The wide range of events and exhibitions reflect the Museum's core themes
of exploring the past, present and future of the River Thames, the historic
riverside community of Henley-on-Thames and the international sport of
rowing.
These themes and the varied mix of events prove hugely popular and over
90,000 people visited the Museum last year. The Museum also has an active
education department with over 14,000 pupils visiting every year on school
visits.
Peter McConnell, Marketing Manager, The River and Rowing Museum
said: "We continue to demonstrate that the River and Rowing Museum
is so much more than rowing and our forthcoming exhibitions, events and
wider activities reflect this: For example, RRM Funtime is all about engaging
youngsters with their environment, while Fragments from the Foreshore
provides a unique view of the past not only of the Thames but also the
local communities it serves."
GALLERY
EXHIBTIONS
Permanent Exhibitions: |
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The Wind in the Willows
Walk-through the story of Mr Toad, Badger, Ratty & Mole and relive
their adventures in this charming recreation of the classic book,
perfect for all the family. |
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Our Neighbours from the Past: Stone Age to Saxon
Times
A fascinating insight into the way our ancestors lived, displaying
some of the finest antiquities from the Thames Valley. |
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The Invesco Perpetual Henley Gallery
An insight into the town built by the river. From industry to arts,
Civil War to sports, Henley has had a fascinating history. Travel
back through time to find out when the town was established, why it
has changed over time and how it became world famous. |
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The Schwarzenbach International Rowing Gallery
The new-look gallery tells the story of international rowing in a
truly dynamic way, allowing people to experience the sport and understand
what it's like to compete on the water. |
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The Thames Gallery
The largest of the River & Rowing Museum's permanent galleries,
it provides a unique interpretation of the River Thames from source
to sea. |
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Temporary Exhibitions:
Full press releases on each temporary exhibition will be
issued soon.
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RRM Funtime
(14 July - 23 September)
RRM Funtime is packed full of hands-on, interactive things to do for
children - guaranteed to provide lots of fun and a bit of learning
during the summer holidays. Stand on an 'Olympic' podium, build a
bridge, identify the mystery smell, dress up in amazing historical
costume or crack the answer to a devilish puzzle! The possibilities
are endless … |
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Fragments from the foreshore photographs by Michael
O'Reilly
(21 July - 4 November)
This striking display of contemporary still-life photographs features
found objects washed up and revealed on the foreshores of the tidal
river Thames by each outgoing tide. From World War II bottle tops
to Victorian shoes and medieval pottery, the fragments provide an
insight into the area's history and heritage as well as glimpses into
our ancient past. |
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In the Footsteps of Henry Taunt
(6 October - 20 January '08)
An exhibition of Taunt's stunning Victorian photographs of the River
Thames, accompanied by contemporary shots of the same views. The display
includes some 30 pairs of photographs, revealing a depth of information
about the river and its changing history over the intervening century.
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Undercurrents: Art works by Cynthia Barlow
Marrs
(10 November - 3 February 2008)
This series of visually stunning works draws an analogy between the
flow of a river and the narrative flow of stories. The artist's background
in environmental planning and her experience in the River of Words
creative writing course at the Museum come together in this unusual
interpretation. |
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| REGULAR
CLUBS FOR CHILDREN |
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Taylor Tug's Under Fives Club
(Creative activities for ages 18months to 5 years. Wednesdays during
term time 10am-11.30am or 1pm - 2.30pm. Half a term -5 weeks- £32.50
Whole term -10 weeks- £63)
Interactive sessions for parents to enjoy with their children. A range
of creative activities including craft, stories, song and free play
which explore the Museum. Sessions are led by a trained teacher and
are informal and fun for all. Sessions must be booked in advance for
a half or whole term only. |
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Artways Art Club
(Saturday 9 June, 15 September, 3 November 10.30-12.30pm £50
for each 5 week course)
Come and join a Saturday morning art club for 7 -11 year olds. Five
-week courses will explore ways of making art in a wide range of media.
The courses alternate between two-dimensional practice in drawing,
painting, printmaking and mixed media work; and three-dimensional
practice in clay work, environmental media, felt and construction.
The course includes all materials and refreshments and is led by experienced,
qualified tutors. Sessions must be booked in advance and start Saturday
9 June, 15 September, 3 November 10.30-12.30pm £50 for each
5 week course. |
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| FAMILY
AND CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT |
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Flotsam & Jetsam
(Tuesday 14 August 10.30am-12.30pm age 7-11 £8 - £7 members)
Explore the weird things found on the foreshore of the Thames through
Michael O'Reilly's photographs. Make your own foreshore and create
a special message in a bottle. |
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Taylor Tug Holiday Happenings
(Wednesday 15 August & Wednesday 29 August 11am-12.30pm age 18
mths to 5 years £6.50)
Come & enjoy the summertime with Taylor Tug creating exciting
things inspired by the Museum. Interactive sessions for parents to
enjoy with their children. |
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Mini Beast Feast
(Thursday 16 August 10.30-12.30pm age 4-7 £8 - £7 members)
Find out about the mini beasts that live near the river, how they
dance and hide and even frighten birds away. Make yourself a mini
beast costume. |
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Lets Go Fly a Kite
(Tuesday August 21 11am - 4pm Families with children aged 5 and over
Free with Museum admission)
Make your own dream kite out of scrap materials and see how well it
flies. All materials will be provided but you are welcome to bring
your own secret ingredient. |
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Drums & Dragons
(Wednesday 22 August 10.30am-12.30pm age 4 -7 £8 - £7
members)
Use the Greek Trireme in the Rowing Gallery as inspiration to make
your own drums and Dragon Boat. Does the rhythm of the drum help you
pull together? |
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Jokes & Jesters
(Thursday 30 August 10.30-12.30pm age 4-7 £8 - £7 members)
Imagine Henry VIII gliding down the Thames in his Royal Barge with
his Jester to keep him laughing. Train to be a Tudor Royal Jester…can
you make the king laugh? |
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Beadylicious
(Saturday 15 December 2-4pm £8 - £7 members + £8
materials)
Choose from a beautiful selection of freshwater pearls and crystals
to make your hand-crafted necklace, using tiger tail & sterling
silver finishing's. Learn the basic but effective techniques needed
to design and create this sophisticated and up-to-the-minute piece.
For 12-16 year olds. |
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Floating Story
(Saturday 22 September 2-4pm age 4-7 £8 - £7 members)
Come and listen to stories about the river and Mr Toad and his friends.
Then create your own floating mobile to help you tell stories to your
friends and family. |
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Voice-Over! Bring your own words to life on CD
(Sunday 23 September 2.30pm-5pm age 7-15 £15 - £13 members)
Calling all young writers! Bring a poem or story, even if it's not
quite finished, learn how to perfect it and record yourself bringing
it to life. Design your CD cover for the finished recording. |
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The Longest River of Drawing
(Saturday October 13 10am -5pm all ages Free with Museum admission)
This is your chance to take part in a nation-wide event and have a
go at drawing in the Thames Gallery on the 'longest river of drawing'.
Everybody has experience of drawing and you can take inspiration from
the Museum's collection of boats and add your imagination! All drawing
materials provided. Please see the Big Draw website for further information
and events: www.thebigdraw.org |
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Felt Lantern
(Tuesday 23 October 10.30-12.30 age 7-11 £8 - £7 members)
Learn how to make felt and create your own magical lantern for the
winter months ahead. Please bring your own jam jar. All other materials
including tea lights are provided. |
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Pirates of the Thames
(Monday 22 October 11.00am - 4.00pm all ages Free with Museum admission)
Ever wanted to walk the plank or find buried treasure? Well shiver
me timbers here's your chance. Bring some pieces of eight or dress
as a pirate and get in free. (Pirates courtesy of Langtree School). |
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All Creatures Great and Small
(Wednesday 24 October 10.30-12.30pm Age 7-11 £8 - £7 members)
Have fun using a video microscope to look closely at tiny creatures
you find near the river and discover what KPCOFGS means! This workshop
also celebrates the tercentenary of Carl Linnaeus and his work in
classifying all living things. |
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River Collage
(Wednesday 24 October 2 - 4pm age 7 - 11 £8 - £7 members)
Help to create a magical river collage of laminated threads &
glitter for the Museum, and one to make into a card to take home |
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Too Whit Too Woo
(Thursday 25 October 10.30-12.30pm age
4-7 £8 - £7 members)
As the nights draw in by the river, the owls wake up earlier to go
hunting. Listen to the story of Little Hoot the owl and make your
own Little Hoot and tree where he can sleep during the day. |
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Spooky Lanterns
(Friday 26 October 10.30-12.30 age 7-11 £8 - £7 members)
Forget carving pumpkins- make a ghostly glowing lantern from willow
and paper to light your way home. |
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Christmas Decorations
(Saturday 1 December 2-4 pm age 4-7 £8 - £7 members)
Make some fabulous Christmas decorations to hang on your tree! Stars,
angels, Christmas gnomes, and festive fantasies! All materials provided. |
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Christmas Baubles
(Saturday 8 December 10.30-12.30 pm age 7-11 £8 - £7 members)
Make unusual Christmas ornaments to hang on your tree- little lanterns
from natural materials such as willow and paper. |
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Christmas Sacks
(Saturday 15 December 2-4pm Age 7-11 £8 - £7 members)
Screen-print your own designs onto a Christmas sack, ready to fill
up with presents, or to jump into yourself! |
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Toad's Christmas
(Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23 December 11am-3pm all ages £1.50
per child)
Come and visit Toad in his caravan and tell him what you would like
for Christmas. Help Toad decorate his Christmas tree and make a variety
of decorations fit to grace Toad Hall. |
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Shadow Puppets
(Thursday 3 January 10.30-12.30 Age 7-11 £8 - £7 members)
Make some shadow puppets in black card and create a puppet show for
parents and carers to watch when they come to pick you up. |
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| SPECIALLY
FOR ADULTS: LECTURES & EVENTS |
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From Redgrave to Vancouver
(Sat 8th September, Mike Spracklen, £5/£3, 11am for 11.30am)
Mike Spracklen, is one of the world's most successful rowing coaches.
Currently coach of the Canadian men's Olympic squad and sometime coach
to Marlow, Leander, Steve Redgrave, Silken Laumann, Oxford, India,
GB and the US, Mike will tell the enthralling story of his travels
and triumphs around the world. |
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In the Footsteps of Henry Taunt
(Saturday 20 October, Graham Diprose, £5/£3, 11am for
11.30am)
Graham Diprose will talk about his project to make over 80 contemporary
shots of the views originally photographed by Henry Taunt. The Thames'
greatest Victorian Photographer photographed the river from 1859,
working from an out-rigged dinghy with a mobile 'dark-tent'. He published
his photographs as 'New Map of the River Thames', which proved an
instant success. |
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Henley's Workhouse: Paupers & Poor Law
(Saturday 3 November, Valerie Alasia, £5/£3, 11am for
11.30am)
To be poor in Henley in the 19th Century could mean going into the
workhouse- now part of Townlands Hospital. Find out about the lives
and living conditions of the paupers in Henley's workhouse. |
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Bug World: sex, violence & a cast of millions
(Saturday 17 November, Dr George McGavin, £5/£3, 11am
for 11.30am)
Open your eyes to the lives of the most successful and diverse group
of animals on Earth, the insects. George McGavin has published many
books on insects and was Consultant for the BBC series 'Life in the
Undergrowth'. |
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Paper Boats & Baths
4 December (weekday evening), Tim Fitzhigham, £5 (£3),
time
Tim Fitzhigham is an award winning stand up comic and raconteur. He
is also an adventurer whose exploits have earned him honours, meetings
with the Queen and no little pain! In 2003 Tim broke a 383 year-old
World Record by paddling a paper boat 160 miles down the River Thames
to raise money for Comic Relief. He nearly died in a failed attempt
to row a copper bath across the Channel in 2004 but was victorious
in 2005. Hear about Tim's amazing and hilarious waterborne exploits
at this very special talk. |
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ADULT
WORKSHOPS
Stimulate your imagination and explore your potential at our
weekend workshops for adults. |
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Beadylicious Basics
(Sat 8Sept, Diana Mowatt, 10.30 - 1.00. Second session 1.30-4pm if
there is the demand, £18/£15 + up to £18 for materials)
Learn the basic and versatile techniques required to begin creating
beautiful, personal pieces of jewellery using tiger tail, crimp beads,
sterling silver findings and various tools. Using these skills, design
and make a beautiful "illusion" necklace and/or earrings
and a bracelet. |
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Beadylicious Working with wire
(Saturday 6 October, Diana Mowatt, 1.30 - 4.00pm £18/£15,
+ up to £18 for materials)
If you already have basic jewellery-making skills, this workshop will
lead you into the versatile techniques involved in wire working to
create beautiful, personal pieces of jewellery using sterling silver
wire, beads, crystals and various tools. Design and complete a beautiful
piece of jewellery using your new skills. Create earrings, a bracelet
or a necklace. |
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Fruits of the Autumn
(Saturday 20 October, Joy Boddington, 10.30-4pm £36/£30
+ £3 materials)
Learn how to display fruits within a small modern flower design and
an unusual way of displaying flowers. Take home a basket of mixed
flowers, seed heads and berries and a smaller design using flower
heads and fruits. |
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Moving Images
(Saturday 3 November, Jane Draycott, 2pm - 4pm £18/£15)
A writing and film workshop. Explore the film in your head: a session
of informal kick-start exercises taking film extracts as inspiration
for your own writing. No experience necessary. Bring your own popcorn
(and notepad!). |
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Christmas Card Workshop
(Saturday 17 November, Camilla Shelley, 1.30 - 4.00 £18/£15)
Put time aside to make some special Christmas cards for your nearest
and dearest. Try out some new skills including screen-printing, mono-printing,
calligraphy and collage to create an original and thoughtful small
edition of up to ten cards. All materials will be provided but you
may like to bring some old Christmas cards to recycle or get ideas
from. |
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Beadylicious Working with Wire
(Saturday 1 December, Diana Mowatt, 10.30-1pm £18/£15
+ up to £18 for materials)
If you already have basic jewellery-making skills, this workshop will
lead you into the versatile techniques involved in wire working to
create beautiful, personal pieces of jewellery using sterling silver
wire, beads, crystals and various tools. Design and complete a beautiful
piece of jewellery using your new skills. Create earrings, a bracelet
or a necklace. |
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Christmas Table Flower decoration
(Saturday 15 December, Joy Boddington, 10.30-1pm £18/£15)
Make a simple but stunning Christmas table decoration. Learn how to
fix and decorate a large candle securely into oasis and how to use
seasonal plant material effectively and how to make it last. |
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CREATIVE
COURSES FOR ADULTS
Further your creative or academic skills through an
intensive course in conjunction with Buckinghamshire Chilterns University
College Combined Studies programme. All courses are credited at degree
Level 1. For more information phone the Education Department on 01491
415605 or www.rrm.co.uk |
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Drawn to it
(7 three-hour, fortnightly sessions starting Saturday 15 September
1.30-4.30pm £90 for 7 weeks, Camilla Shelley)
Explore drawing for fun, to enhance your portfolio or to indulge a
passion. Rise to the challenge of drawing in a variety of materials
from memory, from artefacts, from a life model and from the unique
surroundings of the Museum. |
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Victorian Painting: The Bigger Picture
(7 three-hour, fortnightly sessions starting Saturday 15 September
1.30-4.30, £80 for 7 weeks, Vivian Northcote)
This course will examine Victorian painting in relation to some of
the major issues and major players in Victorian society. The relationship
between art, society, literature and industry will be discussed fully
to bring alive this fascinating period in British history. |
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Making Yourself Heard
(12 three hour fortnightly sessions starting Saturday 29th September,
10am to 1pm, £120 for 12 weeks, David Grubb)
A practical course exploring short story, poetry, radio and stage
drama, travel and documentary writing. Students will write, discuss
and compile portfolios of their work, inspired by the Museum itself
and the world beyond. Advice on routes to publication or production
will be provided and the course will culminate in a performance of
work. |
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| HENLEY
LITERARY FESTIVAL |
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The Poetry School: Sonnet Workshop
(Saturday 22nd September, 10.30 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. £20/£18
concs & members, Jo Shapcott)
A workshop led by one of the UK's most exciting contemporary poets.
A morning of thinking and breathing sonnets, looking at sonnets old
and new, turning them inside and out and taking the chance to try
writing your own. So please bring pens/pencils, notebooks and a willingness
to have a go. |
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The Poetry School : Jo Shapcott
(Saturday 22nd September, 2.30 - 3.30 pm, £7/£5 concs
& members)
A not-to-be missed reading by one of the UK's finest poets. Jo Shapcott
is the author of four books of poetry. Winner of Forward, Cholmondeley
and Commonwealth awards for her work, she is currently Deputy Director
of Creative Writing at Royal Holloway University of London. She is
President of the Poetry Society. |
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Run River Run
(with Graham Fawcett. Sunday 23rd September, 2pm - 3 p.m, £9/£7
concs & members)
(in association with The Poetry School)
The breathtaking energy and grace of water in full spate and gentle
flow has drawn poets to the banks of rivers, real and imagined, in
Asia and Africa or threading their way across English and European
and American open country. Graham Fawcett finds their currents running
in some of the great river poems of all time |