Every September thousands of volunteers across England organise events to celebrate our fantastic history and culture. It's your chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – all of which are FREE to explore.
The Museum is participating in Heritage Open Days for the very first time. We have two events planned:
Wednesday 15th September from 12:30 - 14:30
although, and if everyone is having fun and also wants to explore the Museum we are flexible with times. Both events are under the banner of Chard Remembers. The first is Food through History This event celebrates the stories and memories of local Chard residents through the theme of food. It contrasts the differences between village and town life, why people moved to the town, and even some war time memories.
The second is our World War 2 Cooking Challenge.
Ask people what they have done during the pandemic, many will say cook, or learn to cook. However, supply chains have been strong, different ingredients have been readily available. Imagine living through WW2 when produce was limited, even rationed.
The challenge is open to anyone. It is to cook and then create your own version of a WW2 recipe. However, there is a twist… to participate you must
1. Email is at info@chardmuseum.co.uk and write in the subject line WW2 Recipe
2. We will then send you a WW2 recipe randomly drawn from a fabulous list of recipes from a website called the we have discovered called The 1940's Experiment.
3. In our generosity you can tell us if you would prefer a main or desert recipe
One challenger has already been nominated Beetroot Pudding as their recipe, and as you all will have guessed it is a dessert. Yummy, its high on our list of favourite dishes....
Visit the Reservoir on Friday 17th September and learn more about its history. Then on Saturday 18th September you can explore hidden parts of the Guidhall, even climb to the top of the Bell Tower. This event is organised by Chard Town Council.
All these events are run by Consortium members of the three year Culturally Chard programme. This programme will bring together creative, heritage and community organisations to work together to deliver a bid that won them an £80k grant.
The Culturally Chard programme will create a diverse range of new activities and events to include two larger festivals, all with a connection to the historic town centre. Chard Museum is excited and proud to be a member of the Consortium and we really want all residents, community groups, schools and businesses to get involved and participate.