by Professor Sir Herbert Read (philosopher and writer)
when he was a Lieutenant in the 2nd Yorkshire Regiment during WW1 has caused
great interest at the museum. More information about this fascinating story
can be found on the Green Howards website.
New Member of Staff
And finally we would like to welcome on board Susan Langridge, our new Museum
Assistant. She has already rolled up her sleeves and is assisting with the
cleaning and redisplay of the museum artefacts. We hope you have a long
and happy stay at our museum.
Finally, a large thanks to all the staff and volunteers for their hard work over the past six months.
Programme of Events
The Friends AGM and Annual Lecture, Thursday 29th May 2008 - York
The Friends of the Green Howards Museum Annual General Meeeting, followed by the Colonel Geoffrey Powell Lecture, will take place at 6.30 pm on Thursday 29th May in Worsley Barracks, Fulford Road, York. The evening will close with a buffet curry in the Officers Mess.
This year’s guest speaker – following a distinguished list – is to be Brigadier Allan Mallinson, who was previously a cavalry officer in the British Army. Allan Mallinson originally trained for the Anglican priesthood at a theological college in Durham. He took a break from his studies to join the Army in 1969 on a short-service commission, and served with the infantry in Cyprus, Malaya, Northern Ireland and Germany. He switched to a regular commission, and joined the 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary’s Own). He served in Norway, and Cyprus and Germany again. He then commanded his Regiment from 1988 to 1991. His last Army appointment was as the British Defence and Military Attaché in Rome.
Allan Mallinson is best known for writing a series of novels chronicling the (fictional) life of Matthew Hervey, a junior officer serving in the (fictional) British 6th Light Dragoons from the late Napoleonic Wars through subsequent colonial conflicts in North America and India. He has also written the history of his own Regiment. Brigadier Mallinson also writes erudite and thought provoking articles for The Daily Telegraph on military matters and has appeared several times on the radio and TV discussing military operations in the Middle East.
This will be a unique opportunity to learn more about the research required to write military history books as well the art of publishing and marketing.
Please make a note in your diary if you want to attend and
send a cheque for £15.00 made out to ‘FGHM’ with
a stamped addressed envelope for a ticket to:
The Hon Sec of the FGHM, The Old Rectory, South Otterington, Northallerton.
DL7 9HD
Photos of Friends & Friends' Events
Select below to be taken to a page specially set aside for photos of Friends' Events.
