The 7th Derbyshire Heritage Awards Ceremony was held in the magnificent setting of Barrow Hill Roundhouse on Friday 19 July 2013.
Setting the scene
It was a beautiful summer evening beginning with tours of the Roundhouse site led by members of the Barrow Hill Engine Shed Society, followed by drinks and a wonderful selection of canapés served in the Buffet by Geraldine Norton.
The Awards
The Awards are an annual celebration of all the wonderful work that has been taking place in museums and heritage sites across Derbyshire.
The Derbyshire Heritage Forum organised the Heritage Awards with help from Anita Hollinshead, Freelance Museum and Heritage Services. The Awards were grant funded by Museum Development East Midlands. The Judges were Joy Hales (Editor of Derbyshire Life Magazine); Neville Stankley (Employability Co-ordinator for Arts and Humanities, Nottingham Trent University) and Alex Woodhall (PhD Researcher, School of Museum Studies, University of Leicester).
The Mayor of Chesterfield, Councillor Paul Christopher Stone opened the Ceremony followed by an Address by Cllr Ellie Wilcox, Deputy Cabinet Member, Health and Communities, Derbyshire County Council.
Mervyn Allcock, Site Manager of Barrow Hill Roundhouse welcomed the 70 guests to Barrow Hill and gave a fascinating insight into how the site had been rescued from proposed demolition in 1991 and its subsequent restoration and development.
Other guests included Christopher Pennell, HLF Committee Chair for the East Midlands, David James, Chief Executive Visit Peak District and Derbyshire, Jim Dixon, Chief Executive Peak National Park Authority, Mrs Barbara Wallace, Mayoress of Chesterfield, as well as members of the Derbyshire Museums Forum, representatives of Nottingham Trent University and museum consultants.
Photographs were taken by Glynn Wilton and Andy Dowson.
The Ceremony was led by Anita Hollinshead with two of the Judges, Joy Hales and Neville Stankley. The Winners were announced by David James, Chief Executive of Visit Peak District and Derbyshire, who also presented them with their plaques and certificates.
The Winners of the 7th Derbyshire Heritage Awards are:
Best Event
Hope House Costume Museum for Dig for Victory Flower and Costume Festival
(Highly Commended – Erewash Museum for Downton at Dalby House)
Best Exhibition
Creswell Crags and the British Museum for Swimming Reindeer, a Story of a Journey
Inspiration Award
Derbyshire Record Office for Building Project/Artist in Residence
Work with Collections
Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust for Restoration of a 1920s Royal Saloon railway carriage (no.45000)
(Highly Commended – National Trust Museum of Childhood, Sudbury Hall for Collections Online)
Award for Work with Children and Young People
Erewash Museum for Social Media Project
Outstanding Volunteer
George Challenger, Bakewell Old House Museum
Outstanding Volunteers
Tour Guide Team, Sir Richard Arkwright’s Cromford Mills
Museum of the Year 2013
Creswell Craggs
Judges’ Special Award
Enlightenment!, Buxton Museum and Art Gallery, Derby Museums and Strutt’s North Mill, Belper, for the realisation of an exemplary joint vision
The Judges’ said:
“This year we felt there was one outstanding project that could have fitted into all the award categories but its scope and realisation placed it beyond them all and has accomplished something of national significance. A partnership project between Buxton, Derby and Belper – Derbyshire should feel proud to have people with this scale of ambition to enhance the county’s collections through strategic acquisition in what we all know are difficult times. They had the vision to develop partnerships both within and outside the sector that will leave something of lasting significance. It is a real honour to present this to the Enlightenment team as a glowing testimony to an outstanding project”
