The Wee Museum – bigger and bolder!

After 6 months sharing a unit with The Wee Play Hub we have moved again. As ever, this location may only be temporary, but we are deighted that we are now in what was previously the Superdry shop on the first floor. This unit was not meant to be for the museum but we managed to persuade OT management that it would work perfectly for us…and we’re delighted!

It’s always hard work moving out and moving in, but we had a brilliant team of staff and other volunteers who came along to carry boxes and furniture from the various ‘storage’ spaces that we had filled, way back in April. A huge thank you to them all – we wouldn’t have managed without you.

Superdry Steam Punk to Weird and Wonderful Wee Museum

The Superdry shop space, layout, design and fittings are quite quirky: a bit steam punky. However, this has provided us with a really exciting space to expand and develop into a new bigger, and bolder, Wee Museum of Memory.

Dark wood walls, the exposed metal heating and air conditioning pipes, the spotlights, and large window areas all mean that we are able to have much more of our collections on display. Over the years our donations have expanded and increased (we have had to turn down offers of many objects – particularly sewing machines, scrubbing boards, shoe lasts, stoneware hot water bottles, radios, cameras, irons, and hairdryers…sorry to everyone who has offered donations) that we were not able to put out on display for the public. With the increased space and distinct, almost separate, sections, we have been able to create themed areas: music, library, home and kitchen, fashion, travel, electronics and radios, children…We’ve allowed our imagination to run wild and used the opportunity to put out some of our personal favourites.

So much to see…

We’ve still got a friendly seating area which provides a lovely space to run our activity and reminscence sessions. The black display panel makes a surprisingly effective screen for the slide shows, film clips or singing videos that we use. Barry has also set up a continual projection of the photo archive or films such as ‘The Singing Street’ or other archive moving films on another of the black panels.

The kitchen and home area – with a cunningly displayed scubbing board alcove – prompts a lot of discussion and memories from visitors, particularly the Carbolic soap and Cremola Foam.

Barry’s vision of a ‘pick up a book and have a seat’ area for our books is proving popular. As is the the music area, with records to put on for a spin. The guitars are there for folk to try, as is the piano. We’ve also been able to put more of our clothes out. These are mostly ladies items – and you may have some ideas why this is the case? Did women hold onto their favourite clothes for longer, hoping that they might come back into fashion? The little red dress, the sparkly mini, the PVC raincoat, the black stilletoes, the yellow summer shoes…

The typewriters, telephones, late 20th century computers, cameras and radios continue to get a lot of attention and interest. It is interesting to notice who engages more with the different displays. Grandfathers, fathers and sons spend quite a bit of time examining the various cameras and phones – by picking them up or demonstrating how they were used.

Star attraction…

The current star donation, in pride of place at the front, is the Subbuteo game. The version we have now, with perimeter fencing, TV cameras, and score board, has come from our very own archivist, David. This brings in men of a certain age, including quite a few of the construction workers who are currently demolishing the Debenhams end of OT, who like to have a go reliving their youth, recreating a memorable World Cup match between Scotland and Spain. Viva Espania …Scotland the Brave! In some folks dreams Scotland will win the Jules Rimet trophy.

Come in and see…

Our Wee Museum of Memory is bigger and bolder, perhaps not brighter (due to the lighting that Superdry had) but it is atmospheric, welcoming, interesting, quirky, interactive, and fun. We offer something for visitors of all ages and backgrounds. If you haven’t been before, then come in and see…it’s free!

We’ve moved… temporarily

Due to the exciting developments at Ocean Terminal The Wee, Museum of Memory has had to leave the old unit on the second floor to a new – temporary – space on the first floor. We moved into an empty restaurant at the end of 2019 and quickly adapted to the space. We had a window looking out onto Britannia, space for an office, a sound proofed studio, and an L-shaped area for display and public access.

Of course within a few months the country, had gone into Lockdown as Covid 19 spread. Many of us worked from home, or were on furlough. Once we reopened, we continued to expand our collections with many interesting donations of objects and memories. Our children’s area developed into a well used play area. The sofas and chairs beside the window were great for our regular reminiscence and activity groups. Our visitor numbers often exceeded 100 per day…

But things change, and after much planning OT embarked on their ambitious redevelopment in November 2023. The Wee Hub moved into the empty French Connection unit on the first floor (as well as using the Wagamama space) at the end of last year. However the Wee Museum’s new home needs some TLC and repair work before we can use it, so we in the meantime we have taken over half of the Wee Hub. On 29th March we closed the Wee Museum on the second floor, packed up and moved downstairs. With the help of a team of staff and volunteers (thank you to our team of young lads: Darren, Kris and Stefan – who helped us move the last time) over two weeks we packed, transported, carried boxes, furniture, equipment, pictures, mannequins, cases, bits and bobs with no major disasters or breakages!

Entrance to our new home

Although we no longer have a window, we organised a comfy seating area for our groups, which have restarted with John’s Tuesday afternoon group and Joyce’s Thursday morning group.

Our comfy seating area.

With limited space we have also had to reorganise and reduce the amount of material that is on display. What is visible is only a selection of what we have in the collection, most of which is now stored at the back of the unit or in OT’s storage space. Naomi has carefully chosen objects to reflect the kind of material that has been donated to us, both typical and unique, so that visitors are still able to engage with, pick up and reminiscence about their childhood, home life, work, travel, hobbies… The displays are themed: sport and leisure, travel and transport, medicines and savings, food storage, drinks, household and cooking, technology, hair and beauty and sewing. The space is accessible for those using mobility aids, and the objects can still be picked up and examined. Our children’s play area has had to be stored but we do share a space with the Wee Play Hub so are not excluding younger visitors.

Although it is likely that we will be moving again later in the year, at the moment we are again open seven days a week: 10.30 to 4.00 Monday to Friday and 11.00-4.00 at weekends. Our Memory Boxes can still be borrowed (for a small donation). Visitors are welcome to join our groups on Tuesday and Thursday and we can book other groups for planned reminiscence sessions – a donation towards tea and coffee is welcome. If you want to pop in and have a wander round and reminisce with one of us, or have any questions drop us an email: comhist@googlemail.com. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheWeeMuseumOfMemory

or TikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@livingmemoryassociation