Museum Talk Day One

Went to my Museum Talk today. I went to talks by the curators of each section a couple of years ago, and they were really interesting. And it’s a nice indoor course for the winter months.

There was so much standing, although we did carry portable stool thingies, as often as not we just stood with them. I get a sore back just standing. She was interesting, but I could not stop myself from yawning non stop. She was one of these tutors who constantly gazed around the group individually, and always asked ‘OK?’ after every pearl of wisdom to make sure we’d internalised the interesting fact she had just cast before us, invariably catching me stifling a yawn...

We learned that Prince Albert laid the foundation stone, in what they think was his last public engagement, when he also laid the foundation stone for the CPO. He died a month or so after his visit to Edinburgh. Maybe it was all that heavy lifting...

At one point we were by the giraffe, which, we were told, had been farmed. People in Africa ‘farm giraffes for food' we were told. Nobody mentioned that to us when we were there. However, it’s a big place, and I suppose she’s checked her facts.

‘And how many vertebrae does a giraffe have in its neck?’ she asked.

I knew this was a trick question, so blurted out, ‘The same as us!’ She was pleased, and obviously thought I knew a thing or two, let alone had woken up, so she pressed on, ‘And how many is that?’

‘42!’ I said, confidently.

The look on her face changed to disbelief/mild despair.

’17?'

'23?'

'11?’

She put her hand up stop me. ‘You should have stopped when you were ahead.’

The answer, as we all know all should know, is 7.

I like taking photos from the balconies, looking down on the Great Hall. We learned that the tiles are from Italy, and contain lots of fossils! I spent the rest of any talks in the Great Hall gazing around my feet, spotting ammonites - lots of 'em!

I love those original old radiators. This lady was almost bent double to read the sign, but I didn’t quite catch her in that position. I meant to go and read it and inform you about the exhibit. I have no idea what it is. Some sort of torture machine? Maybe some sort of printing press? I should have asked this lady.