Pliosaurs – the name meaning ‘more lizard’ – were the apex predator of the Jurassic Seas. Their sheer size and speed gave them the advantage over any other animal. They were among the largest marine reptiles, and until recently the largest confirmed size of an adult Liopleurodon, for example, was 6.5 metres. In the BBCContinue reading “The Abingdon Pliosaur”
Category Archives: Museum Life
On the Throwing of Buns
Did you go to the Platinum Jubilee Bun Throwing? I recently mentioned the throwing of buns to some friends, and they were amused, puzzled and intrigued. Throwing actual buns? From the roof? Where did that strange idea come from? In this blogpost I will try to illuminate the origins of the Bun Throwing in Abingdon,Continue reading “On the Throwing of Buns”
Lights, Camera, Action at Abingdon Museum
Recently Abingdon Museum was the venue for a film production, with two of its objects in a starring role. Filmmaker Felix Melia contacted the museum to ask about the possibility of shooting footage of a couple of Anglo-Saxon mounts. These mounts are small metal ornaments, looking a bit like a snake curved in a figureContinue reading “Lights, Camera, Action at Abingdon Museum”
Women at Abingdon Museum
To celebrate Women’s History Month, there will be a series of blogposts throughout March, each talking about a particular group of women with a connection to Abingdon. Today it is about the women who have been curators of the museum. Abingdon Museum is perhaps unusual in having been led by female curators for many decades.Continue reading “Women at Abingdon Museum”
Abingdon Museum’s Victorian Roots
Recently Abingdon Museum celebrated its centenary, and showcased its history with an exhibition. The Museum Committee was first established in 1920, not in Victorian times, but here I want to show that the ideas which informed the foundation of the museum go back to that era. As a starting point, lets take a look atContinue reading “Abingdon Museum’s Victorian Roots”
More Museum Team in Lockdown Stories
As the lockdown restrictions begin to ease, a partial return to our pre-Covid lives seems possible. But the pandemic is a long way from being over, and the experience is going to reverberate in our lives and our thoughts for some time. Museum Assistant Shirley Buckle summarises what it has been like these part fewContinue reading “More Museum Team in Lockdown Stories”
Museum Team in Lockdown Stories
“Ausnahmesituation” is one of those portmanteau words which the Germans find so handy. “Ausnahme” means exception, and the word describes exactly that: an exceptional situation, an unusual place we find ourselves in. Here two museum team members offer their impressions of the current Ausnahmesituation, and how they sometimes struggle with what has become our “newContinue reading “Museum Team in Lockdown Stories”
The Museum Team in Lockdown Part 2
Although the lockdown measures have just been eased a little, Abingdon Museum has to remain closed for the time being, with staff and volunteers having to cope with a life outside their usual routines. What helps many people in this stressful time is an enjoyment of nature, and this time of year, when everything isContinue reading “The Museum Team in Lockdown Part 2”
The Museum Team in Lockdown
Abingdon Museum has been closed for two months now, since the government ordered the closure of such public venues to contain the spread of Coronavirus. Staff and volunteers have stayed at home. To keep in touch with our audience, the museum has been active on social media, a new YouTube channel and of course thisContinue reading “The Museum Team in Lockdown”
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