Newsletter
The autumn newsletter is now available to read. Take a look!
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Father Christmas needed at Colchester Castle
Alyson Mortiboys, Senior Duty Officer at the Castle Museum, has asked if there are any men among The Friends of Colchester Museums’ membership who would be willing to take on the role of Father Christmas at The Castle this Christmas. There are various dates needed from November 29th. The majority would be during the day at weekends, but there would be some additional evening sessions as well. Each session would last approximately three hours. Father Christmas would be accompanied by an elf (a Castle staff member) who would organise the introductions and conversations.
Anyone taking on the role of Father Christmas would be paid.
If you are interested in undertaking this role, please contact Alyson Mortiboys by e-mail at:
Alyson.mortiboys@colchester.gov.uk
Mary Dale,
Secretary,
The Friends of Colchester Museums.
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Painting of historic Colchester hotel The Bull bought for museum
Charles Debenham is a well-known painter who was born in Colchester in 1933… Read more about the painting acquisition.
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Newsletter
The spring 2025 newsletter is here.
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Trips from earlier in 2025
View all of our trips.
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Lectures that took place earlier in 2025…
Please note a talk instead of the above talk there will now be a talk on Recent Acquisitions given to the Museum by TFoCM with Ben Paites.
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Newsletter
Our winter newsletter is now available to read. Take a look!
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Also, don’t miss …
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Lectures from earlier in 2024…
We have a proud history of informative illustrated talks. For a list of presentations from the Friends for over a decade visit the Archive.
Earlier lectures from 2024…
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Take a look at our lecture programme!
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News about the display of the John Constable sketch at Colchester Castle has appeared on the BBC website. The 216-year-old pencil drawing of St Botolph’s Priory dates back to 1808 and was brought home by the Friends after going on sale at a fine arts auctioneer house in London!
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Earlier lectures from 2023…
Here’s a reminder of some of our earlier lectures from 2023.
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31st October 2023: The Mark Davies Memorial Lecture
We were sad to hear of the death of Mark Davies who served for many years as a Trustee. The last talk of the Autumn Season on 31st October 2023 at which he was to have spoken, will now be “The Mark Davies Memorial Lecture” delivered by Andrew Phillips.
Mark Davies
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Check out these earlier Zoom lectures!
The following lectures along with their links can be seen again:
History of Perrywoods Garden Centre
Reviving Gainsborough’s House by Emma Boyd
Also these lectures…
Medieval Colchester: Evidence from Wills by Sue Howlett of Mersea Museum
The Genteel Class of Georgian Colchester and their Homes by Patrick Denney
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Did you know Colchester Museum’s collections are searchable online?
There are lots of information and photographs of artefacts through which you can explore thousands of years of history.
Visit cimuseums.org.uk/collections
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Connect with us on Facebook…
Visit https://www.facebook.com/pg/ColchesterHistoryFriends/
If you ‘like’ us and share with your friends and family it’ll help spread the word about our work even more! …………………………………………………………………………………..
Len Drinkell (1927-2013)
Len was an original member of the Friends, founded in 1949.
His memories in the form of a beautifully-illustrated Friends’ 50th Anniversary Address (1999) are now available from our Archive pages.
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Acquisitions: Paintings “Portrait of Mrs Daniell” & “View at the Hythe”
A charming portrait of Ethel Daniell was painted 100 years ago by Frank Daniell. It was found in the attic of 8 East Hill, Colchester by Betty & Norman Warner (pictured with Mr Warner’s Hythe painting) , who bought the house. It was damaged and they arranged repairs. The Friends have acquired it to join the 22 other works by Frank Daniell in the Museum collection. Further details in 2016-17 Annual Report in Archive
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Frank Daniell plaque
The Colchester Civic Society arranged for a blue plaque to be placed on the wall of 8 East Hill.
The plaque reads “Frank Daniell, (1866-1932) artist and portrait painter lived here and 15a High Street”. At the same time Norman Warner presented his own painting of a scene of the Hythe (above). The Museum has few views of industrial Colchester so it is very welcome.
Acquisition: Mediaeval Seal Matrix
This was found in September 2015 during a metal detecting rally on farmland at Boxted, Essex. Made of silver, set with a cornelian intaglio, or engraved gemstone, it dates to the period 1200 – 1400. Further details in January 2018 Newsletter in the Archive section.
