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‘Hundred day volunteers’ are trained up for the First World War Centenary at IWM London OTHER FEATURES INSIDE: VOLUNTEER Step back in time – a visit to Stow Maries NEWSLETTER Centenary champion volunteers at IWM North Memorials interest taken back down under Volunteer services team support D-Day weekend event on board HMS Belfast ISSUE 23 – SUMMER 2014 Churchill War Rooms helps to train our growing interaction team Trip to Battle of Britain Bunker and RAF Museum London VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME NEWS IWM DUXFORD NEWS WELCOME TO ISSUE 23 OF THE STEP BACK IN TIME IWM VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER – A VISIT TO STOW By Jim Hutchinson Volunteer Programme Manager, IWM’s London branches MARIES By Nicola Hughes, Volunteer The excitement has been building as IWM London got ready Co-ordinator, IWM Duxford to re-open its doors on 19 July, and a number of volunteer- supported or volunteer-delivered initiatives went into On a very windy March day, a team of intrepid IWM public view for the first time. Behind the scenes some Duxford volunteers hopped onto a coach and headed Student Volunteers have been helping with aspects of into deepest Essex, near Maldon, to visit Stow Maries the primary research needed to inform our new (www.stowmaries.com). This Aerodrome was built by exhibitions; other volunteers have helped with the the RAF towards the end of the First World War; what conservation of some of the many exhibits which makes it unique and fascinating is the fact that it was will feature in the regenerated galleries and further abandoned in 1919 and, unlike Duxford, not used again. teams of volunteers have been trained up to What remains is a fascinating collection of First World War assist with both the general visitor welcome and buildings, which are being restored by a team of interaction services focused around purpose- enthusiastic volunteers. built trollies funded by the Clore Foundation. At IWM Duxford and IWM North too, volunteers have been contributing towards First World War Centenary initiatives in addition to helping both branches maintain a wide range of support services to IWM visitors and staff members. At our last count, for the January to March 2014 period, some 1,049 volunteers had collectively donated 4,554 days of effort on behalf of IWM. As with earlier publications, Issue 23 offers insights into the volunteers involved, and the volunteer projects across IWM branches where some of these days were donated. This issue again includes a mix of articles focusing both on more recent programme developments and other more established parts of our volunteer scene. Enjoy the read. Nicola (fourth from lef t) and some of the IWM Duxford volunteers at Stow Maries Cover: Kitted out and ready The face of our driver was a picture when he saw the narrow lane that he had to to go! New Centenary negotiate the large 53 seat coach down but, for us at least, it added to the experience Support Volunteers at of discovery. As soon as we stepped off the coach and were hit with the obligatory IWM London (from left gusts of strong, cold ‘airfield’ wind, which we are all so used to at IWM Duxford, we were to right) Rob Wilson, transported back in time and engulfed in the atmospheric surroundings of the lovely low Maria Bell, Sue Marguet, Paul Treacy and Carol brick buildings. Mulholland at their role After a well needed cuppa in the wonderfully restored Airman’s Mess hall we watched a training session on Friday 11 July. For full presentation about the history of the site and were split into groups for a tour of the story see page 7. grounds by their volunteers. We were able to have a nose around the temporary hangars, abandoned buildings and spent hours immersing ourselves in the airfield’s wonderful history. This place is a ‘must see’ for anyone interested in history, especially in this centenary year. 2 IWM DUXFORD NEWS MY ROAD TO BECOMING A VOLUNTEER By Alan Thompson , Volunteer, IWM Duxford My road to becoming a volunteer at IWM Duxford All good things come to an end, the parade was began in the summer of 2005. I was, at that time, a over and we began ferrying the BMWs out to courier for DHL International and I had just left a Dartford – all 7,000 of them! I had three glorious delivery in the small hamlet of Thorpe Mourieux, about weeks and met all sorts of people from all over the 10 miles from Bury St Edmunds. The radio was on and world including a number of Paralympians, complete I was listening to the announcement regarding the with Gold Medals. 2012 Olympics. London was, of course, the winner. That evening after dinner I sat down at my computer I had said to my wife that after I retired and had and filled in the application form to be a volunteer for done all the usual things, decorated the whole the games. I hit ‘send’ and apart from the odd email house, worked on my allotment and on the garden over the next few years I waited, hoping that my at home, I would like to do something extra with my application to volunteer at the beach volleyball games time. I found I was missing the day-to-day contact would be accepted! with people outside the family. I needed that stimulation I got from meeting people on a daily Finally, a few years later and after an interview, I was basis as there are only so many places you can drive offered a position as a driver at the Paralympics. I had a to, so many times you can go shopping. I needed to number of training sessions in a BMW series 3 and was find something that would take me out and about. very glad to find out that its special Sat Nav had the So I sat and thought about where I might find that venues pre-loaded so I didn’t need to worry about challenge. getting lost. I sat back and waited for my first shift. I had, in my time in retail, worked at IWM Duxford as During my first shift I was sent to Heathrow airport to one of the first traders at the air shows that Duxford pick up the Deputy Leader of the Canadian team, Aviation Society, together with the museum, although it turned out there were three members organised 40 years ago. I thought that it would be of the Canadian team, with their luggage and only nice to revive my association with IWM Duxford so I just enough room in the car. Over the next three wrote in 2012 and was invited over for a chat and a weeks I met Americans, Irish, Swedish, Germans, look round. Niki Hughes, the museum’s Volunteer Italians, English, South Africans plus many many Co-ordinator, took me and a number of other other wonderful people, including the Hong Kong potential volunteers around the various workshops Minister for Sport! The press were beginning to get and exhibitions. The Land Warfare exhibition lads hold of the story that the Games Makers, as we were were most welcoming and at the subsequent known, were doing a great job; just walking into the interview I was offered a place on the visitor Olympic Park through the Westfield Centre information desk. Eight months down the line I am at Stratford even at 7am in the having a great time. The questions you are asked, morning was a lifting the stories you are told, make the job worthwhile. experience. I work with a wonderful team of like-minded volunteers and we are all focused on providing an excellent service for the visiting public. Alan pictured in his Games Makers volunteer role during the 201 2 Olympics 3 Recreated operating theatre at NT Dunham IWM NORTH NEWS Massey/Stamford Military Hospital CENTENARY CHAMPION VOLUNTEERS AT IWM NORTH By Gillian Ashcroft , Volunteer Placement Assistant, IWM North Fourteen of our volunteers took part in a five week footage from training course to familiarise themselves in more IWM’s collection detail with the First World War and associated IWM as well as projects, events and programmes. Our first week footage welcomed Peter Hart, First World War Historian, who collated by the presented an informative talk about life in the North West film archive. trenches. Volunteers were given an overview of the activities and large public events that are planned at Charlotte Czyzyk, Life Stories IWM North, such as the performances in July by the Co-ordinator for Lives of the First World War, Royal Northern College of Music. We also had a sneaky delivered a session that looked in more detail about peek at the new digital app called Centenary the digital commemorative project. The volunteers Connections which is being launched this summer. were able to see how the website worked and this has led to at least one volunteer supporting the BBC Another session focused on family history and how World War One at Home tour that includes Lives of visitors could be signposted to relevant information the First World War. within the museum as well as external organisations and websites to research their family military history. The sessions aim to help volunteers feel more comfortable talking about the First World War IWM North’s school project, Finding our First World Centenary with our visitors and help to promote the War, has developed loan boxes for teachers to borrow programmes we are running at IWM North. As part and use in the classroom. The project co-ordinator led of the training we arranged a visit to National Trust a session looking at the objects included in the Dunham Massey in early June.