On Friday 23 February 2024 - as part of Twilight at the Museums - Cambridge Museum of Technology's chimney was lit up courtesy of Mack Productions!
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our friend and colleague in local history studies, Peter Filby.
Peter died peacefully at Arthur Rank Hospice on Monday 22nd January 2024.
He served on the Committee of Cambridgeshire Association for Local History for many years and had also been a trustee and volunteer at both Cambridge Museum of Technology and the Museum of Cambridge. He was also a valued member of the mills preservation community through his research and practical support on projects.
At Cambridge Museum of Technology he was one of the founding trustees when the new governance document was adopted in 2014. He was our resident local historian, generous in sharing his knowledge and giving us access to his reference materials. He carried out research on the story of rubbish and sewage in Cambridge which later fed into the displays in our redeveloped museum. Local history ran in his family, his mother Ena having been a Cambridge Blue Badge Guide and his aunt, Irene Lister, wrote on local history subjects. He was always available when help was needed, stepping in to do everything from demonstrating printing presses, to posing for photos for a guidebook as the rest of us were not too keen on having our photos taken, to running the shop when needed There were days when the museum would not have opened if Peter had not stepped up to the till. As a trustee, he was always very supportive of the staff, bearing boxes of chocolate biscuits at Christmas or accompanying us on a trip to the Wrestlers for a drink and a curry.
A kind and generous man, he will be greatly missed by all of us who work in and love our local history.
Funeral Announcement
Peter’s friends and colleagues are invited to attend a memorial service at St Philip’s Church, 185 Mill Road, Cambridge, CB1 3AN at 10.45am on Monday 19th February 2024. There is very limited parking near the church so please be prepared to walk, bike or get a taxi.
A lunchtime reception will follow at Cambridge Museum of Technology, CB5 8LD, from 12 noon. Entrance to the Museum can be from Cheddars Lane or Riverside. There is some parking on site, entry via Cheddars Lane, and there is also three hours free parking at the neighbouring Tesco on Newmarket Road. Once parked there, aim for the very tall chimney and you will find the Museum.
There will also be a service at Cambridge Crematorium, East Chapel, earlier in the day at 9.30am.
You are welcome to come to all or any of these events. It would help us in planning our catering and orders of service if you could let us know which you are likely to attend.
We would love to have photos and memories of Peter for inclusion in the service and at the reception. Please do share with us via email to michbullivant@gmail.com or bring them along to the lunchtime reception where they can be displayed
If you would like to donate to charity in memory of Peter please follow this link which will take you to the memorial donation page: https://peasgoodandskeates.co.uk/donate-in-memory
Any flowers should be sent to Peasgood & Skeates, 617 Newmarket Road, Cambridge, CB5 8PA the day before.
In 2023, the Museum of Technology hosted record numbers of ticketed visitors since its Heritage Lottery Fund redevelopment: thank you to all our visitors as well as the tens-of-thousands of patrons of our on-site hospitality partners. Find out how the Museum’s volunteers supported the community with events, exhibitions, festivals, education and much more!
Our last Steam Up was a very special one, for three of our volunteers received their Silver Owl Awards from Share Museum East!
Before our busy Steam Up on 22nd October, trustee John Sheppard presented our Steam Team volunteers, Stephen Attenborough, Andy Rowlinson and Chris Webb with their Silver Owls. Edward Hinde, another one of our Steam Team Silver Owl recipicates but sadly could not make the weekend (Edward you were missed!). Each of them have been volunteering with us for well over 25 years and we couldn’t be happier with their engery, dedication and commitemnet they have given to the Museum.
The award celebrated 25 years of museum voluntary service, and was awarded to 90 people in the region. We have a number of volunteers who were eligible for this, and these three were the first of ours nominees to recieve them.
Stephen Attenborough
Stephen has been volunteering with the Museum since he was a young boy, and has been a frequent volunteer at the Museum’s steam days (perhaps you have seen him on the HD engine or boiler?). Stephen brings a real sense of peace to the team, and his wealth of knowledge on steam is second to none!
Since starting volunteering with us, Stephen has moved away from Cambridge, and now drives in over 200 miles (as the crow flies!) just to come and get the engines going for you to enjoy - talk about dedication!
Andy Rowlinson
Andy started volunteering at the Museum after rowing past the chimney one day and getting curious. Since then, he’s been hooked! Andy’s sense of humour is out of the world, and he always knows how to cheer up the most miserable of days with his presence. Andy is perhaps best known to current Musuem regulars as the owner of Lulu, the boiler dog who can be seen sat by the fire on most steam ups.
Below is a picture of him on top of the chimney taken by Fred Dibnah himself! You can see Andy talking about his volunteer journey here.
Chris Webb
Chris has been a regular at the Museum since the 80s, and all the time he has put into the Hathorn Davey Engines will be a ridiculous number! Chris is our Hathorn Davey expert, and it is because of him we are able to pass on the knowledge of how to drive the engines to our newer volunteers!
Chris is a steady presence at all of our steam ups and his dedication to hard work is appreicated by all who know him! Like Stephen, he travels a long way to come see us and we are so grateful he does. You can see Chris talk about his history with the Museum here.
Cambridge Sustainable Food hosted its 2023 Food for the Planet Festival at Cambridge Museum of Technology on Saturday 28 September 2023, featuring local partners.