Museum News Eden Valley Museum Newsletter Issue Number 19 November 2005
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Museum News Eden Valley Museum Newsletter www.evmt.org.uk Issue Number 19 November 2005 The Eden Valley Museum – everywhere has a story to tell Photo: Barry Duffield Editorial Chairman of the Edenbridge and District Amenity Society, succeeding John Irwin. Welcome to the latest issue of our Originally from Yorkshire, he has lived here newsletter, in a slightly new, and I hope, for more than 30 years, having married improved, format. Thank you TOPFOTO Joanna Talbot, whose family is intrinsically for your help! linked with the history of Markbeech. Their The Museum is certainly becoming very house, Edells, was a small farm in the 14th skilled at putting on wonderful exhibitions, century and shares the same name root as with last year’s, devoted to Winston Edenbridge. Churchill, being followed by our current Alan is able to work locally because Hever nostalgic reproduction of what World War II resident, well-known photographer John meant for those who lived – and tragically Topham, passed his business to Alan in died – during it. 1975, and, now called Topfoto.co.uk, it is You will read much more about this side of located in Fircroft Way. our activities in this issue: we are rightly TOPFOTO is Europe’s largest on-line proud of what members have achieved, but, supplier of photographs, with a worldwide of course, we should also remember all the clientele. In addition to their own resources, other aspects of the life of our museum – they have access to more than 12 million the research, the cataloguing of documents images. It was thanks to TOPFOTO that and photographs, the courses, the fun and the Museum was able to put on last year’s educational activities for children, the shop, highly successful Churchill exhibition, the outside visits and the social and fund- providing the photographs and mounting raising activities. the display. In addition, TOPFOTO And of course, for many visitors, the provided generous financial support, ‘face’ of the museum is represented by the enabling us to adopt a ‘Free Entry’ policy cheerful helpers who look after the museum for the duration of the Exhibition. The in opening hours and deal with all sorts of Free Entry policy has been successfully queries and problems. They do a great job: continued. as so do the many dozens of other members Alan is no stranger to the museum world. who create the exhibitions, maintain the As a trustee of the Hebridean Trust he building, conduct research, organise or look supports two museums in Tiree. He is also after the finances, President of CEPIC, a European Union Alan Davies. grouping of some thousand members, including many museums and galleries. A New Chairman for the Trust He was co-opted on to the Executive Committee last year and we all look At May’s AGM, forward to working with him in the coming members were delighted years. to elect Alan Smith as the new Chairman of the EVMT. Alan is ideally qualified Front Page: for this position, having At the newly opened High Street door, graduated in History Curator Jane Higgs (right) talks to Joanna from Oxford University, Follett (centre, see page 7) and Emily Sands where he also edited the influential student (left). magazine Cherwell. In the 1970’s he was View from the Chair them all together next year in an exhibition aimed to “Back the gold 2012”. Who The Eden Valley is somewhere very special. knows what sporting treasures we will Much of its story can be seen in our discover. museum and for this we thank the members And, of course, we had major lottery of the Museum Initiative formed 10 years support and funding from many local ago and the subject of my predecessor Don companies, and individuals. We have Lord Garman’s November talk. For a small town Astor as our President, and our enlightened on the border of three counties, Edenbridge and sympathetic Town Council, and we is lucky to have such an outstanding have the Bonfire Society, our own Chamber museum. of Commerce (again unusual for so small a Edenbridge deserves it as it encapsulates town) our surviving medieval buildings, our so much that is outstanding in the Valley. Great Stone Bridge, our Roman Road (its One of these things is the spirit and sense straightness sadly blotched recently with of community and history, which motivates two roundabouts), our Cottage Hospital our Volunteers, our Curator and our (miraculous survivor), our civil war history, Committee, something which I am deeply Chartwell, Penshurst, Hever, two railway grateful to have inherited. Our current stations and our own town history and exhibition “Doing Our Bit” shows that the museum, multum in parvo as they say. spirit is not new either. This exhibition We survived World War Two with our town has been seen by many from far places intact. Read elsewhere in this issue what a – Australia, Russia, France to name some Canadian had to say about Edenbridge as countries – and by many people from the he drove through our town in 1940 to win Valley, some of whom have been a number a VC in the hell of Dieppe. Now with the of times. arrival of the bypass, first planned in 1946, “Doing Our Bit” is an outstanding effort and the astonishing outburst of building and those who are involved are to be taking place, we more than ever need our congratulated. Their work will not be museum to record that which we have and lost when the exhibition closes as a grant inform new arrivals of that which we might enables us to transfer the work to a multi have. Things to keep in mind are the future media format, which can tour. But if you of Honour’s Mill, now for sale and the haven’t already seen the wall of resolute rebuild that is likely in the Leather Market. faces of those from the Valley who fought And Edenbridge like the rest of England has and lived and those who fought and fell and lost so many jobs. One vision of our future the marvellous model of our “lost” airfield as the gateway to the Valley is to draw in at Penshurst, there is still time to visit and tourism and create knowledge jobs. So we reflect (I am writing this on 11 November). at the museum still “have our bit to do”. Something else exceptional in the Valley is the number of sporting clubs and societies and of course the magnificent Leisure Have you thought of Centre which has probably the smallest catchment area of any in the country and is here as a direct result of the munificent Volunteering benefaction of Mr. Sellars whose bicycle and fishing shop in the Square was the at mecca for so many who grew up here. The Eden Valley Museum? EVMT and the Leisure Centre plan to bring From Our Secretary exceptionally well-received exhibition. Our Chairman said “The Eden Valley has AGM long known war. Roman invaders made a road here to speed troop movements, Saxon For the second year running Bob Howes chieftains fought here. In the Civil War we gallantly stepped in to chair our AGM. The forged cannons. 37 members present returned the Executive Then there came Churchill, our neighbour and most importantly welcomed their at Chartwell. From Biggin Hill the Battle new Chairman, Alan Smith. In accepting, of Britain was fought over our heads. A Alan commented that he felt the museum Canadian Colonel, who was to get a VC at now had a solid foundation and it was an Dieppe, recorded his memories in the Camp exciting prospect to be able to build on this. Book of his drive through Edenbridge We still have one vacancy on the committee in 1940 when he arrived a prisoner at which we would very much like to fill. Colditz. When you read his observations We should also be happy to co-opt anyone in our Exhibition you will see he found interested in joining us, particularly if they Edenbridge a good place, worth fighting for. have an interest in publicity or fund raising The people of Edenbridge responded to the – either organizing events or applying for challenge magnificently as you can see in grants. the Exhibition, which we have been proud Following the AGM we enjoyed a lively to mount 60 years since the end of World talk by our first curator, Elizabeth Amias, War II. on the Peters Family who, in 1849, ran Our museum has a vital role to play a post office, grocers and drapers in Old recording life in the Eden Valley. We all Oxted. make history. What we do today is history Elizabeth now works for East Surrey tomorrow. We need to record today and Museum in Caterham and her talk was recover the past. If we forget it, it will based on 1,000 documents which had happen again. been deposited at the museum ten years As well as our task of conserving the previously. These she had unearthed, collection, it is our policy to mount timely catalogued and researched to form the basis exhibitions such as this to help in education of talks, an exhibition and a school project. and to bring visitors to the Eden Valley. I Her presentation gave a real insight into the hope you are all Volunteers or Friends. If running of a small mid-Victorian shop and not, please volunteer or join before you go”. the community it served. Fund Raising Events Membership Gilbert and Sullivan The many members who attended the Barbara O’Neill generously agreed to reception and preview of the Second produce a Gilbert and Sullivan event in World War exhibition ‘Doing Our Bit’ aid of the Museum and W.I.