Bury St Edmunds’ iconic 12th century Moyse’s Hall is a building with history and who better to mark its 120th anniversary as a museum than Terry Deary, a man who relishes the dark, entertaining and, at times, bloody tales that history can supply, the author of the best-selling ‘Horrible Histories’ books.
Terry Deary, a professional actor, singer and writer, is perhaps best known for his 300 children’s fiction and non-fiction books which have sold over 30 million copies in over 40 languages. His ‘Horrible Histories’ series, first published 24 years ago, and adapted into a hit BBC television series and stage shows, continues to delight and disgust children and adults alike.
He will be bringing his creative imagination to bear on Suffolk’s unique history to mark Moyse’s Hall landmark anniversary. The distinctive 12th century building has served the town in many guises over the years, at times being used as a workhouse and, at others, a police station.
As ‘Family Friendly Museum of the Year’ and with a history of nationally acclaimed exhibitions, including the annual science fiction exhibition and a recent Marilyn Monroe show, Terry Deary’s reinterpretations of Suffolk history will be a perfect addition to their programme.
Deary has developed six character trails of ‘Terrible Tales’ which will follow local historical people, events and stories including Mary Tudor and the Red Barn Murder.
Deary commented ‘The most interesting things in museums are the people and their stories. Once you know the stories behind the objects then they come to life. And, as we all love shocking stories, we usually enjoy the objects with a ‘horrible’ history. Moyse’s Hall has plenty of those, so it was a disgusting delight to work on the new presentations.’
Deary’s wonderful writing and characters will be brought to life visually through the stunning artwork of Suffolk illustrator Glen Pickering.
Daniel Clarke, Heritage Officer, said: “This gives us the opportunity to update the social history areas of Moyse’s Hall. There will be new interactive digital displays, foul medieval smells, maybe some nice ones, sensory activities and hands-on learning; perfect for families and schools. Activities will include ‘Little Steps in History’ for the under-5s and an increase in adult academic learning. We cannot wait to get started.”
Terry Deary’s character trails will open in the summer with a special launch at Moyse’s Hall.
Alongside this exciting new addition, Moyse’s Hall will be running its hugely popular specialist exhibitions series including ‘Wonderland’ (8 June – 1 September) which will feature Tenniel’s original artwork from the first ever edition of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ plus a selection of other first edition children’s books, illustrations and memorabilia. This will be followed by the annual Sci-Fi exhibition, which this year will be welcoming the nationally recognised ‘May The Toys Be With You’ (21 September – 24 December), one of the UK’s finest collections of vintage Star Wars toys and original cinema posters.
As if that wasn’t enough to keep all kids, little and big, happy, ‘Dragon Fest’ will be returning, this year, to partner venue, West Stow. In response to public demand, it will be bigger and better than ever with more dragons, more free activities and even better value for money.
Day tickets to events at Moyse’s Hall and West Stow are £5 for adults, £3 for children and £15 for a family ticket but if you want to experience the brilliant offers all year round you can purchase a Heritage Ticket for just £12 for adults, £6 for children and £40 for a family.
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