After a very snowy start to the year we're hoping that things are starting to get back to normal now (although the forecasts suggest we might not have seen the last of the snow for this year yet...). One of the things we're really excited about for the new year is the return of our Reminiscence Coffee Mornings. We did run a series of 6 of these coffee mornings at the start of last year and they were a great success so it is really great to have got this up and running again.

Our Shopping Reminiscence box, also available for loan

Reminiscence is often a lot of fun - for the museums staff as well as members of the public! - and even young children love to do it. It can also be a good opportunity for parents of all ages to share their memories with their children and tell them what it was like when they were their age.

Ballito stockings packet from the 1960s. Many people have memories of the Ballito factory in St Albans.

The coffee mornings are purposely relaxed and informal and give anyone who wants to the opportunity to come into the museum, relax with a cup of tea and a biscuit and handle objects and photographs from the 1930s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. If you would like to bring your own objects and pictures to show people and talk about, that would be wonderful.

Children at Abbey Primary School, St Albans , c.1955

You can click below if you would like to download the flyer with details of dates and themes for the first six coffee mornings we have planned. These details are also availble on our Diary page.