The Old Operating Theatre, Museum & Herb Garret

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Newsletter - March 2006

NEWS

TALES FROM THE CRYPT

Museum announces events programme, with entirely new lectures, for April 2006. See www.thegarret.org.uk/events for details.

THE DAY OF BLOOD

4th February 2006

Museum staff volunteered for a live leeching in the Crypt of
St Thomas' Church, with spectacular results! Gorging to up to 4 times their original size on blood, the leeches remained attached for over an hour!
Keep an eye on www.thegarret.org.uk for more leeching events.

SUTURE PART 2

Part 2 of Richard Squire's and Phillip Warnell's Suture exhibition continues in the Crypt of St Thomas' Church, with the interactive Salivadriver and light boxes of bladder stone images, inspired by the museum's collection.

ROOF RESTORATION

In December 2005, the restoration of the roof of the Grade 2* listed building of St Thomas' Church began. So far, the roof of the 18th Century Herb Garret has been completely stripped, in order for damaged and rotten timbers to be replaced to heritage standards. A huge under-taking, the work has required the museum to temporarily move to the Crypt of St Thomas's Church. If work continues to run to schedule, however, the Operating Theatre itself should re-open by June 2006.

MUSEUM COLLECTION

Ninety-two new exhibits were recently received from the Monica Britton Collection at Frenchay Hospital. Many of these are now on display in the Crypt of St Thomas' Church.

EDUCATION AND EVENTS

The Museum's thriving schools programme has, in the last year, been broadening its range of workshops with emphasis on developing resources for Key Stages 1 and 2. Workshops on Pills, Potions & Poisons, Object Handling and Animal Medicines are proving popular with families and school groups alike. The Museum's education programme has been enhanced through consultation with teachers and by developing active links with local schools. We will shortly be launching the "Our Blood" resource pack tailored to the GCSE History syllabus and designed to support our famous live demonstrations of Victorian Surgery!