Half-term fun at the Museum of English Rural Life – University of Reading
23 May 2008The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL), which is owned and managed by the University of Reading, is holding a week of fun events for families during half-term, as part of the Reading Children's Festival.
On Tuesday 27th May, families with children aged six and over are invited to come along to the MERL garden and make pretty flower and dried herb posies. Visitors can drop in any time between 2pm and 4pm. There's no need to book for this event.
A group of adults and children will be working together on Wednesday 28th May with artist Ellen Brown, to create a super scarecrow for the MERL garden. This workshop is already fully booked, but you'll be able to come along and see the finished masterpiece in the garden at any time!
On Thursday 29th May, Ellen will be back in the MERL garden, running a wonderful woven garden sculptures workshop. Families will learn how to make their own woven textile sculptures. This workshop, which is suitable for families with children aged seven and over, will run from 10.30am to 4.00pm. Places are limited so booking in advance is essential.
As well as these special events, there are entertaining activities that families can do in the Museum at any time, including the Ways of Seeing Activity Bags, the Rat Trail, brass rubbing, drawing, the Garden Trail and now adults and children can also try dressing up as Victorian farmers! There are also the Magic Carpet activities such as farm animal puppets and jigsaws for younger children.
Bekky Moran, Learning Manager at MERL, said: "We hope that these events will encourage families to come and enjoy fun and interesting activities together out in our beautiful garden, which now has some fascinating new features. We're even growing furniture as well as vegetables!"
For more information or to book, anyone interested in attending should call the Museum of English Rural Life on 0118 378 8660 or email merlevents@reading.ac.uk
Ends
Note for media: Media are welcome to attend. If you wish to come along, please contact Alison Hilton, marketing officer, on 0118 378 8660
Notes for editors:
1. More information about the Museum of English Rural Life
The Museum of English Rural Life, in Redlands Road, Reading, was founded by the University of Reading in 1951 to reflect and record the changing face of farming and the countryside. It houses designated collections of national importance that span the full range of objects, archives, photographs, film and books. Today, it forms part of the University's Museums and Collections Service. The Museum operates as a major resource and research centre for the history of food, farming and the countryside with links into the School of History and other academic departments at the University.
2.The Museum of English Rural Life is part of the Thames Valley Museums (TVM) Family Friendly campaign – a scheme which brings together 30 museums across Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, to promote their popular appeal to the whole family. The Family Friendly logo provides an instantly recognisable guarantee of quality family friendly facilities at member museums. The TVM Family Friendly Initiative is part of the Tourism South East Family Fun campaign and is funded in part by Renaissance in the Regions – the Museum, Libraries and Archives Council's (MLA) groundbreaking programme to transform England's regional museums and galleries.
3. More information About the University of Reading
The University of Reading is one of the foremost research-led universities in the UK. Founded in the nineteenth century and gaining a Royal Charter in 1926, we offer a wide range of programmes from the pure and applied sciences to languages, social sciences and fine art. New research and the latest thinking continually feed into undergraduate teaching, with our academic staff working at the forefront of their fields of expertise.
For all University of Reading media enquiries please contact James Barr, Press Assistant tel 0118 378 7115 or email j.w.barr@reading.ac.uk