What's On

Do you have any strange old items round your home? Would like to find out what they are?

Then come to Chertsey Museum this Saturday, 28 January between 11am and 4pm for our identification day. We have an archaeological finds expert, a costume expert and an antiques expert to help identify your finds. FREE EVENT!

Just drop in to get your items identified!

If the object is rather large bring a photograph and we will see what we can do.

For further information, please contact Sally Russell, Assistant Curator, on:
T 01932 575374
F 01932 571118
E sally.turner@runnymede.gov.uk

Chertsey Museum is holding five activity days for children aged 5 to 12 years during the summer holidays:

Tuesday 26 July Finger Puppets
Sessions run 11-12:30pm and 2-3:30pm

Thursday 28 July Finger Puppet Theatre
Session runs 11-12:30pm

Tuesday 23 August Beautiful Butterflies
Sessions run 10-11am, 11:30-12:30pm, 2-3pm

Thursday 25 August Painted Pottery
Sessions run 11-12:30pm and 2-3:30pm

Tuesday 30 August Fabulous Fish
Sessions run 11-12:30pm and 2-3:30pm

The History Wardrobe makes a welcome return to Chertsey Museum on Saturday 11 June in a celebration of the traditional "white wedding": from Regency times to the 1980s. Discover some of the scandalous alternatives to divorce and admire a gorgeous array of gowns, photographs and accessories, in a presentation which will bring the past to life.

There are two performances 10.30 to 11.45 or 1.30 to 2.45. Tickets are £14.00 each (or £12.50 for Friends of Chertsey Museum). Prices include morning coffee (served from 11.45 to 12.15) or afternoon tea (served from 1.00 to 1.30). To book a place, please telephone 01932 565764, stating whether the morning or afternoon is preferred.

Are you missing your fix of Downton Abbey? Do you need more class and fabulous frocks in your life? Then Thorpe Players may have the answer. Their next play is An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde, and plays don't come much classier than that.

A story about an honest politician whose past catches up with him, director Valerie Lane says that "the play may have been written in 1895, but some issues don't change, and human nature certainly doesn't! The cast have worked incredibly hard to make sure that the play is both enjoyable and relevant to a modern audience." All Wilde's usual and clever story-telling is contained in this classic comedy, which is at Thorpe Village Hall from Wednesday 18th to Saturday 21st May at 8pm. Tickets cost £9 and £10 and can be booked on 07923 583295 or on the door, subject to availability.

Chertsey Museum announces the publication of Fashion in Focus 1600-2009 by Grace Evans. This new book celebrates the exquisite Olive Matthews Collection of fashionable dress, which is housed at Chertsey Museum.

The book offers, with its fine photography by John Chase, the first rounded view of the collection's many strengths. The book is available from the Museum shop at £11.99, plus postage and packing.

Chertsey Museum's temporary exhibition over the spring and summer months is Hue and Cry, the history of the Surrey Constabulary.

The exhibition features extensive loans from the Surrey Police Museum together with items from Chertsey Museum's own collections, including the door from Chertsey's gaol. The display traces the history of policing in Surrey from its earliest days up to the present and highlights some of the questionable activities which have taken place locally, such as England's last fatal duel in Egham and the 1951 Clay Corner murder in Chertsey.

Vikings will be returning to the Abbey Field opposite Chertsey Museum on Saturday 16 April between 10am and 4pm

An opportunity for all the family to come and find out about the Viking way of life. See weapon displays and archery, and Viking arts and crafts. There will also be free activities in the Museum itself.

Surrey's Sporting Life touring exhibition has arrived at Chertsey Museum. The display celebrates Surrey's great sporting past and will be on view until Friday 8 April, before moving on to Guildford Museum.

Thorpe Players present TERRY PRATCHETT'S Discworld® story WYRD SISTERS adapted by STEPHEN BRIGGS. A magical, mystical fantasy - with traces of Lear and Hamlet and The Scottish Play.

Can the three Wyrd Sisters conquer evil, punish the wicked, reward the good and still be back home for tea? Can we stop ourselves laughing long enough to find out? Comic fantasy at it's very best, just in time for Christmas. Performnces wll be in THORPE VILLAGE HALL COLDHARBOUR LANE THORPE TW20 8TE at 8pm on Wednesday 24th to Saturday 27th of November 2010. Tickets are £9 and £10 from the box Office (07923 583295) or on the door.

A RIGHT royal battle for the kingdom of Chertsey was waged on Saturday afternoon.

The Earl of Chertsey battled against the Dark Knight in a show of horsemanship and full on jousting for the right to rule the land.

After a fierce and bad-tempered fight the good knight prevailed much to the delight of the watching crowds.

The spectacular show was put on by The Knights of Middle England, a Warwickshire-based company who are bringing the Knights of Old into the 21st Century.

The fast-paced jousting on horse back had the crowd at Chertsey Show gasping and grimacing as the wooden lances crashed against metal armour.

One of the knights, Scott Travis, said that many of the Knights of Middle had trained all their lives to take part in the show.

"I have been a member for five years but to get to the stage where you call do the jousting at the speed we do takes a lifetime to master," he said.

"We came last year and the crowd seemed to really enjoy it so we are determined to put on a high octane performance for the crowd.

"We love performing and when the crowd get involved it spurs on the riders to go faster and faster."