FESTIVE FUN AT THE RIVER & ROWING MUSEUM

The River & Rowing Museum (rrm.co.uk) will be getting into the Christmas spirit with the help of some of its closest friends - Mr Toad, Ratty and Mole! Come and visit Mr Toad in his caravan and tell him what you would like for Christmas, use Ratty and Mole as inspiration to decorate your Christmas tree and make a variety of decorations fit to grace Toad Hall.

A bustling programme of exhibitions and events means there will be an opportunity for everyone to get into the Christmas spirit at the River & Rowing Museum! On 21 December, Mr Toad will take to his grotto where children will have the chance to tell him their Christmas wishes and receive a special gift. They can also learn about the traditions of St Nicholas Day by making a special shoe to leave on the windowsill to be filled with treats. Adults can also have fun creating fabulous Christmas cards, unique gifts and beautiful festive flower arrangements with experienced teachers on hand to help.

In addition, parents and children can enjoy the Museum's other galleries and exhibitions including Wind in the Willows, as well as the Museum shop and terrace café - where they can pick up some Christmas gifts or sample the café's delicious Christmas menu. All Christmas holiday events and activities are listed below. For further information please visit rrm.co.uk.

Suzie Tilbury, Deputy Curator, River & Rowing Museum said: "This Christmas at the River & Rowing Museum, there will be a whole range of fun and inspiring activities providing the opportunity for everyone to get creative and learn skills they can take with them through Christmas and beyond."


For Children:

A Shoe for St. Nicholas
Saturday 5 December
10.30am -12.30pm Age 4-7
2 - 4pm Age 7-11
Find out why this is St. Nicholas' night and make a special shoe to put on the windowsill! Learn some 3D model-making techniques and decorate your shoe with collage and decoupage.
£8.50

Toad's Crackers about Christmas
Saturday 12 December
10.30am -12.30pm Age 4-7
1.30pm- 3.30pm Age 7-11
Get ready for Christmas by visiting Mr Toad, Ratty and Mole in the Wind and the Willows exhibition. Use this for inspiration in making and decorating Christmas crackers for Mr Toad.
£8.50

Toad's Christmas
Monday 21 December
10.30am - 3.30pm
Mr Toad is waiting to wish you a Merry Christmas. Come and visit him in his caravan to receive your present and then make some last minute decorations.
(Mr Toad will have a refreshment break between 1-1:30pm!)
All ages
£3 per child

Tinsel and Toys
Tuesday 22 December
10.30am - 12.30pm
Dr Coppelius has a wonderful toyshop. Hear the story of his daughter Coppelia who is really a doll. You can make a small selection of sparkly toys just in time for Christmas. Then you can see some very old toys from our Museum collection.
Age 4 - 7
£8.50


For Adults:

Drypoint Etching and Printmaking
Saturday 12 December
10.30am - 1pm
Hen Coleman is a professional artist, printmaker and experienced teacher. She graduated with an MA in print from the Royal College in 2006.
Come and have a day making prints of drypoint etchings on a professional press using aluminium, zinc and acetate plates. Drypoints create a lovely soft and expressive line with very little effort. This session is suitable for beginners and experienced artists - anyone who wants to create some fabulous Christmas cards or a special and unique gift. Bring ideas along or take your plate out to the riverside and sketch the view. All materials provided. Bring an apron.
£18 +£10 materials

Christmas Table Arrangement
Saturday 19 December
Christine Dromgoole is a florist with over 20 years' experience in creating beautiful flower arrangements for all occasions.
10.30am -1pm
Create your own table arrangement this Christmas under the guidance of an expert florist. Through step-by-step demonstration, you will be shown two different designs of displays suitable for any mantle or table centrepiece. You will make and take home your own floral display. Materials to bring: floristry scissors and your own container (the size of a dinner plate and at least 2 inches in depth). All other materials provided.
£18 + £20 materials

END

Public booking information
These are just some of the many wonderful things to see and do at the River & Rowing Museum. All forthcoming River & Rowing Museum events until June 2010 are listed below. Full public information for all activities is available at rrm.co.uk. Bookings can be made on 01491 415 600 or edbookings@rrm.co.uk. Some paid for events and courses must be booked in advance, please see listings for details.

Press information
Press releases and pictures for the events and activities can be downloaded from http://www.kallaway.co.uk/rrm.htm. For further information please contact:

Eliz Hevacioglu
020 7221 7883
eliz.helvacioglu@kallaway.co.uk

Catherine Yoxall
01491 415642
catherine.yoxall@rrm.co.uk

The River & Rowing Museum (www.rrm.co.uk )
The River & Rowing Museum is one of the UK's leading regional and sporting Museums, attracting over 100,000 visitors a year. The Museum also has a purpose built education centre visited by over 20,000 children and adults a year. The Museum provides superb value for money. Tickets are £7 for adults and £5 for children and provide free access for one year for the price of just one ticket. The Museum celebrates four themes explored through a wide variety of exhibitions and events across four galleries and special exhibitions:

• The past, present and future of the River Thames
• The historic riverside community of Henley on Thames
• The international sport of rowing
• The Wind in the Willows

Since opening in August 1998 the Museum has received numerous awards including the National Heritage/NPI Museum of the Year award, the Sandford Award For Heritage Education and the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge.

Location, opening and ticket information
The River & Rowing Museum (www.rrm.co.uk), Mill Meadows, Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 1BF. Tel. 01491 415600.

• The Museum, terrace café and shop are open every day from 10am - 5.30pm in summer and 10am - 5pm in the winter
• Tickets give FREE admission for a whole year!
• Admission is just £7 for adults, £5 for children aged four and over, FREE for children aged three and under and £5 for senior citizens and concessions
• Free parking for visitors

The River & Rowing Museum is part of the Thames Valley Museums Group (TVMG) Family Friendly initiative - a scheme that brings together 29 Museums across Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, to promote their popular appeal to the whole family.

END TO ALL