The British Schools Museum

in Hitchin.

There is no other museum like the British Schools Museum in Hitchin.

The 1837 Monitorial Schoolroom is the only one of its kind left in the world! Then there are our 3 other historic classrooms, the Headmaster's House and our wonderful displays and exhibitions based upon the extraordinary collection of 47,000 objects!

I found a copy of the Millenium edition of the Times Educational Supplement which contained an article on the Monitorial System. I took it into the Museum today, as it was my morning for working on the collections' database.

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I should have been alerted to the potential parking problems when reading this article in the morning's edition of the Hitchin Comet.

It is half term, and there were more volunteers than normal for a Thursday morning, Two exhibitions were running, as well as the Shop and Tea room.

I had to double-park in the car park and was a little worried about how I was going to get out at lunchtime. Reversing onto the main road through gates with high walls on either side is not advisable.

I worried needlessly. There was a vacant space in which I easily made my turn.

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The second item in the Comet, was  the naming of a new exhibition gallery in the Museum.


The Brian Limbrick Gallery (named after the man who worked tirelessly to save the buildings when they were threatened with re-developement), was officially opened by long-serving volenteer, Yyvonne Limbrick,

I catalogued the remaining Ladybird books from the Benchmark store. Most of them were early reading scheme series, including some from the Read it Yourself series













I can combine my  love of history and interest in education through this voluntary role. I may even find more relevent items in my archive as I finish re-organising my study,