The Egypt Centre, Swansea

My column for the February 2014 issue of Swansea Life magazine.
   

    
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Richard Thomas visits The Egypt Centre at Swansea University

The Egypt Centre opened in 1998 and holds a major selection of Egyptian antiquities largely formed by the 19th century pharmacist and archaeologist Sir Henry Wellcome, who collected them from excavations. There are two galleries and a shop sales area to visit, and the centre welcomes around 15,000 visitors each year.

On location: Located within the Taliesin building at Swansea University, the Egypt Centre is the only museum of Egyptian antiquities in Wales. The funerary items on display in The House of Death downstairs include: amulets, shrouds, statues, coffins and fragments of coffins, and even canopic jars, which were used by the Ancient Egyptians to store and preserve the internal organs of the deceased for their journey through the afterlife. Upstairs is the House of Life, where visitors can handle actual Ancient Egyptian artefacts under the supervision of one of the museum's excellent volunteers.

Backstory: There are over 5000 items in the collection. Most of them were collected by the pharmacist Sir Henry Wellcome, who collected artefacts from excavations all over Egypt, including Armant, Amarna, Deir el-Medina, Esna, Mostagedda and Qau. Other items came to the centre from other museums, including the British Museum.

Where: For sat-nav users the address and postcode is: Egypt Centre, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP.

Opening hours: The Egypt Centre is open Tuesday to Saturday between 10am and 4pm. An hour is plenty of time to see all of the wonderful exhibits, but visitors are free to spend as much time as they like until closing.

Parking: There are some car parks close to Swansea University where the Egypt Centre is located. The Foreshore car park opposite St Helens Rugby ground and the Recreation Ground Car Park on Mumbles Road are good places to park, and only about a ten minuet walk to the university campus.

Crowd scene: The Egypt Centre is open to the public but also welcomes school visits from early years, primary and secondary school, right up to university level. Special needs groups are also welcome. To book a school or group visit phone: 01792 295960.

Noteworthy: There are over five thousand artefacts in the collection. These include several offerings from the British Museum. One of the most interesting artefacts on display is a statue of the historical Imhotep, the Ancient Egyptian who designed the first pyramid and who was made immortal in the Mummy movies.  

Show business: In the House of Life upstairs as well as handling actual Ancient Egyptian artefacts, including a flint knife and jewellery, you can also learn to play Senet, a popular board game played by the Ancient Egyptians. On display is a replica of the golden Senet board found in Tutankhamun’s tomb when it was opened in 1922 by Howard Carter. Downstairs in the House of Death you can watch a mock mummification, where pretend human organs are removed from a mummy dummy before it is wrapped in bandages. You will also learn about the trials the Ancient Egyptians believed they would face on their journey to the afterlife, including the weighing of the heart which is also demonstrated.

What about the kids:  Children will want to pick up some keepsakes in the Egypt Centre gift shop located on the ground floor foyer of the museum. As well as pens, pencils and key-rings, they can also bring home a Senet board to play the Egyptian board game at home after practicing in the House of Life with the volunteers.

What about the adults: Also on sale in the shop are a wide range of statues, recycled glass, papyrus from Egypt, and exclusive hand-made jewellery.

Prices: Admission to the centre’s two fantastic galleries is free!

Food and drink: The Taliesin cafébar just next door offers a full menu, including a selection of tapas and snacks for all different appetites.

Events: Once a month the Friends of the Egypt Centre society organises lectures in Fulton House, Room 2 at 7pm unless otherwise stated. On February 12, Felicitas Weber will give a lecture entitled “Learning is Not Just For Life, But For Death”. Tickets cost £3 at the door, or you can opt to buy a year membership for £16.50.

Staff: The knowledge of gallery assistants about the different museum displays is encyclopaedic, and they are easy to approach and friendly to talk to.

Top tip: Unfortunately due to limitations of space some of 5000 plus artefacts in the Egypt Centre’s collection are not on display. You can still see these ancient treasures, however, on the Egypt Centre website. Egypt Centre staff have created over a hundred pages of online content to browse through. Visit: www.swan.ac.uk/egypt.

Swansea Christmas Market and the Taliesin Arts Centre

Below is my “Days Out” column from The Weekend supplement in the Saturday, December 7, 2013, issue of the South Wales Evening Post.

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Days Out!

With Richard Thomas

...IF THE WEATHER'S GOOD

The familiar green and red wooden chalets have returned again to Oxford Street in Swansea, transforming the city centre into a Christmas Market for the festive season. At the Swansea Christmas Market you’ll find all the ingredients for a perfect Christmas this year, including food, spirits, cheeses and handmade gifts available from Welsh and continental traders.

WHERE? Swansea Christmas Market is located on Oxford Street and Princess Way in the city centre, just outside Swansea Market and Quadrant Shopping Centre.

WHY? With over 40 stalls selling everything from glassware and jewellery to perfumes and luxury chocolates, you’ll have no problem finding the perfect Christmas gifts for friends and family. And to keep you entertained while you shop, school choirs and street dance groups will be performing at the market.

WHEN? The Swansea Christmas Market will be doing business until 22 December. The market's open hours are 10am to 5.30pm each day, except Thursdays when the market will be open late until 8pm. 

CONTACT? More information can be found at www.swanseachristmas.com.

HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE? As long as you need to find the perfect gift.

WHO WILL ENJOY IT? There's a lot of entertainment, promotions and events being held in the city centre in the build-up to Christmas.

WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS? A snow globe will be on hand for people to have photos taken in a snowy winter wonderland and live entertainment will be taking place on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11am to 2pm.

LUNCH? Once you’ve worked up an appetite shopping there are some tasty treats to try along the way, from hot crepes, doughnuts and hot drinks to a delicious hog roast and exotic burgers.

WHERE CAN I PARK? To complement late-night shopping, parking after 5pm in the St David's and Quadrant multi-storey car parks only costs £1 on Thursdays.

ANYTHING ELSE IN THE AREA? Don’t forget to call into Swansea Market. Inside the steel and glass building you will find over a hundred stalls offering a huge selection of traditional Welsh cuisine, as well as cards, flowers, clothes, sweets and other gifts. Waterfront Wonderland is also nearby where you can enjoy ice skating on the main Admiral Rink and child friendly Rocky's Rink, visit Father Christmas in his Grotto, as well as enjoy the funfair rides like the brand new Sky Ride replacing the Big Wheel this year.

...IF THE WEATHER'S BAD

The Taliesin Arts Centre is a very popular venue presenting a wide variety of performances and exhibitions. First opened in 1984 and is named after the 6th century Celtic poet of the same name. the centre host a broad programme of events including cinema screenings and a wide variety of live performances all year round.

WHERE? The Taliesin Arts Centre can be found on the campus of Swansea University at Singleton Park. For sat nav users the postcode is: SA2 8PZ. 

WHY? The Taliesin hold over 50 live performances per year. Next Saturday (December 14) the Taliesin will be screening The Nutcracker performed at the Royal Opera House.

WHEN? The Taliesin is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm. On Saturdays the centre is open 10am to 1pm and 1.30pm to 4pm. The box office remains open until 8pm on performance evenings, unless otherwise stated screenings begin at 7.30pm.

CONTACT? To book tickets call: 01792 602060.

HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE? More information about event times and dates can be found on the Taliesin website. Just go to www.taliesinartscentre.co.uk and click "diary".

WHO WILL ENJOY IT? With a programme ranging from children's events to opera, there's something to suit all tastes. The Taliesin is also home to the Egypt Centre; a museum of Egyptian antiquities. The funerary items on display in The House of Death downstairs include: amulets, shrouds, statues, coffins and fragments of coffins, and even canopic jars, which were used by the Ancient Egyptians to store and preserve the internal organs of the deceased for their journey through the afterlife. Upstairs is the House of Life, where visitors can handle actual Ancient Egyptian artefacts under the supervision of one of the museum's excellent volunteers. 

WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS? Children will want to pick something up in the Egypt Centre Shop. As well as pens, pencils and key-rings, also on sale are a wide range of statues, recycled glass, papyrus from Egypt, and exclusive hand-made jewellery.

LUNCH? The Taliesin cafébar offers a full menu, including a selection of tapas and snacks for all different appetites.

WHERE CAN I PARK?  There are some car parks close to Swansea University, the Foreshore car park opposite St Helens Rugby ground and the Recreation Ground Car Park on Mumbles Road.

ANYTHING ELSE IN THE AREA? The Taliesin also houses The Ceri Richards Gallery, which stocks an excellent range of greetings cards as well as jewellery, ceramics and other craft items. 

A centre of attraction

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, January 19, 2013, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.
 

  

A centre of attraction

A big day out!

  RICHARD THOMAS heads to the Egypt Centre in Swansea.

WHY? Horror film fans will be familiar with Imhotep, High Priest of the sun God Ra and architect of Ancient Egypt’s first pyramid. At the Egypt Centre at Swansea University visitors can see for themselves a real life Egyptian coffin, as well as other ancient exhibits from the land of the Nile and even buy some replica Egyptian jewellery and art to take home.
WHAT’S THE BUZZ? Located within the Taliesin building at Swansea University, the Egypt Centre is the only museum of Egyptian antiquities in Wales. The Centre is open to the public and also welcomes school parties and groups from early years, primary and secondary to graduate and post-graduate and special needs students. 
ANY HISTORY? The Egypt Centre opened in 1998, but its roots are much older. Most of the objects in the Centre were part of the collection of the 19th and early 20th century pharmacist and archaeologist Sir Henry Wellcome, who collected them from excavations.
LOOK OUT FOR? There are over 4500 items in the centre's collection. Egypt Centre staff have published over 100 online pages concerning individual items, which you can find on the Egypt Centre website at www.swan.ac.uk/egypt. The funerary items on display in the “House of Death” are one highlight. These include amulets, shrouds, statues, coffins and fragments of coffins, and even canopic jars, which were used by the Ancient Egyptians to store and preserve the internal organs of the deceased for their journey through the afterlife.
WHAT TO TAKE? Admission is free but you might want to visit the Egypt Centre Shop located in the foyer of the museum, where you can buy some keepsakes. Some of the more unusual gifts available include books of Egyptian spells and curses, as well as a wide range of statues, recycled glass, papyrus from Egypt, and exclusive hand-made jewellery. More conventional items like pens, pencils and key-rings are also available to buy. Don't forget to bring a camera with you.
WHEN TO GO? The Egypt Centre is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm. After your visit to the Egypt Centre head to Swansea Museum's main building next door to the LC2 on Victoria Road, where you can see their fantastic Egyptian mummy.
TELL ME MORE: For sat-nav users the full address and postcode is: Egypt Centre, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP. To book a group visit call 01792 295960 or email the assistant curator Wendy Goodridge at w.r.goodridge@swansea.ac.uk.

Visit www.richardthomas.eu.

A centre of attraction

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, September 29, 2012, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.

 
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A centre of attraction

A big day out! 

RICHARD THOMAS heads to The Taliesin Arts Centre in Swansea. 

WHY? The Taliesin Arts Centre is a very popular venue presenting a wide variety of performances and exhibitions. Open throughout the year the centre host a broad programme of events including cinema screenings and a wide variety of live performances. With a programme ranging from children's events to opera, there's something to suit all tastes.
WHAT’S THE BUZZ? The Taliesin hold over 50 live performances per year. On October 11, the Live Stream National Theatre presents The Last of the Haussmans, a new play by Stephen Beresford about a family that’s losing its grip starring one of Britain’s best-loved and most versatile actors, Julie Walters. The highly anticipated play is sold out but there are many other performances to look forward o at the centre. Choreographed by Arthur Pita, God's Garden is a new dance theatre piece co-commissioned by DanceEast and ROH2. Set on the Portuguese paradise island of Madeira and based on the parable of the Prodigal Son, the golden boy of the Costa family is under pressure to marry a local girl but flees on his wedding day to avoid his duty. After returning, he discovers his jilted bride must have her revenge.
ANY HISTORY? The Taliesin first opened in 1984 and is named after the 6th century Celtic bard or poet of the same name. According to legend Taliesin sung at the court of King Arthur and other British kings. WHAT TO TAKE? Tickets for Performance Arts God's Garden cost £12 and are only £10 for under 25s. School prices are £7 per head.
LOOK OUT FOR? The Ceri Richards Gallery inside the Taliesin hosts regular touring exhibitions and stocks an excellent range of greetings cards as well as jewellery, ceramics and other craft items. The Taliesin also houses the Egypt Centre, a museum of Egyptian antiquities. There are over 4500 items in the collection. Egypt Centre staff have published over 100 online pages concerning individual items, which you can find on the Egypt Centre website at ww.swan.ac.uk/egypt.The funerary items on display in the House of Death are one highlight. These include amulets, shrouds, statues, coffins and fragments of coffins, and even canopic jars, which were used by the Ancient Egyptians to store and preserve the internal organs of the deceased for their journey through the afterlife.
WHEN TO GO? The Taliesin is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm. On Saturdays the centre is open 10am to 1pm and 1.30pm to 4pm. The box office remains open until 8pm on performance evenings. Unless otherwise stated screenings begin at 7.30pm. More information about event times and dates can be found on the Taliesin website. Just go to www.taliesinartscentre.co.uk and click "diary".
TELL ME MORE: The Taliesin Arts Centre can be found on the campus of Swansea University at Singleton Park. For sat nav users their address and postcode is: Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PZ. For more information and to book tickets call 01792 602060.
Visit Richard Thomas's website at www.richardthomas.eu.

Centre offers so much

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, October 22, 2011, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.

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Centre offers so much
A big day out!
RICHARD THOMAS heads to ...
The Taliesin Arts Centre in Swansea.

WHY?
The Taliesin Arts Centre is a very popular venue presenting a wide variety of performances and exhibitions. Open throughout the year the centre host a broad programme of events including cinema screenings and a wide variety of live performances. With a programme ranging from children's events to opera, there's something to suit all tastes.

WHAT’S THE BUZZ?
The Taliesin hold over 50 live performances per year. With Halloween just around the corner, on October 20 and 22 the Volcano Theatre Company will be performing a production of Anthony Burgess' dystopian novel made infamous by Stanley Kubrick's 1971 film adaptation, A Clockwork Orange. Then on November 4, six piece ensemble HarmonieBand perform Paul Robinson’s new score for Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror durring a screening of F. W. Murnau's classic vampire film. The 1922 German Expressionist horror film starring Max Schreck, whose surname appropriately translates to terror, was the first film version of Dracula.

ANY HISTORY?
The Taliesin first opened in 1984 and is named after the 6th century Celtic bard or poet of the same name. According to legend Taliesin sung at the court of King Arthur and other British kings.

WHAT TO TAKE?
Tickets for A Clockwork Orange cost £18 for adults and £10 for under 18s, full time students and senior citizens. Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror tickets cost £8 full price and only £6 for under 18s and other concessions. More information about ticket prices can be found on the Taliesin website.

LOOK OUT FOR?
The Ceri Richards Gallery inside the Taliesin hosts regular touring exhibitions and stocks an excellent range of greetings cards as well as jewellery, ceramics and other craft items.

The Taliesin also houses the Egypt Centre, a museum of Egyptian antiquities. There are over 4500 items in the collection. Egypt Centre staff have published over 100 online pages concerning individual items, which you can find on the Egypt Centre website at ww.swan.ac.uk/egypt.The funerary items on display in the House of Death are one highlight. These include amulets, shrouds, statues, coffins and fragments of coffins, and even canopic jars, which were used by the Ancient Egyptians to store and preserve the internal organs of the deceased for their journey through the afterlife.

WHEN TO GO?
The Taliesin is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm. On Saturdays the centre is open 10am to 1pm and 1.30pm to 4pm. The box office remains open until 8pm on performance evenings. Unless otherwise stated screenings begin at 7.30pm. More information about event times and dates can be found on theirthe Taliesin website. Just go to www.taliesinartscentre.co.uk and click "diary".

TELL ME MORE
The Taliesin Arts Centre can be found on the campus of Swansea University at Singleton Park. For sat nav users their address and postcode is: Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PZ. For more information and to book tickets call 01792 602060.

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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Nile on your doorstep

Below is my “Big Day Out” column from the Saturday, June 18, 2011, Swansea edition of the South Wales Evening Post.

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Nile on your doorstep
  A big day out!

  RICHARD THOMAS heads to ...

the Egypt Centre in Swansea.

WHY?
With the popularity of films like “The Mummy” and its sequels, why not take the family to the Egypt Centre at Swansea University and discover for yourself the facts behind the fiction. Find out about the real Imhotep, high priest of the sun god Ra and architect of Ancient Egypt’s first pyramid. You can also see for yourself a real life Egyptian coffin, as well as other ancient exhibits from the land of the Nile!
WHAT’S THE BUZZ?
Located within the Taliesin building at Swansea University, the Egypt Centre is the only museum of Egyptian antiquities in Wales.
The Centre is open to the public and also welcomes school parties and groups from early years, primary and secondary to graduate and post-graduate and special needs students. To book you can Email Wendy Goodridge at w.r.goodridge@swansea.ac.uk.
ANY HISTORY?
The Egypt Centre opened in 1998, but its roots are much older. Most of the objects in the Centre were part of the collection of the 19th and early 20th century pharmacist and archaeologist Sir Henry Wellcome, who collected them from excavations.
LOOK OUT FOR?
There are over 4500 items in the collection. Egypt Centre staff have published over 100 online pages concerning individual items, which you can find on the Egypt Centre website at: www.swan.ac.uk/egypt The funerary items on display in the “House of Death” are one highlight. These include amulets, shrouds, statues, coffins and fragments of coffins, and even canopic jars, which were used by the Ancient Egyptians to store and preserve the internal organs of the deceased for their journey through the afterlife.
WHAT TO TAKE?
Bring a camera with you. Admission is free but you might want to visit the Egypt Centre Shop located in the foyer of the museum, where you can buy some keepsakes. Some of the more unusual gifts available include books of Egyptian spells and curses, as well as a wide range of statues, recycled glass, papyrus from Egypt, and exclusive hand-made jewellery. More conventional items like pens, pencils and key-rings are also available to buy.
WHEN TO GO?
The Egypt Centre is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm.
Please note that the Centre is not open Sundays, Mondays or bank holidays, and will be closed for the Christmas holidays from 24 December to 4 January.
TELL ME MORE
You can contact the Egypt Centre at Swansea University at the following address:
Egypt Centre,
Swansea University,
Singleton Park,
Swansea,
SA2 8PP.
You can also telephone on: 01792 295960 or Email the curator, Carolyn Graves-Brown at: c.a.graves-brown@swansea.ac.uk.