Chairman’s report to 30 April 2023
No of meetings. 6
The Trustees worked to continue the Trust’s projects.
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A Sword Fit for King Aethelstan to present to the Athelstan Museum
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Erect a statue to King Aethelstan in Malmesbury Town Centre
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Any Other Business
1. A Sword Fit for King Aethelstan
On Saturday June 11th 2022 at Malmesbury’s Town Hall we enabled the presentation of a ‘Sword Fit for King Aethelstan’ to be presented to Athelstan Museum. The sword was created by Hector Cole MBE using the same materials as the Anglo-Saxons would have used during King Aethelstan’s lifetime.
The process of creating the sword had been filmed by Rufus Exton and produced by our Chair of Trustees, who attended several filming and editing days, also providing the script and voice-over. No charge was made for those services. The finished film was edited to create a short, snappy, informative to be viewed on an audio-visual display beside the sword, for the pleasure and education of visitors to the Museum.
The sword creation, supply of audio visual equipment and cost of filming the project had been generously funded by The Masonic Order of Athelstan. Their objectives to bring awareness and understanding around the life and times of England’s very first monarch, matched our own.
The Lord High Sheriff of Wiltshire and the Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire were both in attendance at the Presentation along with Malmesbury’s Mayor and other local dignitaries.
We further funded the hiring of an additional room in Malmesbury Town Hall so that local, historic resident’s group ‘The Warden & Freemen of Malmesbury’ could lay out an exhibition of their amazing archives and silver maces for the added interest of the 100 visitors invited to attend the event.
The Trustees also agreed to fund the production of a booklet about the sword, written by Hector and including photographs of the processes, that could also educate visitors to the museum.
2. Statue to King Aethelstan for Malmesbury Town Centre
A public Consultation Day on March 4, 2023 was arranged to display and discuss our proposals with the local community. Covid had restricted such an opportunity before now.
Information boards, booklets and volunteers from within our team were organised to be onsite for the day in Malmesbury Abbey, courtesy of the helpful co-operation of vicar Oliver Ross who had offered the venue for the occasion.
Over 300 people visited the abbey during the event, most of whom viewed the exhibition, took the opportunity to discuss with member of the group and the sculptor. They were encouraged to leave comments (the majority of which were supportive).
The maquette of the statue was on display and is now on permanent display in the Athelstan Museum.
Brochures were left in the Abbey and also placed in the Town Hall (TIC) and the Museum.
A Malmesbury Community Day was held on Saturday April 15th, where the Trust again showed the maquette to the public and other contributing groups.
3. Any Other Business
Recruitment of new Trustees began during the second half of the period as the existing Trustees had served their term.
Five new Trustees have now been sworn in.
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