Mansfield Museum Curator gets royal summons

Curator of Mansfield Museum, Liz Weston has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List with an MBE for services to heritage and the community.

Liz, who has worked at the Museum for 26 years, was stunned and delighted when a letter arrived from the Cabinet Office informing her of her award. “Getting an MBE is absolutely thrilling,” she said.

“It’s the ultimate way of saying thanks to someone. I’ve been overwhelmed by the response from friends and members of the public. I’ve even been recognised in the local sweet shop and chip shop!”

Liz became interested in museums as a child, when her godmother, who worked in a museum in Portsmouth, used to visit the family home with a car full of stuffed animals. After a degree in science, Liz did a postgraduate degree in Museum Studies at Leicester University and worked at the Horniman and Science Museums in London before taking up her current post. 

Under Liz’s expert hand, Mansfield Museum has transformed into an interactive, child friendly, educational visitor attraction, winning the Guardian’s Family Friendly Museum of the Year award in 2011. It also recently secured £304,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to develop the Arcade Gallery.

Liz puts the success of the Museum down to the exceptional staff and the support of the Council. Liz said:

“The people who work here are very positive and full of enthusiasm. They are willing to do anything. At the moment they are making toadstools for the summer exhibition and that’s certainly not in their job description.”

Liz is looking forward to visiting Buckingham Palace, although the date for the ceremony has not been set. “I’ve been told it will take place before Christmas with either the Queen or Prince Charles,” says Liz. “My daughter is getting excited, as there is a possibility that the singer Adele will be there at the same time.”

To find out more about Mansfield Museum, visit www.mansfield.gov.uk or follow them on twitter @MansfieldMuseum