News

Dr Simon Jackson, Collections and Learning Curator (Natural Sciences) at Colchester and Ipswich Museums explains the story: "Ipswich Museums’ Post-Cretaceous Geology Collection, which includes our outstanding ice age collection, has been awarded Designated status by Arts Council England." "The … Continue reading Ipswich Museums Awarded Designated Status for Post-Cretaceous Geology Collection

Come and discover Gainsborough’s House this summer. Visit our temporary exhibitions, including Maggi Hambling origins, rediscover the newly refurbished historic house, or bring the whole family along to ‘Tom’s Tuesdays’. We can’t wait for you to join us! Phoebe Scott writes: "Tom’s Tuesdays are … Continue reading Summer at Gainsborough’s House

The Red House, Aldeburgh are delighted to have been selected as a Trinity Arts Award Champion Centre for 2023-2024! Joe Carr tells us more: "Champion Centres are recognised by Trinity College London for their successful delivery of Art Award qualifications with an exciting programme of events, … Continue reading The Red House selected as Arts Award Champion Centre

Graham Panton explains the story: "When SHARE Museums East and AfSM proposed running a workshop at Little Hall, it focussed our minds on how some items in our collection at Little Hall were not presented at their best. One particular object had been overlooked for many years, propped up in a … Continue reading Bespoke object mount for ancient gravestone at Little Hall Lavenham

The team at Orford Museum is delighted to announce that they have been offered the opportunity to exhibit the Barrow Collection of Celtic ironwork in some of their cases in Orford Castle. The team explains that "these beautiful objects have been loaned by a local private collector and we are … Continue reading New exhibition and talks programme at Orford Museum

At just 8 years old, Valentine is probably the youngest treasure seeker ever to donate a historical find to Halesworth & District Museum. The object in question is a Tudor coin – most likely a penny, though perhaps a clipped half groat – unearthed by Valentine while out metal detecting with his … Continue reading Young detectorist donates Tudor coin

Leo Whisstock, National Secretary of the Royal Naval Patrol Service Association, tells the tale: "The bird watching fraternity are now scratching their heads and thumbing through reference books and preparing their cameras for the chance of the picture of a lifetime. Rather than keep you in suspense … Continue reading Where can you find sparrows, wrens and a kite in the same nest?

  The museum has decided to open on Wednesday 11am-4pm (last entry 3.30pm) as well as on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays. This is a trial over the summer holidays to see if it enables more families to visit the museums and encourage new volunteers to join the team who might have … Continue reading HMS Ganges trialling Wednesday openings over summer holidays

  This Heritage Open Day, Bawdsey Radar Museum will be throwing open the doors for potential volunteers to visit the museum, which is located in the original wartime radar transmitter block, to learn more about getting involved with the museum. On Sunday 17 September, entry to the museum will … Continue reading Bawdsey Radar Museum is opening the doors to new volunteers this Heritage Open Day!

  Alan Powell has been awarded the SHARE Museums East Silver Owl Award for more than 25 years of volunteering with Martlesham Heath Aviation Society. In early July, he was presented with his Certificate and Badge by the Society's Vice-President Vicky Gunnell. Alan was surprised to be recognised but … Continue reading From SHARE Silver Owl to a flying coyote at Martlesham Heath

The free summer exhibition Wolsey’s Ipswich is on until 29 October at The Hold on Ipswich Waterfront and explores the legacy of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The exhibition forms a key part of the Thomas Wolsey 550 project, a programme of events … Continue reading Free exhibition ‘Wolsey’s Ipswich’ on this summer at The Hold

The Saxmundham Museum team explain: "This year, we are excited to have an amazing new collection of “local finds” on display. Discovered over recent years in the local area by Saxmundham resident Stephen Eves, this is a collection of huge historical importance." "Covering items from the Neolithic … Continue reading Saxmundham archaeological finds now on display

Lydia Kirk, editor of Parham Airfield Museum's newsletter explains: "The Big Help Out is a national day of volunteering happening on 8th May, the Bank Holiday Monday of the King’s Coronation weekend. The day is about inspiring people to try volunteering, and to play a part in their community. One of … Continue reading Parham Airfield Museum taking part in the Big Help Out!

Woodbridge Tide Mill has been demonstrating renewable energy for centuries, and now, with the help of a grant from SHARE Museums East supported by the Art Fund, plans to spread the word. The grant will allow it to establish an environmental student group that is interested in environmental … Continue reading Woodbridge Tide Mill launches Eco Warrior Workshops

Trustee Colin Chapman gives us an update: "Re-opening the HMS Ganges Museum for the 2023 season on Easter Weekend proved to be very successful. albeit a trifle wet, however, the footfall so far this month has been excellent. The AGM on the 15th April went well although as always attendance could … Continue reading Latest news on HMS Ganges mast at Shotley Point

  The Guildhall contains the only surviving WWII Operations Room of the Royal Observer Corps – an unsung group of local heroes who were the ‘eyes and ears of the RAF’ during the Battle of Britain. Their story has been hidden behind a veil of secrecy for over 80 years, but now it’s all been … Continue reading Inside Bury St Edmunds Guildhall’s secret Ops Room

  The Bawdsey Radar Museum team is very pleased to announce that the museum is now a partner in the Great British School Trip Campaign organised and sponsored by Hyundai. The scheme offers 25,000 young people support with bursaries and free access to hundreds of incredible trip experiences across … Continue reading Bawdsey Radar Museum becomes a partner in the Great British School Trip Campaign

Halesworth & District Museum boasts artefacts spanning millennia, but it is a strictly 20th/21st century exhibit that is currently drawing in a host of visitors. The display has even spawned a reunion – on Museum premises – giving local people an opportunity to share their memories: The new … Continue reading Days of the old schoolyard at Halesworth & District Museum

The visitor numbers at the museum for Easter 2023 were up 15% on Easter 2022. Trustee Ian Reed tells us more: "With 2022 being our most successful year since opening in 1974, beating our previous best achieved in 2017, we were pleased to see that visitor interest in 2023 has continued to grow. We … Continue reading East Anglia Transport Museum records successful season opening

  The historic airfield control tower is open every Sunday afternoon from now to the end of October 2023 Howard King of Martlesham Heath Aviation Society takes us through what's on offer: "Visitors can explore the fascinating history of the airfield - from its founding story in 1917 (with the Royal … Continue reading Martlesham Heath Control Tower Museum open for summer season!

The Thomas Wolsey 550 project, managed by a partnership between Ipswich Borough Council, Ipswich Central, and Suffolk County Council/Suffolk Archives, has received a grant of £250,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. This exciting 550-day public programme of events and activities, … Continue reading Lottery Boost for The Thomas Wolsey 550 project

Conservation Officer, Bob Entwistle, talks us through what his team has been doing to empty Ipswich Museum over the past few months: 'Ipswich Museum is in the throes of a redevelopment. For the redevelopment to take place we are having to move all the objects out of the museum to prepared temporary … Continue reading Ipswich Museum reports on mammoth decant

A new and exciting project, led by Bawdsey Radar Museum in collaboration with the University of Suffolk will be funded with a New Stories New Audiences grant provided by the Association of Independent Museums and the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF). There are hundreds of fascinating personal … Continue reading Bawdsey Radar Museum’s “Connections Project” secures funding

2022 marked the 110 year anniversary of Aldeburgh Museum. Established by Aldeburgh Literary Society in 1912 in a single room behind the Old International Stores in Aldeburgh High Street, it housed a mammoth tusk, stuffed birds and volumes of poetry and other items relating to George Crabbe as well … Continue reading Happy Anniversary to Aldeburgh Museum!

In the summer of 2020, Suffolk Archives were offered a copy of a memoir written by Fritz Ball, a lawyer and musician who had been forced to flee from his native Berlin in 1939 by Nazi persecution. Separated from their three young sons, Fritz and his wife Eva travelled to England and eventually were … Continue reading ‘We Have to Move On’ now on display at The Hold, Ipswich