Bring on 2010…!

Well, 2009 has been an eventful year, in many different ways at Geevor, though I suppose all years have their characteristic happenings!

The events programme was kept up throughout the year, a first for Geevor, and the programme for 2010 is soon to be published (ahead of the game for once! Progress at last!). Another year of firsts, as the underground section was opened up for visitors to self-guide, giving them more freedom and less waiting time over the summer, which (despite my initial reservations about quality of experience) seemed to be well-received by visitors and even encouraged many to stay onsite longer and explore the site further – it was brillliant to see so many red helmets in the distance down by the coastpath, clambering over the spoil heaps and investigating the old mine buildings which usually get ignored! The saturdays opening though, weren’t popular with staff, requiring overtime by all members, even office staff helping out throughout the summer, and so hopefully some other solution will be made for next summer.  All trial and error of ideas really. Some work, some don’t, you just got to make sure that you learn from the experience!

The new website is up and running and hopefully will help all those visitors to Geevor site, physically or virtually! A new member of staff, Claire S, joined the Learning Team, whilst our other Claire (R) successfully completed her KTP and is now working in London (she was always going to be a highflier!). Jo B came back for half the year, to go on maternity leave in Sept, but it’s worth it – Hello to Baby George!  Yet November also saw the beginning of the end of Bill’s reign as full-time trustee, his daily input will be missed, but hopefully he’ll still show his face around here from time to time… The Learning Team has been able to commission and print their new learning leaflet, and all the accompanying resources that it promotes! That was a big job over summer, as well as all the events going on, but our resources will always be revised and improved upon continually, including our loan boxes which we have finalised for peoples use. Our Christmas Event at Geevor, on Mon 21st Dec, went really well, even though we weren’t sure how the new position of the grotto (by the cafe, rather than underground) and the different format to previous years would be received. But we needed have worried – we had over 100 people visit the grotto! and the volunteers and work experience students who decorated it did a grand job, and many visitors said how wonderful it looked.

But what of 2010? Well, already some changes will be taking place in the Learning Team from the end of January. The Learning Links Fund for professional development that I’m doing with a teacher at St. Ives School, will continue to evolve as we try to develop resources for secondary schools’ use specifically at Geevor. We’ve also been awarded a Volunteer Development Fund, to encourage volunteers to join our existing volunteer team. All the usual events, as well as some novel ones, will be going on…

What else will happen in 2010? Only God knows at the moment, but by this time next year, we will be looking back on 2010 again, and I’m sure that it will be as eventful as 2009!

Happy New Year to All!

Not quite Blackpool this year!

Geevor’s Curator, Jo W, blogs on Christmas at Geevor…..

The photo below is probably from the early 1980s – a time when Geevor was profiting nicely from its tin production and well able to afford such an onstentatious Christmas ‘Tree’. Surely Santa had no problems finding Pendeen that year?. Well, given that an average month’s leccy bill for the mine in early 1980s ran into the hundred thousands, I don’t suppose a few extra fairy lights would make much of a difference. However, in 2009 trying to recreate this spectable ain’t so simple. Still got the ‘tree’, check, but now we need a scaffolding tower, and more than the two available plug sockets…. Bah humbug!. What we were able to achieve was something lovely and sparkly without either of the above, but it’s not quite Blackpool…..

Gendall Design helped out again this year with a generous donation towards ourChristmas fund and we have two lovely Christmas Trees, better lights, a grotto worthy of Santa and all the reindeer (ironically in the old stables, so we’re expecting some guests around the 25th!), an exciting Christmas craft activity and a slight hint of Christmas cheer amongst the staff to say thank you for. Our Christmas Day yesterday was super – lots of glitter and santa and presents and fun.

Last week we held our annual Volunteers Christmas Gathering – what a success it was, with a record turn out of volunteers. It was cleverly timed to allow our archive volunteers an opportunity to defrost after their stint in the archive room (over a mince pie or two). I was running a successful underground ‘tot of Brandy in your coffee?’ operation which probably explained a few wobbles and red faces. Not for me though as I had to do a mammoth session on our Arts Council grant immediately afterwards, for which one needs a clear head and a lot of concentration. Got there in the end though. How happy was I and rewarded myself with a mince pie smuggled out of the Volunteers do…!!

Nick T has been busy with enquiries – everyone seems to have been researching their family history this year and we have been inundated with requests. My plan is to get most of the information in these records onto a database soon so we can search on surnames and jobs etc at the click of a mouse – how much quicker that would make our job!

I’m beginning to realise that two part-time jobs do not equally a whole, but a whole plus a few evenings thrown in. I was up till well past midnight last week working on Geevor’s events and exhibitions programme for next year – it rocks though and we’re looking forward to launching ourselves into it in January with our ‘walk off those Christmas calories’ walk around site.

My other half time job is equally demanding and I am trying to make it to the end of today for a break over Christmas – hurrah! Happy Winter Solstice. See you in January!

Geevor in the early 1980s.

I’m going Christmas crackers!!

So its that time of year….again, with all the lovely weather we have been having we have discovered new leaks in the roofs (due to sideways rain) and that it is possible for it to be colder on the inside of a building that outside!

But then, ’tis the season to be jolly, and we have some real treats this Christmas. All the action is happening on the 21st December when Santa is including us in his busy scedule and dropping by with lots of great presents. You can catch him in his mining Grotto in the building opposite the cafe to get your free gift and to put a good word in for the big day!

I am also on a Christmas biscuit making mission, this idea is either genius or very very messy. As part of the traditional Christmas tree decorating activities we are offering on Monday, there is also the chance to decorate your own biscuit with a wonderful array of coloured icing and edible sparkly things!!  As I said I may live to regret this as small children have the habit of decorating themselves in icing given the chance!

 Its all FREE so please come and join in child or not,  we need our tree decorating !!

Claire signing off for now….. hope you have a joyful Christmas and productive New Year…. well, its what I am aiming for anyway!