Christmas Spice

Our 2007 Christmas Exhibition - Christmas Spice - was launched on 7th December at a very successful and well attended preview evening. There were 55 people at the launch where Mark Macleod, Project Development Officer, was given a presentation to thank him for all his work in the last 15 months and to wish him well in his new post with the Scottish Museums Council in Edinburgh. Mark is taking up the role of Membership Development Manager from 7th January, 2008. Mary Kean, Friends Chairman, commented on his hard work, enthusiasm and how he had helped the Friends Group progress. He will be sorely missed.

"Christmas Spice" tells the story of The Spice Routes, Explorers, Christmas Spices plus a look at "Old Spice" and "The Spice Girls". During the course of the exhibition, which closes on January 18th, schoolchildren will be given the chance to attend workshops on mincemeat making, pomander making and also to take part in a competition to find the hidden spice horde. On opening the exhibition, Chris Bridgeford, Friends Secretary and Volunteer Co-ordinator, thanked the group of volunteers who have been working on the exhibtion since May. This group of junior and senior middle-aged attended volunteer sessions every Tuesday and many did a considerable amount of work at home.

Jean Mortimer, one of the volunteers, painted eight watercolours of the spice plants. These watercolours play an integral part in the exhibition and were to be offered for sale at the end of the exhibition. However all eight paintings were bought up by eager Friends on the opening night. Due to the popularity of the paintings we will be looking at producing prints in the New Year.

The volunteers are going to take a well deserved break until the New Year so the volunteer afternoons should begin again in January.

Volunteer Afternoons

We had our first "proper" volunteering session on Tuesday. We held a little one a fortnight ago but that was just a trial. This time we had seven people squeezed into Mark's wee office. I felt a bit disorganised as I was trying to talk everyone through their specific tasks and running about here and there. We actually got a good bit done. Two people started working on newspaper articles about for the local newspaper - The Forres Gazette - one started research on Alexander Falconer; one started indexing oral history; two people started an oral history recording in the court room and one person tried out an i-pod nano as we hope to let visitors use these when the museum is re-opened. Then we all sat down, had tea and brainstormed our proposed Christmas Exhibition to be called "Christmas Spice". Primarily it will be about Christmas Spices but will also take in the spice trade and explorers. And what of Mark, our hyperactive Project Development Officer, I hear you ask. Well, he's gone off on holiday for a fortnight to America meeting up with old friends. I think his absence added to my nervousness as it was the first time I 'd led a session on my own. He left us strict instructions not to go mess up his desk but I'm afraid the tea tray and some ladies handbags were put down on it - sorry Mark. He's graciously given us one tiny little shelf to use for our bits and pieces. Firecracker (Mark's little glove puppet friend) was on hand to watch over us so we felt we had to behave ourselves!

Friends AGM

We held the 2007 Friends AGM last week in the great surroundings of the Forres Lawn Tennis Club Pavilion as the builders have taken over our usual meeting place of the Museum.

All the committee members were re-elected and the audience were greatly enteretained by the Guest Speaker(s) for the evening - Mark Macleod, our Project Development Officer and his little friend "Firecracker" - the glove puppet - see photo.
Those who paid their subscriptions on the night went away with their new welcome packs. A lot of members were found reading them whilst enjoying their wine. I think they'll be a great success. (Chris)