LATEST NEWS

BBC4 - 14 December 2011 - Still Ringing After All These years: A short History of Bells

Take a look at the wonderful Waterloo Tower with our Archivist Hazel Basford and Richard Taylor. (at around 40 mins)

  click on the image to view

QUEXMAS - 27 November 2011

What a day!  82 Stallholders and almost 2000 visitors in a day!  Thank you to all the visitors for their support and kind words!

A very big thank you goes to the 'Grotto Team' Geoff and Beth did a fantastic job giving more than 200 children an enjoyable visit with Santa and receiving that all important gift!

Birchington Schoolchoir sang their hearts out in Quex House, I think a few tears were shed.  The afternoon performance by the Quexmas Singers was provided by the Wednesday Warblers of Broadstairs, thank you to Wyn for making this possible.

Special thanks to the support from local businesses who kindly donated prizes for the raffle - Chittendens of Birchington, Evolve Hair and Beauty of Broadstairs, Fleur in Birchington, Jungle Jims, The Hannah Dining Suite, Hugh Ribbans, Joy Fowkes, Lorraine Beech, Mobile Repair Service in Deal, Mama Feelgoods, Moorcuts of Ramsgate, Quex Barn, Quex Foods, The Secret Garden at Quex, The Deli, Birchington, The Minnis, The Powell Arms and Viking Direct.

Brills of Birchington once again provided two beautiful christmas trees.  The Friends of Quex did a wonderful job stewarding Quex House with the help of their two young recruits.  Quex Carriages provided Santa's transport and some lovely trips around the park for visitors.

Last but not least a VERY BIG thank you to the very loyal staff and volunteers of the Powell-Cotton Museum who always step up to the mark, before, during and after an event.  Without their loyal support these events would not take place.

 
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MURDER MYSTERY EVENING - 29 October 2011

A SELL OUT performance on Saturday night from The Perfectly Dreadful Murder Company. 

A huge thank you to Lisa Payne and her very talented cast and witty script . Another event is planned for October 2012.

Thanks to the ever loyal support of the Friends of Quex.  Also thank you Page and Sons, The Deli of Birchington, Monty's of Birchington, Quex Barn and Quex Foods.

Hazel Basford, Archivist at the museum provided an exhibition of Quex during World War 1 together with a display of Hannah Powell-Cotton's commandant uniform it drew a lot of interest and brought history to life.

And of course to the wonderful volunteers and staff that supported this event and made it the success it was.

 
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HALF TERM - SCANDALMONGERS PRESENT...SOMETHING SCARY

What a great week and a superb turnout for the 'Splot Brothers' latest adventures.  The Museum was alive with the sound of Children and Adults.  Amazing masks were created with the wonderful help of Alex one of our young volunteers.  Many thanks to Martin Gibbons of Scandalmongers (I think he had far too much fun) !  Look out for Scandalmongers Halloween next October half term.  See if you can spot yourself in the photo gallery or on the facebook page.


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SISTERS’ PICTURES REVEALED
WORK IN PROGRESS TO OPEN UNIQUE RECORD TO  PUBLIC
17 September 2011

Not a lot of people know that Diana and Antoinette, daughters of Museum founder Percy Powell-Cotton, travelled through Southern Africa in 1936/37 filming engaging scenes of rural family life. 

Thanks to a Heritage Lottery Fund grant the resulting three hours of  black and white 16mm film will form the basis of a permanent and touring exhibition to be launched in April 2012.  The associated photography, film and objects collected remained largely unseen for over eighty years, until now. 

The Angolan community in London were invited to become involved in the way the story of the collection will be told and the Powell-Cotton Museum has been delighted with their positive contribution.  This culminated in a successful  Project Open Day on 17th September, hosted by the Mayor of  Margate when over 80 members of the Angolan Cultural Foundation visited the museum and took part  in guided tours, children’s activities, object handling and a ‘behind the scenes’ look at some of the museum’s 3,000 Angolan objects.

The  community exhibition of the sisters’ pioneering photographic work, will be completed for the re-opening of the Museum in April 2012, and will include an interactive experience using digital technology.


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LET"S DO IT
4 September 2011

The weather did not spoil an excellent evening of entertainment,  it wasn't the relaxed late summer picnic event we had planned but James Hodgson and LIsa Payne's performance was fun, moving and witty.  A huge thank you goes to Liz Turner and James Hodgson who jointly produced this very different evening of entertainment.  Look out for more of the same next year.


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ROMAN THANET REVEALED
1 September 2011

Roger Gale MP opened the new exhibition ‘Roman Thanet Revealed’ on the evening of the 1st September. The exhibition features many archaeological artefacts discovered throughout Thanet the earliest dating from 700,000 B.C. The main focus of the display is the museum’s rich collection of Roman artefacts which include beautiful mosaic pieces, bones, pottery, household items and early weaponry.
 

The evening featured Ges Moody, Deputy Director of the Trust for Thanet Archaeology who gave an in depth talk about the project, there were also fascinating objects available for handling.

The event was greatly received by the 80+ attendees, many of which praised the exhibition. One visitor said that is was “truly amazing to see that there are objects just like the ones on display being found right under our feet”.

There was also a prize raffle to raise funds for future projects. The gifts offered were appreciated and loved by all, and donated generously by Quex Barn, Jungle Jim’s, Quex Foods, Table Table, Bay Blooms, Quex Park estates, and IOTAS.

The exhibition runs until the end of October. Take a look at the photo gallery.
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AUGUST ADVENTURES




Thank you to all the children and their mums and dads who took part in the Smuggler Trail through the garden and museum during August.  The weather was not always kind but the fun never stopped, some fabulous wanted posters were produced. 

A huge thank you to Dawn one of our wonderful volunteers and Alex from Dane Court without whom this event would not have been the succes that it was.
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DEVIL DANCING MASKS
Sunday, 14 August 2011



The Sri Lanka High Commissioner in the UK, Mr Amza,   brought traditional dancers to the Powell Cotton Museum at Quex Park, Birchington in Kent to officially inaugurate a new exhibition of ancient ‘devil dancing masks’ from Sri Lanka. About 250 people enjoyed the colourful and dramatic spectacle as the dancers demonstrated drumming and classical Sri Lankan dance.  Later a masked demon dancer attempted to terrorise the crowd, much to everyone’s amusement.  A ceremonial lamp was carried to the gallery where the masks are exhibited to mark the occasion.The exhibition will continue until the end of October 2011.  See more images in the photo gallery.
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POWELL-COTTON MUSEUM, ANGOLAN PROJECT
ITV Meridean Tonight - 4 August 2011



Old Snaps On Display

Museum uncovers sisters' historical 1930s photographs & video of Angola.  A photographer from overseas is hoping that a trip to Kent will help unravel historical facts about his own country.Artefacts and pictures of Angola, gathered in the 1930s, have gone on display at a museum in Thanet. Snaps of the collection will be taken back to Angola in order to piece together bits of the country's past, as Tom Savvides explains.
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BUG WEEK 30 MAY 
3 JUNE 2011

We have had a wonderful week in the garden with our many bug friends.  Thank you to Concrete Jungle for a fabulous show on Monday.  Take a look at our gallery photos.
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HAVE A GO ARCHERY
29 MAY 2011

Thank you so much to Thanet Archery Club for providing such a great day at the museum on Sunday.  Once again this event proved very successful with numerous Robin Hoods and Maid Marions passing through the gardens.  Look out for next years 'competition' event.
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NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
14 MAY 2011

What a fabulous night!

Thank you to the Birchington Guild of Players for their wonderful performances. A BIG thank you to Tessa, and all the Volunteers and Staff that supported this event. Watch this space for more of the same.

With Thanks:  Co-Op Birchington, Waitrose, Paige & Sons, Quex Barn, Cafe Bee at Minnis Bay, Me Me & Amy's at Minnis Bay, Quex Foods, The Friends of Quex, Jungle Jims, The Secret Garden at Quex, Fran Mileman,The Bottle Shop, Vikings Direct, Malcolm Harman, Rebecca Chidaevenzi
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