What name did Hardy give to Salisbury in his book “Jude the Obscure”? Melchester What were the names of Hardy’s two sisters who were trained to teach teach in The Salisbury Museum’s buildings when it was the Diocesan Training College? Mary and Kate Before her marriage, what did Hardy’s mother do for a living? She was a cook What was his father’s trade? He was a stonemason How many times did Hardy marry? Twice Which of Hardy’s novels follows the ups and downs of a church band? Under the Greenwood Tree Who said to Hardy “I cannot say I became a suffragist. I always was one.” Millicent Fawcett What was Hardy’s last novel? Jude the Obscure How old was Hardy when he died? 87 Hardy’s heart is in Stinsford church, Dorset. Where are his ashes? Westminster Abbey
INSECT ODYSSEY: Insects, Books and the Artistic Imagination25 June – 25 September 2022 Our fascinating new exhibition which opens next week will offer an insight into the insect world via the visual responses of twenty-seven contemporary artists to the entomological publications which, since the 17th century, have documented and illustrated these intriguing creatures.
Insect Odyssey celebrates contemporary artistic practice, champions the relationship between art and science, and highlights the crucial role played by insects in the environment. No booking required Standard entry charges apply
UPCOMING TALKS
Robin Walter: Living with Trees30 June 2022 7:30pm Lecture Hall
Robin Walter author of Living with Trees is a forester and writer based in Dorset.
Robin has worked as an arboricultural climber in London, ‘on the saws’ in Dorset, as a woodland manager on private estates and for the Woodland Trust. He now inspires, guides and encourages people to reconnect with the trees and woods in their communities, and discover how to value, celebrate and protect our arboreal neighbours!
Our compiler of quizzes, Mary Crane, has prepared a quiz on the new Exhibition. If you haven’t seen it yet, you might take the quiz with you, or you can test yourself when you’ve been!
What name did Hardy give to Salisbury in his book “Jude the Obscure”?
What were the names of Hardy’s two sisters who were trained to teach teach in The Salisbury Museum’s buildings when it was the Diocesan Training College?
Before her marriage, what did Hardy’s mother do for a living?
What was his father’s trade?
How many times did Hardy marry?
Which of Hardy’s novels follows the ups and downs of a church band?
Who said to hardy “I cannot say I became a suffragist. I always was one.”
What was Hardy’s last novel?
How old was Hardy when he died?
Hardy’s heart is in Stinsford church, Dorset. Where are his ashes?
This month’s Under Fives Friday featured activities based (loosely!) on Thomas Hardy and church architecture. The activities were devised and supervised by the museum’s regular and talented Under Fives volunteers – Sally, Gill and Mary.
Sally had prepared a magnificent Bishop’s mitre. Mary and Gill had devised tissue and card ‘stained glass windows’. Children also stencilled strange beasts onto cardboard ‘Medieval tiles’, made gargoyles, paper flying birds (peregrines) and finger puppet church mice.
We are not quite back to our usual numbers, but everyone seemed very happy with the session. If you know small people who might like to come along (second Friday of the month 10am – 11.30am), please spread the word.
Next month, artist Charlie a young man with brilliant craft ideas, is taking the session, with the usual Volunteers in attendance!
Adrian Green must have ticked the box for a perfect sunny summer day for his guided walk to Yarnbury Castle last Saturday. Around 20 of us set off from Shrewton for 8 miles of fantastic views, fascinating history, glorious birdsong and a rich display of wildflowers.
The great thing about Adrian’s guided walks is the opportunity to learn what is in the landscape but invisible to the untutored. Along the route Adrian stopped to point out features which are now so completely eroded that we could only see them in our imagination.
But one feature that everyone who has travelled along the A303 will not have missed is the dominant hill fort of Yarnbury Castle. It is privately owned and access is only on foot, as a consequence the very lightly trodden paths show no erosion and the banks are litter and dog waste free. Wild flowers and grasses are thick both on the ditches and across the centre of the site.
Who built the hillfort and why is of course lost to the past and what academics can interpret from the finds. However a more recent use of the site was as a sheep fair and two stone markers remain. It must have been sheep fairs like this that Thomas Hardy would have known in the 19th century, an example of modern commerce in an ancient location.
Another modern use of the landscape along our route was the site of the film location of the plane crash and farmhouse scenes from Sam Mendes’ WWI film 1917. Before the theatrical sets were built the area was subject to archaeological survey to make sure nothing was going to be damaged. In the best tradition of final credits they were able to say that ‘nothing of archaeological interest was harmed in the making of this movie’.
If any of our readers are planning to walk in this area you should include a visit to Parsonage Down Nature Reserve. We saw the ditches of a small Iron age camp and just some of its 150 plant species.
Thanks to Adrian for guiding these walks. They are unique opportunities and popular events on the Museum calendar.
What an interesting walk! Thankyou Gill, and especially for the wonderful photos.