Archive Archives - The Devil's Porridge Museum

Poster for The Devil's Porridge Museum's annual general meeting happening on Monday 16th September 2024 at The Devil's Porridge Museum.

Annual General Meeting 2024

By Archive

We warmly invite all of our members and friends to attend our Annual General Meeting held at The Devil’s Porridge Museum on Monday 16th September 2024 at 7pm.

The AGM takes place once a year to elect the trustees of the Eastriggs & Gretna Heritage Group, which manages the strategic development of The Devil’s Porridge Museum.

If you would like to become a member of the Museum please email info@devilsporridge.org.uk to register your interest.

We look forward to meeting with you.

Annual General Meeting 2024 at The Devil’s Porridge Museum.

Monthly Roundup 15th July to 18th August 2024

By Archive

Cookery, coffee, coach groups and 100 years since the auction of H.M. Factory Gretna! There’s quite a range of things that have been happening at The Devil’s Porridge Museum. You can find out about what’s been happening recently in our Monthly Roundup 15th July to 18th August 2024 below.

Tuesday 16th July

Fantastic to welcome another group visit to The Devil’s Porridge Museum today. Learn more about group visits by clicking here>

Wednesday 17th July

Our free Summer holiday programme for young people continued today with a Cookery Workshop. They made tasty chocolate biscuits from a World War Two rationing recipe. Thank you those who helped to make this happen and everyone who came to join in the workshop.

Below are some photos of this.

Saturday 20th July

Our free gardening club for young people was on again today. We had some delicious looking raspberries in our Dig For Victory Garden this week. Below is a photo of this. Read more about gardening club by clicking here>

Monday 22nd July

100 years ago, on the 22nd July 1924, H.M. Factory Gretna and the “townships of Gretna and Eastriggs and the Mossband, Longtown and Dornock areas” were put up for public auction.

The auction had 607 “lots of Stone, Brick, and Steel-constructed Factories, Ether and Glycerine Distilleries and Valuable Plant, Steam Laundry and Bakery and Plant. Also Public Institutes, Picture Houses, Post Offices, Banks, Offices, Hostels (adapted for conversion into Houses), Shops, Hospital, Fire Brigade Stations, Garages, and about 300 Dwelling-Houses (Detached, Semi-detached and Terraces).

One lot for sale in Gretna was “Lot 153. The Cinema.” This is described as “a Superior and Most Attractive Well-Equipped Picture House” in the auction book. Some other items included in the Gretna Township Section of the auction were the Fire Brigade Station, Telephone Exchange and Post Office. From Dornock and Eastriggs Section of the auction, these lots included items like The Public Institutes, Police Station, Tennis Courts and Pavilion, while one of the factory lots was The Glycerine Distillery. The Mossband and Longtown section of the auction included Mossband Offices and the Ether Distillery.

Prior to this in August 1919, an auction of 300 huts was held over three days to dispose of some of the smaller buildings, like garages and stores.

You can learn more about H.M. Factory Gretna and see the 100 year old auction books on display by visiting The Devil’s Porridge Museum. An open evening for the local community held at The Devil’s Porridge Museum on 31st July 2024 to celebrate this anniversary. Keep reading to find out more about this!

Friday 26th July

Brilliant to have a group visit from some Scouts today. It was lovely to have them visit The Devil’s Porridge Museum.

Saturday 27th July

Saturday means gardening club is on! Below are some photos of this. Learn more about this by clicking here>

Monday 29th July

A free origami jewellery workshop took place at The Devil’s Porridge Museum today. Brilliant to see all the beautiful jewellery created by the young people who came to this!

Photos of this activity can now be seen below.

Wednesday 31st July

Today we enjoyed celebrating the 100th anniversary of the auction of H.M. Factory Gretna and the townships of Eastriggs and Gretna with the local residents of Eastriggs. The official anniversary may have been on 22nd July, but today we had a 100 years of Eastriggs now and then display on from 6 to 9pm and free craft activity. There was also a buffet with tea and coffee for all those who came along. They were also welcome to look around The Devil’s Porridge Museum. Entry was free to all the residents of Eastriggs.

Thanks to all the people who helped out with this event and all those who came along to join us! Below are some photos of this event.

Thursday 1st August

Our first Summer programme activity in August was an Upcycling Workshop. Brilliant to see how creative all the young people came along were!

There are now some photos of this activity below!

Saturday 3rd August

A poster for Grimwood Museum Adventure with four of the books from the series and Kids in Museum's logo.

Today marked the start of Kid’s in Museums and Simon & Schuster Children’s Books, Grimwood Museum Adventure at The Devil’s Porridge Museum. Young visitors can complete the trail around the museum. There is also a competition to enter! Admission into The Devil’s Porridge Museum is required for this activity and it will be happening up to the 26th August 2024. Find out more about this by clicking here>

Gardening club was on again today. If you would like to learn more about this click here>

The Devil’s Porridge Museum also took part in Eastriggs Parade to mark the 100th anniversary of the auction of H.M. Factory Gretna today too. Below are some photos of this.

Tuesday 6th August

Another two groups came to visit The Devil’s Porridge Museum today. It was brilliant to have them! Please remember that it is essential to book group visits in advance. You can find out how to do this by clicking here>

From today, we are delighted to be serving Organic Rijo coffee in The Devil’s Porridge Museum’s Café. Remember you don’t have to visit The Devil’s Porridge Museum to enjoy our Café, so why not come along and treat yourself to a coffee? Check out our Café opening hours by clicking here>

Wednesday 7th August

Today we were making mocktails at a free workshop as part of our Summer programme. You can now find some photos of this mocktail making workshop below.

Friday 9th August

Our Summer Programme came to the end with our Podcast workshop today. The first episode of our podcast is all about climate change and how it affects young people. A huge thank you to those who joined us for this. Below are some photos from this activity.

We would like to say a huge thank you for everyone who has helped out with our Summer programme workshops this year and all the young people who have joined us! Another huge thank you to our funders Dumfries and Galloway Council through the Amazing Summer programme and The Holywood Trust.

Sunday 11th August

We were delighted to have the Scotia Crafters back at The Devil’s Porridge Museum again this year. They were setting up at The Devil’s Porridge Museum today and will be selling a selection of local handmade gifts, food and more until 1st September 2024. Entrance into the Scotia Crafters exhibition is free (admission prices do still apply to anyone who wants to look around The Devil’s Porridge Museum), so we would highly recommend having a look while they are at the museum.

Below is a photo from their time at The Devil’s Porridge Museum in the past.

Saturday 17th August

Our gardening club was back on again today. Click here to learn more about gardening club>

That may be the end of this month’s Monthly Roundup, but the Scotia Crafters will still be at The Devil’s Porridge Museum until 1st September 2024, so you’ve still got time to treat yourself to some homemade gifts or crafts!

Our next Monthly Roundup will be out next month. In the meantime you can find what happened in our previous Monthly Roundup by clicking here>

A sign for the Scotia Crafters pointing through the open door of The Devil's Porridge Museum's education room in which tables of local crafts are displayed.

Scotia Crafters 2024

By Archive

Sunday 11th August to Sunday 1st September 2024

10am – 4pm

Looking for the perfect handmade gift, or perhaps just that special something? Come along and see the Scotia Crafters at The Devil’s Porridge Museum.

We’re delighted them back in the museum again this year. The Scotia Crafters will have an exhibition and sale of quality, local, handmade, crafts within The Devil’s Porridge Museum. From jewellery, to soap, beautiful crafts and much more, there’s an excellent selection of gifts for every occasion.

Be sure to come along and treat yourself or someone else to something special!

Entry into the Scotia Crafters exhibition ONLY is free. Admission prices will still apply for anyone visiting to look around The Devil’s Porridge Museum.

You can find the Scotia Crafters on Facebook here>

Below are some photos of the Scotia Crafters Arts and Craft Market from 2024.

Grimwood Museum Adventure

By Archive

The Grimwood Museum Adventure

Join us this August for a brilliantly bonkers museum trail, part of the national Grimwood Museum Adventure with Kids in Museums and Simon & Schuster Children’s Books. The trail celebrates the release of the latest book in the Grimwood series: Party Animals, written and illustrated by Nadia Shireen. Spot as many animals as you can find, complete puzzles and build a barmy bird’s nest from objects you can spot in the museum! Complete the trail. There is also a competition to enter!

This trail will be running at The Devil’s Porridge Museum from the 3rd to 26th August 2024.

Grimwood: Party Animals

Fox cub siblings, Ted and Nancy escape urban life and find themselves in Grimwood, the forest where anything can happen. Along with their new friends, Willow the Rabbit, Sharon the Party Crow, Titus the Stag, and more squirrels than they know what to do with, they face the toughest challenges, embark on the maddest adventures, learn the biggest life lessons and have the most fun two fox cubs can have.

The must-read fourth title in the bestselling and wildly funny, Grimwood series, Grimwood: Party Animals is out now! Can the gang help Grimwood’s favourite raving resident, Sharon the Party Crow to get her mojo back?

This is a free activity with admission.

A collage of three photos including some baking equipment, some Lego and some Nintendo themed craft activities. There is some text, which reads Monthly Roundup 17th June to 14th July 2024.

Monthly Roundup 17th June to 14th July 2024

By Archive

This Monthly Roundup features Lego building, gardening, make-up, gaming and cookery! Read on to catch up with all that has been happening at The Devil’s Porridge Museum.

Monday 17th June

Cordite club was back on again today. We were delighted to be joined by Eastriggs nursery this week. To learn more about Cordite Club please click here>

Our free Arts and Crafts club for young people was on again today. A huge thank you to everyone who makes this possible and those who come along! Find out more about Arts and Crafts club by clicking here>

Tuesday 18th June

Fantastic to have another group visiting The Devil’s Porridge Museum today. Please be aware that it is essential to book group visits in advance. You can learn more about group visits by clicking here>

Thursday 19th June

We were delighted to welcome a school to The Devil’s Porridge Museum today. If you are interested in learning more about school visits please click here>

Our second group visit of the week also visited the museum today. It was brilliant to have them. Learn more about group visits here>

Friday 21st June

Brilliant to have another group visit at The Devil’s Porridge Museum again today. Please remember that it is essential to book group visits in advance. Learn more about group visits here>

Saturday 22nd June

Our free Gardening Club is for young people with our gardening expert Wendy is on on Saturdays. They have grown some excellent rhubarb so far! If you fancy joining us, you can learn more about this by clicking here>

Our Dig For Victory Garden is looking very good due to their hard work. Take a look at some photos of the garden below.

Today also marked our last group visit of a very busy week. Thanks to them for joining us! You can learn more about group visits by clicking here>

Monday 24th June

A school came to visit The Devil’s Porridge Museum today. It was fantastic to have them. Learn more about school visits here>

Our Arts and Crafts club was on again today. Learn more about this by clicking here>

Tuesday 25th June

Our youth council had a meeting to try out a World War One recipe for an upcoming project. Thanks to all of them who came along!

Some photos of making these biscuits can be found below.

Wednesday 26th June 2024

Today The Devil’s Porridge Museum’s Curator and Youth and Community Engagement Officer went to represent the museum at Longtown MOD for Armed Forces Day.

Thursday 27th June

Excellent to have another group visit The Devil’s Porridge Museum today. Find out more about group visits here>

Saturday 29th June

Today The Devil’s Porridge Museum’s gardening club was busy in our Dig for Victory garden again today. Please click here to learn more about this>

Our gardening club have even been growing some wild flowers in certain areas to encourage pollinators like bees!

Our Curator and Youth and Community Engagement Officer were representing The Devil’s Porridge Museum at Armed Forces Day in Carlisle. Take a look at some photos of this event below.

Monday 1st July

On the first day of July it was excellent to welcome a group visit. We would be happy to provide catering for your group visit, but this does need to be booked in advance. Find out more about group visits by clicking here>

Thursday 4th July

Our free Summer Holiday programme for young people started today with a Minecraft- Inspired Lego Building Competition. It was amazing to see what the young people who came along created out of Lego! There were so many creative designs that our judges found it very hard to choose our third, second and first place prize winners. The second and third place winners won Lego Minecraft magazines, while first place received a Lego Minecraft set. We loved all the Lego builds so much that we gave all the young Lego Master Builders who came along certificate and a little badge!

Brilliant to have some of the young attendees join us for a free breakfast before this workshop too. Below are some photos of this activity.

Friday 5th July

Today’s free workshop was 1940’s retro Make-Up workshop. It was lovely to have so many young people come along and fantastic to have some join us for a free breakfast before this workshop too.

Some photos of this workshop can now be seen below.

Saturday 6th July

Gardening club was on again today. It was fantastic to see the young people learning new skills. You can learn more about gardening club by clicking here>

Take a look at some of what they have been growing in the photos below.

Monday 8th July

Today we had a Mini Anderson Shelter craft workshop. It was brilliant to have young people to join us for this free activity and it was great to see some of them at our free breakfast before the workshop too.

Tuesday 9th July

Today we had another group visit to The Devil’s Porridge Museum. It was brilliant to have them. Click here to learn more about group visits>

Thursday 11th July

We had our free Retro Gaming Contest today with a Super Nintendo game console. Brilliant to have so many enthusiastic young people join us for this and it was lovely to see some of them at the free breakfast before the workshop. Below are some photos of this activity.

Saturday 13th July

Our free gardening club was on again today. Thanks to our gardening expert Wendy and all the young people who come along! To learn more about gardening club, please click here>

Doesn’t our Dig For Victory Garden look good? Below are some photos of it taken recently.

That’s it for this Monthly Roundup! We’ll be back for another Roundup in June. You can read our last Roundup by clicking here> We still have lots of free Summer holiday activities for young people coming up, so be sure to take a look at our events page by clicking here>

Monthly Roundup 20th May to 16th June 2024

By Archive

It’s Monthly Roundup time again! In this month’s roundup we have Arts and Crafts, Gardening and more! Catch up with everything below!

Monday 20th May

Today it was fantastic to have Cordite Club back in The Devil’s Porridge Museum. This week they decorated their own fans. To find out more about Cordite Club, please click here>

Brilliant to have our term time Arts and Crafts club on again too! Below are some photos of this. A huge thank you to Wendy and Emily for all there help with this. Find out more about this free club for young people by clicking here>

On this day (20th May) in 2007 Chapelcross’ iconic cooling towers were demolished and thousands of people gathering to witness the event.

With aging equipment and a relatively small electrical output, the decision was made to shut down the reactors and close Chapelcross in 2004. The cooling towers were demolished as part of the decommissioning process.

You can learn more about Chapelcross by visiting The Devil’s Porridge Museum.

The section of The Devil's Porridge Museum, which is about Chapelcross Nuclear Power Station.

Tuesday 21st May

Some of our Youth Council had a meeting today. Our Youth Council have regular meetings, get involved in projects, workshops and more. We’re very proud to have two representatives from the museum’s Youth Council who regularly attend The Devil’s Porridge Museum’s trustee meetings. This allows them to share their thoughts and make sure young people’s voices are heard in The Devil’s Porridge Museum!

Wednesday 22nd May

On May 22nd 1915, the tragic local event which remains the worst rail disaster in British history occurred at Quintinshill near Gretna Green – a few miles from where The Devil’s Porridge Museum now stands. It involved troops on their way to board ships for the Gallipoli/Dardanelles campaign. Sadly, around 227 people were killed and around 246 injured.

The Devil’s Porridge Museum has a display about the Quintinshill Rail Disaster where you can learn more about the accident.

Saturday 25th May

Gardening club was on again today. If you fancy joining us, why not click here to learn more>

Monday 27th May

A very large school visit to The Devil’s Porridge Museum took place today. Read more about this by clicking here>

In the afternoon we had a group visit. Please learn more about group visits by clicking here>

Arts and Crafts club also took place today. It’s always exciting to see what the young people there will create! Click here to find out more about Arts and Crafts club>

Saturday 1st June

Saturday means gardening club! A huge thanks to Wendy for all her work on this and to the young people who come along! Learn more by clicking here>

Monday 3rd June

Cordite Club was back in The Devil’s Porridge Museum again today. This week they enjoyed playing some games. Find out more about Cordite Club by clicking here>

In the afternoon Arts and Crafts club was on again. For the past two weeks they had been working on a project to create placemats. Below are some photos of this. Thank you to Emily for these.

To find out more about Arts and Crafts club, please click here>

Monday 3rd June 2024 marks the beginning of volunteer week. We would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to all our volunteers!

Tuesday 4th June

A group came to visit The Devil’s Porridge Museum today. It was excellent to have them at the museum. Learn more about group visits here>

In the afternoon, our Youth Council had an interesting training session, followed by another meeting.

Friday 7th June

Brilliant to have a school visit to The Devil’s Porridge Museum today. Find out more about school visits here>

Some photos of this are coming soon!

Saturday 8th June

Gardening club was on again today. The young people who came along are learning lots about growing their own food. If you fancy joining us, please click here to learn more and book>

Monday 10th June

In the morning it was fantastic to have a school visit to The Devil’s Porridge Museum. To learn more about school visits please click here>

In the afternoon it was brilliant to have a group visit to the museum. Learn more about group visits by clicking here>

Arts and Crafts club was on again today too. Find out more about this by clicking here>

Tuesday 11th June

We were also very proud to welcome someone who had recently celebrated there 100th Birthday for a visit to the museum! They worked at World War Two munitions factory, ICI Powfoot.

Wednesday 12th June

Today The Devil’s Porridge Museum had another group visit. It was great to have them! Here’s a quick reminder that you need to book any group visits in advance. If you would like any catering for your group visit, you will also need to book this advance. Find more details of group visits here>

Thursday 13th June

On Thursday 13th June, The Devil’s Porridge Museum had another group visit. It was lovely to have them visiting The Devil’s Porridge Museum. As always you can learn more about group visits by clicking here> Please remember it is essential to book your group visit and any catering you would like in advance too!

Saturday 15th June

Our gardening club was hard at work again today in The Devil’s Porridge Museum’s Dig For Victory Garden. Read more about this free club by clicking here>

If you’re feeling inspired to get gardening at home or would like a sustainable memento of your visit to The Devil’s Porridge Museum, this year the museum is selling plants in our phone box. You are welcome to have a look during the museum’s opening hours! A huge thank you to everyone who has made this possible and our volunteers who have donated plants!

You can still browse our second hand books for a £1 donation each inside The Devil’s Porridge Museum’s gift shop too. Thank you to everyone who has donated books to this!

That’s the end of this edition of our Monthly Roundup! We’ll be back again in July, but in the meantime you can check out our last Monthly Roundup by clicking here>

We have some very exciting Family Friendly workshops coming up this Summer, so be sure to keep up to date with everything that is happening at The Devil’s Porridge Museum by following us on social media. Find our social media platforms by clicking here>

Stay safe and see you in July for our next Monthly Roundup!

From Rationing to Upcycling: Learn From the Past.

By Archive

Join us this summer holidays for an exciting range of FREE activities for young people! Booking is essential and places are limited. Below is a list of our From Rationing to Upcycling: Learn From the Past workshops. These activities are for children and teenagers only.

Free breakfast will be served for young attendees before each morning workshop from 10 am to 11 am. Please confirm your attendance when booking.

Friday 5th July

1940’s Hair and Makeup Retro Workshop

11am to 12pm

11 to 14 year olds

Free

Step back in time with our 1940s Hair and Makeup Retro Workshop! Join us on Friday 5th July 5th 2024 from 11 am to 12pm to recreate the iconic look from the 1940s using close-to-authentic makeup from the era. Capture the memories with photos and videos to share with friends. Don’t miss this opportunity to step into the past!

We will provide all the necessary materials for this activity.

We will be offering free breakfast for the young attendees prior to this workshop from 10 to 11am. Please confirm if you would like to join us for breakfast when booking.

Booking is essential and places are limited.

To book your place please press the book now button on the right of this page and select the workshop you would like to book.

Monday 8th July 2024

Upcycle Cardboard into a Mini-Anderson Shelter

11am to 12pm

10 to 12 year olds

Free

Join us at The Devil’s Porridge to transform cardboard into your own Anderson Shelter. Draw inspiration from the shelter in our garden and unleash your creativity to build your very own unique shelter.

We will provide all the necessary materials for this activity.

We will be offering free breakfast for the young attendees prior to this workshop from 10 to 11am. Please confirm if you would like to join us for breakfast when booking.

Booking is essential and places are limited.

To book your place please press the book now button on the right of this page and select the workshop you would like to book.

Wednesday 17th July 2024

Vintage Cooking Class: Learn to Be a World War Chef

11am to 12pm

11 years +

Free

Join us to create delicious dishes inspired by rationing times with a modern twist!

We will provide all the necessary materials for this activity.

We will be offering free breakfast for the young attendees prior to this workshop from 10 to 11am. Please confirm if you would like to join us for breakfast when booking.

Booking is essential and places are limited.

To book your place please press the book now button on the right of this page and select the workshop you would like to book.

Wednesday 24th July 2024

Make Do and Mend: A New Way to Thrift

11am to 1pm

14 years + (Not suitable for small children, due to sharp objects!)

Free

Give your clothing a second chance and keep them out of landfill. Bring your old clothes and fabric items to transform into beautiful new garments!

Please note that this workshop involves the use of sharp tools and is not suitable for small children.

No prior hand sewing experience is necessary. All mending materials will be provided.

We will be offering free breakfast for the young attendees prior to this workshop from 10 to 11am. Please confirm if you would like to join us for breakfast when booking.

Booking is essential and places are limited.

To book your place please press the book now button on the right of this page and select the workshop you would like to book.

Monday 29th July 2024

Origami Jewellery

11am to 12pm

7 years +

Free

Unleash your creativity and craft stunning jewellery using the art of origami. This workshop includes all the materials you need.

We will be offering free breakfast for the young attendees prior to this workshop from 10 to 11am. Please confirm if you would like to join us for breakfast when booking.

Booking is essential and places are limited.

To book your place please press the book now button on the right of this page and select the workshop you would like to book.

Thursday 1st August

From Trash to Treasure! Upcycle into Art.

11am to 12pm

7 years +

Free

Discover the art of upcycling at our hands-on workshop! Join us in transforming discarded materials into beautiful creations. If you’re passionate about sustainability and love crafts, this workshop is the perfect opportunity to unleash your creativity!

We will provide all the necessary materials for this activity.

We will be offering free breakfast for the young attendees prior to this workshop from 10 to 11am. Please confirm if you would like to join us for breakfast when booking.

Booking is essential and places are limited.

To book your place please press the book now button on the right of this page and select the workshop you would like to book.

Friday 9th August

Podcast

11am to 12pm

12 years +

Free

Be a part of our first podcast episode!

Join us as we launch our new podcast, designed specifically for young audiences.

Our first episode will explore the urgent issue of the climate emergency and how it directly impacts individuals in your age group.

We will be offering free breakfast for the young attendees prior to this workshop from 10 to 11am. Please confirm if you would like to join us for breakfast when booking.

Booking is essential and places are limited.

To book your place please press the book now button on the right of this page and select the workshop you would like to book.

We have more exciting activities for young people running as part of our Summer Holiday Programme 2024.

Find out about our Mocktail Making workshop by clicking here>

Learn more about our fun Summer holiday Competitions by clicking here>

Thanks to our funders Dumfries and Galloway Council through the Amazing Summer programme and The Holywood Trust!

Poster for a Mocktail Making workshop at The Devil's Porridge Museum on Wednesday 7th August 2024.

Summer Programme 2024: Mocktail Making

By Archive

Join us this summer holidays for an exciting range of FREE activities for young people! Booking is essential and places are limited.

The Mocktail Making workshop is for young people only. The teenagers will be supervised by individuals who have undergone background checks and will be in a safe environment.

Wednesday 7th August 2024

Mocktail Making Workshop

6pm to 8pm

11 to 14 years old

Free

Learn how to make your own delicious mocktails at The Devil’s Porridge Museum. Snacks will be served with this workshop and all the necessary materials will be provided.

The Mocktail Making workshop is for young people only. The teenagers will be supervised by individuals who have undergone background checks and will be in a safe environment.

Booking is essential and spaces are limited.

To book your place please press the book now button on the right of this page and select the workshop you would like to book.

We’ve previously had a very successful Mocktail Making workshop at The Devil’s Porridge Museum. Below are some photos of this to give you an idea of what to expect.

We have more exciting activities for young people running as part of our Summer Holiday Programme 2024.

Find out about our from Rationing to Upcycling: Learn From the Past activities by clicking here>

Learn more about our fun summer holiday Competitions by clicking here>

Thanks to our funders Dumfries and Galloway Council through the Amazing Summer programme and The Holywood Trust!

Poster of two activities for young people at The Devil's Porridge Museum as part of the Summer Programme 2024. These are a Retro Gaming Challenge on Thursday 11th July 2024 and A Minecraft Inspired Lego Building Competition on 4th July 2024.

Summer Programme 2024: Competitions

By Archive

Join us this summer holidays for an exciting range of FREE activities for young people! Booking is essential and places are limited.

These activities are for children and teenagers only.

Free breakfast will be served for young attendees before each morning workshop from 10 am to 11 am. Please confirm your attendance when booking.

Thursday 4th July 2024

Minecraft Inspired Lego Building Competition

11am to 1pm

For 8 to 13 year olds.

Free

We’ll supply the Lego bricks for you to build a Minecraft inspired design. Winner gets a prize!

We will be offering free breakfast for the young attendees prior to this workshop from 10 to 11am. Please confirm if you would like to join us for breakfast when booking.

Booking is essential and places are limited.

To book your place please press the book now button on the right of this page and select the workshop you would like to book.

Thursday 11th July 2024

Retro Gaming Challenge

11am to 12pm

For 8 to 13 year olds.

Free

Take a trip back to the 90s with our retro gaming event featuring classic Super Nintendo games.

We will be offering free breakfast for the young attendees prior to this workshop from 10 to 11am. Please confirm if you would like to join us for breakfast when booking.

Booking is essential and places are limited.

To book your place please press the book now button on the right of this page and select the workshop you would like to book.

We have more exciting activities for young people running as part of our Summer Programme 2024.

Find out about our Mocktail Making workshop by clicking here>

Find out about our from Rationing to Upcycling: Learn From the Past activities by clicking here>

Thanks to our funders Dumfries and Galloway Council through the Amazing Summer programme and The Holywood Trust!

Monthly Roundup 15th April to 19th May 2024

By Archive

This month our free gardening club for young people has returned for 2024 and we were delighted to welcome Bruce Keith into The Devil’s Porridge Museum to give a free talk. Keep reading to find out everything that happened in our Monthly Roundup for 15th April to 19th May 2024!

Monday 15th April

Arts and Crafts club was on again today. It was fantastic to see the young people at The Devil’s Porridge Museum being so creative! Learn more about Arts and Crafts club by clicking here>

Wednesday 17th April

Brilliant to have a group visit to The Devil’s Porridge Museum today. Learn more about group visits by clicking here>

Thursday 18th April

On This Day (18th April) in the first planes took off at RAF Annan.

At its peak RAF Annan could boast a staff of 400 RAF personnel housed across its 200-acre site. The airfield’s main focus was training young, inexperienced fighter pilots in offensive attacks. Pilots came from far and wide to train at RAF Annan.

Tragically, many pilots lost their lives while training at RAF Annan.

You can learn more about RAF Annan by visiting The Devil’s Porridge Museum.

Saturday 20th April

We were happy to have a group visit again today. Please be aware that you have to book any group visits in advance. Any food also needs to be booked in advance. Find out more about group visits here>

Monday 22nd April

Our Cordite Club was on again today. This week they had Scotch pie and beans for dinner. Following this they played Dominos and Connect Four. To learn more about Cordite Club click here>

Arts and Crafts club was on again today. Click here to learn more about our Arts and Crafts club>

The 22nd April is was also Earth Day. The Devil’s Porridge Museum’s volunteer and Youth Council member, Calum wrote a very interesting blog about Earth Day and What The Devil’s Porridge Museum does to help the planet. To read this click here>

Friday 26th April

We were delighted to welcome Bruce Keith into The Devil’s Porridge Museum to give a free talk about his third book “Scotland Beneath the Surface.” A huge thank you to him and to all those who came along!

Saturday 27th April

Our gardening club started again for 2024! The young people who join for our free gardening club us will learn how to grow beautiful plants, fruits and vegetables. Why not come along and join in? You can learn more about gardening club and how to book your place by clicking here>

This week they planted strawberries and potatoes! Below are some photos this.

Monday 29th April

Monday means our free Arts and Crafts club is on! Learn more about this here>

Tuesday 30th April

On the last day of April it was great to have another group visit. Fantastic to have them with us! Learn more about group visits here>

Saturday 4th May

Gardening club was on again today! A huge thank you to Wendy, our gardening expert, as always. Fancy joining us for gardening club? Click here to learn more>

Wednesday 1st May

May started with Preston Lodge School’s visit The Devil’s Porridge Museum. It was fantastic to have them at the museum! Take a look at some photos of their visit below.

You can learn more about school visits here>

If you fancy joining our education volunteer team at The Devil’s Porridge Museum and helping out with school visits, youth activities and more, you can click here to learn how to get involved!

Thursday 2nd May

Fantastic to have a group visit with us today! It was lovely to have them and they also enjoyed some sandwiches, traybakes tea and coffee at The Devil’s Porridge Museum.

We would be happy to provide catering for your group visit too, but please be aware that your visit and any food will need to be booked in advance. Find out how by clicking here>

On this day (2nd May), in 1959 Chapelcross Nuclear Power Station was officially opened as a combined military and civilian nuclear power station by Sir John Crabbe. It was the first Nuclear Power Station in Scotland.

You can learn more about Chapelcross by visiting The Devil’s Porridge Museum.

Tuesday 7th May

We had another group visit to The Devil’s Porridge Museum. Please remember that it is essential to book group visits in advance. Learn more about this here>

Wednesday 8th May

Today was a very busy day!

Another group from Preston Lodge School came to visit The Devil’s Porridge Museum in the morning. Read more about school visits here>

In the afternoon it was time for another group visit! As always you can read more about group visits by clicking here>

Thanks to them both for coming along to visit The Devil’s Porridge Museum.

Saturday 11th May

Our gardening club was busy learning new skills today. Fancy learning more about growing your own fruit, vegetables and plants? Why not come along? Find all you need to know about our free gardening club here>

Sunday 12th May

Fantastic to have another group visit to The Devil’s Porridge Museum today. Please read more about group visits and how to book these in advance by clicking here>

Monday 13th May

Another group came to visit The Devil’s Porridge Museum today. It was brilliant to have them!

They also enjoyed sandwiches and a craft activity, which they had booked in advance. You can find out more about group visits here>

It was fantastic to have our Arts and Crafts club on again today. This week they made beautiful paper fans. Perfect for the summer weather! Click here to learn more about Arts and Crafts club>

Below are some photos of this.

Tuesday 14th May

Two more groups came to visit The Devil’s Porridge Museum today. If you would like to learn more about group visits please click here>

On This Day in 1915, The Times newspaper reported the huge shortages of ammunition on the Western Front leaving the British vulnerable. As a result, the British Government created the Ministry of Munitions with David Lloyd George taking up the role. He created H.M. Factory Gretna.

We’re proud to tell the story of H.M. Factory Gretna and the people worked there at The Devil’s Porridge Museum. Why not come and visit us to find out more?

Thursday 16th May

Another school came to visit The Devil’s Porridge Museum today. Find out more about school visits by clicking here>

Photos of this school visit are coming soon!

Saturday 18th May

Gardening club was on today. To learn more about gardening club click here>

On This Day (18th May) in 1917, King George V & Queen Mary visited H.M. Factory Gretna.

Victoria May McIver was chosen to present flowers to flowers to the Queen, as she was the youngest patient in the hospital at the time of the royal visit. Below is a photo of this.

Victoria May McIvor greeting the royal couple visiting the factory.

Learn more about Victoria by clicking here>

And that’s it for our latest Monthly Roundup! In June, we will be back with another Monthly Roundup, until then you can check out our Roundup for last month by clicking here> To keep up to date with everything that’s happening at The Devil’s Porridge Museum be sure to follow us on social media. You can find our social media platforms here>