Post by Cllr Simon Tagg on Feb 15, 2010 14:48:34 GMT
I had the pleasure of viewing the Staffordshire Hoard at the Potteries Museum on Sunday.
Thousands come to see the golden wonder
MORE than 3,700 people have seen the Staffordshire Hoard in just two days as part of Britain's biggest haul of Anglo-Saxon gold went on show in Stoke-on-Trent.
Dozens of eager visitors queued outside the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Hanley, on Saturday as 700 people arrived in the first two hours.
In all, 1,864 people visited the hoard on Saturday, with another 1,830 going to the exhibition yesterday.
And a further 1,000 visitors were at the museum to see other exhibitions or postponed their hoard visit as waits stretched to 90 minutes at times. It is estimated about 800 people normally visit the museum over a weekend. But visitors have been inspired by the 118 pieces of jewel-encrusted gold armour, weapons, jewellery and ornaments at the museum from the 1,662 artifacts unearthed near Lichfield in July.
The display includes 40 exhibits which had never been displayed before. When the hoard went on display in Birmingham last year it attracted average crowds of 2,100 each day.
The exhibition has also been generating tens of thousands of pounds in donations for the £3.3 million hoard fund, including one anonymous gift of £50,000 on Friday night.
First through the door on Saturday was Newcastle historian Mervyn Edwards, pictured left, who had walked from his Wolstanton home to get there an hour before opening time. The 49-year-old said: "I have been really excited about seeing the hoard and it's great to be first in line to see it.
"It is so important for Stoke-on-Trent and for our understanding of the history of the Dark Ages."
Judith Priekulis, aged 73, of May Bank, who was visiting the hoard yesterday, said: "I was absolutely amazed by the craftsmanship of the objects and the intricate detail. I thought they were all wonderful and I really hope they can raise the money to keep them now."
Accountant John Routledge, aged 32, of Meir Park, said: "I thought the exhibition was really good. The queues were quite long, but I was really curious about the hoard and I was very keen to see it."
Museum operations officer Ian Shaw said he was very pleased with the crowd numbers. He said: "This has created more public interest than any other exhibition we have held in the 13 years I have been here. The visitor numbers have been amazing and we hope we will be even busier over the half-term."
Stoke-on-Trent City Council museums manager Keith Bloor said: "We are thrilled with the number of visitors.
"We have had many calls from people interested in viewing the exhibition but who wanted to avoid the busy first weekend." The Staffordshire Hoard exhibition runs until Sunday, March 7.
Thousands come to see the golden wonder
MORE than 3,700 people have seen the Staffordshire Hoard in just two days as part of Britain's biggest haul of Anglo-Saxon gold went on show in Stoke-on-Trent.
Dozens of eager visitors queued outside the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Hanley, on Saturday as 700 people arrived in the first two hours.
In all, 1,864 people visited the hoard on Saturday, with another 1,830 going to the exhibition yesterday.
And a further 1,000 visitors were at the museum to see other exhibitions or postponed their hoard visit as waits stretched to 90 minutes at times. It is estimated about 800 people normally visit the museum over a weekend. But visitors have been inspired by the 118 pieces of jewel-encrusted gold armour, weapons, jewellery and ornaments at the museum from the 1,662 artifacts unearthed near Lichfield in July.
The display includes 40 exhibits which had never been displayed before. When the hoard went on display in Birmingham last year it attracted average crowds of 2,100 each day.
The exhibition has also been generating tens of thousands of pounds in donations for the £3.3 million hoard fund, including one anonymous gift of £50,000 on Friday night.
First through the door on Saturday was Newcastle historian Mervyn Edwards, pictured left, who had walked from his Wolstanton home to get there an hour before opening time. The 49-year-old said: "I have been really excited about seeing the hoard and it's great to be first in line to see it.
"It is so important for Stoke-on-Trent and for our understanding of the history of the Dark Ages."
Judith Priekulis, aged 73, of May Bank, who was visiting the hoard yesterday, said: "I was absolutely amazed by the craftsmanship of the objects and the intricate detail. I thought they were all wonderful and I really hope they can raise the money to keep them now."
Accountant John Routledge, aged 32, of Meir Park, said: "I thought the exhibition was really good. The queues were quite long, but I was really curious about the hoard and I was very keen to see it."
Museum operations officer Ian Shaw said he was very pleased with the crowd numbers. He said: "This has created more public interest than any other exhibition we have held in the 13 years I have been here. The visitor numbers have been amazing and we hope we will be even busier over the half-term."
Stoke-on-Trent City Council museums manager Keith Bloor said: "We are thrilled with the number of visitors.
"We have had many calls from people interested in viewing the exhibition but who wanted to avoid the busy first weekend." The Staffordshire Hoard exhibition runs until Sunday, March 7.