August 2020 Newsletter

Over the past month, construction work on The Amelia Scott has progressed well. The team continue to work under government social distance guidelines.

The team is working to complete key milestones including continued cleaning to the North-side elevation of the Adult Education Centre that is nearing completion. Work has also started on the external vertical walls after the second-floor slab was poured.

The Amelia Scott is starting to take shape and work has started inside the building. The team is stripping out defective plaster and installing the first mechanical and electrical fixings.  

There is still time to get involved and join the Summer Reading Challenge! The challenge was created by The Reading Agency and Kent Libraries, and this year they introduced, the ‘Silly Squad’.

Children aged 4-11 can join the ‘Silly Squad’, an adventurous team of animals who love to laugh and get stuck into funny books! The challenge is to read any books that make you laugh, smile and happy during the summer. Participants will also have access to a wide range of quizzes, activities, and games each week.

Taking part is easy and free, visit the Silly Squad website to sign up.

Throughout the summer holidays The Amelia team has been sharing free, fun online content with the Discovery Days videos and activities. Click through to find a range of videos with plenty of ideas and activities for all the family to enjoy together including, a scavenger hunt and a baking recipe.

Still stumped by what the mystery object could be? Watch the quiz, and explainer videos to find out the answer.

The annual and popular Park Safaris that usually take place throughout the summer holidays have also gone online this year. Watch our fascinating and informative videos and learn how to do your very own Park Safari, identify a selection of mini beasts and take some amazing photographs!

“During this strange time of ‘lockdown’, instead of my usual volunteering at the museum, I have volunteered to do some research into ‘Georgian Toys’ from home. The topic stems from the conservation project of the beautiful Georgian gown in our collection. I thought it would be interesting to consider what the children of the wearer of our gown may have played with. This has proved an interesting task and I quickly found there was overlap between other topics in Georgian times, such as the class system, daily life, and leisure.

I approached the Victoria and Albert Museum (Museum of Childhood) and The Museum of the Home for information, as well as few provincial museums and online resources. Dr Ian Beavis at our museum has been a great help. He has pointed me to relevant talks he has given, and lists of objects in our collections, which may be relevant.  A few key things I have found so far:

The Georgian period was the first time the word ‘toys’ was taken to mean children’s playthings. Before then, the term could apply to any small object or trinket. This includes some types of Tunbridge Ware. Many of these early children’s toys were educational.

Early children’s books, jigsaws and similar puzzles would hopefully make learning more fun. Many famous nursery rhymes appear to have come from this time, such as Baa Baa Black Sheep, Hickory Dickory Dock, and Rock a Bye Baby.

Most purpose-made toys were for the better off, including the middle classes. The poor would be likely to have adapted popular playthings and would have more basic homemade versions.”