Cromwell Museum Press Release_01_May 2017 page 1
PRESS RELEASE____________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 26/05/17
HOW SWEET WAS LIFE IN OLIVER CROMWELL’S TIME?
BUZZ ALONG TO THE CROMWELL MUSEUM TO FIND OUT IN A VERY
SPECIAL EVENT!
The CROMWELL MUSEUM in Huntingdon is hosting a free, fun family event ‘All
about Bees’ on Saturday 17 June 11am-3.30pm, as part of the HUNTINGDON
SUMMER FESTIVAL.
Attending the event will be the Huntingdon Beekeeper’s Association (HBKA). There
will be a display of beekeeping equipment including a replica 17th Century ‘skep’
(hive), wax sculptures, photos and equipment, and honey for sale.
Roger Wood of HBKA said: ‘Bees in Cromwell’s time were hugely important. Unlike
modern bees, they were kept in ‘skeps’ - conical woven baskets with flat bases.
Honey was used as a sweetener rather than sugar, and beeswax candles gave off a
better light and were less smelly than the cheaper tallow variety. Cromwell would
certainly have been aware of the benefits of bees, and may even have owned some
hives himself.’
The beekeepers will be talking to the public all about bees, how they are housed and
cared for, with examples of modern equipment and a honeycomb and wax produced
by the Associations’ bees at Hinchingbrooke Park.
Along with honey for sale, there will also be free colouring sheets for children, and
copies of 17th century recipes available inside the Museum.
The event will take place directly outside the Museum in Market Square. Entrance to
the Museum is free (with a suggested donation of £2 per visitor), and visitors can see
many authentic objects on display relating to Cromwell including his hat, boots and
powder flask.
Corinne Galloway, Curator of the Cromwell Museum said: ‘The Museum has now
completed its first successful year as a Charitable Trust, so we’re delighted that “All
About Bees” signals a wonderful start to an exciting programme of future events and
exhibitions for the public.’
ENDS
Notes to Editors page 2
___________________________________________________________________
For more details of this event, or for photo opportunities, please contact:
Jo Robinson, Cromwell Museum:
Roger Wood, HBKA: via:
Websites:
Huntingdon First
(Huntingdon Summer Festival):
[email protected]
huntsbka.org.uk
cromwellmuseum.org
huntsbka.org.uk
huntingdonfirst.co.uk
Cromwell Museum Press Release_01_May 2017 page 2
Notes to editors:
The Cromwell Museum
The Cromwell Museum holds the best collection of Cromwelliana on public display in the UK.
The collection comprises nearly 700 items, including portraits, clothing, miniatures, arms and
armour, historical documents written by or about Cromwell, and one of his death masks.
The Museum is located in the former Huntingdon Grammar School building, which was where
Oliver Cromwell was educated as a schoolboy and where he first received exposure to
Puritan ideas through the teaching of Dr Thomas Beard. The building itself is all that remains
of the old Hospital of St John, built to provide hospitality for travellers and pilgrims in the 11th
century.
But the Museum looks at more than simply Cromwell himself; it also examines his impact and
his legacy right through to our own times. The Museum is responsible for an impressive
collection of drawings and cartoons including works by Gerald Scarfe and Quentin Blake.
The Museum carries out a rich range of educational and outreach events, often in partnership
with other bodies.
The Cromwell Museum Trust
The Cromwell Museum Trust is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation Registered with the
Charity Commission in England & Wales no.1166233.
The Patron of the Museum is The Rt Hon Sir John Major KG, CH
The Cromwell Trust and Museum are dedicated to preserving and communicating the assets,
legacy and times of Oliver Cromwell in a way that inspires interest in those with whom we
make contact.
The Trust’s formal objective is “to advance the education of the public in the life and legacy of
Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector, by the establishment and maintenance of the Museum in
such ways as the Trustees see fit”.
Office at:
Huntingdon Library
Princes Street. Huntingdon
Cambridgeshire. PE29 3PA
Curator: Corinne Galloway
E: [email protected]
T: 01480 372354
W: www.cromwellmuseum.org
The Cromwell Association
The Cromwell Association was formed in 1937 and is a registered charity.
The purpose of the Association is to advance the education of the public in both the life and
legacy of Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), politician, soldier and statesman, and the wider
history of the seventeenth century.
For further information see http://www.olivercromwell.org/