Long Goodbye

IWM North via Salford, 26th March 2018

We’re losing an old friend in a few days time.

A Stalwart of the Russian Army in World War II – The T-34 was a powerful tank and had a Six man crew

The Russian T-34 Tank , having spent 13 years in Greater Manchester, notedly around the Cold war area of the Main exhibition space, will be on its way back to its owner before heading off to pastures new

The boys and girls from exhibitions have already started to get it going, in preparation for the move.

It’ll still be around for a short while, whilst the team work out the logistics of moving The T-34 and replacing it with the new exhibit.

A New Tank, the Mathilda , will be taking its place.

Won’t be forgetting this one though – as i wrote a verse or two about it – you can read that here

#UPDATE – 2nd April 2018.

The T-34 has now left the building, and the boys and girls from operations have updated the parking space in the MES in prep for the new tanks arrival – more when i have it.

Dial M for Museums

Museums, Photography, Places, Victorian

#CFFC #LetterM #Photography

Come up with up with photographs with two Ms in the title

OK Cee, I’ll do me best!

To start with here’s a couple of Museums photographed in the area where i live….

Most of these were taken #Midsummer – so theres another word with more than 1 M

Rochdale Pioneers Museum (c) Brian F Kirkham 2017

Oldham Museum & Art Gallery (c) Brian F Kirkham 2017

The Fusiliers Museum in Bury holds not only the Regimental Collection but is home to the Cenotaph for the town, and in regards to the regiment the County – in Memoriam

Lancashire Fusiliers Museum, Bury (c) Brian F Kirkham 2017

Manchester Museum (c) Brian F Kirkham 2007

Manchester Museum is located by the Victoria University of Manchester on Oxford road, and is known primarily for its Archeological and Historical Artifacts. In fact, there’s a special exhibit that greets you at the entrance – his name is Rex.

Rex at Manchester Museum – Saying Hello! (p) Brian F Kirkham 2007

As part of the artifacts, you will come across the Egyptology exhibits – The Victoria Museum is known for its Mummies

Manchester Museum, Egyptian Mummy.JPG

One of these artefacts actually came down the road from Salford and is still known as the Salford Mummy to this day, so its nice to pay her a visit!

Salford Museum is the Home of Lark Hill Place, a Victorian Street that shows how people lived during that time – there’s the old cobbles and washing lines, and you’ll hear the sounds of the Grocers, the Blacksmith and the chemists

Salford Museum & Art Gallery (P) Brian F Kirkham 2017

And how can i forget the foundation stone on which this blog was made.?…(Ha Ha)

My second home (well, i volunteer here enough to call it home! 🙂 )

Imperial War Museum North , (P) Brian F Kirkham, 2013

Show n Tell

Museum, Museums, Volunteering, War

Educate

Salford, 4th September

Iwm Waterside

I’m sat down having Just got home from the Imperial war museum, in Manchester, where i’ve been helping out in the galleries, helping people around.

In this role , i’m occasionally stood by the information station, where various objects to do with the first and second world war are on display

This station is mobile and can move around with its four wheels, around the vast area known as the main exhibition space.

The objects on the information station vary, from gas masks to various headgear, and relate to the large objects around the space. There are uniforms from modern day conflict as well as those from world war I and II. As Volunteers, we use the items to introduce visitors to the space as well as putting them at ease with the space they are in – It’s a bit dark in there sometimes.

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Flight

Acrostic, Airforce, Airport, Leisure, Museums, War, Winter, World War II

IWM Duxford , Cambridge, 5/6/2017

For a brief moment today,

looking around the hangar in Cambridge

I got to see the marvels of flight first hand

Great planes – from early pioneers to new planes and even spaceflight

Hoped to see something special – and I wasn’t disappointed

Tomorrow – i’ll take a look at what I captured

Capture it….

Heritage, Historical, History

Enthusiasm

Young minds wondered aimlessly

around the museum space

hearing the sounds around them

as they found their place

The colour returned – to their eyes

upon seeing my trolley – to my surprise

and hearing a colleague veterans tale

it was like we’d found the holy grail

Stories were told as they wore the hats

and genuine interest grew from these cats

as enthusiasm blossomed around our bit

The teacher wanted to bottle it…

For as the veteran told his tale

the enthusiasm blossomed without fail

and communication started tween young and old

as a tale of the home front it was told.

Two Minute Silence

Historical, Memorial, Museum, Poppy, Remembrance, War

11th November 2016

Imperial War Museum North, Trafford, Manchester

It was Armistice Day today

I was attending Imperial war museum north, in preparation for their Volunteer Celebration Choir with the Museum of Science and Industry and The Manchester Museum

But for Two minutes today – we stood in silence to remember those who fought and were lost in two world wars.

We then watched the film , Remembrance, which gave some poignant reminders of why the date is kept, to honour all those fallen in conflict.

The day before, I’d been at my spot in the museum – helping relatives of first world war soldiers remember their relations and share their stories with the nation on the Lives of the First World War Database

Remembrance

Memorial

Remembrance Sunday

Thursday Afternoon 4PM

Food, Life, Museum, Poetry

#Weekendcoffeeshare

Sat in a coffee house of Italian Style

Giving my feet a rest for a while

having traversed the floor of a great gallery

my feet need a rest – and I start to agree

I order a late lunch – between two bread rolls

and sit down at table to rest up my soles

and whilst I am waiting – I read a good story

one that is funny and not at all gory

And as I wait, the steam it just rises

as barista puts in a cup of surprises

toffee flavour bits in my cocoa of day

a flavour that’s tasty in its own special way

But here comes my late lunch – tomatoes and meat

with cheese and salami – a real special treat

and as I tuck in, I’ve enjoyed my day

Sandwich brightening the weather, despite all the grey.

New Day of Vollying

Heritage, Historical, History, Memorial, Memories, Military, Museum, Museums

Monday Afternoon saw me returning back over the Bridge to the Home of the Imperial War Museum in the North, on the Trafford side of the Manchester Ship Canal

Today has seen me on the Information point Handling trolley, where visitors from all around the country have been able to look at objects and pick them up as the volunteers tell a little bit about the items the visitor is holding and a little about its origins.

These range from a helmet used by the armed forces during the battle of the somme, which was later used in world war II, to a babies gas mask used during world war ii as protection against potential gas attack.

In addition we direct and explain how to go around the big area that makes up the main exhibition space, which holds objects from World war I to Modern day

The Trolley is always of interest to visitors both young and old, because of the interactive nature of the exhibits. Schoolchildren enjoy hearing about the objects on display.

Imperial War Museum (North)

Museum, Poetry

Imperial War Museum North, painted by the author. (c) Brian F Kirkham

A poem on the branch of Imperial War Museum in Trafford, Greater Manchester.

Another Earth has Landed on the banks of the canal,
Broken in three by the hammer called War.

You climb the Stair
to reach the pole.
As darkness falls,
on earths remains.

Following a line, commemorating time
that has a start – but has no end
Sounds and smells from the past –
They Greet You.
Shaking you by the hand like an old friend.

The plane at the start, the tales it would tell
of its old friend Lusitania – they’ve salvaged its bell.
It’s Just past the smell of sweet poison gas,
you carry on walking and pass the old ass.
feeling your way through the trenches of deep
hoping you don’t wake all the rats that are asleep

The T-34 stands just round a bend,
a stones throw away,
from its nuclear friend,
telling the tales of it winning great battles.
The Cossacks roar out as the tanks tracks it rattles

And the Trabant car from Germany
stands out and tall
as you read of what happened
on both sides of th’ wall

Uniforms stand
in the windows to attention,
as you read of who wore them
– it is worth a mention.

And you read of the colours,
the flags of the men
who are remembered here proudly,
never seen of again.

And You wear the tin helmet
worn by the men
fighting fires wi’ red engines
in fives and in tens.

You land in their place
and think what would you do ?
As you read of the stories
from wars one and of two

Other poems on IWM North

Little Ol’ Red – https://inkdropblog.wordpress.com/2016/05/16/little-ol-red-2/

A Humble Design – https://inkdropblog.wordpress.com/2016/04/28/a-humble-design/

Harrier – https://inkdropblog.wordpress.com/2015/10/15/harrier/

Tale of a Balloon https://inkdropblog.wordpress.com/2016/01/10/tale-of-a-balloon/

Dazzle – https://inkdropblog.wordpress.com/2015/11/28/dazzle-2

Russian Tank – https://inkdropblog.wordpress.com/2015/10/15/the-russian-tank/

Little white car – https://inkdropblog.wordpress.com/2015/10/15/the-little-white-car/

Glass

Home, Industrial, Poetry

In response to
Glass

Under tremendous heat

Sand melts down

into clear globules

which form into a clear substance

Its clear to see

II.

If we didn’t have glass

we would probably be

Living in Caves

(letting the wind in)

III.

Magical substance

Liquid then solid

Forming beaker

Holding drinks

IV.

Multiple Uses

from the thermometer

to much simpler kinds

the child’s marbles

The Inkwell

from inkdrop – poetry, places and events

Museum