THERE’S plenty to see this month (October) at the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum before it closes for the winter break.
It’s a chance to visit the Museum and see its main galleries downstairs, telling the fascinating story of Cook’s life and legacy in two very popular temporary exhibitions and enjoy some end of season events.
The exhibition ‘Walkabout: Australian Aboriginal Life and Legend’, explores and celebrates the vibrant and enormously diverse cultures of ancient Australian Aboriginal society through the Museums Service’s fantastic aboriginal collections.
Then there’s ‘Pacific Predators’, giving visitors the chance to glimpse the deepest, darkest depths of the ocean and learn more about the predators lurking there, particularly the world of the tiger shark, sperm whale and colossal squid.
Time it right and you could also catch some Cook-related events leading up to and including the Discover Middlesbrough celebration of the town’s heritage and Cook’s birthday, both at the Museum and out in the community.
On Friday, October 14, and again on Friday 28 October 28 at 2pm, Education Officer Jenny Phillips and Phil Philo, will be leading a walk around Marton and the site of the lost village of East Marton, place of Captain Cook’s birth.
‘Marton Walkabout & Tucker’ will culminate with afternoon tea in the Museum Café, Nana Thom’s. Booking is £5 in advance from the Museum.
At 2pm on Wednesday, October 19 at mima café, Phil Philo will present an illustrated talk ‘Message in a Bottle: Communication at Sea in the time of Captain Cook’, outlining the varied methods used to convey messages aboard ship and on land, along with a look at the Bottle of Notes sculpture and the surprising message it wasn’t intended to reflect!
The final event in the autumn programme is the annual marking of Cook’s birthday on Thursday, October 27. Celebrate with us what would have been Cook’s 288 th birthday with a Heritage Skills Open Day supported by River Tees Rediscovered and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
There will be a chance to take part in rope making sessions and, just in time for Halloween, besom making, and, of course, feast on a slice of birthday cake.
Visitors who share a birthday with Cook are particularly welcome to help cut the cake at 1pm. All welcome 10.30am until 3pm. Admission free.
The Museum’s last day of opening is Sunday, October 30, and will be closed over the winter for refurbishment thanks to a Government grant, re-opening on Tuesday, April 11 2017.
For more information, call the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum on 01642 311211 or visit www.captcook-ne.co.uk