Thornbury & District Museum - Friends of the Museum

The current Friends newsletter

This is available at the museum. If you are not yet a member and would like to join, please contact the museum to find out more or visit to collect an application form.

Friends' trips - details are given in the Friends newsletter. This year's trips included a tour of Berkeley Castle led by a guide who is also a Museum Friend, and a visit to the Arts and Crafts collection at Rodmarton Manor, where we were shown round by the grandson of the couple who built the house. Below are some examples of other trips we have made:

In 2010, we visited Wells Museum, Sidmouth Museum, Brecknock Museum (Brecon) and Rolls Royce Heritage Trust.

Wells and Mendip Museum, scene of the Friends' first trip in 2010.

It's situated in beautiful surroundings. You can see the pink facade of the museum to the left of the West front of the Cathedral.

We were able to explore not just the museum but the Cathedral too, with its astronomical clock and beautiful fan-vaulted Chapter House.

Brecknock Museum in Brecon was the focus of another Friends' trip. A great deal larger than our museum in Thornbury but still not enough storage space!

A Victorian schoolroom reproduced in Brecknock Museum.

In Brecon Cathedral, we were surprised to find a stained glass window commemorating Edward Stafford, Duke of Buckingham. He was also Lord of Brecknock, having been born in Brecon Castle on 3rd February 1478 and baptised in the Priory Church (now Brecon Cathedral).

He had the Stafford knot, familiar to us in Thornbury, on his shoulder. The cathedral guide who welcomed us was delighted to learn of the Thornbury connection and we promised to send her a guide book to Thornbury Castle.

In October 2010, the Friends visited the Rolls Royce Heritage Collection, where we were given guided tours of the aero-engine display.

The Ken Baily annual lecture (and salmon supper!)

This originated as an event held to commemorate the contribution to the local community by Ken Baily and was funded by the Ken Baily Bequest for many years. The event has continued, bearing his name, as a fund- raising event for the museum.

The 2012 Lecture and Salmon Supper will be on Friday 27 January. The speaker will be Chris Young, who will be telling us about the SS Great Britain since her return to Bristol. Friends have Priority Booking for this event but if you want to be there, make sure you read your Friends' Newsletter and book before the tickets go on general sale. There were several disappointed people this year!

The Friends of the Museum group was formed in 1999 to support Thornbury Museum, to provide a programme of social and educational activities and to raise funds for the purchase of objects and archives for the museum collection.

Through our exciting programme of events and visits to different heritage destinations we aim to share our activities with a wide audience. There are regular newsletters to keep people informed of our activities.

The Friends holds an annual lecture and supper, called the Ken Baily Event in memory of Ken, a local personality. This is our major fundraising activity of the year and features a guest speaker and an excellent Salmon supper.

The Friends support the Museum in its main aim which is to 'Interpret and document the culture and heritage of Thornbury and the Lower Severn Vale for the education and enjoyment of the public.' The museum maintains a permanent exhibition as well as a varied programme of short term specialist displays.

There are a number of special events held throughout the year, including a custodians and Friends party, coffee mornings and other fund-raising events.

Thornbury and District Museum