Agenda item

To consider the King’s Lynn Museum Report.

The Assistant Head of Museums provided an update on the changes to the Heritage Lottery Fund now called the National Lottery Heritage Fund.  A copy of the document is attached to the minutes.

The Assistant Head of Museums and Curator, Lynn Museum presented the report which provided information on the King’s Lynn Museum activities for the period from November 2018 to January 2019.

The visitor numbers were tabled and discussed.  It was highlighted that the figures had increased in 2019, for the same period in 2018.  Officers reported that it was anticipated that the total number of visitors at year end would exceed the previous year.

The Assistant Head of Museums responded to questions and comments relating to:

·         Thomas and Henry Baines exhibition at the Lynn Museum in the summer of 2020 and potential to linking of sites within the town via a trail.

·         Green Pilgrimage interreg project.

·         2019 Journeys, People and Place Pilgrimage.

·         Current exhibition at the Lynn Museum – Animal ABC from Ammonite to Zebra.

·         Iron Age Snettisham Hoard.

·         Annual Easter pilgrimage from the Ouse to Walsngham.  It was noted that the pilgrimage would be filmed and used for the 2019 Journeys, People and Place Pilgrimage exhisition.

·         School holiday programmes and levels of attendance.

·         Seahenge souvenir publication was yet to be completed and once printed would be available to purchase in the museum shop in 2019.

The Chairman, Councillor Mrs Nockolds informed Members that a new light projection show was currently being displayed on the Custom House which had been researched and designed by the pupils who were home education and would be available to view for an additional week.  The Chairman, Councillor Mrs Nockolds thanked the staff at the Lynn Museum and Trues Yard as the group informed her that they very much appreciated the support they received from the staff of both museums.

The Chairman of the Friends of Lynn Museum provided an update, the details of which were set out at section 3 of the report.  The February Newsletter had been circulated to the Committee for information.

In response to questions regarding the legacy of £500, the Chairman of the Friends of Lynn Museum advised that the Friends wished to purchase a specific item which had to date not yet been identified by Lynn Museum.

The Chairman, Councillor Mrs Nockolds thanked the Assistant Head of Museums and the Curator for an interesting report.

Councillor Smith referred to an article in a railway magazine relating to the 1912 Hunstanton to King’s Lynn railway line.  Councillor Smith to email O Bone details.

Councillor Mrs Westrop made reference to The Richard III Society and the annual 3 day international conference being held at the Dukes Head in King’s Lynn on 4 to 6 April 2019 which would focus on King’s Lynn and Hanseatic Ports..  Dr Paul Richards was a speaker.  It was agreed that O Bone would contact R Williams to see if any contact had been made by the organiser.  Councillor Mrs Westrop to forward details to the Democratic Services Officer to circulate to the Committee.

The Committee received an overview of the work which had been undertaken during 2018 and 2019 by the Teaching Museum trainees, Andrew Tullett and Monika Saganowska which were funded through the Norfolk Coastal Treasures project.

On behalf of the Committee, the Chairman, Councillor Mrs Nockolds thanked the trainees for all the valuable work which they had undertaken during their time with the Norfolk Museums Services and wished them both well and every success for their future careers.