The 2010 season has been shorter than usual because of the need to concentrate on preparing the additional reports needed by the Heritage Lottery Fund to support the grant application. An Appeal for Matching Money is being launched for November 2010. We need £45,000 as soon as possible and £137,000 for the project to succeed.
The Museum is now closed for the Winter (except for the schools' holiday week at the end of October) It is planned to re-open in April 2011 - with normal hours: 10 to 4 each day Tuesday to Saturday every week - but with a shorter season to allow for the redevelopment to start and be completed for re-opening in the summer of 2012..
Allerdale Borough Council (who are the trustees of the Trust that owns the Museum) continue to support the Museum while Keswick Museum and Art Gallery Management Ltd progresses the development of the Museum into a vibrant self supporting attraction.
The great event for 2010 was the purchase of Peter Crosthwaite's manuscript of 1788. It is written in the third person but is autobiographical, setting out to vindicate himself againsts accusations about his character and actions. It was bought at Mitchell's Auction, Cockermouth, for a total of £6400. The funds were provided by Friends of National Libraries and Friends of Keswick Museum, supported by gifts from individuals.
On Saturday 30th October
there will be a party to Welcome
the Manuscript to the Museum & Launch the Appeal.
Starts at 7.30. Entry £10.00 to support the Appeal.
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Evelyn Glennie - world famous percussionist - plays Keswick's Musical Stones
The Museum will continue to be stewarded by volunteers from Friends of Keswick Museum again under the supervision of Caroline Hall and Adrienne Wallman -the Curators.
Why don't you join the Friends? As well as supporting the future of the Museum both with your subscription and by adding to the growing band of people whose voice is being listened to about the developments, you will have the opportunity to be a Volunteer and to attend the Winter programme of lectures. More information.
In 2004,
the first year of free opening, Good Friday to 31st October, there were 17666
visitors (compared with the previous annual average of 8-9000) and
donations were almost half as much again as the entry
monies from previous years! Well done Allerdale, Jamie Barnes (then Duty Officer,
later Curator and now Curator at Kendal Museum), The Friends, the Volunteer
Stewards and Keswick and her visitors!
In 2005 we had slightly fewer visitors at 16216.
This is much better than expected from the experiences of other attractions.
Donations (which are essential to the continued free
opening) were 14% up on 2004!
For succeeding years the visitor figures were:
2006 14787
2007 (I can't find the file!)
2008 The 20,000th visitor came in about 3 pm on the last day!
2009 18996
In 2010, with a shorter season and one week to go, visitors total 11662 with donations at a much better rate per visitor.
Try the Museum's website www.keswickmuseum.webs.com or visit www.allerdale.gov.uk/keswick-museum/
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17 October 2010