The Thornbury Picture House

In our upstairs room, we will be remembering the Thornbury Picture House, which opened its doors 100 years ago in May 1920.

Discover who was behind the new initiative.   Enjoy the names of films and film stars gone by…  Listen to recordings of people who worked at the Picture House.

If you were a regular visitor to the Picture House, come and see the exhibition and, if you have memories of your own, let us know – jot them down and add them to our wall of Picture House memories.

Thornbury in the 1980s

In our downstairs front room, we’ll be exhibiting a remarkable display of photographs of People and Places in Thornbury in the year 1980, a project connected with the late Nick Large.

To set it in context, we’ll have reminders of various shops and businesses that operated in the town in the 1980s and we’ll show some 1980 people and events from the wider world too.

If you were there, come and be reminded!  If you weren’t, come and discover for the first time…

The photograph shown here is from 1981.  It’s a pretty central location in Thornbury.  Can you work out where the photograph was taken?

Thornbury Camera Club hits 50

Thornbury Camera Club is celebrating its 50th birthday this year and, to mark the occasion, has teamed up with the museum to stage an exhibition highlighting photographic developments of the last 50 years and beyond.

The exhibition is in two parts:

First of all, “Thornbury Camera Club – The first 50 years” displays equipment lent by members and friends of Thornbury Camera Club and these items will bring back many memories – and provoke a few questions. For example, do you know what a “Vest Pocket” camera is and why it was advertised as “The Soldier’s Camera”?

The Museum’s own contribution to the account of local photography tells the stories of Thornbury’s professional photographers, from the Victorian “flash, bang, wallop” era to WW2. As the song goes: “There’s always been a photographer to record the ‘appy scene!” Discover what these professional photographers thought was worth photographing in their own day.  The photograph above was taken in 1910 – it looks like a Grand Day Out!

From glass plate negatives to digital images, photography has come a long way. Take the opportunity to find out more and visit this new exhibition.

Our volunteer-run museum is open from 1 pm to 4 pm, Tuesday to Friday and from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturdays. Admission to the new exhibition and the whole museum is free and there are activities available for young children (e.g. find the knitted mice and choose one to take home!)

Artists at the Museum

Hurray!  – the Severn Vale Art Trail is back – and we’re delighted to be hosting three artists and some of their fantastic work.

Colin Wise’s paintings are in a variety of media and his subjects range from landscapes to portraits.  Decide which is your favourite.

Rosemary Millar’s gorgeous silver and gold jewellery incorporates semi-precious stones and pearls which Rosemary sources from all over the world – but the beautiful pendants, bracelets and earrings are created right here in Thornbury.  It’s worth coming in just to see how beautifully her work is displayed!

Annalisa Thompson creates intricate and beautiful images in threadwork.  Come and get some inspiration!

Whenever you come, there’ll always be at least one artist on hand for you to chat to as you look around.  They love talking about what they do, so don’t be shy.  Ask them how they go about their work, what materials they use – and what really inspires them.  Maybe when you discover how they took their first steps in art, you’ll be inspired to try something new too!

Note – for this event, we’re opening the museum every day of the week from 10am to 4pm.  You can check out the rest of the museum while you’re here – for FREE!  We look forward to seeing you.

Refusing to Conform: Non-Conformity in South Gloucestershire

Our latest exhibition is an account of Non-Conformity in South Gloucestershire – Protestant groups who declined to follow the rules and ceremonies of the established Church of England.

Some of these groups were specifically identified in Charles II’s 1662 Act of Uniformity and suffered disadvantage and unequal treatment as a result, being barred from public office and from pursuing university degrees. Over time, more groups were identified as non-conformist. Their chapels can be seen throughout South Gloucestershire.

Our exhibition covers a range of themes and also homes in on some specific details, such as the life and career of Handel Cossham, a prominent Non-Conformist lay preacher.

Did you know that this coal-mining entrepreneur, the largest employer in the West of England, a public benefactor and builder of several schools, a man who was a JP, the MP for Bristol East, and twice Mayor of Bath – was born in the tiny, now rather dilapidated, cottage situated next to Age UK in Thornbury High Street?   You may read the plaque on the house which says so.

In fact, he was born in the same room as his great grandfather, grandfather and father had been born. When Handel died, 50,000 people lined streets in Bath and Bristol to watch his funeral procession. You can find out more about him in the exhibition, including how he came to be called Handel and how he made a successful career in the coal mining business.

Pop in and discover for yourself something of the history of religious non-conformity in South Gloucestershire.

Elements of this FREE exhibition have been created in collaboration with Frenchay Village Museum, Kingswood Museum and Yate Heritage Centre, working together as members of the South Gloucestershire Museums Group.

After The Great War: The Peace and Beyond

What happened locally after the Great War ended in November 1918?     How did Thornbury and the local villages welcome home in 1919 men who had been away for so long and seen so much?  How did they commemorate those that didn’t come home?

Come and see photos, objects and documents showing what happened in Thornbury, Charfield, Cromhall, Tytherington, Olveston, Littleton, Tockington, Alveston, Pilning and Redwick, and Oldbury on Severn.  The Littleton vicar penned a special Welcome Home Song for the returning soldiers and sailors, and sang it to them, to the tune of Widdecombe Fair!

In this centenary of men returning from the Great War (and many of course did not return), do come and discover some of the fascinating details of our own area one hundred years ago.

Come and Meet the Artists

Hurray!  – the Severn Vale Art Trail is back – and we’re delighted to be hosting three artists and some of their fantastic work.

Clare Stephens’ pottery is made and decorated using traditional ceramic techniques – and is both attractive and highly practical.

Rosemary Millar’s gorgeous silver and gold jewellery incorporates semi-precious stones and pearls which Rosemary sources from all over the world – but the beautiful pendants, bracelets and earrings are created right here in Thornbury.  It’s worth coming in just to see how beautifully her work is displayed!

Lorraine Durant paints evocative pictures  of mountains, coasts and local scenes.   Come and see whether there’s anywhere you recognise.

Whenever you come, there’ll always be at least one artist on hand for you to chat to as you look around.  They love talking about what they do, so don’t be shy.  Ask them how they go about their work, what materials they use – and what really inspires them.  Maybe when you discover how they took their first steps in art, you’ll be inspired to try something new too!

The Western Front 1918

In this centenary anniversary year of the last year of fighting on the Western Front, come and discover some stories of local losses in 1918.

Read about the backgrounds and the war experiences of some of the men remembered on Thornbury’s Parish War Memorial.

This display is in our upstairs front room.

Downstairs, we have a larger exhibition, telling the story of the Peace and the community coming together to commemorate local losses through war memorials – but also cruelly experiencing deaths among the local civilian population, as waves of the influenza pandemic struck Britain.

Between the Covers

A chance to see some of the books held in the Museum’s collection…

All sorts of topics are covered, from Hens to Household Management…

You can find recipes from a local Thornbury baker (check out his recipe for Mysterious Pudding!), accounts from a Thornbury shop, and a ledger from Thornbury Railway Station – from the time when trains actually ran to Thornbury!

Is there a Doctor in the House? A Dip into Thornbury’s Medical History

Our volunteers have been delving into the Museum’s Store Room to produce a new exhibition.

You’ll discover the contents of Thornbury midwife Nurse Cotton’s bag and see what Dr Reid of Olveston carried in his case.

We have a selection of 19th and 20th century spectacles.  See whether you think they’d suit you!

Meanwhile, what was the Faraday Medical Coil device?  No idea?  There’s one way to find out…

You can also discover the medicinal properties of gunpowder, read about the wonderful Thornbury perfume, find out about local dentistry services and discover the stories of some notable local doctors from the town’s past.

This is all in the upstairs exhibition room, while downstairs “Curious Works and Stately Lodgings: the Art of Thornbury Castle” continues.

Come and have an explore – it’s all free.