Hello!
My name is Catherine Carver. I am a student from the University of Southern Indiana. I will be arriving in New Lanark on Friday as an intern and I am so thrilled and excited to meet you all! I can’t wait to get started working. See you then!
Search Room – a volunteer’s tale
New Lanark Trust has started work on an exciting project to digitise its archives and I am one of 6 volunters recruited to help with the development of the project. I thought it would be a good idea to record our experiences right from the beginning, so this is the first of what I hope will be many posts from us volunteers. We have a lot to learn! We have all completed the formal induction process and have three days of training in collections management, digitisation and on-line archiving – all the material will be made available on line in the fullness of time. I think I speak for all the volunteers when I say that we are really looking forward to getting started. So… watch this space!
18 May
spent two days this week at New Lanark learning about collections managment – still very much a paper based system with forms in triplicate for taking in items, recording movement, disposal etc. On the second day we got to play – practicing marking items in a variety of ways - marking with permanent markers, sewing on labels and sticking on labels with wheat starch paste. We also handled artifacts wearing white cotton gloves!
next Wednesday we are learing how to use the eHive on-line archiving system before we start work for real the following week. Knowing the amount of photos New Lanark has in the filing cabinets I imagine we will have our work cut out!
special welcome to Catherine, our intern from the University of Southern Indiana, who is sharing this journey with us for 6 weeks.
Roof Garden diary update – April 2012
Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly
Roof Garden diary update – March 2012
Daffodil on the Roof Garden
Spring-flowering bulbs are always a welcome sight after winter. The snowdrops are already fading, but February’s mild weather brought the first daffodils (Narcissus) slightly earlier than last year. The sturdy ‘Rynvelds Early Sensation’ glows with vibrant yellow trumpets surrounded by paler creamy yellow petals. Different varieties will appear in the weeks ahead. This is also the best time to see the animal and bird sculptures around New Lanark Roof Garden before the vegetation grows up and conceals them. Made by local artists from recycled materials, all the sculptures represent creatures that live in the surrounding countryside, e.g. frogs, otters, owls, crows, badgers and hares. Come and see who will be hiding in New Lanark Roof Garden at Easter! Click here for details of our spring activities.
In flower in March – Daffodils
Top Award for New Lanark Mill Hotel
Some of the team from New Lanark Mill Hotel & New Lanark Trust
These awards are hosted by North and South Lanarkshire Councils and recognise outstanding business achievements and success. This year saw record numbers of entrants making for strong competition in all the categories.
In the past year New Lanark Mill Hotel has gone from strength to strength having achieved a significant increase in turnover, occupancy and customer satisfaction. The hotel is one of the top listed hotels in the Lanarkshire area on the independent review website TripAdvisor.com.
John Stirrat, Hotel General Manager said:
“To receive such a prestigious award is truly fantastic. I am delighted to accept it on behalf of all the staff members who have contributed so much to the hotel’s success.”
The 38-bedroom hotel is set in stunning surroundings within a UNESCO World Heritage Site and facilities include a restaurant, health and fitness club, and banqueting and conference facilities. New Lanark Trust owns the hotel, and surpluses are used to help the continued restoration and conservation of the historic mill village.
Lorna Davidson, Director, New Lanark Trust said:
“The hotel’s performance in business terms is key to the ongoing development of this truly unique site. New Lanark attracts a significant number of visitors each year from all over the world, contributes to the local economy, and provides employment in this rural Lanarkshire area. This award is a great accolade for the hotel and New Lanark Trust. ”
Roof Garden diary update – Feb 2012
New Lanark Snowdrop
As spring approaches, photosynthesis will gather pace. It is the miraculous process by which green plants weave sunlight together with water and carbon dioxide to make the carbohydrates and starches that form the basic food supply for all living things. Scientists still do not fully understand how it works. In the BBC 4 television programme, ‘Botany: a Blooming History’, Timothy Walker explained that scientists are trying to mimic photosynthesis in the lab, with the aim of creating new kinds of clean fuels. The plant world is truly amazing – so visit New Lanark Roof Garden and be inspired!
In flower in February – Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis).
Video presentation by Prof. Chris Williams about Robert Owen
Professor Chris Williams, from Swansea University’s College of Arts and Humanities, speaks of his book, Robert Owen and His Legacy, co-authored with Professor Noel Thompson of Swansea University. Robert Owen (1771-1858), a radical thinker and humanitarian employer, made a major contribution to nineteenth-century social movements including co-operatives, trade unions and workers education. He was a pioneer of enlightened approaches to the education of children and an advocate of birth control. He established utopian communities in both the United Kingdom and the United States of America, and is often thought of as a leading early British socialist.
Short video presentation by Professor Chris Williams from Swansea University on the life and legacies of Robert Owen – click this link to view video.
Roof Garden diary update
Owl on the Roof Garden in winter
New Lanark Roof Garden in winter
Reindeer on the Roof Garden in winter
Visit to New Lanark by Thornlie Primary School
Leslie's card from Thornlie Primary School
Topics ranged from toys and games in the past, the Rights of the child, dancing, seasons, and food, and a chat show between David Dale and Robert Owen, accompanied by humorous songs.
Leslie from New Lanark Visitor Centre was lucky to be their Tour Guide when they visited and was invited to the school as their guest at the ‘New Lanark Assembly’. Miss McMillan, who was full of enthusiasm, led the assembly, and Nathan, Chloe and Kali, compered it, providing a slick and effervescent presentation. Leslie was delighted to have been invited and said, “The assembly leaves me with lovely memories, and the flowers and card that they gave me are beautiful. It was an absolute pleasure to be their Guide when they visited and to see the whole school participating.” The photograph shows the front of the card Leslie received from the school.