On Fridays, on the train to Plymouth to teach at an inordinately early hour, at the moment I like to drink coffee and listen to podcasts to ease myself into the day. At the moment really enjoy the bite-size narratives on offer from A History of the World in 100 Objects. I'm learning so much - and normally I quite like not having pictures of the objects, instead leaving things up to the imagination. But the two programmes above really intrigued me, so I have finally looked them up online.
As Sir David M Wilson (Director of the British Museum 1977 - 1991) wrote:
A museum is not a dead institution and anyone who accuses the British Museum of being dusty and boring is either ignorant or lacks a soul. The British Museum is full of life. To hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren it each year provides a sense of adventure; to millions of toursist and visitors it brings a sense of renewal, and to thousands of scholars a deep well of knowledge. It belongs to the whole world and is kept secure for all mankind.
From The Collections of the British Museum, ed. David M Wilson, British Museum Press, 1989.
