The poet is at work again

PIRATICAL U.K. NAVIES (by an ex-lifeboatman)

The Birmingham Navy is legend
(it was fine when they left Perry Barr)
Towing the dinghy was easy
in their secondhand, uninsured, car.

Lifejackets hadn’t been purchased,
nor had flares (what the heck are they for?)
At the coast there were gales,
but they hoisted the sails
and usually didn’t get far!!
………

The Southend equivalent’s different,
they use speedboats of minimum size,
but the engine is large
(it would drive a Thames barge)
and an Essex girl “crew” isn’t wise!!

They make sure they have enough beer
and they each have a mobile phone;
The one thing forgotten is petrol,
so they cannot get home on their own!!
……

In each case a Lifeboatman’s nightmare,
for neither crew thought they’d done wrong
and no sooner this crowd has been rescued,
than another damned lot comes along!!

****************

WAYS OF GOING AFLOAT

Supercalifragalistic….Mirror, Laser, Finn,
I don’t mind looking AT them, but you’d never get me IN.
You hang out on a harness to keep the boat upright,
the Tacking isn’t Wearing, but it’s one continual fight.

Dinghies are for youngsters, muscular and fit;
but I require a solid deck, and a comfy seat to sit.
An engine saves you so much work, (I know it uses fuel);
But no more sweating pulling ropes, you just stay nice and cool.

I much prefer big engines, and a Thousand g.r.t.
(and being paid for driving it) - That’s more the life for me.
You have to carry cargo, and that can be a bind,
but if the cargo’s human, there are chances to unwind!!

"The course of true love...

... never did run smooth" but thankfully the same wasn't true of the Chapterhouse Theatre Company's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream here at the Museum on Friday night.

Please Tamsin ...

This snap, taken the other day, is crying out for a caption. What was Stu begging for from the Marketing Dept?

Dan Burton exhibition

Dan Burton's wonderful underwater pictures have gone on display in the temporary exhibition area. It runs from July until the end of August and offers a unique view of life beneath our oceans, from the warmth of the Red Sea to the depths of Russia’s White Sea and beyond.

Darwin for diners

The Darwin exhibition will fill the cafe during July. 177 pictures by children aged up to 16 from all over the country, many of the images inspired or prompted by local artist John Dyer. Grouped into different age categories, they cover a wide variety of subjects from gawp-eyed turtles to dangerous dinosaurs and zoological zoomorphs. In cages above diners' heads, some bird cages are releasing their own magical and mysterious monsters.

All good fun and a lovely way to cheer up the cafe at a busy time for families.

The beach huts arrive

Some multi-coloured beach huts have appeared to liven up the foyer during the summer. Inspired by the resurgence of British (Credit Crunch) holidays, these give a real weather-proof alternative to a wet Cornish beach.

They are empty because everyone has naturally gone to the Museum. Volunteers have been banned from using the deckchairs for a short snooze while on duty. 'Gone crabbing on NMMC pontoon' says a sign.

Mike Rangecroft has already asked if he can use the huts later in the season for Punch & Judy shows on the square and Debs is practising her Gypsy Rose Lee impressions for a fortune telling event.

Also in the foyer are some new paddle signs with simply-worded teasers of what is inside the Museum. After hours of discussion on what we should be saying in the foyer has come to the principle: 'simplest is best'.

The fabrics were charmed out of http://www.deckchairstripes.com/ by Milly. Bids for the fabric at the end of the season to her please.

The Giant Puzzle Cube appears

It is getting close to school holiday time and the first of the children's play activities appears close to the Survival Zone. Eight giant foam cubes bearing six pictures can be assembled in two different ways. The pictures, all sourced from local artists showing their work at the Beside the Wave gallery, have a variety of themes: animals, Cornwall and the sea. Alongside, a 'Stig board' and timer are available for those with a competitive instinct.

More activities follow directly/dreckley.

Post Titanic changes

We waved goodbye to the Titanic Honour and Glory exhibition at the end of June and prepared ourselves for the busy summer season.

The foyer is under constant change. Two sails, some rope and lobster pots - hinting at boats and Cornwall - have been added to soften the harsh concrete of the lift shaft as visitors walk through into the Main Hall.

The lift has got a new image - Fish Sale on a Beach by Stanhope Forbes - and has been re-branded as an entrance to the Cornwall galleries.

In Cornwall and the Sea, some Jane Slade objects have been added: a Reuben Chappell picture of the Jane Slade herself and a named lifebelt.

The emigration display has also been cheered up by the addition of some more objects: a model of the Mystery which made the amazing voyage to Australia and was the stimulus for Pete Goss' latest adventure; and a series of objects lent by families we met through the Titanic exhibition. Luckily, we are able to keep some of the 'Titanic' objects as well.

The children's games will be going in over the next few weeks and some further changes will be made to enliven the foyer.