British Association of Friends of Museums

BAFM AREA REPORTS:

NORTH EAST

NORTH WEST

YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE

SOUTH EAST - SOUTHERN

SOUTH EAST - LONDON & MIDDLESEX

NORTHERN IRELAND

SCOTLAND

WALES

CONFERENCE REPORT 2010 - ISLE OF MAN

Jean Knight - BAFM JOURNAL EXECUTIVE EDITOR

This year we were the guests of Friends of Manx Heritage at a well-supported Annual Conference on the theme of Heritage: Past, Present and Future; there were over 70 delegates, quite apart from the Manx Friends who were most welcoming.

The event commenced on Friday afternoon with a choice of two excursions, one to the ancient capital of the Island, Castletown. Frank Caven, Friend and Trustee, was our knowledgeable guide, describing the places of interest en route. as well as Rushen Castle, the House of Keys and the Nautical Museum, home to an 18th century armed yacht, in the town itself which boasts a beautiful harbour. Those interested in transport were not disappointed; there was a Victorian steam railway back to Douglas, one of several unusual modes of transport on the Island, an electric railway and a horse-drawn tram were also on offer. The other trip was to a few of the 141 archaeological sites, ranging from ancient Neolithic tombs to a Civil War Gun Battery. Andrew Johnson from the Manx National Museum told of the work of the renowned German archaeologist, Bersu, during his wartime interment on the Island. Among the most impressive sites were Henry VII’s fort and the Viking burial ship.

In the evening the Friends of Manx Heritage arranged an excellent reception at the Manx National Museum, known in Manx Gaelic as The Treasure House - very fitting. We were warmly welcomed by the Friends’ Chairman, Michael Fayle and our Chairman, Norah Dunbar, thanked both Nicola Pemberton and Sally Helwich for their hard work in arranging the conference

Saturday was a full day at the Manx Museum; in her welcome Norah Dunbar, whose last Conference this was, emphasised how vital Friends are, in particular for smaller museums, who will find it difficult to cope with the cuts ahead. She brought Peter Walton’s up-dated Handbook for Volunteer Managers to our attention. Michael Fayle then told us of the organisation and work of the Friends of Manx National Trust and the Friends of Manx National Museum, together forming the Friends of Manx National Heritage. They can boast of a membership of 7.5% of the total population.

The Director of the Museum, Edmund Southworth, spoke of how the Manx man was defined by his past and told how many had been seduced by the island into settling there. He traced the history of the island from Neolithic times, through the Iron Age, the spread of early Christianity and then the Viking invasion followed by the sale of the Island by Norway to Scotland until, finally, it came under the control of England. He surveyed the Isle’s history right up to the TT races.

Kirst Neate of the Curatorial Office of MNH spoke on the changes in interpretation and cataloguing brought about by the increasing use of IT. In particular, the use of the internet to allow people to browse the collections without having to visit the museums. She also mentioned the importance of having documents online , thus aiding family research.

After lunch, the keynote speaker, Sir David Wilson, former Director of the British Museum, devoted his talk to ‘The study of Antiques in the IOM: the role of the amateur and the professional.’ His interest and involvement with the island was inspired by a 10th century altar frontal in the British Museum. He went on to talk of the amateur scholars of 17th and 18th centuries; amongst their numbers were many military men, medical men and members of the clergy. They included such luminaries as Dr Henry Oswald and the Reverend J. D. Cummings. After two unsuccessful attempts, a museum and library finally opened in 1938. Sir David added that the idea of the Big Society is nothing new; the idea of unpaid volunteers and interns going on to paid employment has been practised on the Island for generations, with amateurs turning their interests into professions, archaeologists, historians, botanists, marine biologists or curators. He stated that the Isle of Man is a microcosm of this process.

There was an Open Forum chaired by Susie Dawson and, before the AGM, Loyd Grossman, our President, talked of the effects of cuts in funding for the Heritage Sector. The AGM followed with the presentation of the awards for Newsletters to the winners, the Friends of Bristol Museums and, in the group for smaller museums, the Friends of Harrow Museum. Prizes were also presented to two runner-up in each class.

In the evening we had our Gala Conference Dinner which was extremely well-supported Everyone enjoyed the entertaining after dinner speech by John Kennaugh a Manx raconteur and farmer. On Sunday morning there were further visits to Kirk Michael and to Peel with its award-winning museum, the House of Manannan, in which one of the oldest of the Manx gods, Manannan the sea-god, guides visitors through the history of this fascinating island, using the latest technology.

We had an excellent farewell buffet, drawing our weekend to a close. It was truly difficult to leave after the welcome we had, the heritage we saw and the imaginative way this heritage was brought to life. The inhabitants can justly boast of a very fine past which is manifest today and will certainly weave itself into the Island’s future, if the Friends continue their guardianship of it.