Community

School Visits – and children’s letters

Schools regularly came to the museum on field trips, with nearly 900 children from more than 40 schools visiting in a year! Elizabeth used to open her garden to visiting schools, so they could enjoy their picnic lunches there. The school visits inspired many children to bring their parents along for repeat trips. Local people particularly enjoyed the opportunity to see old school photos on display, in which they could find several generations of their family members, captured in time.

Children often called in on their way from school to get help with their homework. During the holidays, children came to spend hours at the museum, drawing and playing “old-fashioned” games. They even gained some impromptu work experience, helping to sort and catalogue, welcoming visitors, taking admissions, giving change and so on. The space was a safe environment, where children learned so much and had lots of fun!

If you remember visiting the original Shere Museum then we would love to hear from you.

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Some of the ways the original Shere Museum engaged with people

Dozens of people used the archives to trace their ancestry or to gather pictures and information for over 40 published books – and the museum founder, Elizabeth Rich continues to provide this service to this day!
New residents to the village visited to discover the history of their property and also to learn about the various activities they could join in the local area.
Old maps were available to be referred to, for example, when making planning applications.
All kinds of reference books were lent out and even props were provided for dramatic group including the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre. Schools also borrowed artefacts to help illustrate their lessons.
Surrey schools regularly visited, leading to children bringing their parents – who often then discovered photographs of their relatives who lived in the area.

Several local clubs and societies came for special visits to the original Shere Museum, with bespoke displays to highlight anniversaries – some are included in the section below! For these local clubs and societies, Elizabeth also hosted afternoon tea in her garden.
Older people enjoyed coming in to sit and chat over a cup of tea, and to record their memories for future generations.
Many local residents brought their guests along as an essential part of their tour of the village.
Children called in on the way back from school to get help with homework and in the holidays they spent hours here drawing, playing “old-fashioned” games, helping to sort and to catalogue – and even to welcome other visitors – learning much while enjoying themselves. For some, it was a refuge from difficult situations at home.

Local outreach with exhibitions and events by Shere Museum (1984-2007)

150th School Anniversary Trading in Shere Church Display WW2 VE Day Misc