AN ACCOUNT of the first campaign of the South African War and a digital exhibition of photographs from the Leicester archives are two of the events taking place at the city’s museums this weekend.
At Newarke Houses Museum, historian Robin Jenkins will recount a story of heroism and hardship, as he describes the 1st Battalion The Leicestershire Regiment’s role in the defence of Ladysmith and the first campaign of the South African War (1899-1900).
Telling the story in the words of those who were there, Robin Jenkins’ talk, ‘Tigers Caged’, starts at 2pm on Sunday (13 October). Tickets are £6 and can be bought online or by calling Newarke Houses Museum on 0116 225 4980.
At both Leicester Museum & Art Gallery and Abbey Pumping Station on Sunday (13 October), visitors will be able to see digital exhibitions of photographs from Leicester’s past in a new series of events called Archive Sundays.
Selected by volunteers who are digitising the city council’s vast collection of photographs, the photographs are a record of how Leicester has changed over the last 70 years.
At Leicester Museum, the photographs will be grouped into themes covering Abbey Park, graffiti, terraced living, and windows and doors.
At Abbey Pumping Station, the themes selected by the volunteers are cinema, the City of Leicester Show, trams and washing lines!
With the archive containing more than 100,000 images, the Leicester Museum Volunteers will be planning further Archive Sundays over the coming weeks.
There’s a family-friendly event at Abbey Pumping Station on Tuesday 22 October, as the museum opens its doors for a special half-term Railway Day.
Entry to the museum and grounds is free of charge, with a small charge (50p) payable for rides on the narrow gauge railway.
The Railway Day runs from 11.30am-4pm.
And on Saturday 26 October, people will have the chance to explore areas of the pumping station that are normally closed to the public.
Steam with the Team will take visitors into the pumping station’s deep basement, where they’ll be able to see the magnificent steam engine in action above their heads and enjoy a full guided tour.
Tours can be booked at seven time slots from 11am on 26 October and tickets are priced at £9 (£8 concessions) when bought in advance.
For more information about what’s on at Leicester’s museums, go to leicestermuseums.org
Picture caption: Southfields College under construction in 1969.
This photograph is one of thousands of images in the city council’s archives, which has been digitised by the Leicester Museums Volunteers.