National Museums Liverpool Blog - sudley house

Mansions and Merchants

'Mansions and Merchants' is a small display upstairs in Sudley which is inspired by Liverpool’s maritime history and rich heritage of fine houses and landscapes. The display is a series of foam-board structures which act as plinths to display artwork and objects. Maps then lie at the base of each piece of art reminding us of where the inspiration for the art work comes from.

The project behind the display is a partnership with the Mersey Care NHS Early Interventions Team. Artists worked alongside participants in Sudley’s Learning Suite which, I imagine, is the ideal place to set up studio for some creative work, being set in such a secluded and beautiful location!

My favourite piece in the exhibit was a large box, which is inspired by a tea caddy, reminding us that tea was an important part of Liverpool's merchant history. The pattern reflects delicate Chinese porcelain, examples of which can be found in Sudley itself.

The display also highlights how useful the arts are to the community; creative projects like these can engage participants in a new way where they can benefit from relaxed surroundings to explore ideas, think and write before creating the final installation.

One of our hard-working volunteers tells us about her role:

Louise helping young visitors with their crafts

Hi, my name is Louise McClelland, and I’ve been volunteering at Sudley House for 2 years. I‘m here every Friday, meeting and greeting people that visit.

Another part of my role is to help out with the family workshops either at the weekends or during the week. This involves helping to prepare the materials needed, informing families and children what the workshop entails and providing any help and support that they need.

I enjoy all the workshops, as I learn to make something new and different every time. They also attract a lot of different characters and personalities!

I really enjoy working with the children and their families, as there is no greater satisfaction then when the children have done the craft activity and are showing you what they have made, knowing that I helped them create it.

I volunteer in the Museum of Liverpool too, and work in Little Liverpool on a Tuesday. As well as families, I also get to help any schools and special needs groups which come into Little Liverpool. Occasionally I help out at weekends when the MoL has big event on.  I love working there as I get to interact with the children through play and chat to their adults.

I love volunteering for NML as it has provided me with the opportunity to meet some lovely people, make some new friends, and has helped to make museums and art galleries a passion in my life. I am always learning something new, and I’ve found that no day is ever the same as there is something new happening all the time.

Make your own deccies at Sudley House this weekend!

The frenzied shopping has reached fever pitch and don’t get me started on cheesy Christmas tunes on repeat. Sometimes the most 'wonderful time of the year' feels far from it!

Which is why festive celebrations at Sudley House on Saturday 15 December are going to be such a welcome treat!

Join in with free festive crafts, musical performances and you might even a meet the very talented Santa, who is taking a break from his busy schedule to show off his artistic skills.

Events:
 
Christmas creations   
11am - 4pm
Make a jolly Christmas character and a colourful festive collage.

Seasonal stories   
11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm & 3pm
Join our storyteller for seasonal tales amongst the fascinating displays of historic toys and children's costume.

Sketchy Santa       
1 - 4pm
Did you know Santa was a talented artist? He’ll be taking inspiration from the artwork around him and creating drawings you can take away.

Sudley Junior School choir   
1.30pm
Christmas Carols in the library led by our guest choir.

Traditional Christmas songs
12-3pm
Classical guitar player Tony Crotty performs 19th century music and Christmas carols.

Victorian crafts
1-4pm
Tutors from Greenbank College will show you how to make Victorian Christmas cards and decorations.

For more Christmas events at National Museums Liverpool, check our listings page.

A year after joining National Museums Liverpool as a Visitor Assistant at the brand new Museum of Liverpool I find myself transported back in time, I have swapped the very new for the very very old.

Liverpool is a city steeped in  maritime history. But while you might expect to find tales of smuggler’s coves and bravery at sea in Merseyside Maritime Museum,  the city  itself can surprise you with  many stories of its seafaring and merchant links.

Sudley  House, former home of George Holt

I was  recently introduced to Helen Fowler from The Monro pub on Duke Street  and after a quick coffee and  a chat I discovered not only were The Monro hosting an installation for Liverpool Biennial , but it is also a building bursting with historic tales to tell . I found out about the steam ship which it is named after and its former owner Colonel John Bolton . He was the most wealthy Liverpool merchant of his generation  and  no doubt inspired George Holt who lived just across town at Sudley House in Mossley Hill. 

With the tall ships returning to Liverpool this week  and our own exciting Biennial exhibitions soon to arrive at the Walker Art Gallery, we’ve joined  up with The Monro  to create a little trail  around the city and beyond. The trail highlights our merchant and maritime connections and collections  - you can download the trail here.   You may even find yourself a cup of coffee as a reward at the end!

A picnic just isn't a picnic without your favourite ted!

If you go down to Sudley House this weekend, you’ll probably find it filled with families, teddy bears and picnic boxes. The Great British picnic is a favourite and is only topped when accompanied by a clan of teddy bears!

Sudley House’s leafy green grounds are a lovely spot for a picnic and the recent bout of good weather makes lunching on some grass particularly appealing.

It’s therefore time to pack up the cocktail sausages, select a teddy-bear, and don a sun hat, plus a pac-a-mac, and join the fun at Sudley from 11-4pm!

Other events:

• Join us on a teddy bear adventure as we invite children to use their imaginations to go on a teddy bear hunt.
• Create your own special teddy bear mask to take home.
• Have a go at decorating a yummy gingerbread teddy with our friendly café staff (a small charge applies).
• Snuggle up with your teddy and listen to teddy bear tales with our storyteller.

We'll we've told you what things you can see to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee, now let us tell you what you might do!

You don't have to travel all the way to London to join the party. At the Walker Art Gallery we have a crown-making workshops 2 June to Tuesday 5 June, between 10 am and 4 pm

One young visitor getting swept up in the royal celebrations!

The Lady Lever Art Gallery and Museum of Liverpool also enjoy treating their visitors like royalty and will also be hosting crown-making workshops on 4 and 5 June.

For those who prefer to leave crown-wearing to the experts there is a flag-making workshop at the Lady Lever Art Gallery and Sudley House on Saturday 2 June between 1 pm and 4 pm. Visitors to Sudley can also leave a special message of congratulations which we will send to the Queen (by Royal Mail of course!)

Delicious Smoked Anglesey mackerel is on the menu at Merseyside Maritime Museum, which is hosting lunch fit for a Queen in its Maritime Dining Rooms! The full Royal menu, enjoyed by Her Majesty The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh on their recent visit, is available to the public from today until Tuesday 5 June. To book call 0151 478 4056.

There are dozens of free family events across the bank holidays and the rest of half term. Check the website for details.

From 'The Pickwick Papers' to 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood' which is your favourite Charles Dickens story? Ciarán and Holly, Management students from LIPA, have devised a day of performance and interactions that bring some of the wonderful Dickens stories to life.

Here they tell us more:

Excitement is mounting as we put the final pieces in place for our event based on Dickens' world at Sudley House.

On Sunday 13th May from 11am until 4pm, characters from Dickens’ classics will roam the house with the accompaniment of live music and interactive activities for all to enjoy.

'I stole her heart away and put ice in its place' Miss Havisham, 'Great Expectations'

This dramatised event will showcase some of the most infamous characters from Dickens’ novels. Keep an eye out for:

• Ebenezer Scrooge from 'A Christmas Carol'
• The Artful Dodger & Nancy from 'Oliver Twist'
• Miss Havisham from 'Great Expectations'.

You can look forward to meeting Ebenezer Scrooge behind his desk within the study and if the sun is shining, Nancy may appear in the rose garden at the front of the house – we will stop there however before we give too much away!

At LIPA we are fortunate enough to have plenty of creative students studying the dramatic craft and are therefore always willing to perform and explore characters. A number of our Community Drama students will be playing some of the most well known roles within Charles Dickens’ repertoire. We look forward to seeing you there; feel free to question the actors about their lives, costume and language.

One of the most unique things about Sudley House is its wonderful grounds and the garden, which visitors can really make the most of now that the weather is improving! Here is Visitor Host Simon Breedon to tell us more...

Visitor Host Simon Breedon admiring Sudley's pond.

In fact most of the trees in the grounds are slowly putting out leaves, giving the whole estate a beautiful 'countryside' feel. There are two magnificent and mighty Tulip trees which are well worth heading over to see, especially in a couple of months when the lovely little tulip-like flowers are in full bloom.

Spring is a great time for children to visit Sudley House. They can keep an eye on the progress of the tadpoles in the pond and watch them as they slowly evolve into frogs. The courtyard area is also a good place to watch the amazing variety of birds, ranging from Long-Tailed Tits to Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers. If you’re very lucky you may even spot a Sparrowhawk or Kestrel.

If it's a fine day visitors can just go into the courtyard - if the weather is bad, then ask a member of staff for assistance.

Children at the Maritime Museum looking at the giant ship model of Titanic

There can’t be many people who don’t know about Liverpool’s special guests this weekend. Three fantastical giants will be striding through the city telling a magical tale of love, loss and reunion. 

Sea Odyssey was inspired by the poignant letter written by May McMurray to her father who perished on the Titanic, on display in the Maritime Museum's exhibition, Titanic and Liverpool: the untold story.

The routes of both giants pass most of our venues so we have arranged the following free events to give you even more to do this weekend:

Maritime Museum

'Titanic and Liverpool: the untold story' marks the centenery of the sinking of the Titanic. Using the perspectives of real people, the exhibition gives a unique insight into events surrounding the launch, voyage, the sinking and its aftermath from a Liverpool angle.

Free family events explore the story further this weekend and beyond.

The Maritime Museum is open from 9am on Sunday 22 April.

Museum of Liverpool

In a poignant tribute to the brave Titanic Orchestra whose services were engaged by the agent Black Brothers of Liverpool, the museum is hosting a Titanic Playathon on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 April.

There will also be other Titanic themed events across the weekend.

The Museum of Liverpool is open from 9am on Sunday 22 April.

Walker Art Gallery

Get creative at the Walker with the following family events:

Create a character
Saturday 21 April
2-4.30pm
Get ready for the arrival of Sea Odyssey’s Giant Uncle and make your own movable puppet.

Giants galore
Friday 20, Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 April
10am-4pm
Join us in Big Art to create your own artwork inspired by Sea Odyssey Giant Spectacular.

Sea Odyssey doodle station
Friday 20, Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 April 
12.30-4.30pm
Join our volunteers for an afternoon of themed drawing activities and experiment with a variety of drawing equipment and materials.

Sudley House

'Titanic: Community costume display'
27 April- 27 May 2012
Selection of poignant works by Liverpool Community College to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.

Create a character
28 April
1-4pm
Explore the Sea Odyssey costumes and make your own moving character.