I left full-time work and started volunteering at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG) in 2013 as a gallery interpreter.
My particular interest is history; I gained a degree in medieval and modern history from the University of Birmingham nearly 40 years ago but have never worked in the field before, so it’s super to have this opportunity.
I spent all my working life in HR in large companies, starting at British Leyland in Longbridge, near Birmingham, in the 1970s – the stuff of history books and museum displays now.
I worked for many years on policies and processes involving employee relations, communications, diversity, coaching, workforce management and business transformation.
These core skills have proved useful in the museum by helping me engage with people, lead teams and work in them, network to share knowledge, solve problems and listen to people.
The opening of the Staffordshire Hoard Gallery was a stand-out day. It was frantic, with excited schoolchildren, enthusiasts, press and a load of people dressed as Anglo-Saxon warriors – complete with weapons and armour – asking all sorts of questions.
Another memorable event was witnessing the solar eclipse at Weoley Castle... and there was the time I dressed up as an elf at Christmas for BMAG.
Interviews by John Holt
My particular interest is history; I gained a degree in medieval and modern history from the University of Birmingham nearly 40 years ago but have never worked in the field before, so it’s super to have this opportunity.
I spent all my working life in HR in large companies, starting at British Leyland in Longbridge, near Birmingham, in the 1970s – the stuff of history books and museum displays now.
I worked for many years on policies and processes involving employee relations, communications, diversity, coaching, workforce management and business transformation.
These core skills have proved useful in the museum by helping me engage with people, lead teams and work in them, network to share knowledge, solve problems and listen to people.
The opening of the Staffordshire Hoard Gallery was a stand-out day. It was frantic, with excited schoolchildren, enthusiasts, press and a load of people dressed as Anglo-Saxon warriors – complete with weapons and armour – asking all sorts of questions.
Another memorable event was witnessing the solar eclipse at Weoley Castle... and there was the time I dressed up as an elf at Christmas for BMAG.
Interviews by John Holt
