Sunday 6 October 2013

7th Meeting of the SANHS MUSEUM COLLECTION PANEL


SANHS MUSEUM COLLECTION PANEL

 

Seventh meeting to be held at 2 pm on Tuesday 24 September 2013 in the Conservation Room, Building 2, Somerset Heritage Centre

 

 AGENDA

 

The meeting will start with a demonstration of the new database by Steve Minnitt and Bethany Murray.  Please assemble in the Lobby of Building 2 by 2 pm.

 

1.  APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE                                                             (GM)                                                              

2.  CHAIRMAN’S REMARKS                                                                  (SP)                                        

3.  DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST                                                      (GM)                                        

4.  MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING            (Paper 4.1)                   (SP)      

 

5.  MATTERS ARISING                                                                            (SP/GM)


  • Hay Turner
  • Rippingille portrait
  • Independent advisers
  • CLA review
  • Exchange of notes on Frome Hoard
  • Timetable of actions  (Paper 5.1)


6.  HERITAGE SERVICE REVIEW                                                        (TM/DD)

 

7.  REPORT ON MUSEUM ACTIVITIES                                               (SM/DP)
   

RLM update

            Items for research


8.  RAISING THE PROFILE OF THE SANHS COLLECTION          (SP)

 

9. DOCUMENTS SUPPORTING THE SANHS COLLECTION        (SM/GM)

 

  • Review of draft SCC Collections Development Policy (Paper 9.1)
  • SANHS/SCC draft exchange of letters on SCC accreditation policy documents and procedures for SANHS/SCC routine business (Paper 9.2)
  • Forward Collections Management Plan – update
  • Further ACE advice on documentation

10.  ANY OTHER BUSINESS                                                                    (SP)


11.  NEXT MEETING                                                                                 (SP)
 
 

 

Paper 4.1

 

 
MINUTES OF THE SIXTH MEETING OF THE MUSEUM COLLECTION PANEL HELD ON TUESDAY 30TH APRIL AT 2PM IN THE SANHS OFFICE, SOMERSET HERITAGE CENTRE.
 
Present; Steve Parker [Chairman], George Middleton [Act Secretary], David Dawson, David Baker, David Hill, Anthony Bruce, Max Hebditch, Chris Jessop [Minute Secretary].
 
In Attendance; Steve Minnitt, Dennis Parsons [SCC Heritage Service].
 
  1. Apologies for absence; Tom Mayberry.
 
  1. Chairman’s Remarks; The Chairman welcomed every one to the sixth meeting of the Panel. He stated that the panel had a good deal to thank the late Jessica Vale for as a great asset to both the Panel and the Society; she would be greatly missed. He introduced Chris Jessop who had agreed to be the Panel’s minute secretary.
 
  1. Declarations of interest; referring to declarations made at previous meetings the Chairman asked if there were any new interests to be declared by those present. Chris Jessop declared her interest as a volunteer at The Museum of Somerset and also as Secretary to The Friends of The Museum of Somerset. There were no further declarations made.
 
  1. Minutes of the last meeting; [6th March 2013, previously circulated]. Following discussion as to when the panel were notified of Jessica Vale’s death, the minutes were agreed as a correct record of the meeting and signed by the Chairman.
 
Matters arising.
      a] Tom Mayberry has several photographs of the St. Mary Redcliffe staircase.
           Steve Minnitt will select an appropriate one to display in the SANHS
           Members Room along with a suitably worded notice.  Action.  SM
 
b] Anthony Bruce will liase with the new owner of the staircase to ensure a  
     notice is displayed alongside the staircase detailing it’s history. He will also
     try to obtain a photograph of the staircase in it’s new position.  Action.  AB
 
c] Circumstances have prevented George Middleton and Tom Mayberry from
exchanging letters protecting the Societies interest in the Frome Hoard. This to be done as soon as possible.                             Action. TM/GM
 
d] The Chair had viewed the Turner and it is not in very good condition, plus we do not have a full history of the item.  The Society has a second one in it’s collection in a much better condition and a full history. The Panel agreed to recommend to the Board disposal of the item. A lengthy disposal process would then have to be followed and members consulted; the donor to be approached and, if he had no wish to receive it back, for it to be offered first to an accredited museum in Lincolnshire.  This would be an opportunity for SANHS and SCC to work through the procedure together, perhaps leading to an informative article in a future Newsletter.  Any monies from the disposal would go to the MERF.                                                                                                                                                                                        Action. Act Secty                                                                                                                                                                             
 
  1. Report of March Board and General Meeting.
The Board had accepted all five papers presented to them.
There had been a request for clarification of the MERF balance at the General Meeting; David Dawson will provide the detail. There had also been a request for minor revisions to the rules of the fund; these had been incorporated.                                                                                                               Action. DD
 
The Panel noted the updated Timetable of Actions from the Frome Report and the progress made.
 
  1. Panel Terms of reference.
a] The Panel noted that these had been approved by the Board.
b] The use of independent advisers was discussed and some names considered; the question of expenses and possible remuneration was raised. In a general discussion no conclusions were drawn and the Panel agreed to return to the subject at the next meeting.                                           Action. Act Secty                                                                                                 
 
  1. Heritage Service Review.
a]  Steve Minnitt updated the panel on the progress of the review.
b]  George Middleton reported that a letter had been sent to Tom Mayberry
indicating the Society’s need to take legal and professional advice but that this cost should not fall on the Society. He then explained the role of the D&P in advising the Board on the review and that he, with the assistance of David Dawson, would provide the link from the Panel to the D&P. Action. DD
      
  1. Report on Museum Activities.
Steve Minnitt informed the Panel of the activities commemorating the centenary of the commencement of The First World War.                                                    
 
A structured review of fine art is in progress.  There is to be an art exhibition in September, for which SM would like to include a portrait by Edward Villiers Rippingille of Emanuel Wills, Parish Clerk to Thurloxton [c.1790-1859] which is part of the SANHS collection. It is in need of restoration, previously quoted as £2,700-00. George Middleton indicated MERF could in theory be used. It was agreed that a second estimate be acquired and a decision taken when received. Some contributions may be raised by approaching members at the AGM and via the website and Chris Jessop undertook to provide a poster.                                                               Action. CJ
 
The plans for the refurbishment of The Rural Life Museum are progressing with much of the funding in place. The HLF make a decision in September. The Museum would be shut for 2 years from the 1st April 2014.
Links with other museums, including the British Museum, will allow us to put on exhibitions with items from their collections.          
 
The Panel authorised further research by Royal Holloway College on 3 items from the Society’s collection of mammal bones; the usual provisions to apply.  The Board to be informed.                                                   Action. Act Secty   
 
Steve Minnitt reported that the timing of the Designation application was likely to be delayed significantly.                                                                                                                                       
 
  1. Raising the Profile of the SANHS Collection.
Steve Parker agreed to lead this and asked for anyone interested in helping to contact him.                                                                                   Action. SP
 
  1. Documentation to Support the SANHS Collection.
a] The policy on this item was now approved; follow up actions now needed, consulting ACE if required.  SCC papers were due with ACE by 27 October.
b] The draft SCC Collections Development Policy paper has been passed to George Middleton for review/discussion with Steve Minnitt.                                                                                                                        Action. GM
c] SANHS/SCC exchange of letters on A&D policy is being drafted by George Middleton and Steve Minnitt.                                   Action. SM/GM
d] SOPs for SANHS/SCC for routine business also being drafted by Steve Minnitt and George Middleton.                                                Action. GM/SM
e] The Forward Collections Management Plan 2013-2014 is to go to the Board for information.                                                                            Action. Act Secty
 
  1. SANHS Museum Exhibits Replacement Fund.
a] Both the Board and the General Meeting had agreed the Rules for the Fund; these would now allow the SCC Collection also to benefit.
b] The Panel discussed setting guidelines and priorities for expenditure.  It was agreed that each case would need to be reviewed individually and that use of the Fund might be to lever in other funding.  No priorities should therefore be set and every effort made to encourage fundraising from other sources to support the development of the collections.
 
12.  A.O.B. and Next Meeting
A student has requested permission to look at the SANHS Collection in July, with particular interest in the Pleistocene collection. The work would be overseen by the curatorial staff.
 
The next meeting would be Tuesday 24 September at 2pm, starting with a demonstration of the new database.
 
The Chairman thanked those present and the meeting closed at 16.15. 
 

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Tuesday 9 April 2013


SANHS MUSEUM COLLECTION PANEL

Sixth meeting to be held at 2 pm on Tuesday 30 April 2013 in the SANHS Office, Somerset Heritage Centre

 
DRAFT AGENDA

 
1.  APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE                                                            

2.  CHAIRMAN’S REMARKS                                                                 

3.  DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST                                                       

4.  MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING                                                             

  • Actions arising not on the Agenda
5.  REPORT OF MARCH BOARD AND GENERAL MEETING

  • Updated Timetable of actions
6.  PANEL TERMS OF REFERENCE

  • Board approval
  • Independent advisers
  • Nominations to AGM
7.  HERITAGE SERVICE REVIEW

8.  REPORT ON MUSEUM ACTIVITIES          

9.  RAISING THE PROFILE OF THE SANHS COLLECTION

  • Resourced action plan
10. DOCUMENTATION TO SUPPORT THE SANHS COLLECTION

  • ACE advice
  • Draft SCC Collections Development Policy
  • Draft Forward Collections Management Plan
  • SANHS/SCC exchange of letters on A&D policy
  • SOPs for SANHS/SCC routine business
11. MUSEUM EXHIBITS REPLACEMENT FUND

  • Approved rules
  • Fund balance
  • Priorities for expenditure
12.  ANY OTHER BUSINESS                                                       

  • Trustee training
13. NEXT MEETING
 
 

Minutes of 5th Meeting

 

MINUTES OF THE FIFTH MEETING OF THE SANHS MUSEUM COLLECTION PANEL held Wednesday 6th March 2013 in the Members Room, Taunton Castle, preceded by a tour of the SANHS items in the Museum of Somerset

PRESENT; Steve Parker (Chairman), George Middleton, David Dawson, David Baker, Anthony Bruce, Tom Mayberry.
IN ATTENDANCE; Steve Minnitt, Dennis Parsons (Somerset County Council Heritage Service).
1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE; were received from Max Hebditch, David Hill, Chris Sidaway and Robin Cloke.  We record with deep regret the death of Jessica Vale.
2. CHAIRMAN’S REMARKS; SP welcomed all to the meeting, the main purpose of which was to agree the papers to go to the Board on the 14th and the General Meeting on the 23rd March. He directed that abbreviated minutes be taken as the substance of discussion would be incorporated in amendments to the papers before the Panel.
The Panel wished Max Hebditch a speedy recovery from his operation.
3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST; referring to declarations at previous meetings, the Chairman asked everyone whether they wished to declare any new interests, or any interests specific to items of the agenda, particularly those relating to Somerset County Council where SCC officers would not be able to vote.  No additional declarations were made.
4. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING (28th January 2013, previously circulated); subject to the deletion of the final sentence of paragraph 8.2 which did not appear to make sense, the Minutes were agreed as a correct record of the meeting and were signed by the Chairman.
Action points not covered in the agenda for this meeting;
·         SM to provide a framed photograph of the St Mary Redcliffe staircase, probably in its former position in the Museum and with a suitable notice, for the SANHS Members’ Room.
·         AB to arrange with the new owner that the staircase in its new location displays a notice describing its provenance.
·         Museum Forward Collections Management Plan; GM and SM have met and agreed the points in the document where references should be made to SANHS’ contributions but drafting has still to be done.
·         GM and TM have still to make the exchange of letters protecting the Society’s interest in the Frome Hoard; this should be done as soon as possible.
 
5. RAISING THE PROFILE OF THE SANHS COLLECTION; GM introduced his paper which was welcomed by the Panel.  A number of amendments were suggested to the paper in the light of the Panel’s earlier tour of SANHS items in the Museum and of the points raised during that inspection.  GM would revise the paper accordingly and submit to the Board.
The Panel briefly discussed the ‘proof of title’ issue raised by Max Hebditch at the previous meeting.  In common with most extensive, antiquarian collections it was possible that a very small proportion of the items held in the collections could be open to a dispute over ownership; this often occurred when early records failed to make clear whether items had been donated or lent, and if the latter, for what period.  Our knowledge of the SANHS collection was steadily evolving as boxes were opened, or re-opened; anything obviously pre 1958 would normally be considered as belonging to SANHS.
6. DOCUMENTATION TO SUPPORT THE SANHS COLLECTION; GM introduced his paper and drew attention to the SCC Acquisition and Disposal Policy at Paper 6.2 which was to be replaced by a Collections Development Policy being submitted to Arts Council England (ACE) in October.  He also suggested that Item 7 and the note from Max Hebditch which had been circulated should be discussed under Item 6; this was agreed.  The Panel noted the advice from ACE, agreed the principles of the paper (including those on acquisition and disposal policy) and noted the further work required to cover SANHS interests in SCC documentation, on which further advice from ACE would be sought.  On the question of independent advice, the Panel acknowledged the importance of this and believed the key would lie in the advisers to be co-opted to the Panel.  GM was invited to revise the paper in line with the Panel’s discussion and submit it to the Board.
7. INDEPENDENT ADVICE TO THE BOARD; see Item 6 above.
8. REPORT TO THE BOARD AND DRAFT PAPER FOR MARCH GENERAL MEETING; GM explained that the report to the Board was in the form of a Draft paper for the General Meeting, with the TOR for the Panel and the Rules for the Museum Exhibits Replacement Fund attached.  He hoped this paper would complete the review of the Society’s governance of its museum collection.  The Panel agreed the paper, subject to minor amendment to reflect their discussion, and invited GM to submit it to the Board.
9. REPORT ON MUSEUM ACTIVITIES; SM and DP advised the Panel of current issues for the Museums Service:


  1. The research authorised at the last meeting had been successfully completed.

  2. ACE had appointed and would fund Martin Brown as a ‘Monument Fellow’ to provide best practice mentoring for 30 days at the Rural Life Museum.

  3. The success of the new Museum of Somerset had enhanced the profile of the SANHS collection with particular interest being shown by the University of London.

  4. SANHS item: Hay Turner (Accession No. 55.B.12).  This Lincolnshire made horse tedder in very poor condition had been assessed for disposal, as a far better Somerset tedder exists.  SP and one other panel member will view the tedder at ARK storage and make a recommendation to the Board.


10. ANY OTHER BUSINESS; various issues were discussed:

1. The Chairman and GM reported that, together with the Society’s Hon Treasurer, they had attended a training day for Museum Trustees at the Edward Jenner Museum.  The training, provided free by the South West Federation of Museums and Art Galleries, is available to Panel members and Trustees.  AB asked for his name to be put forward for a future session.

2. GM stated that once the current batch of policy papers had been cleared he would finally step down as Acting Secretary of the Panel.  He suggested there was a need for new members to join the Panel. 

11. NEXT MEETING; the Chairman thanked everyone for their attendance and GM for the work put in to assemble the papers for the Board. It was agreed that the next meeting will take place in the Somerset Heritage Centre on Tuesday the 30th April 2013, starting at 2 pm.  Agenda items to include;

·         Draft Forward Collections Management Plan

·         Draft Collections Development Plan

·         Implications of the Heritage Service Review

GM 13032013
 

 

Minutes of the 4th Meeting of the SANHS Museum Collection Panel



MINUTES OF THE FOURTH MEETING OF THE SANHS MUSEUM COLLECTION PANEL held 28th January 2013 in the Learning Room, Somerset Heritage Centre

PRESENT; Steve Parker (Chairman), George Middleton, David Dawson, David Baker, Max Hebditch, Anthony Bruce, Jessica Vale, Tom Mayberry.

IN ATTENDANCE; Steve Minnitt, Dennis Parsons (Somerset County Council Heritage Service).

1.APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE; were received from David Hill, Chris Sidaway and Robin Cloke.

2.CHAIRMAN’S REMARKS; SP welcomed all to the meeting and thanked all Panel members for their input which had enabled real progress to be made in the Panel’s establishment.

3.DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST; referring to declarations at previous meetings, GM asked everyone whether they wished to declare any new interests, or any interests specific to items of the agenda. None were declared.

4.MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING (6th September 2012, previously circulated); JV asked for clarification of the name of the Code of Practice referred to at item 10 page 6; it was agreed that this should read the “Museums Association Code of Practice”. Subject to this amendment being made, the Minutes were agreed as a correct record of the meeting and were signed by the Chairman.

GM asked for clarification on some action points not covered in the agenda for this meeting;

·         GM and SP have informed Dr Nix of the outcomes of the Panel’s discussions.

·         GM reminded TM of his undertaking at the Panel’s request to provide a framed photograph of the St Mary Redcliffe staircase in its former position in the Museum for the SANHS Members’ Room. AB and SM will take ACTION to provide this as soon as possible.

·         Museum Forward Collections Management Plan; GM and SM have met and agreed the points in the document where references should be made to SANHS’ contributions. DD further requested that his paper previously circulated making suggestions for SANHS’ active contributions to the implementation of this Plan should also be considered and SM replied that he will do so as part of producing the coming year’s Action Plan arising from the Forward Plan.

·         In response to a query from MH, SM said that the contribution of SANHS to the Museum collections would also be visible in the Museum Accreditation documentation for the Museum of Somerset.

·         AB commented that he was not satisfied with SANHS’ current lack of an Acquisition & Disposal Policy and lack of active collecting. He thinks that SANHS members need to be aware of their potential to be active collectors for “their” collection. GM responded that, while the collecting interests of SANHS should never conflict with or rival those of the Somerset Heritage Service (to which TM agreed), the SANHS Board is aware of this and has asked the Panel to prepare a brief on SANHS need for an Acquisition and Disposal Policy.  This could be considered at the Board on the 14th of March 2013, and be taken with other policy issues to a SANHS General Meeting to be held on the 23rd of March (ACTION GM for Panel at next meeting).

·         The Panel should also propose any other documents that the Trustees might require to support their responsibility for their collection (ACTION GM for Panel at next meeting). Thenceforward SANHS would have a clear structure for the governance of the collection and its working with the Somerset Heritage Service.

·         GM said that the SANHS Board had considered the Panel’s advice on the future uses of the Museum Exhibits Replacement Fund (i.e. whether it should be used either to support exclusively the SANHS collections or all the Museum of Somerset’s collections), and had concluded that, subject to Arts Council England (ACE) advice, they should recommend the latter option to members at the General Meeting. 

·         GM advised the meeting that three members of the Board will shortly attend training for museum trustees.

5. BOARD DISCUSSION AND TIMETABLE OF ACTIONS; GM introduced two papers from the Board previously circulated, and the Panel discussed the latter agreed timetable of actions. (Expansion of acronyms in the timetable; CLA = Collections Loan Agreement, ACE – Arts Council England, MERF = Museum Exhibits Replacement Fund)

1.      Completed

2.      Panel to monitor effectiveness of CLA and report to Board; it was AGREED that this should be reported back in October 2013. (TM provided further copies of the CLA to all present – ACTION JV to get a copy to David Hill)

3.      Panel actions on documents concerning SANHS collections, consulting with ACE; GM reported that he will consult with Arts Council England (ACE) and is working with SM on these, to report to the Board by April 2013. MH pointed out the importance of SANHS having proof of title to the items in their collection.

4.      Completed

5.      The Board has agreed the paper on Clarification of Museum Collections Ownership. GM and TM should make the exchange of letters protecting the Society’s interest in the Frome Hoard as soon as possible (ACTION GM and TM).

6.      The Board to consider how the MERF should be used in future; GM referred to the Panel’s earlier discussion (reported at bullet 7 of paragraph 4 above).  Consultation of members on this significant decision will take place at the March General Meeting.

7.      Disposal guidance; included within the actions at 3 above.

8.      Completed/ongoing (training pending).

9.      Report from Panel to Board on actions to raise profile of SANHS collection including among SANHS membership (ACTION GM for next Panel meeting), for March Board. Actions required/ in progress were noted as follows:

·         MH suggested and it was agreed that details of some significant items owned by SANHS should be added to the SANHS website. SM agreed to identify 10 or so items from the Museum of Somerset’s short catalogue and the Heritage Service staff to provide an introductory general paragraph, and captions for each photo. DD reminded staff of the significance of the Pleistocene collections and asked that a link be added to the ongoing Strawberry Bank research project. TM suggested also the inclusion of some notable documents.

·         GM asked whether it is possible to get acknowledgement of ownership by SANHS onto individual object labels in the Museum of Somerset displays. DD reminded the Panel that at the time of planning the displays the project management board, on which SANHS was represented, had agreed to the current label format. TM advised the Panel that SANHS is mentioned in the Guide to the Museum and in a general statement on the entrance wall, but that it would not be possible to revise individual labels at this stage.

·         AB suggested that the visibility of the collections could be enhanced through SANHS’ own publication programme.

·         MH suggested that the activity programme for SANHS members should from time to time include guided tours of the Museum of Somerset, and TM said that he would be very happy for these to be provided.

·         DP suggested that the profile of SANHS collections could be raised as part of the Rockwatch event taking place in February 2013.

·         TM said that he is writing for the next SANHS Newsletter an article on the portrait of Judge Jefferys by Kneller.

10.  The Panel had taken action on its composition and terms of reference and reported to the Board in November 2012. With reference to the proposed role of the Head of Museums as expert adviser to the Panel, GM considered this would need to be a separate timetable action.  The Board was considering a revised code of conduct to avoid all potential conflict of interests and, until this was in place to provide guidance, no decision on this proposal could be taken.

11.  Completed

12.  Panel to prepare a draft report in respect of points 6 and 10 above for the Board to consider and present to members in March 2013; ACTION GM to bring a draft to next meeting of Panel.

13.  Hon. Secretary and Chairman of Panel to respond to Dr Nix; GM confirmed that this had been actioned.

6. DRAFT TERMS OF REFERENCE – SANHS MUSEUM COLLECTION PANEL; GM introduced the document as a revised version of that circulated in 2012 as a result of the comments which he had received. The Panel now AGREES that GM should put this document to the Board for their consideration. The Chairman thanked GM for his work in compiling the draft Terms of Reference.

7. UPDATE ON SCC HERITAGE SERVICE REVIEW; TM informed the panel that the outline business case for the Heritage Service had received the County Council’s approval in July 2012, and that the full business case is to go to the County Council’s Cabinet on the 20th March 2013. The question is whether the Heritage Service will adopt a new business model, one of the potential options being that of a Trust. He understood that SANHS is most concerned about the potential effect any change could have on the Society’s assets (i.e. the Castle and the collections) and on the existing legal agreements between the Society and the County Council, especially the risk of legal expenses being incurred due to any policy change  by the County Council. He will want the SANHS Board to see the full business case as soon as is possible so that the County Council can engage in dialogue with the Society. He also noted the effect that the timing of forthcoming County Council elections may have on the proceedings. GM commented that to maintain continuity the SANHS representatives for discussions would continue to be himself, Chris Sidaway, and Robin Cloke (Hon. Treasurer).  MH commented that the Society needs to be assured that any Trust, if formed, would be truly independent of the County Council, and TM noted this.

8. REPORT ON MUSEUM ACTIVITIES; SM advised the Panel of current issues for the Museums Service:

1. The Museums Service has to submit its application for Accreditation by the 27th October 2013. He will keep SANHS informed of progress on this.

2. The Museums Service has selected new software for its collections management database, which he hopes will be operational from April 2013. The Service has appointed a new Documentation Officer, Bethany Murray. Both her post and the software are funded by Arts Council England (ACE). DD asked for the Panel to have the opportunity to see the database in due course.

3. An Assistant Curator is working part-time on reviewing the museum collections subject–by-subject. Currently they are looking to produce a briefing document on the fine art collection, including relevant items in the Archive Service. The aims of the review are mainly positive although disposal under certain circumstances could result. One result of the review will be an exhibition of fine art in the Museum’s temporary exhibition area in September 2013. SM will report further to future Panel meetings. TM added that there might be a possibility of hanging some paintings in Castle House in future.

4. Applications for grant aid towards the costs of redevelopment of the Somerset Rural Life Museum are now underway.

5. The Service is working on the production of disaster plans for the Somerset Heritage Centre and the Museum of Somerset.

6. SM asked for the Panel’s permission to allow the extension of the loan of a painting of St Mary Magdalene Church Taunton belonging to SANHS until September 2013 to the Bishop’s Palace at Wells. The Panel AGREED to this request which would be reported to the Board (ACTION GM).

7. DP circulated copies of a request which he had received from a PhD researcher at Royal Holloway College to study some Quaternary mammal bones in the Museum collection belonging to SANHS. The researcher would require very small amounts of destructive testing on a few bones, but DP is keen that the research goes ahead and he therefore asked for the Panel’s permission for this to be done under strict supervision. JV asked that the outcomes of the research be reported to SANHS members in some form and DP agreed that it would be possible to produce an item for the SANHS Newsletter in due course. The Panel was also made aware that the completed PhD thesis would be available online. The Panel AGREED to this request which would be reported to the Board (ACTION GM).

9. ANY OTHER BUSINESS; various issues were discussed:

1. JV drew SM’s attention to an advertisement recently placed by a Yeovil business which included a photograph of the Yeovil torc taken from a website. It was noted that the photo included a caption to say that this is an item in the Museum of Somerset. No further action required of the Panel.

2. GM asked if it would be possible for AB to obtain a photograph of the St Mary Redcliffe staircase in its new location and organise a visit for SANHS members to see it, and AB said that he would take steps (sorry, minute-taker’s pun) to arrange these;  GM to inform the Board that this will be done (ACTION GM).

3. SP asked and DP agreed to discuss arrangement of a SANHS members’ “Ice Age Day” in 2014 to study Pleistocene bones in the Museum collection, calling on the expertise of Danielle Schrieve of Royal Holloway College.

4. DD gave a short presentation to report the results of sampling about 20 pottery sherds from Taunton Castle previously permitted by the Panel. The sampling involved pioneering a technique new to pottery known as automated scanning electron microscopy, which took place at the Camborne School of Mines. The scans showed in minute detail the different mineral composition of inclusions in the pottery, enabling researchers to classify pottery according to source far more accurately than existing visual or chemical techniques permit. The results will be published in a SANHS publication.

10. NEXT MEETING; the Chairman thanked everyone for their attendance. It was agreed that the next meeting will take place at Taunton Castle on Wednesday the 6th March 2013 but starting at the AMENDED TIME of 2 p.m. with a guided tour of the SANHS collection in the Museum of Somerset, followed by a meeting in the Members’ Room. Agenda items to include;

·         Draft advice to the Board on the need for a SANHS Acquisition & Disposal Policy and on any other documentation required to support the SANHS collection

·         Draft recommendations to the Board on actions to be taken to raise the profile of the SANHS collection

·         Draft paper for the 23 March General Meeting on policy issues of museum governance, including the future use of the Museum Exhibit Replacement Fund.

JV 29012013

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