| Kew Bridge Steam Museum events in 2006 |
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| Wednesday, 23 November 2005 01:19 | |||
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Come
to Kew Bridge Steam Museum, shortlisted for the Visit London 2005 Small Visitor
of the Year Awards, and see the finest collection of pumping engines in the
world, housed in a magnificent 19th century Pumping Station. The engines are in
steam every weekend, including the Grand Junction
90 and the massive Cornish beam engines on selected days, which pumped water to West
London for over a century. It is the largest working beam engine
in the world! There is a full packed schedule of events and exhibitions for
2006 including:
January
7 - April 17, Wondrously Wacky Gadgets
Maurice
Collins' collection of ingenious gadgets, built up over the past 30 years, will
engage and amuse everyone, both young and old. Explore this amazing collection
of fascinating and visually intriguing gadgets and mind-boggling technology
from days of old. It contains some of the most weird and eccentric labour
saving devices ever thought up, by the imagination of people hoping to strike
it rich by their creation. The exhibition contains an interactive section where
visitors can attempt to guess the purpose of the gadget and the truth is
revealed to see if you guessed correctly! Fascinating and humorous, this exhibition will intrigue and amuse and is a testament to human ingenuity and
resourcefulness.
April 2, Stirling and Hot
Air Engine Rally
Over
80 Stirling and hot air engines most of which
will be working. There will be model and full size engines, some coal fired and
others solar powered, on show in the museum's Steam Hall, Mezzanine floor and
around the Water for Life Gallery. The rally will bring together probably the
most diverse collection of Stirling and hot
air engines ever assembled under one roof. It will give visitors the
opportunity to meet the experts and find out more about these fascinating
engines.
April 22 and 23, Magic of Meccano Show
Every
room and gallery in the museum will be filled with fascinating Meccano working
models, some taller than 6ft! Exhibitors from as far as Marseilles and Brussels
will be demonstrating civilian, military and fairground models, stationary
steam engines and traction engines, and even a 4ft model of a Mexican wood
burning locomotive. Be amazed at a 6ft high working model of the museum's
90-inch Cornish beam engine, as well as a floating crane and even aeroplanes
all made of Meccano, some driven by steam. Children will be invited to have a
go at making their own Meccano masterpiece.
May 21, Historic Fire Engine Rally
Up
to a dozen different fire engines, dating from 1914 to the 1980's, will be on
display. Organised by the Fire Service Preservation Group, the rally will
feature early motorised Dennis fire engines, including the magnificent 1916
petrol driven model from the Royal College of Science complete with student
firemen in period dress. There will also be a mix of younger fire appliances
including a war-time and 1980's models, as well as appliances which are still
in use, and fire fighting displays and demonstrations.
June 10 and 11, Kew
Bridge Model Boat Show
This
stunning exhibition will offer visitors a chance to see, at first hand, a
fascinating array of model boats from clubs and individuals. There will be a special display about
the Medway Queen and the Dunkirk Little Ships. There will be a demonstration
pool where visitors can see models put through their paces and special
childrens' activities.
September
16-17, London Open House Weekend
The public will be able to visit Kew Bridge
Steam Museum
free of charge on
this weekend as part of London Open House Weekend.
This is a unique event held each September to provide public access,
free of charge to all kinds of buildings, public and private across the
capital, which aims to celebrate the wealth of architecture surrounding people
in London.
October
7- 8, Steam
Models Show
This
ever-popular show features steam models of boats, traction engines and railway
locomotives. There will be models to make and buy and competitions with prizes
for the children.
November
18 - 19, Live
Steam Model Railway Show
This
popular annual event will entertain families and railway enthusiasts
alike with
scores of model railway trains literally puffing away under their own
steam. There will be rides on the museum's own railway with our
resident
steam locomotive, "Cloister", the only narrow gauge railway in London
offering rides in a passenger coach, hauled by a steam powered
locomotive.
The Cornish Engine Experience Weekend 2006 will see a change to the engine running schedule,
with the launch of a new event, The
Cornish Engine Experience Weekend. With its gas bill having risen by 65% the
museum must, regrettably this year, reduce the frequency it operates the
Cornish Engines. The 90inch, Boulton & Watt and Maudslay beam engines will
therefore only run on 11 special weekends throughout 2006, including most of
the Bank Holidays. The focus of these weekends will be on the working life of
the Victorian pumping station with specialised talks, behind the scenes tours
of the original workshops, as well as tower tours. Related activities will help
kids get steamed up as well.
February 18&19, March 18&19,
April 15,16&17, May 27,28&29, June 24&25, July 22&23, August
26,27&28, September 23&24, October 21&22, November 25&26 and
December 30&31.
The museum will continue to operate its other steam
engines every weekend throughout the year. On these weekends children will also
be able to become a human donkey and pump water by having a go at operating our
horse gin. A variety of activities are planned for these weekends. Contact the
museum or check out our website for more details.
Out of the
Archives:
A changing programme of mini-exhibitions, displaying
rarely seen items out of the archives, will be on display throughout the year.
Other Activities at
the Museum:
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