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The Extraordinary Life of the Drummond Sisters online talk poster

The Extraordinary Life of the Drummond Sisters.

By Archive

24th May 2022.

The Extraordinary Life of the Drummond Sisters: From Queen Victoria to HM Factory Gretna.

Book your place and learn more here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-life-of-the-drummond-sisters-from-queen-victoria-to-hm-factory-gretna-tickets-328938863997?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

We’re delighted to announce our first event that is happening both in person at The Devil’s Porridge Museum and online on Zoom. Tickets cost £3.

Hear the story of the god daughter of Queen Victoria who became the first female Marine Engineer in Britain and the first woman to be accepted into the Institute of Marine Engineers.

From a quiet early life at Megginch Castle Perth-shire she went on to serve an engineering apprenticeship in Perth & Dundee, overcoming the early prejudice of the engineering world to sail as 2nd Engineer on both Arctic and Atlantic convoys during World War 2 receiving commendations for her action under enemy fire.

With her sister Jean, who had worked at the munitions factory at Gretna during World War One producing ‘The Devil’s Porridge’, she also established the ‘Victoria Drummond Canteen’ in Lambeth which provided food to victims of the London Blitz throughout World War Two.

The Extraordinary Life of the Drummond Sisters talk will be given by Neil McGarva, who as well as spending 40 years working in the Nuclear Industry has also been involve with the Devil’s Porridge Museum since it started 25 years ago as a small exhibition in a local church, and is currently the museum secretary.

If you chose to attend The Extraordinary Life of the Drummond Sisters talk online the Zoom link will be sent out on the day.

Tickets for those who choose to attend the talk in person at The Devil’s Porridge Museum will be sent out on the day.

Some of the Easter chicks created by young people!

Easter Egg-citement at the Museum.

By Archive

There’s been lots of Easter Egg-citement this year with a variety of activites for young people happening at The Devil’s Porridge Museum.

The Easter Egg-citement started on Monday 4th April 2022 and ran until Monday 18th April 2022.

Our first Easter event was Chocolate Creations were young people made their own chocolate nests. It created some very tasty results!

Take a look at in our gallery of photos for this below.

The next bit of our Easter Egg-citement was Crafting Creatures, were young people made lambs and chicks. We love how creative some of the results from this are!

Take a look at some of them below.

In spring our Spring Bag Printing Workshop with local artist Jack O’Hara young people made their own design and used it to decorate a drawstring bag.

Take a look at our gallery of them hard at work below.

We love the creative designs made by young people in our Easter Egg Painting workshops!

You can take a look at some of them in below.

Thanks to everyone who joined us for and those who helped with our Egg-cellent Easter Events this year!

You can read the full list of Easter activities that happened at The Devil’s Porridge Museum (including our Easter trail around the museum) here>

 

Egg-cellent Easter Events!

By Archive

Join us at The Devil’s Porridge Museum from Monday 4th April to Monday 18th April for a variety of egg-citing FREE Easter events for young people, which are perfect for 5-12 year olds!

Read more about our fun Easter events and activies below.

 

Monday 4th & 11th April

Chocolate Creations

10:30 am to 12 noon

Join us to make chocolate nests at The Devil’s Porridge Museum!

Places are limited. Book your place by phoning: 01461 700021

 

Tuesday 5th & 12th April

Crafting Creatures

1 pm – 2:30 pm

Join us at The Devil’s Porridge Museum to create baa-illiant lambs and pom pom chicks.

Places are limited. Book your place by phoning: 01461 700021

 

Wednesday 6th and 13th April

Spring Bag Printing

10:30 am to 12 noon.

Come along to The Devil’s Porridge Museum to create a spring themed design and print it on your own drawstring bag! With local artist Jack O’ Hara.

Places are limited. Book your place by phoning: 01461 700021

 

Thursday 7th & 14th April

Easter Bunny’s Story Time

10:30 am to 12 noon.

Hop along to The Devil’s Porridge Museum to enjoy some lovely stories with the Easter Bunny!

Places are limited. Book your place by phoning: 01461 700021

 

Friday 8th & 15th April

Egg-straordinary Egg Painting

1 pm to 2:30 pm.

Get creative at The Devil’s Porridge Museum and have a crack at egg painting! What egg-straordinary designs will you create?

Places are limited.Book your place by phoning: 01461 700021

 

Monday 4th to Monday 18th April

Egg-citing Easter Egg Hunt

This Easter young people can take part in a very egg-citing Easter egg hunt during their visit to The Devil’s Porridge Museum!

Can you track down all the colourful eggs around the museum and spell the word to earn your chocolate treat?

Booking online to visit the Museum is essential to avoid disappointment when we are busy. You can book your visit here: https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/product/tickets

Some soldiers carved into stone.

Online Talks 2022

By Archive

The Devil’s Porridge Museum is pleased to continue it’s popular programme of online talks and events for 2022. These online talks are all about  a subject which links to local history or the themes of the Museum. All events are free.

Tickets are now avalible for the following online talks.

 

From the Western Front to the Scottish National War Memorial

Tuseday 12th April 2022.

Book on Eventbrite here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-the-western-front-to-the-scottish-national-war-memorial-tickets-308135971987?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

 

The story of illustrator Morris Meredith Williams and his wife and creative collaborator, sculptor Alice Meredith Williams ARBS.

 

In the run-up to the First World War, artists Morris and Alice Meredith Williams were leading a quiet life in Edinburgh. He was illustrating books and teaching drawing at Fettes College. She was making small, often whimsical, sculptures in clay and bronze, and designing stained glass windows.

 

The outbreak of war changed everything. Morris spent four years in the army, three of them in France – first in the infantry, then the artillery and finally, in a camouflage unit. When not on duty, he filled pocket-sized sketchbooks with detailed pencil drawings of his fellow soldiers and their surroundings. Alice’s work slowed down until, in 1917, she was asked by the Women’s Work Sub Committee of the Imperial War Museum to model a collection of 3D plaster panoramas of the roles played by women during the war. The Scottish architect Sir Robert Lorimer was impressed by them and invited her to collaborate on a war memorial for a town in South Africa. It was Alice’s first large-scale work and led to commissions for the Paisley War Memorial and for the Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle. Here, the marriage of Morris’s painstaking draughtsmanship and Alice’s brilliance as a sculptor produced the remarkable the frieze around at the centre of the memorial.

 

This talk will be delivered by Phyllida Shaw.

Phyllida Shaw studied history and French at Lancaster University and has worked for 35 years as a researcher, writer and facilitator in the arts and voluntary sector. She inherited the First World War sketchbooks and letters of Morris Meredith Williams from her great aunt (Williams’ second wife). She is the author of An Artist’s War. The art and letters of Morris and Alice Meredith Williams (The History Press, 2017) and Undaunted Spirit. The art and craft of Gertrude Alice Meredith Williams (Independent Publishing Network, 2018). She has given talks on these two extraordinary artists for the National Archives, the Royal Society of Sculptors, the National Galleries of Scotland, the Public Statues and Sculpture Association, the Western Front Association and literature festivals in Henley, Lichfield and Taunton.

This event will be held via Zoom and a joining link will be sent on the day.

Some of the Devil's Porridge Museum's Cordite Club sat at tables with a Easter basket craft.

Cordite Club

By Events

Our Cordite Club is fortnightly lunchtime club for retired people who take part in bingo or tombola and an activity which changes each time.

For more information about this please email: info@devilsporridge.org.uk

Below are some more photos of our Cordite Club.

Eastriggs Commonwealth Week 2022.

By Archive

Eastriggs the Commonwealth Village is coming together to celebrate Commonwealth Week from March 12th to March 19th 2022. A number of local organisations are coming together to put on an impressive array of activities over that period. Read more about all the events that will be happening below.

 

Saturday 12th March

Tractor Pull Challenge

10am – 12 noon and 2.00pm – 3.30pm

A Tractor Pull Challenge sponsered by SJ Barbers and Touch of Beauty will be happening at The Devil’s Porridge Museum. Why not come  and see how far you can pull it? There’s a £25 cash prize for both Ladies and Gents challenges.

Commonwealth Entertainment

7:30pm – 12:30am

At Eastriggs Social Club, featuring ‘Back2Back’ and Status Quo tribute Peter Kelly. Tickets £8 from the Club or The Devil’s Porridge Museum. There will be prizes for the best Commonwealth fancy dress!

 

Sunday 13th March

The Time Bandits

10am – 4pm

Learn all about life in World War One with living history performers The Time Bandits at The Devil’s Porridge Museum.

Booking online to visit the Museum is essential to avoid disappointment when we are busy. You can book your visit to the museum here: https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/product/tickets

 

Monday 14th March

Meet the Curator

6pm – 8pm

There will be a  FREE open evening at The Devil’s Porridge Museum where you can meet Emma Gilliland, the new Curator, and enjoy tastes of the Commonwealth.

 

Wednesday 16th March

Look out for MyPod Youth Bus!

 

Friday 18th March

Quizaoke

Starts 7pm at The Wayside Inn.

Your host for the evening is Harry H. Could you be the Eastriggs Commonwealth Champion? Followed by traditional karaoke – who will be voted the best male and female singers? £60 in prizes.

 

Saturday 19th March

Eastriggs Historic Commonwealth Games.

12 noon – 4pm

Free admission and fun for all the family at Melbourn park!

Poster of activities at The Devil's Porridge Museum from February half term in 2022.

Free February Half Term Fun!

By Archive

H.M Factory Gretna was the largest munitions factory in WW1 and with two brand new towns and thousands of workers, crime abounded! Put your detecting skills to the test this half term with a series of fun FREE activites for young people at The Devil’s Porridge Museum.

 

 

Fictional Felons.

Monday 14th February 1pm – 2:30pm.

Join Jo Clarke, author of ‘Libby and the Parisian Puzzel’ for a fun workshop on writing and learn all about H.M. Factory Gretna’s connection to Sherlock Holmes creator, Arthur Conan Doyle.

Learn more about Jo Clarke on her website here: https://jo-clarke.co.uk/

For children age 7 +

BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL. Call the museum on 01461 700021 to book your place.

 

 

Evening Explorers

Tuesday 15th February 5pm – 7pm.

Families with SEN (special education needs), including those on the autism spectrum disorder are invited to join us at a special late evening opening of The Devil’s Porridge Museum outside of our usual opening hours. With the gallery, sounds videos and interactives turnded off, you can explore the museum at a quiter time, free from the general public. You are also welcome to join in with any of the activities being delivered by the museum over February half term.

BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL. Call the museum on 01461 700021 to book your place.

 

Cartoon Club.

Wednesday 16th February 10:30am to 12pm.

Learn how to draw your favourite cartoon character or create your own comic stip. Find out about the marvellous adventures of Scotty-Dog Hamish McDuff & his family.

For children age 7+

BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL. Call the museum on 01461 700021 to book your place.

 

Arts and Crafts Club.

Thursday 17th February 3:30pm to 5pm.

Express your creativity to make something brand new! Join us to paint, draw and so much more at arts and crafts club!

For children age 5 – 12.

BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL. Call the museum on 01461 700021 to book your place.

 

Secrets and Disguises.

Friday 18th February 3:30pm – 5pm.

Do you think you have what it takes to guard H.M. Factory Gretna from German spies? Learn how to decode secret messages in invisible ink, dust for fingerprints and make your own book safe in this fun workshop.

For children age 7 +

BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL. Call the museum on 01461 700021 to book your place.

 

I Spy.

All day, every day, all half term – just ask a member of staff for an activity sheet, during your visit to The Devil’s Porridge Museum!

Gretna Girl, Ruby, has just moved into Eastriggs to work at H.M. Factory Gretna, but her suitcase has gone missing! Can you find all her missing items and track down the theif so Ruby gets her stuff back? Look carefully at each of the museum’s displays to find Ruby’s belongings, charge the theif AND learn more about her life in WW1 as a munitions worker!

You can book your vist to The Devil’s Porridge Museum here: https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/product/tickets

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