The real stars

The real stars of the Volunteer party were the staff who rushed around working hard to ensure that their guests had all the food and drink they needed.

Special thanks to Stuart (who had taken off is dragon suit for the photo), Graham, Harriet (a geisha girl?), Andy, Chris, Angela, Dayna, Linda, Sandie and Kung-Fu Emily.

In the absence of the Museum Poet, the Director indulged his (in)ability to write bad rhymes in welcoming the guests with:

Good evening colleagues young and old
A merry evening here behold.

To China we must turn our way
And spend an evening being gay
With Crouching Tigers in the Air
And Hidden Dragons everywhere.
The new year’s here of this I’m sure
A new year mild, no tooth nor claw
For Tiger’s year we’ve left behind
And Rabbits are so dreadfully kind.
What e’er your sign, you’re welcome here
A rooster, ox or panda bear
A snake or horse, a dog or boar
A goat or rat; there are some more.
Enough!
I hear your hunger calling out.
Your thirst is like an Aussie drought.
The new year’s here and full of fun
And so, dear friends, to food please come.

Farewell to Sandie and Graham

At the Volunteer party, our Director unwisely decided to sing a farewell to two people who are retiring in the coming months. The choice of tune was influenced by the Chinese theme to the party but he clearly does not understand that Titipu is not in China. To the tune of Tit Willow:

In a museum in Falmouth you all know quite well
Worked Graham and Sandie, Ms Martyn
The time we have reached when we must say farewell
To Graham and Sandie, Ms Martyn
These two are both wonders that all of us know
And we really, yes really don’t want them to go
But they seem very clear that they really must; so
We’ll miss them, we’ll miss them, we’ll miss them.

In her office retreat, lovely Sandie in tears
Was sobbing, was sighing, was sobbing.
I said to her, Sandie, dear, tell me your fears
Not sobbing, nor sighing, nor sobbing.
Has a volunteer upset you, Sandie? I cried,
Or is it because I your patience have tried?
With a shake of her elegant head she replied,
I’ll miss chatting, and chatting and chatting.

In the workshop below her a banging was heard
And chipping and chopping and chipping.
There Graham was working alongside Ralph Bird
Just chopping, and chipping and chopping.
I said to him, Graham what’s that you’ve just made
Does it come from your past in the great motor trade?
With a shake of his poor little head he then say-ed:
I’ll miss chopping, (and Milly) and chopping.

The end of this song is I think a good cue
Though sobbing, and sighing and sobbing.
To say a fond farewell to you and to you,
Though sobbing and sighing and sobbing.
I have no idea how exhibits’ll get built,
Or who will tell me of my Personnel guilt,
But with deepest affection that years will not wilt
We’ll miss you, we’ll miss you, we’ll miss you.

As one listener said after the performance 'Stick to the day job'. Well at least he did not tell the Director to retire too.

Curator's trail

A new trail will be appearing over the next few days. Here is one of the first of the new labels, written by Sarah Riddle and describing some of her favourite objects in very personal terms.

The aim is to make our displays a bit more personal and to inspire a human feeling to some of our labels.

We will probably be looking for someone - a member, a child, a volunteer, a stranger - to produce a similar trail later in the year.

Hard at work

It is always good to see great striding minds hard at work, tapping away on their keyboards making the maritime world turn and advancing the Museum's cause. Just look at those empty soup bowls, the patterns licked off because of the deliciousness of Karen's soup; the coffee cups drained of their last arabica bean; the look of eagerness to get back to the drawing board written all over their faces.

Never let it be said that we did not  appreciate such commitment.

Curator's Cabinet

A new Curator's Cabinet has appeared on the second floor outside the Lecture Theatre. As it says on the header, it is designed to show off new additions to the collection (although we might cheat from time to time).

New items do not always go straight onto display and this will allow us to show them off on arrival, get press coverage and display our thanks to the donors. It may be a slightly eclectic display in future, therefore, but all the more fun as a result.

In this picture, Volunteer Jessica is mounting the first exhibition of artefacts recently collected from Margaret Dye in Norwich, all of which relate to Frank and his sailing. Jessica is presently working her way through the two trunks of slides we have received, trying to put them in some sort of order and work out what they show. It is a whole life story in pictures but sadly without a narrator.

Don't miss the great cartoon or the vinyl on the side of the case: a picture of our wonderful curator complete with white coat, glasses and cupid-bow red lips. Dead realistic.