Page 126 - The Royal Lancers Chapka 2018

124 REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN)
Museums
Regimental Museum of the 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales’s)
To mark the centenary of
the end of the First World
War, the regimental museum
worked in partnership with
Derby Museums to lead on an
exhibition which looked at the
last months of the war, and the
immediate years that followed.
I was able to include the sto-
ries of some lancers who were
born in Derby and served dur-
ing the war. A review in The
Derby Telegraph described
the exhibition as ‘atmospher-
ic’ and ‘eye-catching’. The ex-
hibition was complimented by
talks, free ‘make and take’ ses-
sions including ‘marvellous medals’ for under-fives’, and han- dling First World War items from the collections.
2018 saw our visitor figures rise to almost 70,000 with almost 8,500 self-guided school visits from school children. Our busiest week was half-term in February when we received 2000 visitors including lots of families with young children. I arranged for three members of a locally based RLC Community Engagement Team (CET) to spend time in the ‘Soldiers Story’ gallery during the half-term week. Children were invited to try on equipment and use some of the camo face paint, and really enjoyed the op- portunity to meet some soldiers.
The newly introduced Florence Nightingale Schools Session has proved popular with local schools and is aimed at five to seven year olds. Next year will see the 200 anniversary of Flor- ence Nightingale’s birth and the regimental museum hopes to
As I write these journal notes the Museum has just closed its doors for the winter and will re-open again on the 20th Feb- ruary 2019 in time for the Nottinghamshire school’s half term. It’s been a busy year, having started the 2018 season with the ‘Beast from the East’ which resulted in a downturn in visitor numbers during March and early April. I am pleased to report that with the long hot summer our visitor numbers increased and currently stand at 30,000. We remain on track to exceed last year’s total of 35,700. In July the museum supported a World War 1 Heritage Day event at Rufford Abbey and produced a fine display, thanks to our reenactors and volunteers. This event at- tracted over 1200 visitors. August proved to be the busiest time with the Museum supporting a Yeomanry Day event held at the Army Reserves Centre Carlton in Nottingham, attracting over 1,000 visitors.
From 22nd to 25th August the curator guided on a battlefield tour to Mons with some 35 lancer veterans, wives and serving members. See related article page? Also, in August the museum
The Museum Team at Rufford
The Florence Nightingale school’s session
‘Derby from War to Peace’ exhibition which included the story of local lancers who served in the First World War
participate in events held in Derby. Florence had strong links to the city, and the museum may be able use the bicentenary to highlight the regiment’s service in the Crimean War, where Florence gained her celebrated status.
The 9th/12th Royal Lancers Museum, which is hosted by Derby Museum and Art Gallery is open throughout the year six days a week, from Tuesday to Sunday. This is an exciting time for both lancer regimental museums as the newly created Royal Lancers Museum Trust (RLMT) takes on the responsibility of managing both collections.
Please get in touch if you have any questions or suggestions. The museum has a website which is 9th12thlancersmuseum.org and
QRL and NY Museum
you can contact me at angela@derbymuseums.org
AMT