Museum celebrates 90th birthday of volunteer

Alan joined the Museum as a volunteer back in September 1997, having seen an advertisement for the Museum in the local papers. “As a retired structural engineer, the buildings interested me,” says Alan.

He started out working for the curatorial team, where he carried out odd jobs around the site. Following a meeting with Roger Champion, who was the master carpenter at the Museum, Alan then got involved with the erection of Poplar Cottage, which was completed in 1999.

“Being the first building I was involved with, Poplar Cottage is my favourite at the Museum,” says Alan who now has his own bench looking over the 17th century cottage.

Another building Alan has seen constructed at the Museum, is the award-winning Downland Gridshell. Alan used to do guided tours every day of the week telling visitors about the project, what stage it was at and what would be happening next. “We had an observation platform up on the top level of the scaffold,” says Alan. “I used to take people up there to see the project, so I saw every single piece being put together.”

As well as working on the buildings, Alan also worked with the heavy horses at the Museum for over four years. Now in his 90th year, Alan still runs the Gridshell tours as often as he can and continues to carry out maintenance on items in the Museum’s collection.

For his 90th birthday, his family surprised him by presenting him with a plaque to go on his own bench at the Museum, which overlooks Poplar Cottage.

The Museum was then delighted to host his birthday celebrations in the Gridshell, with his family visiting from across the country, and many old friends as well as volunteers who Alan has met over the 26 years he has supported the Museum.

Museum Director, Simon Wardell, comments: “We are so grateful for everything Alan has contributed over the many years he has volunteered with us. Our volunteers are the heart and soul of the Weald & Downland Living Museum, and we are always so appreciative of the passion and time they put into the Museum.”