Danum Gallery, Library and Museum

✨🕰 Lunchtime Spotlight: Unusual Objects in the Collection 🕰✨

Our next Lunchtime Spotlight will be on Tuesday 24 September at 1pm - 1.30pm! Take a second look at more unusual objects on display in the Rail Heritage Centre. Led by Doncaster Grammar School Railway Collection Trustee Simon Ward. 🚂

Lunchtime Spotlights are a great way to learn something new on your lunchbreak. Free, no booking required, just drop in.

✨📚 Upcoming Author Talk! 📚✨

Join local author Deborah Fox on Saturday 28 of September, 11am - 12pm, at the Danum Gallery, Library and Museum, as she discusses her book 'Second Hand Rose'.

Tickets are FREE but booking is required.

Visit https://www.heritagedoncaster.org.uk/product/deborah-fox-author-talk to book your free ticket now!

✨🧙 Wizarding Quiz! 🧙✨

Friday 4 October, 6.30pm - 8.30pm
Tickets: £12 per team (teams of 6)

Think you know your Mandrakes from your Nargels? Test your Harry Potter book knowledge. The winning team will fly home with some wizarding goodies! Witches, Wizards and Muggles over the age of 16 welcome. Under 16's must be accompanied by an adult.

Book your ticket on our Heritage Doncaster online shop.

📢 New exhibition alert! 📢

Our latest community exhibition ‘Thinking Ahead: Living with Dementia in Doncaster’ is now open for visitors! Co-produced with local residents who are living well with Dementia, this exhibition shares the personal stories and day-to-day realities of the people who created it. It explores some of the difficulties that dementia can present, and celebrates the groups, charities, and carers that support those in our community who are affected by this condition. It also looks at the many ways that people living with dementia continue to thrive after their diagnosis, living full and interesting lives full of hobbies, friendships, and community.

The exhibition will be on display in the Museum until March 2025.

From soldiers in 1812 eating roasted acorns in the forest, to dry biscuit rations, to soldiers in the Second World War eating their first American breakfast in an Italian hotel, food in the army has a long and complex history. Read more about the changes in army food provision throughout history in our next Military Monday blog on the Heritage Doncaster website https://www.heritagedoncaster.org.uk/militarymonday21/

❗❗ IMPORTANT UPDATE ❗❗
The Creative Concertina Workshops will now run from Thursday 26 September, 10.30am - 12.30pm. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your patience.

Museum Makers returns! 🎨🤩

If you haven’t been already, this is a drop in, free crafting session for children. It’s open to all ages and based in the museum space at Danum Gallery Library and Museum every Tuesday, 10.30am - 12.30pm, term time only.

Crafts are linked to history, the seasons and current events and festivals and we alternate our crafts fortnightly. We hope to see you there!

(Please see our website for specific dates.)

🌷 Adults & Crafts! 🌷

Join us at the Danum for our next over 18's Adults & Crafts session on Monday 16 September, 6.30pm - 8pm! Use hapa-zome techniques to create floral printed bags! These sessions are a chance to relax, get your craft on, chat with friends and unleash your creativity!

Tickets cost £12.50 and include all materials and refreshments.
Find out more and book your ticket at https://www.heritagedoncaster.org.uk/product/adults-crafts-hapazome-tote-bags/

We had so much fun at our first Military Art Club! Our next session is THIS Saturday (14 September) 10.30am - 12.30pm. There's no need to book, just drop in!

These FREE family art sessions are open to serving military personnel, veterans, cadets and their families and anyone with an interest in military history. Children of all ages are welcome.

You can have a go at a range of of artistic techniques and styles and create art inspired by Doncaster’s military history. We'll also be displaying some artworks at the Danum next year!

To find out more email [email protected]

🚂 Don't miss out!!! 🚂

Our 'Gresley: Genius of Steam and Speed' exhibition closes on Saturday 21 September in the Art Gallery.

The exhibition celebrates the 100th anniversary of the naming of Flying Scotsman, and brings together objects and letters telling the story of the man who designed it, Sir Nigel Gresley.

This exhibition is free to enter.

Additional materials for the exhibition were supported and created by students from XP. School.

The exhibition is a collaboration between The Trustees of the Doncaster Grammar School Railway Collection, The Gresley Society Trust, Heritage Doncaster, and XP Trust.

This amazing image of crowds heading down Bennetthorpe to Doncaster racecourse is taken from the London Illustrated News, 21st September 1850.
The image is taken from roughly where the entrance to Doncaster Cricket Club now is and shows the view looking back into town. In the distance on the right is the Christ Church and St George’s, and a small flock of sheep grazing on Town Field.
The text under the image in the newspaper describes the crowds:
‘Around 10 o’clock the monster trains from Sheffield began to disgorge their thousands, followed by others of equal magnitude from Liverpool and the great manufacturing districts in Yorkshire and Lancashire, from Newcastle, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Worcester and the metropolis, and up to two o’clock, the hour the racing commenced, the cry was “and still they come”.
These days there are no horses on Bennetthorpe road during race days, but there are still sizable crowds making their way to and from the course.

Do you want yo meet new people and talk about books? Join a ! We're celebrating The Reading Agency 's and today is the perfect time to join one!

https://library.doncaster.gov.uk/reading-groups

❗❗ IMPORTANT UPDATE ❗❗
The Creative Concertina Workshops will now run from Thursday 26 September. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your patience.

🎨 Creative Concertina Workshops! 🎨

Join us for a series of six FREE, exciting workshops run by local artist Carol Elizabeth Marshall! The workshops begin on Thursday 26 September from 10.30am - 12.30pm and run till Thursday 24 October. These workshops are suitable for any ability!

To book your place, please email [email protected]

Join us at the Danum on Saturday 21 September at 2pm - 3pm for our next curator talk on A Country House at War! 🔍✨

At this talk we’ll be exploring the history of Hooton Pagnell Hall as a hospital during the First World War including the ailments soldiers were treated for, a forbidden romance between a nurse and a patient and much more.

Tickets: £5
Book your ticket here https://www.heritagedoncaster.org.uk/shop/

We had a fantastic time on Saturday with Don Catchment Rivers Trust hosting Ian Rotherham's Open Heritage Day Talk on the history and nature of our great River Don and its role in the South Yorkshire landscape! 🤩

In the 1930s officers of the 2nd Battalion of the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry were stationed in Burma. During this time, they bought a panther cub. They rapidly discovered that she required more work to look after than they might have expected and was prone to bite the heads of flowers in the garden, and nip at the legs of the soldiers!

To learn more about Perky the panther, read our next Military Monday blog here https://www.heritagedoncaster.org.uk/militarymonday20/

✨🎨 Make Art: Doncaster 🎨✨

Join us at the Danum on Thursday 19 September, 1.30pm - 3.30pm, with Outside In artists Angela Chudley and Paige Lyons for an art group! Bring your own work and create with others! There will also be a creative activity if you prefer. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided.

Make Art: Doncaster will also be joining us on Thursday 17 October and on Thursday 21 November.

🎉🤩 Heritage Open Days 2024! 🤩🎉

The Sheardown Collection
Wednesday 11 September, 2pm - 4pm
Danum Gallery, Library and Museum

This illustrated talk shows a selection of images from the Sheardown Collection, which illustrate the appearance of Doncaster between the late 1700s and early 1800s when it was changing from a medieval town to a fashionable Georgian town.

Booking required.
Book your FREE ticket here 👇
https://www.heritagedoncaster.org.uk/product/the-sheardown-collection-talk/

🌳🍂 We're heading BACK to Nature this Autumn! 🍂🌳

We have to some exciting news to start off your autumn! Back to Nature is back for another series of friendly workshops! Be transported to the past, and ‘back to nature’ through bush craft, campfire cooking and museum object handling at Cusworth Hall. These workshops are brought to you in partnership with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to offer free wellbeing activities for adults during the week.

In our autumn series we will take full advantage of the changing season and look forward to conversations around the campfire with a hot chocolate in hand.

Spaces are limited - for workshops dates and to book please follow this link https://www.heritagedoncaster.org.uk/projects/happyhistory/back-to-nature-2

Museum Makers returns! 🎨🤩

Museum Makers begins again on Tuesday 10 September, 10.30am - 12.30pm! If you haven’t been already, this is a drop in, free crafting session for children. It’s open to all ages and based in the museum space at Danum Gallery Library and Museum every Tuesday, term time only.

Crafts are linked to history, the seasons and current events and festivals and we alternate our crafts fortnightly. We hope to see you there!

(Please see our website for specific dates.)

🚂 Calling all rail buffs 🚂

Due to popular demand, we have decided to add an extra Behind the Scenes at the Doncaster Rail Heritage Store Tour at 3.15pm on Tuesday 10 September! Book your FREE place now before they go!

Until 2020 the Doncaster Grammar School Railway Collection was hidden away in the clock tower of the old school (now Hall Cross Academy). Many items are now on public display at the Danum but the majority of the collection is in store where intensive work is underway to make it more accessible in the future! Book your FREE place on one of our tours running at 10am, 11.30am or 2pm!

You can book your place on the tour here 👉 https://www.heritagedoncaster.org.uk/shop/

✨🤩 Join us for STEM club! 🤩✨

STEMGINEERS is an opportunity for young people to build, design, experiment and get hands-on with science and technology. This group is for young people aged 8-12. The first session will take place on Thursday 12 September, 4.30pm - 5.30pm and the group will then meet every Thursday!

£2 Per session to pay on the day towards materials.
All children must be accompanied by a responsible adult during each session.

To book your place, head to https://www.dglam.org.uk/stemgineers/

Only a week to do until the St Leger festival now! Today’s object is this beautiful racing trophy. It was the 1845 Doncaster Gold Cup although it is actually a table centrepiece. It would have been very difficult to lift it aloft as it is very heavy! It depicts the Ancient Greek politician Alcibiades driving a chariot.

We had so much fun at our first Military Art Club! We tried our hand at gel plate printing, portraiture, image transfers and more! Our next session is on Saturday 14 September 10.30am - 12.30pm. There's no need to book, just drop in!

These FREE family art sessions are open to serving military personnel, veterans, cadets and their families and anyone with an interest in military history. Children of all ages are welcome.

You can have a go at a range of of artistic techniques and styles and create art inspired by Doncaster’s military history. We'll also be displaying some artworks at the Danum next year!

To find out more email [email protected]

🎶 Rhyme Time Returns! 🎶

Our weekly rhyme time sessions will begin again on Wednesday 11 September at 10am in the Children's Library! No need to book, just drop in!

✨🕰 Lunchtime Spotlight: Changing the Record Project 🕰✨

Our next Lunchtime Spotlight will be this Wednesday 4 September at 1pm - 1.30pm. Join our curators for free lunchtime spotlight talks exploring some of the amazing objects in our collection! Find out more about ground-breaking new research being undertaken by volunteer researchers into the history of Doncaster.

Lunchtime Spotlights are a great way to learn something new on your lunchbreak. Free, no booking required, just drop in.

🎉🤩 Heritage Open Days 2024! 🤩🎉

Join Ian Rotherham at the Danum on Saturday 7 September, 12pm - 1.30pm, for a talk on the River Don as part of the 30th anniversary of Heritage Open Days! This talk will cover routes, networks and connections as well as the All Hands on the Don project!

This event is FREE but you must book a ticket. Book your free ticket here 👉 https://www.heritagedoncaster.org.uk/product/ian-rotherham-the-river-don/

❗️ ANNOUNCEMENT ❗️

Phil's Saturday Still Life Drawing session is cancelled for this week (Saturday 7 September) and next week (Saturday 14 September). Our Saturday Still Life Drawing sessions will return on Saturday 21 September at the regular time of 10.30am - 3pm. No need to book, just drop-in!

Terry has been volunteering with the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry collection since April. His interest in history and research led him to volunteer and to also to be reunited with his grandfather's medals, previously thought to be lost,

Read Terry's Military Monday blog here https://www.heritagedoncaster.org.uk/militarymonday19/

🎉🤩 Heritage Open Days 2024! 🤩🎉

KOYLI Research and Collections Centre Open Day
City of Doncaster Archives
Wednesday 11 September, 10am - 4pm
Explore medals awarded across 200 years of the regiment’s history and find out more about the fascinating lives of soldiers they belong to. No booking required