Talk on female pilot kicks off museum events programme

On May 28 at Llangollen Museum Sally Knight will be giving a talk about her intrepid grandmother, one of the early pioneering female pilots about whom she has written a book.

In 1937 a two-seater aeroplane piloted by Phyl Lewin and her husband Brigadier General A.C. Lewin disappeared over Southern Sudan. The book is the story of Phyl’s life up to this point. 

It tells of her Victorian childhood, travel before World War I, nursing as a VAD in France and then marriage and emigration to Kenya to farm. 

Widowed and remarried, she flew many times in small aeroplanes between Kenya and England in the 1930s. The diaries of these journeys make exciting reading. The story continues with the rescue from the swamp and how the rest of her life unfolds.

The talk will all start at 7pm. Tickets for all are £3 at the door, refreshments will be provided.

 

Going on to speak about other events at the museum, Dave Crane says: "Our art gallery exhibition of pictures from the museum collection will remain up for this month, but has been augmented by a small collection of paintings by local artists Tony Daniels and Margaret Hallam. June will see an exhibition of pictures from the Llangollen International Eisteddfod.

 

"We have a new window display, featuring items related to WWII and VE Day. Our item of the month is a box of Llangollen Tourist Guides, collected by Chris Burrows, who, very sadly, died recently. 

"Chris was well known locally, his family having lived in Llangollen for generations. He had a great interest in local history and a large collection of heritage items. We are so grateful to Chris’s family for choosing to donate this collection of Llangollen Guides, along with other items, to the Museum.

 

"Also – watch out in June for a new display, in one of our three new cabinets, featuring items from an archaeological dig by the Clywdian Range Archaeolgy Group at a rare Bronze Age ritual site in Bryneglwys. 

"Their work has uncovered a remarkable collection of artefacts, including flint tools and arrowheads, as well as a cup-marked stone, which they believe hold significant historical value. They are keen to share their discoveries with the local community and to highlight the cultural heritage of the region. They hope to continue their work on the site over the next three years and so the display will be hopefully updated on a regular basis.

 

"In June as well, our Eisteddfod display will be rejuvenated, with new items and a new audio point featuring recollections from members and volunteers, recorded back in the 1970s, about the history and operations of the Eisteddfod."