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Don Levy's letter To Norman Groom on the creation of the museum

Dear Norman,

Reg (Jellis) tells me that you would like to know the starting of the Museum (not the Local History Group).You wrote in the January 06 Newsletter that the collection was started in the 1980's but of course it was much earlier than that. I started in the early 60's and David Wray even before this. Jeff was against it at this time but I said that we could use our loft (at Vicarage Farm) as a temporary home. We agreed to form a sub-committee and start. There was so much being destroyed at that time. Those present were myself, Muriel (Don's wife) Keith Saunders, Jeff Hawkins, David Wray and Bernard Banfield with apologies from Tom Owen.

I was elected Chairman.

Aims :- To show the past life of the district and continue to meet regularly to clean, label and record the items.

By May 1967 Brickie Bathurst, Peter Clark and Bob Morgan had joined us.

David Wray suggested that we should put on a show at Little Gaddesden and we felt confident enough to agree that we had enough artefacts to make it possible, and also confident enough that we had the energy to make it possible. Also at this time Jeff was filled with enthusiasm, he was giving up pig farming and said that we could use his buildings at Pitstone for a bigger home for the collection. Also the Bucks Archaeology Society wanted to show the work of the Local History Society. This must have been just before the show because when we collected everything from Gaddesden we took them straight to Pitstone. We had cleared the 'loose' boxes (the rooms along from the present reception) in the front yard but not I think, the Danish fattening house in the Big Barn (pigs were also housed in the Big Barn were we now hold the craft fair) Mr Gowing of Aylesbury Museum had given us the beautiful show cases, so we had a start. We decided to make someone responsible for each section. This should also be minute in the Minutes Book

Back to Gaddesden Hall.

I had some shed sections and thought they would make good divisions for the various parts of the display. I enclose a plan. It seemed to work very well. You should have photos somewhere? (still looking). Each of us was in charge of one section.

On the stage we gave slide shows of the Windmill and the milling year.

I will send you a list of the sections and what was in them, but remember that some artefacts were David Wray's. The sections were Vermin control, Forestry, odds and ends, agricultural, stables, domestic & dairy and books. The large items were displayed besides the Hall, I gave a thatching demonstration.

The show was a great success, Articles in the Farmers Weekly and Farmer & Stockbreeder and Local Papers. 582 people visited the Show, income was £35 at 1/- each (5p in present money). Not bad for a one day show but we should have made more.

Hope this is of interest to you.

Don

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