Chairman’s Report for the 2025 Season
January:
First group of the year, Kate Humble’s Wild and Woolly, with our local knitters group.
February:
Preparations began for re submitting to Museums and Galleries Scotland to retain our accreditation, enabling us to take advantage of sharing exhibitions and artifacts with other MGS accredited museums. Assisted by Jenny Murray, the museum’s mentor
March
“Coo Fund” local history evening event.
April
Lace exhibit changeover time, also adding fair isle items on display in the “makkin” room, with thanks to some members of the knitting group. It has been much commented on and it is felt that it is something we should develop further.
May
Chris Morpeth Fair Isle photos were put on display for the season, courtesy of the Lerwick Museum, something that is only possible because we are Museums and Galleries Scotland accredited.
June
Small, temporary displays were added this year, replica children’s toys from our archive, made and donated by Joy Sandison and a collection of sewing paraphernalia belonging “Barrie” Spence.
July
We had some visitors off the National Geographic’s Endurance, a ship built for Polar navigation on it’s way to Torshavn via Burrafirth. Far Haaf went across to Cullivoe for the Sail Yell event.
UnstFest participation, hosting Helen Robertson’s puffin pompom workshops and a Michael Pedersen book evening
August
Unst Show participation, free entrance to the Heritage Centre with Show entrance, 107 adults and a few children came in.
September
David Gill and his wife Carolyn visited again this year, to do some resetting on the loom. We were awarded a substantial grant from the Belmont Trust for repairs to Boat Haven and the Heritage Centre, made possible by SAT and Lawson Bisset.
October
We took receipt of a fine example of local heritage lace knitting from the Owers family (made by Lizzie and Jacky so we had it on temporary display along side the media file playing)
SWW2025 events – Hazel’s knitting class, full day, Knit a Lace Star, created at the request of Wild Skies who wanted to be involved again following the successful knit a shooting star the previous year and the usual Wednesday Open Day where groups and individuals and view the museum but also sit and knit/chat with the local knitters.
November
Tide Talk with Tom Wills, booked and arranged by Wild Skies.
December
A successful and enjoyable “Sporting Memories”, another local history evening event.
Visitor Numbers: Heritage Centre: 4403 and Boat Haven: 2863
Busiest month(s): June and August
Total Tours/Groups:
Henderson donation put to good use, BBC film report of Lizzie and Jacky proved very popular.
We are aiming to have two exhibitions on view at the Boat Haven, Lynn Ritch’s watercolour paintings, and the Hansiatic Display on loan from the Lerwick Museum.
The Chris Morpheth Fair Isle and The Wild Skies photos will be replaced with another Fair Isle Exhibition, also on loan from the Lerwick Museum.
The coming season’s bookings are already up on last years by quite a bit.