THE MEDIEVAL Priory Gatehouse is in constant need of repair and conservation.
Some of the more urgent repairs were completed last year and there is ongoing work to control the damp problems which seem ever present in ancient buildings.
The museum architect visited in January for a detailed survey of our crumbling medieval and Victorian stonework, deciding which stones needed to be replaced and which needed to be repaired or repointed.
A detailed specification needs to be drawn up before we apply for Scheduled Monument Consent for the work required. Because of the long lead times involved in gaining consent and selecting and contracting a specialist building firm, work is unlikely to start before the summer.
This phase of the work is likely to cost upwards of £30,000. Applications for grant funding will be made, with other money coming from museum events.
‘An Evening with Harry Sandon MBE’ will be held at the Forum Theatre at 7.30pm next Wednesday (January 29). Tickets cost £10 from the Malvern Theatre Box Office. Please arrive at 7pm if you would like your piece of china to be one of the 12 pieces selected for expert examination.
The latest in the museum lecture series is ‘The National Trust/NT properties in the area’ by Peter Clement, at the Christchurch Hall, Avenue Road, Malvern, at 7pm a week on Friday (January 31).
The museum is open from March 25 to October 31 each year, staffed entirely by volunteers. Two stewards are on duty for each morning and afternoon session, to collect admissions, sell books and postcards, and answer (or pass on) questions on local or family history.
The museum had 65 stewards last year, each typically covering one session every two weeks. New stewards are always needed, even if they can only help once every couple of months.
If you would like to be a steward, or to get involved in the museum in other ways, perhaps helping to catalogue and conserve the collection, or wielding a paint brush in the closed season, then visit the museum website www.malvernmuseum.co.uk or leave a message on 01684 567811.
Training will be given, and new stewards are paired with experienced partners.
