Museum News

Off To Arran We Go...

Our Wonderful Group of Volunteers

13 Hardback Gallovidian Annuals

Dalbeattie Museum remembers Mr Ernie Robinson

Offical Presentation Of The Queens Award

Dalbeattie Museum Awarded Queens Award

New Acquisitions for 2011
Visit of the Lord Lieutenant

Off To The Isle of Arran We Go....

Tommy and his wife Phemie Henderson took off for the Island of Arran on the 17th October 2010. Tommy ( Chairman and Founder of Dalbeattie Museum) had been asked at the end of 2009 if he would give a talk to The Antiquarians on the Island, on how he made the Museum in Dalbeattie happen.

Tommy described to the crowd of about eighty people about how his dream of having a museum in Dalbeattie took shape over a number of years and explained about the help he had from friends and tradesman in the town. The title of his talk was "A Dream Come True!". His talk resembled in many ways the dream that the islanders had an idea of a museum. Tommy in his usual manner made the talk enjoyable by adding many funny antidotes, like how three of the volunteers vacuumed a carpet in the street!. A quote from the local newspaper "The Arran Banner" wrote, Local groups would be well advised to contact Tommy to persuade him to return to Arran to meet him and be entertained by him!. At the end of the meeting Grace Small gave the vote of "Thanks". They went on to have afternoon tea with the club.

Tommy and Phemie said that the people at the meeting were all lovely, very welcoming and that they had had a great time with The Antiquarians and hoped them every success in their Heritage Centre.

2010 Volunteers

Community Champion Award

Dumfries and Galloway Life magazine held its first awards ceremony to reward unsung heros in our area at Easterbrook Hall at the Crichton on Wednesday 10th November. It was at this ceremony that Tommy Henderson our founder and Chairman of Dalbeattie Museum was awarded the Community Champion Award for his life time dedication to the town of Dalbeattie and Dalbeattie Museum.

Tommy said " It was the biggest surprise of my life that they chose me!".

What made this award even more special was that it was sponsored by The Glasgow Association, who are no strangers to the Museum and the work that Tommy does. Tommy revealed that it gave him great pleasure to think that people in the area thought so highly of him. The Crystal Trophy stand proud in his house as a reminder of this happy occasion.

Tommy would also like to take this opportunity to say a huge Thank You for who nominated him and to say no one could appreciate the award more than him!

13 Hardback Gallovidian Annuals

Only a few weeks ago the Museum became the custodians of 13 bound Gallovidian Annuals from Rory Callan,  Mr Ivie Callan grandson. these have been given to the Museum on a long term loan but they will be a great source of information for our visitors to refer to for local information and history of the area.

Dalbeattie Museum remembers Mr. Ernie Robinson

The name Ernie Robinson will be known the whole world over through his passion for all things that had a connection with the sea. Especially Ernie's huge interest in all that sailed on the Solway Firth.

Ernie was a lecturer at one time in Penrith. He had a holiday home called "Victory Cottage" in the village of Portling in Dumfries and Galloway.  This was where Dalbeattie Museums President Mr Tommy Henderson was to first meet Ernie, as he had required an electrician to do some wiring at the cottage. This is almost 45 years ago and they became close friends ever since.

Tommy Henderson was encouraged by Ernie to start his Museum in Dalbeattie, even though Ernie never took an active part in the building of the Museum he was always in the background.

His knowledge of local history especially local ships and their captains, where and when each ship was built and even to how much they cost. He spent hours in London researching out information from Maritime records. All copied by long hand.

Ernie was a perfectionist especially if a wrong date appeared in type, as Tommy has found in the books which were gifted to the Museum.

The Museum now has the most comprehensive collection of facts and figures appertaining to the sailing vessels that frequented the Solway Firth and the River Urr, when the boats came up as far as Dalbeattie Harbour.

Ernie will be sadly missed by his friends and acquaintances in Dalbeattie Museum.

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The Official Presentation of The Queens Award for Voluntary Service 2009

On Tuesday the 7th Of July 2009 in the Town Hall, Dalbeattie. Dalbeattie Museum was officially presented with their Queens Award Certificate and Commemorative Crystal Ware for Voluntary Service, from  Lt. Col. Sir Malcolm Ross, GCVO OBE.

The Presentation Ceremony started off by guests being met by the Lieutenant's Piper, Miss Megan Morgan.

 The introductions were done by Mr. Derek Crichton, Area Manager for the Stewartry. Followed  by Mrs. Jean Farish who gave a small speech about how the museum had received the award. Next the presentation, where Tommy Henderson, Chairman, received the certificate and Crystal Ware from Lt. Col. Sir Malcolm Ross.  Mr. Tommy Henderson then replied on behalf of the volunteers with a speech thanking everyone for this huge privilege bestowed on them. Shortly after Mr. Tommy Henderson gave a presentation on the history of the making of Dalbeattie Museum.

A Buffet and light refreshments finished off the exciting evening. 

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Dalbeattie Museum Awarded The Queens Award For Voluntary Services

Dalbeattie Museum's voluntary members were awarded this highly prestigious award on the 2nd of June 2009 as a recognition of all their hard work over the last 16 years. Tommy Henderson said on receiving the news of the award "It is really wonderful that the museum and the people of Dalbeattie have been recognized for all the hard work that has gone in over the years" the award will be presented by the Lord Lieutenant of Stewartry on a later date and four members of the museum trust have been invited to the Queens garden party at Holyrood House in Edinburgh. 

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New Acquisitions for 2011

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On entering the Museum you can see a large glass display cabinet of vintage type writers and a display of very early and interesting sewing machines!

And in the cabinate opposite can be found the pewter mug reputed to have belonged to Jean Armour ( Robert Burns Wife), in the same cabinet can be found the oldest object being a flint Arrow Head, found on the beach at Rockcliffe.

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Website

This is an exciting time for the museum at the moment, as the volunteers are excited about having a Webpage to promote the museum to a wider audience, and to bring it right up to date with technology.

As the motto of the museum is not only to look back but to also look forward to the future.

We have had many enquiries through the web site, many people looking for relatives or information on the town. Many Clubs and Organizations have also checked out viewing times.

Thanks must go to Mr Jon Gibbs-Smith for his help and support in building this web site. Mr Tommy Henderson (Chairman) said “This is going to be a great innovation to the running of the  museum.”

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Visit of the Lord Lieutenant
The Lord Lieutenant of this district Sir Michael Ross on this annual tour of Dalbeattie visited our museum. He was met by the Chairman Mr Tommy Henderson who in turn introduced him to most of the volunteers that help run the museum throughout he year. This was the first time in 20years any official visit to the museum had taken place.

He was most impressed with what he saw. He wished us every success in our new venture, and hoped the new extension to our premises would encourage lots more visitors this coming year.
After coffee and biscuits he thanked everyone and congratulated the trust on the enthusiasm and dedication of its members to achieve a museum of such a high standard and to the preservation of all that Dalbeattie had added to the economy of the District in the past. His last remark was “I will be back!”.

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Keep watching this space. Thank you.

Tommy Henderson
Chairman