Manor House Wildlife Park St Florence and Swansea Museum’s Collections Centre

Below is my “Days Out” column from The Weekend supplement in the Saturday, November 2, 2013, issue of the South Wales Evening Post. 
   
  

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Days Out!

With Richard Thomas

...IF THE WEATHER'S GOOD

Manor House Wildlife Park is a conservation-led zoo set in 52 acres of Pembrokeshire Parkland. Inside you can find endangered species from all corners of the world in a natural and beautiful corner of Wales. Animals at the park include Wallabies, Pygmy goats, Brazillian tapir, Sulcata tortoises, Przewalski horses, Rhino, Llama and lots more.

Entry prices are: £11.95 for adults and £8.95 for children ages 4 to 17. Children 3 and under visit for free. For more information visit: www.annaswelshzoo.co.uk.

WHERE? The park is located just 2 miles from Tenby’s beautiful beaches and 3 miles from the Pembrokeshire Coast Path.

WHY? Setting the park apart from others are the special VIP experiences, where visitors can come face-to-face with rare species in their natural surroundings with professional zoo-keepers who know them well. There are 4 experiences to choose from. Be a Keeper, where you can work alongside the Manor House keepers behind the scenes, helping them feed and care for the animals; Look a Rhino in the Eye, where you can see a rhino’s home and bedroom; Hire a Keeper, where groups of up to 30 people can get a tour of the park from a zookeeper; and last but not least, Meet the Species, where you can choose between meeting Meekats, Gibbons and Tapirs.

WHEN TO GO? All of the VIP experiences are available anytime except for Look a Rhino in the eye, which is only available on Wednesdays.

CONTACT? Pre-booking is essential on all the VIP experiences. To book a place phone: 01646 651201.

HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE? Until the end of November the park will be open every day between 10am and 5pm. With so many different rare species to see, you’ll want to spend the whole day at the park.

WHO WILL ENJOY IT? Children especially will enjoy seeing the animals in their natural habitat, but the park’s Wild Welsh Zoo has something for everyone.

WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS? Kids will enjoy the wildlife trail and can also have fun in the secure indoor Hay Play area.

HOW DO I GET THERE? Manor House Wildlife Park is on the B4318 Sageston to Tenby Road, at the edge of the floral village of St Florence, just two miles from Tenby. For sat-nav users the address and postcode is: Manor House Wildlife Park, St Florence, Tenby, Pembrokeshire, SA70 8RJ.

WHERE CAN I PARK? There is a free parking available.

LUNCH? With its network of intimate tree-shaded walkways and wide open spaces the park is perfect for picnics on a warm day. There is also the Snack Shack and Real-Food Café.

ANYTHING ELSE IN THE AREA? Nearby is Heatherton World of Activities. Open all year round this family leisure park has a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities, with something for the whole family to enjoy. Admission to the park is free as visitors only pay for what they want to do. Visit www.heatherton.co.uk.

...IF THE WEATHER'S BAD

Swansea Museum’s Collections Centre is a fascinating place to visit because it houses the museum's reserve collection, which include some extraordinary exhibits from Swansea’s industrial and maritime past. Some of the most popular items in the collection at Landore are the old vehicles like a traveller's van, lorries, a fire engine and also boats.

Admission is free. Visit: www.swanseamuseum.co.uk

WHERE? The Collections Centre is housed in a historically important building on the former Hafod/Morfa Copper Works site in Landore, parts of which date back to 1830. The former copper rolling shed and warehouse building has been transformed into a public-access store and collections centre. The building is now home to the reserve collections of both Swansea Museum and the Maritime and Industrial Museum, providing more opportunities for the public to see some wonderful gems from history.

In the mid-19th century the Hafod/Morfa copper-smelting complex was the centre of world copper smelting activity. Little evidence remains of this industrial past, however, save for the buildings on the site.

WHY? Some of the most popular items in the collection at Landore are the old vehicles like a traveller's van, lorries, a fire engine and also boats. There are even two lifeboats; the Naomi Beatty and the William Gammon. The later was gifted to the museum in 1992 and was named in memory of the coxswain of the Mumbles lifeboat, who lost his life along with the other seven crew members on April 23rd, 1947 whilst attempting to rescue the crew of the Samtampa. 

WHEN TO GO? Swansea Museum Collections Centre opens to visitors every Wednesday between 10am to 4pm.

CONTACT? Phone 01792 653763

HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE? Set aside at least an  hour.

WHO WILL ENJOY IT? Anyone with an interest in Swansea’s maritime & industrial will enjoy a visit to the centre. The collection from the former Maritime & Industrial Museum in Swansea is now kept there.

WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS? Children and adults alike will be fascinated by the exhibits at the centre.

HOW DO I GET THERE? The Collections Centre can be found next to the Park and Ride car park, opposite the Liberty Stadium. For sat-nav users the address and postcode is: Cross Valley Link Road, Landore, Swansea, SA1 2JT.

ANYTHING ELSE IN THE AREA? As well as the collections centre Swansea Museum operates from another 3 sites: the museum’s main building on Oystermouth Road, Swansea, which has 6 galleries containing all kinds of unusual objects from ancient Egypt to the Victorian era; the museum's 3 floating exhibits kept at the Marina; and The Tramshed on Dylan Thomas Square, also at the Marina, which displays memorabilia from the old street trams of Swansea.

Swansea Community Farm in Fforestfach and Swansea Museum

Below is my “Days Out” column from The Weekend supplement in the Saturday, August 17, 2013, issue of the South Wales Evening Post.

 
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Days Out!

With Richard Thomas

...IF THE WEATHER'S BAD

Swansea Museum was originally set up by the Royal Institution of South Wales, a local group who wanted to investigate all aspects of history, the arts and science at the beginning of the 19th century. Described by the Swansea poet Dylan Thomas as “a museum that belongs in a museum”, the impressive stone building was completed in 1841 in the grand neo-classical style, and is the oldest museum in Wales. 
The main building’s six galleries contain all kinds of unusual objects from Swansea’s past as well as the wider world. One highlight is The Amazing Cabinet of Curiosities gallery dedicated to everything Victorian, an era that was obsessed with the bizarre and strange. It is the museums Egyptology exhibits including an Ancient Egyptian mummy that really puts Swansea Museum on the map, though. 
The mummy, named Tem Hor after the god Horus, was a clothier priest and scribe of the god Atum. He lived on the banks of the River Nile in Upper Egypt between 250-200 BCE. The remains and beautifully restored coffin attract mummy worshipers from across South Wales.
In addition to this treasure trove of local and ancient history the museum also has three floating exhibits in its collections which are kept at the Marina: the lightship Helwick; a tug boat called Canning; and the Olga, a Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter built in 1909. Other popular items kept at the museum’s Collections Centre in Landore include old vehicles like a travellers’ van, lorries, a fire engine and two lifeboats, the Naomi Beatty and the William Gammon.
WHERE? Today visitors are able to see Swansea Museum at four locations: the main museum on Oystermouth Road, The Tramshed on Dylan Thomas Square in Swansea Marina, the museum’s Collections Centre in Landore and the floating exhibits in the dock by The Tramshed.
WHY? Swansea Museum is allegedly one of the most haunted locations in Wales. Staff and visitors alike have experienced spooky activity in the main building. According to one member of staff a mysterious “hooded figure” has been seen on several occasions on the stairs and strange “tapping”, “cold spots” and even “whistling” have also been reported. Admission is free at the museum but you’re not allowed to photograph some of the exhibits. A wide variety of keepsakes including handmade Welsh pottery and glassware, Egyptian memorabilia and Victorian jewellery are all for sale in the Museum Shop.

WHEN? Swansea Museum is open from 10am to 5pm every Tuesday to Sunday. Last admissions are at 4pm. The museum is closed Mondays and bank holidays.

CONTACT? Phone on 01792 653763.

HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE? An hour is plenty of time to see all the exhibits inside the main museum building. 

WHO WILL ENJOY IT? The exhibits and exhibitions offer something for all ages. Until September 1 visitors can see Inside Welsh Homes. This touring exhibition from the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales offers a unique glimpse inside Welsh homes through time. The exhibition showcases archival images of Welsh homes ranging from the humblest cottages and urban terraces to the grandest of country houses. A selection of the museum's furniture and domestic collections also helps to bring these fascinating images to life.



WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS? There are a wide range of activities including workshops and crafts organised for children at the museum. To check what events the museum have scheduled visit www.swansea.gov.uk/swanseamuseum.

HOW TO GET THERE? The main building is next door to the LC2. For sat nav users their address and postcode is: Victoria Road, Swansea, SA1 1SN. 

LUNCH? Food and drink are available next door in the LC Coffee Shop in the LC main reception. There is also the Poolside Bistro on the LC ground floor which offers spectator views of the waterpark and a wide menu of home-cooked family meals.



WHERE CAN I PARK: Next door the LC has an on site car park. Parking costs £2 for a two hour stay and an extra pound for every hour after that for up to a five hour ticket.

ANYTHING ELSE IN THE AREA? Just down the road is the National Waterfront Museum which houses more than 100 historical artefacts from Wales’ industrial past. Formerly the site of the Swansea Industrial & Maritime Museum, the new National Waterfront Museum was opened in October 2005. The museum building itself is a synthesis of contemporary architecture and Welsh history. The building eloquently combining a Grade II listed former dockside warehouse built in 1902 with a 21st century glass and slate structure, designed exactly a century later by Stirling Prize-winning architects Wilkinson Eyre. Admission is free but you might want to purchase some keepsakes in the museum’s gift shop, where the money you spend is gifted back to the museum. Visitors wishing to take photographs will be required to complete a Declaration Form available from the Information Desk, but this doesn't take long, so bring a camera with you. To find out more about exhibits etc. you can visit the National Waterfront Museum website at www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/swansea.



...IF THE WEATHER'S GOOD





Swansea Community Farm was conceived in 1992 but it wasn’t until 1998 that a suitable site was found for the city farm. The registered charity was setup to provide opportunities for local volunteers to develop new skills running the farm and to teach visitors about the environment. Volunteers of all ages and abilities have been instrumental in all stages of the farm’s development from the start: setting up a management committee, consulting with the community, planning the site layout and building site structures. In 2004 the front of site was landscaped to make the entrance more attractive, and in 2006 the workshop and animal house was built. The arrival of the first animals to the farm also brought a new interest from adults and children wanting to work with animals in a farm setting. Soon after a raised bed garden was constructed to provide opportunities for volunteers with mobility constraints to participate in farm activities. By the end of 2006 an apiary was constructed under the guidance of The West Glamorgan Beekeepers Association who also provided training for volunteers interested in learning about beekeeping. The farm now opens six days a week and has 4 purpose-designed buildings, over 50 animals and more than 500 child, youth and adult volunteers.



The farm depends on membership and donations. A year membership only costs £5. Visitwww.swanseacommunityfarm.org.uk.


WHERE? Swansea Community Farm is located in Fforestfach, Swansea.

WHY? Swansea Community Farm is a community-led farm run by local people for the benefit of the wider community. Activities held on the 3.5 acre site are run in a way that minimises any negative impact on the environment whilst helping to enhance local biodiversity and encourage nature conservation. The 3.5 acre site consists of an office, workshop, animal house, cafe, wildlife pond, duck pond, allotments, orchard, apiary, paddocks, adventure play area, fire pit, compost demonstration area, raised beds, and picnic space. 

WHEN? The Farm is open six days a week: Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm.

CONTACT? Phone 01792 578384.

HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE? An hour is long enough to see the farm, but you can stay until closing.

WHO WILL ENJOY IT? The farm provides a fun location where people of all ages can learn about the environment, organic gardening and animal care.

WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS? There are over 50 different animals to see, including sheep, pigs, chickens, rabbits and ducks.

HOW DO I GET THERE? For sat nav usesrs the address and postcode is: 2 Pontarddulais Road, Fforestfach, Swansea, SA5 4BA.

LUNCH? The Farm’s Community Café serves a range of mouth-watering dishes using fresh local produce when available. Prices range from £3.00 for soup of the day to chicken or veggie curry for £5.95.



WHERE CAN I PARK? The Farm has its own car park.

ANYTHING ELSE IN THE AREA? The Chocolate Factory is unique in Swansea: a real, working chocolate factory offering informative tours for individuals and groups of all ages fter getting kitted up in the factory’s fashionable hairnets and aprons, the tour begins with a detailed talk about the history of chocolate, from its popularity among the ancient Olmecs and Aztecs of Central America to its discovery by Christopher Columbus and the Spanish Conquistador who conquered Mexico, Hernando Cortes. This is followed by a walk on the factory floor where you are shown the factory machinery and given a demonstration of how they melt, temper and re-mould chocolate into football shaped lollies, chocolate hearts and other bespoke items. The Chocolate Factory is open for group tours Monday to Friday. They run between four and five tours a day between 9am and 4pm. For sat nav users their address and postcode is: The Chocolate Factory, Swansea West Industrial Park, Fforestfach, Swansea, SA5 4DL. To book phone 01792 56161.

Extraordinary exhibits

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, February 16, 2013, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.

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Extraordinary exhibits 

A big day out! 

RICHARD THOMAS heads to Swansea Museum’s Collections Centre at Landore. 

WHY? Swansea Museum operates over four locations. The Collections Centre is a fascinating place to visit because it houses the museum's reserve collection which include some extraordinary exhibits from Swansea’s industrial and maritime past.
WHAT'S THE BUZZ? The Collections Centre is housed in an historically important building on the former Hafod/Morfa Copper Works site in Landore, parts of which date back to 1830. The former copper rolling shed and warehouse building has been transformed into a public-access store and collections centre. The building is now home to the reserve collections of both Swansea Museum and the Maritime and Industrial Museum, providing more opportunities for the public to see some wonderful gems from history.
ANY HISTORY? In the mid-19th century the Hafod/Morfa copper-smelting complex was the centre of world copper smelting activity. Little evidence remains of this industrial past, however, save for the buildings on the site.
QUIRKY HISTORY? Considering the age of the building and the exhibits inside, ghost hunters won’t be surprised to learn that staff have even reported hearing “loud whistling” when nobody else should have been in the building.
WHAT TO TAKE? Admission is free but don’t forget to bring a camera with you.
LOOK OUT FOR? Some of the most popular items in the collection at Landore are the old vehicles like a traveller's van, lorries, a fire engine and also boats. There are even two lifeboats; the Naomi Beatty and the William Gammon. Gifted to the museum in 1992, the William Gammon was named in memory of the coxswain of the Mumbles lifeboat, who lost his life along with the other seven crew members on April 23, 1947, whilst attempting to rescue the crew of the Samtampa. The collection from the former Maritime and Industrial Museum in Swansea is also at the Landore site.
WHEN TO GO? Swansea Museum Collections Centre opens to visitors every Wednesday between 10am to 4pm.
TELL ME MORE: The Collections Centre can be found next to the Park and Ride car park, opposite the Liberty Stadium, on the Cross Valley Link Road, Landore, Swansea, SA1 2JT. For more information about exhibitions and events at Swansea Museum you can visit their website at www.swansea.gov.uk/swanseamuseum or phone 01792 653763.
Visit Richard Thomas's website at www.richardthomas.eu.

Searching for spooks

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, December 15, 2012, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.

 
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Searching for spooks 

A big day out! 

RICHARD THOMAS goes ghost hunting in Swansea. 

  
WHY? In the classic Charles Dickens novel A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his old business partner Jacob Marley, as well as three other spectres, the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. In fact, telling ghost stories on Christmas Eve was a tradition back in the Victorian era. So why not visit some haunted places and revive the tradition by telling your friends and relatives what you found this Christmas?
WHERE TO GO? Swansea is home to some of Wales' most haunted places. Swansea Castle which dates back to about 1106 is supposed to be haunted by a woman in a blue dress. The castle in the city centre according to local legend is also said to be connected by an underwater tunnel to Oystermouth Castle in Mumbles, where the ghost of a similiar spectre, this time dressed in a white dress has been seen numerous times. It is Swansea Museum which has gained a reputation as being perhaps the most haunted building in Swansea, however. Staff and visitors alike have experienced spooky activity in the main building on Victoria Road, next to the LC2. According to one member of staff a mysterious "hooded figure" has been seen on several occasions on the stairs and strange tapping, cold spots and even whistling have also been reported in the museum. More paranormal activity has also been reported at Swansea Museum's collection centre in Landore.
WHAT TO TAKE? Admission is free at Swansea Museum. You’re not allowed to photograph some of the exhibits at the museum, but don't forget to bring a camera to try and get some ghost photos where you're allowed.
LOOK OUT FOR? The cloaked figure who has been seen haunting the staircase at Swansea Museum is allegedl the ghost of someone who committed suicide on the lightship Helwick, one of the museum's three floating exhibits which can be seen at Swansea Marina.
WHEN TO GO? Swansea Museum is open from 10am to 5pm every Tuesday to Sunday. Last admissions are at 4pm. The museum is closed Mondays and bank holidays. Swansea Museum Collections Centre opens to visitors every Wednesday between 10am and 4pm. To contact Swansea Museum phone 01792 653763. Swansea Castle and Oystermouth Castle will be closed until next year.
TELL ME MORE: For more information about all these haunted sites go to www.para-news.info.
 Signed copies of Richard Thomas's new book Para-News: UFOs, Ghosts, Conspiracy, Cryptids And More are available from www.richardthomas.eu.

Centre full of history

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, October 20, 2012, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.

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Centre full of history 

A big day out! 

RICHARD THOMAS heads to Swansea Museum’s Collections Centre at Landore. 

WHY? Swansea Museum operates over four locations. The Collections Centre is a fascinating place to visit because it houses the museum's reserve collection which include some extraordinary exhibits from Swansea’s industrial and maritime past.
WHAT'S THE BUZZ? The Collections Centre is housed in an historically important building on the former Hafod/Morfa Copper Works site in Landore, parts of which date back to 1830. The former copper rolling shed and warehouse building has been transformed into a public-access store and collections centre. The building is now home to the reserve collections of both Swansea Museum and the Maritime and Industrial Museum, providing more opportunities for the public to see some wonderful gems from history.
ANY HISTORY? In the mid-19th century the Hafod/Morfa copper-smelting complex was the centre of world copper smelting activity. Little evidence remains of this industrial past, however, save for the buildings on the site.
QUIRKY HISTORY? Considering the age of the building and the exhibits inside, ghost hunters won’t be surprised to learn that staff have even reported hearing “loud whistling” when nobody else should have been in the building.
WHAT TO TAKE? Admission is free but don’t forget to bring a camera with you.
LOOK OUT FOR? Some of the most popular items in the collection at Landore are the old vehicles like a traveller's van, lorries, a fire engine and also boats. There are even two lifeboats; the Naomi Beatty and the William Gammon. Gifted to the museum in 1992, the William Gammon was named in memory of the coxswain of the Mumbles lifeboat, who lost his life along with the other seven crew members on April 23, 1947, whilst attempting to rescue the crew of the Samtampa. The collection from the former Maritime and Industrial Museum in Swansea is also at the Landore site.
WHEN TO GO? Swansea Museum Collections Centre opens to visitors every Wednesday between 10am to 4pm.
TELL ME MORE: The Collections Centre can be found next to the Park and Ride car park, opposite the Liberty Stadium, on the Cross Valley Link Road, Landore, Swansea, SA1 2JT. For more information about exhibitions and events at Swansea Museum you can visit their website at www.swansea.gov.uk/swanseamuseum or phone 01792 653763.
Visit Richard Thomas's website at www.richardthomas.eu.

Journey's so historic

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, February 4, 2012, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.

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Journey's so historic

A big day out!

RICHARD THOMAS heads to …

Swansea Civic Centre and Swansea Museum.

WHY? “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” A special exhibition in the foyer at Swansea Civic Centre tells the story of Jewish refugees from Nazi-occupied Europe who came to live in South Wales before the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939.
WHAT’S THE BUZZ? Jewish Refugees in South Wales 1933 to 1945 has been organised by the West Glamorgan Archive Service as part of Swansea Council's commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day. Part of the display is dedicated to the history of the Kindertransport, the government-sanctioned mission to rescue Jewish children from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia. The exhibition also demonstrates the contribution adult refugees made to the South Wales economy after escaping the Third Reich.
Thankfully history isn’t all so sombre. Swansea Museum has just opened a new exhibition celebrating 100th anniversary of Roald Amundsen's historic journey to become the first explorer to reach the South Pole. Cold Recall is a photo exhibit featuring actual images from the lantern slides used by the Norwegian explorer in his talks and public lectures. The exhibit shows visitors the extreme challenges of arctic exploration between 1910 to 1912 when Roald Amundsen led the much talked about expedition to end of the world.
A second South Pole explorer exhibition dedicated to Captain Robert Falcon Scott's 1912 ill-fated journey to the South Pole opened on January 22.
ANY HISTORY? Approximately 10,000 children were helped by concerned groups in the UK to flee Hitler’s Germany and occupied Europe before the outbreak of war in 1939. After their arrival at reception camps on the east coast of England, the children were then sent to homes across the UK where they were placed with foster parents. Many of these children were sent to live in South Wales.
There is also a South Wales connection to Captain Robert Falcon Scott's Antarctic expedition. Five members of Scott's historic expedition perished on the desolate Antarctic ice-cap, marching back from their fateful visit to the South Pole. The first of which was Swansea man Petty Officer Edgar Evans.
WHAT TO TAKE? Admission is free at both Swansea Museum and the exhibition at Swansea Civic Centre.
LOOK OUT FOR? After you’ve checked out the Cold Recall exhibition there is much more to see at Swansea Museum. The museum’s six galleries contain all kinds of unusual objects from Swansea’s past and the rest of the world, including a collection of Victorian antiques and even an Egyptian mummy.
WHEN TO GO? Swansea Museum is open from 10am to 5pm every Tuesday to Sunday. Last admissions are at 4pm. The museum is closed Mondays and bank holidays. The museum’s Antarctic explorer exhibitions will be open until April 22.
The Jewish Refugees in South Wales exhibition is open all day at Swansea Civic Centre until February 5. So tomorrow is your last chance to visit this exhibition at the Civic Centre before it closes.
WHERE TO GO? You can find Swansea Museum’s main building next door to the LC2 on Victoria Road. For sat-nav users the postcode is SA1 1SN. Swansea Civic Centre is only a short drive away from the museum on Oystermouth Road, the postcode is SA1 3SN.
TELL ME MORE: You can find out more about the exhibits at Swansea Museum by phoning 01792 653763 or by visiting the museum’s webpage at www.swansea.gov.uk/swanseamuseum. More information about Swansea Civic Centre’s Jewish Refugees in South Wales exhibition is also available on the Swansea.gov.uk website.

Discover hidden gems

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, December 3, 2011, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.

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Discover hidden gems

RICHARD THOMAS heads to ….

Swansea Museum’s Collections Centre at Landore.

WHY? Swansea Museum operates over four locations. The Collections Centre is a fascinating place to visit because it houses the museum's reserve collection which include some extraordinary exhibits from Swansea’s industrial and maritime past.
QUIRKY HISTORY? The Collections Centre is housed in an historically important building on the former Hafod/Morfa Copper Works site in Landore, parts of which date back to 1830. In the mid-nineteenth century the Hafod/Morfa copper-smelting complex was the centre of world copper smelting activity. Little evidence remains of this industrial past, however, save for the buildings on this site. Considering the age of the building and the range of the artefacts stored within it, paranormal enthusiasts won’t be surprised to learn that the Collections Centre is alleged to be haunted. One member of staff even told me that while he was working in the storage area he heard “loud whistling” in his hear one night, when no one was around him.
WHAT TO TAKE? Admission is free but don’t forget to bring a camera with you.
LOOK OUT FOR? The former copper rolling shed and warehouse building has been transformed into a public-access store and collections centre. Some of the side rooms now have environmentally controlled storage for sensitive collections, as the building houses the reserve collections of both Swansea Museum and the Maritime and Industrial Museum.
Some of the most popular items in the collection at Landore are the old vehicles like a traveller's van, lorries, a fire engine and also boats. There are even two lifeboats; the Naomi Beatty and the William Gammon.
The William Gammon was gifted to the museum in 1992. She was named in memory of the coxswain of the Mumbles lifeboat, who lost his life along with the other seven crew members on April 23rd, 1947 whilst attempting to rescue the crew of the Samtampa.
The collection from the former Maritime & Industrial Museum in Swansea is also at the Landore site.

WHEN TO GO? Swansea Museum Collections Centre opens to visitors every Wednesday, 10am to 4pm, providing more opportunities to see the reserve and maritime & industrial collections.

TELL ME MORE: The Collections Centre can be found next to the Park and Ride car park, opposite the Liberty Stadium, on the Cross Valley Link Road, Landore, Swansea, SA1 2JT. For more information about exhibitions and events at Swansea Museum you can visit their website at www.swansea.gov.uk/swanseamuseum. You can also phone on 01792 653763.

Unearth hidden gems

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, November 5, 2011, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.

 

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Unearth hidden gems

RICHARD THOMAS heads to ….

Swansea Museum’s Collections Centre at Landore.

WHY? Swansea Museum operates over four locations. The Collections Centre is a fascinating place to visit because it houses the museum's reserve collection which include some extraordinary exhibits from Swansea’s industrial and maritime past.
QUIRKY HISTORY? The Collections Centre is housed in an historically important building on the former Hafod/Morfa Copper Works site in Landore, parts of which date back to 1830. In the mid-nineteenth century the Hafod/Morfa copper-smelting complex was the centre of world copper smelting activity. Little evidence remains of this industrial past, however, save for the buildings on this site. Considering the age of the building and the range of the artefacts stored within it, paranormal enthusiasts won’t be surprised to learn that the Collections Centre is alleged to be haunted. One member of staff even told me that while he was working in the storage area he heard “loud whistling” in his hear one night, when no one was around him.
WHAT TO TAKE? Admission is free but don’t forget to bring a camera with you.
LOOK OUT FOR? The former copper rolling shed and warehouse building has been transformed into a public-access store and collections centre. Some of the side rooms now have environmentally controlled storage for sensitive collections, as the building houses the reserve collections of both Swansea Museum and the Maritime and Industrial Museum.
Some of the most popular items in the collection at Landore are the old vehicles like a traveller's van, lorries, a fire engine and also boats. There are even two lifeboats; the Naomi Beatty and the William Gammon.
The William Gammon was gifted to the museum in 1992. She was named in memory of the coxswain of the Mumbles lifeboat, who lost his life along with the other seven crew members on April 23rd, 1947 whilst attempting to rescue the crew of the Samtampa.
The collection from the former Maritime & Industrial Museum in Swansea is also at the Landore site.

WHEN TO GO? Swansea Museum Collections Centre opens to visitors every Wednesday, 10am to 4pm, providing more opportunities to see the reserve and maritime & industrial collections.

TELL ME MORE: The Collections Centre can be found next to the Park and Ride car park, opposite the Liberty Stadium, on the Cross Valley Link Road, Landore, Swansea, SA1 2JT. For more information about exhibitions and events at Swansea Museum you can visit their website at www.swansea.gov.uk/swanseamuseum. You can also phone on 01792 653763.

Experience an exhibit

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, August 20, 2011, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.
 

-----------------------------------------

 

Experience an exhibit
A big day out! 
RICHARD THOMAS heads to …
Swansea Museum.

WHY?

Swansea Museum was originally setup by the Royal Institution of South Wales, a local group who wanted to investigate all aspects of history, the arts and science at the beginning of the 19th century. Described by the Swansea poet Dylan Thomas as “a museum that belongs in a museum”, the impressive stone building was completed in 1841 in the grand neo-classical style, and is the oldest museum in Wales.
Today visitors are able to see Swansea Museum at four locations: the main museum on Oystermouth Road, The Tramshed on Dylan Thomas Square in Swansea Marina, the museum’s Collections Centre in Landore and the floating exhibits in the dock by The Tramshed.
The main building’s six galleries contain all kinds of unusual objects from Swansea’s past as well as the wider world. One highlight is The Amazing Cabinet of Curiosities gallery dedicated to everything Victorian, an era that was obsessed with the bizarre and strange. It is the museums Egyptology exhibits including an Ancient Egyptian mummy that really puts Swansea Museum on the map, though.
The mummy, named Tem Hor after the god Horus, was a clothier priest and scribe of the god Atum. He lived on the banks of the River Nile in Upper Egypt between 250-200 BCE. The remains and beautifully restored coffin attract mummy worshipers from across South Wales.
Also, if you visit before September 30 you can see the Swansea City Football Club Exhibition. A football focused exhibition commemorating the highs and lows of Swansea City AFC.
In addition to this treasure trove of local and ancient history the museum also has three floating exhibits in its collections which are kept at the Marina: the lightship Helwick; a tug boat called Canning; and the Olga, a Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter built in 1909. Other popular items kept at the museum’s Collections Centre in Landore include old vehicles like a travellers’ van, lorries, a fire engine and two lifeboats, the Naomi Beatty and the William Gammon.
QUIRKY HISTORY?
Swansea Museum is allegedly one of the most haunted locations in Wales. Staff and visitors alike have experienced spooky activity in the main building. According to one member of staff a mysterious “hooded figure” has been seen on several occasions on the stairs and strange “tapping”, “cold spots” and even “whistling” have also been reported.
WHAT TO TAKE?
Admission is free at the museum but you’re not allowed to photograph some of the exhibits. A wide variety of keepsakes including handmade Welsh pottery and glassware, Egyptian memorabilia and Victorian jewellery are all for sale in the Museum Shop.
WHEN TO GO?
Swansea Museum is open from 10am to 5pm every Tuesday to Sunday. Last admissions are at 4pm. The museum is closed Mondays and bank holidays.
WHERE IS IT?
The main building is next door to the LC2. For sat nav users their address and postcode is: Victoria Road, Swansea, SA1 1SN.
CONTACT DETAILS

For more information about exhibitions and events at Swansea Museum you can visit their website at www.swansea.gov.uk/swanseamuseum. You can also phone on 01792 653763.

Grand day out!

Below you can see my old “Grand Day Out” columns I wrote for the South Wales Evening Post before I started writing my weekly “Big Day Out” column on Saturdays. Just click on the photos to read them.

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