Why we volunteer
Powell-Cotton Museum, Birchington, Kent
Our links with the Powell-Cotton Museum go back more than half a century.
It all started in 1966 when, having recently qualified, we were asked if we could assist Miss Antoinette Powell-Cotton in surveying her archaeological excavations at nearby Minnis Bay.
The recorded finds were kept at the museum on the family estate at Quex Park, home to the large collection of stuffed exotic animals collected by her father, Major Percy Powell-Cotton, on his travels in Africa.
We grabbed the opportunity and quickly got involved in the excitement of digging.
We kept in touch with the Powell-Cotton family over the following decades but, unfortunately, Antoinette died in 1997, leaving a 30-year collection of thousands of precious artefacts stored throughout the building.
Three years ago, a chance visit to the museum led us to offer our services again to help sort Antoinette’s archaeological legacy. We have been able to design and see installed a display of her work in the museum’s Gallery 4.
We enjoyed our volunteer work with Antoinette in our youth, but this new phase of volunteering in retirement is giving us enormous pleasure being back in the museum environment among the enthusiastic “young ones” running the show.
It all started in 1966 when, having recently qualified, we were asked if we could assist Miss Antoinette Powell-Cotton in surveying her archaeological excavations at nearby Minnis Bay.
The recorded finds were kept at the museum on the family estate at Quex Park, home to the large collection of stuffed exotic animals collected by her father, Major Percy Powell-Cotton, on his travels in Africa.
We grabbed the opportunity and quickly got involved in the excitement of digging.
We kept in touch with the Powell-Cotton family over the following decades but, unfortunately, Antoinette died in 1997, leaving a 30-year collection of thousands of precious artefacts stored throughout the building.
Three years ago, a chance visit to the museum led us to offer our services again to help sort Antoinette’s archaeological legacy. We have been able to design and see installed a display of her work in the museum’s Gallery 4.
We enjoyed our volunteer work with Antoinette in our youth, but this new phase of volunteering in retirement is giving us enormous pleasure being back in the museum environment among the enthusiastic “young ones” running the show.