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Archive for the ‘Museums and Galleries’ Category

On Monday we went to portmerion, with one of Asha’s little friends, X and her Mum.
It was LOVELY as the sun was out, for most of the day and the two girls played well all afternoon, though by the end the tiredness did start to show!

I remembered to take bird food with us this time, so the girls both dropped loads in the play area, and we all enjoyed sitting outside in the sunlight to eat our lunch.. Yes in JANUARY! Must be a first!

We dropped into the shops on the way home and I bought some of that jussroll pastry. So we could bung a top on some vegetables and have veggie pie for dinner.. Yummy!

Popularity: 6% [?]

Portmeirion is an “Italianate” resort village in Gwynedd, on the coast of Snowdonia in Wales. Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, was Portmeirion’s designer. The village is located in the community of Penrhyndeudraeth, on the estuary of the River Dwyryd, 2 miles (3.2 km) south east of Porthmadog,

Portmeirion has served as a location for films and television shows, most famously serving as the Village in The Prisoner.

Williams-Ellis designed and constructed the village between 1925 and 1975. He incorporated fragments of demolished buildings, including works by a number of other architects. Portmeirion’s architectural and fanciful nostalgia have been noted as an influence on the development of postmodernism in architecture in the late twentieth century.

The main building of the hotel, which in 2009/10 has its incurvilinear entrance lobby rebuilt having been destroyed in a fire in 1981. It was not rebuilt when the hotel reopened in 1988.

Clough Williams-Ellis’ bigorapher and Architectural Historian Richard Haslam has advised on several aspects of the project including floor finishes and authentic detailing.
source : http://www.portmeirion-village.com/content.php?nID=8;ID=189;lID=1;offset=

and the cottages called “White Horses”, “Mermaid” and “The Salutation” had been a private estate called Aber Iâ (Welsh: Ice estuary), developed in the 1850s, itself on the site of a foundry and boatyard which was active in the late 18th century. Williams-Ellis changed the name, which he interpreted as “frozen mouth”, to Portmeirion – Port to place it on the coast, Meirion from the county of Merioneth / Meirionydd in which it then lay.[2]. The very minor remains of a mediaeval castle (known variously as Castell Deudraeth, Castell Gwain Goch and Castell Aber Iau) are in the woods just outside the village, recorded by Giraldus Cambrensis (Gerald of Wales) in 1188.

In 1931 Williams-Ellis bought from his uncle, Sir Osmund Williams, Bt, the Victorian castellated mansion Castell Deudraeth with the intention of incorporating it into the Portmeirion hotel complex but the intervention of the war and other problems prevented this. Williams-Ellis had always considered the Castell to be “the largest and most imposing single building on the Portmeirion Estate” and sought ways to incorporate it. Eventually, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the European Regional Development Fund as well as the Wales Tourist Board, his original aims were achieved and Castell Deudraeth was opened as an 11 bedroom hotel and restaurant on August 20, 2001 by Welsh opera singer Bryn Terfel.

The grounds contain an important collection of rhododendrons and other exotic plants in a wild-garden setting which was begun before Williams-Ellis’ time by the previous owner George Henry Caton Haigh and has continued to be developed since his death.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Whilst I cant claim to be an avid fan of the politics behind the National Trust as an organisation, I am a definate fan of there FUN days.

Today was Alice in Wonderland at Penrhyn Castle. Along with Chris, from the Harlequin Puppet Theater The oldest purpose built puppet theater in britain , at Ros on Sea – Well worth a visit!!

Asha loves the national trust fun days, as she gets time to do some crafty project – todays was decorating a fairy cake,

and making a plate rabbit. Also today she planted some seeds, in little pots. As well as this there was the colouring in competition, and the trail – with a prize for everyone who did it..

she also enjoyed having a go at lawn crochet, and hoop playing..

Added onto this, about three hours of Bimbamboozle,and time to play in the large grounds, fun play area and if you want visit the castle, or stable areas where there are displays such as the steam trains, old dolls etc etc..

Anyway, today we had agreed to meet some friends there, who did the fancy dress parade, as well. We didnt do it this week, but are going to endevour too for next week.

Having fun doing all mad stuff at the moment but I fall asleep as soon as I get home at night, exhausted!!

(Photograph of Chris, and Asha, kindly provided for by Debbie Pritchards Proffesional Child Minding Service )

Popularity: 5% [?]

It is boring, I am sat, with another two mums in a helicopter, bored. Steve is wandering around trying to find something to amuse himself and one of the other parents. The kids? Running around the air museum jumping in and out of aeroplanes and pretending they are in fact in the middle of this terrible war!

I was always told that museums were for older people. In fact i have realised that museums are for those interested in what the museum is showing, or in the case of the air museum in caernarfon. Its fantastic for a group of home edd kids

Vicki xx

Popularity: 17% [?]

I woke up early and went and woke granny up. I slept through last night, and would have slept longer
but a police car woke me around 7.30. anyway, granny got up and we had a cooked breakfast. Around
9 mummy got up, and joined us, and soon after Granny and Mummy took me to the Lady Lever Art Gallery.
We got a music bag, from the gallery, and we hunted for different instuments in the museum. I found a harp
on the wedgewood, a drum, on a picture high up on the wall, and lady hamilton was playing a tamborine. (

‘Lady Hamilton as a Bacchante’

Elizabeth Vigée-Le Brun)
I also saw a harpsicord in a picture, and in the museum., there was a mini grand piano and a harpsicord.

After playing with the instruments, we went to the childrens section, and mummy and i built blocks, then we did
some colouring, and we also played with the cushions. After a drink we went back to grannys. Daddy then
got in the car and we went to the bank in bromborough, then to the shops and for some lunch. After lunch I went
to play with a friend. B. We played on her trampoline, her swing and with her other toys. We had a great time.
I really enjoy playing with B, and her mummy and daddy are funny. C always has bits of computers.. “EVERYWHERE”
and S, is cool.

At around 5 o’clock we returned to grannys, had dinner, and I chased grandad around. Mummy ran me a deep deep bath
and read to me in bed, after granny played with me in the bath. I was asleep for 8pm.. PHEW!

Popularity: 17% [?]

Gwynedd Council have announced plans to close the Museum in Bangor,

The aim of Gwynedd Museum and Art Gallery is to contribute towards the understanding of the history and culture of Gwynedd and its people by collecting, caring for and by providing access to its collections so that everyone can share its rich heritage.”

This is Gwynedd’s only general museum. Learning about the ways of life led by previous generations helps us to place our own experiences in the context of an unfolding story. This understanding enriches our lives. Which part of the collection will be of interest to you ? Every visitor will leave with a particular memory of a favourite object. What will yours be?

ref : http://www.gwynedd.gov.uk/ Feb 2008

Gwynedd council link

To enable them to save £60,000. This will mean the closure of North Wales
oldest museum, the loss of several jobs and untold damage to the local
heritage, tourist industry and economy as well as cultural life in the
county.

Daily post Feb o5 2008

There is now a web site set up, to set a pettition about this, if you feel you want to sign it please do so!

http://www.savegwyneddmuseum.org.uk

link

Thanks…

Popularity: 19% [?]