Food for Thought
Warrington Museum to Host Edible Events at Heritage Festival
Culture Warrington is chomping at the bit to announce a food-and-drink-themed extravaganza hosted by Warrington Museum and Library as part of this year’s Heritage Open Days festival.
Heritage Open Days festival is an annual event, usually between 1-2 weeks in length, during which a variety of museums, heritage organisations and local attractions, across the country, fling open their doors to offer visitors a behind the scenes glimpse at some of their work! Our range of activities will take place at our temporary Pop-Up Museum and Library in Warrington’s Golden Square Shopping Centre from 10th to 19th September 2021.
Each year, the festival has a different theme, this year it is Edible England. The organisers of Heritage Open Days explain how they hope this year’s theme will materialise through events across the country, “We are increasingly becoming a nation of foodies and what we eat, and drink is at the heart of much of our culture, our history, our communities, and our lives. It’s a doorway into hidden histories, regional differences and the myriad cultures around us. It’s a universal language and one of our basic needs, the perfect starting point for another diverse, fun, exciting festival year!”.
In past years, Culture Warrington has been able to offer Curator led tours of Warrington Museum, talks from our Archivist and Collections Team, and behind the scenes visits to museum stores. This year, however, with ongoing roof maintenance at our Grade II listed Museum building, we have redeployed our programme of events to the temporary Pop-Up Museum and Library. We are thrilled to announce that, with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, our events for this year’s festival will involve face-to-face and in-person activities for all ages and all of which we hope will provide copious amounts of fun!
Culture Warrington has teamed up with two organisations for this year’s festival; Grappenhall Heys Walled Gardens, who will be displaying some of their kitchen garden heritage; and Lancaster-based Imagining History, an award-winning educational history workshop facilitator for primary schools. There will also be an opportunity to chat to one of the museum’s Curators about items in the museum’s food heritage collections.
We hope that our Heritage Open Days programme will excite people about our local heritage and bring this year’s theme of Edible England to life!
Edible England at Grappenhall Heys Walled Garden
Come and discover what the gardeners at Grappenhall Heys Garden grew in the walled gardens of the Parr family’s wealthy mansion. Visitors will have an opportunity to view some original equipment used in the gardens and learn how the iconic glasshouses were used to grow exotic fruits such as peaches and out of season foods.
Type of Activity: Exhibition/Display
When:
Tuesday 14th September-13.00-15.00 (No need to book)
Thursday 16th September-13.00-15.00 (No need to book)
Saturday 18th September-13.00-15.00 (No need to book)
Who:
Audience: Family friendly
Imagining History- ‘How to Survive the Stone Age’
Have you got what it takes to survive the Stone Age? Imagining History will take you on a fun-filled journey back to prehistoric times in their award-winning “A Handy Guide To Survive the Stone Age” workshop. Learn hunting & gathering techniques, including the use of ancient weaponry and how to collect food that is safe for your tribe. With help from Imagining History, you will learn how to survive and thrive in the harsh environment of the Neolithic. This interactive, drama-history session is ideal for children aged 5-11.
Type of Activity: Performance/Drama Workshop
When:
Sunday 19th September 11.00-11.45 and 1.00-1.45 (Booking essential) Telephone: 01925 442889
Who:
Audience: Family friendly (ages 5-11 years) Maximum attendees: 10 children (parents or guardians can stay and sit at the back) per workshop
Edible England at Warrington Museum
Come and meet a member of the museum’s Collections Team to learn about items from the museum’s collections that can teach us about what people ate and drank in the past. Chat to one of the museum’s Curators about how they go about caring for these historical objects and learn about what they can tell us about the history of food and drink.
Type of Activity: Display/Object Handling Session
When:
Wednesday 15th September 2-4pm (No need to book)
Who:
Audience: Family friendly
Food in the Archive: From mangelwurzels to milk
Are you hungry for Archives? If so, why not come to the Pop-up Museum and Library to see a selection of food-based ephemera from the collections. From ration books to recipe books, and from mangelwurzels to milk, the Archives are full of food.
Type of Activity: Display/Exhibition
When:
10th – 19th September 2021 (No need to book) (please see standard opening hours of the Pop Up)
Who:
Audience: Family friendly
For further information about any of our events, please contact:
Hannah White (Collections Assistant) at [email protected] 01925 442400