The Friends of the Doncaster Museums
Events
Welcome
Throughout the year The Friends of the Doncaster Museums organises events and activities, for its members, to stimulate interest in the arts, history and heritage within Doncaster and surrounding area. From time to time we may promote events by other organisations that we think may be of interest to our members.
Our events are arranged for our members. Non-members who are thinking of joining The Friends may attend by prior booking, if space is available and there is a fee of £5, refunded if you become a member on the day.
If any of our members have any suggestions in regard to speakers/events, please e-mail them across to: chair@thefriendsofdoncastermuseums.co.uk
Please be aware that the information provided here may change, our members will be informed by email of the latest arrangements.
Day Trip to Hull
Tuesday 28th April 2026.
We have organised a trip to Hull for our members, with its many attractions that include: the Ferens Art Gallery; the Museum Quarter; Hull's Minster, and marina.
Booking is required for this trip, please email: chair@thefriendsofdoncastermuseums.co.uk
There is a fee of £15 per person.
Collecting Agatha Christy – Agatha and Me
Saturday 16th May 2026.
A talk by Ruth Brompton-Charlesworth.
The talk will be held at DGLAM, Flying Scotsman room, at 11am.
Summer Social
Saturday 20th June 2026.
After the success of last years Summer Social we will be holding a Summer Social 2026.
There will be a fee of £5 per person to cover the cost of food and drink.
The social will be held at DGLAM, Paddington room, at 12pm.
The Prince's Trust
Saturday 11th July 2026.
11:00 - 14:00 Flying Scotsman Room DGLAM
A talk by Geoff Tagg
Annual General Meeting
Saturday 5th September 2026.
11:00 - 14:00 Flying Scotsman Room DGLAM
We will be holding our AGM. Information on the agenda and any other related information will be sent to our members prior to the meeting.
There will be a talk by Neil McGregor, Collections and Exhibitions officer, after the AGM.
Day Trip to York
Tuesday 6th October 2026.
We have organised a trip to York for our members, with its many attractions.
Booking is required for this trip, please email: chair@thefriendsofdoncastermuseums.co.uk
There is a fee of £15 per person.
Details about this trip are subject to change, more information will be provided nearer the day.
Christmas Social
Saturday 5th December 2026.
Paddington Room, DGLAM 11:00 - 14:00
We will be holding our ever popular Christmas Social, with games, gift stall and buffet.
There is a fee of £5 per person for this event to cover the cost of food and drink.
The History of Theatre and Cinema in Doncaster
Saturday 9th January 2027.
A Talk by Nicola Fox.
The talk will be held at DGLAM, Flying Scotsman room, at 11am.
Past Events
Divorce in Victorian Doncaster
Held on Saturday 28th March 2026.
A Talk by Nicola Fox.
A fascinating look at some of the early divorces to take place in Doncaster after the Matrimonial Causes Act 1857, which transferred jurisdiction from church courts to civil courts. Prior to this, divorce required a costly Private Act of Parliament, making it restricted to the wealthy.
The talk was held at DGLAM, Flying Scotsman room, at 11am.
Lasting Memories of Doncaster County Borough Police -
The Start of a Police Career
Held on Saturday 28th February 2026.
A presentation by John Hope on the murder enquiries he headed up. His talk is about real life experiences, whilst on the beat in the 1960’s, including details from his police pocketbook, recorded at the time.
The talk was held at DGLAM, Flying Scotsman room, at 11am.
My Life in Books & My Journey to Publication
Held on Saturday 31st January 2026.
A talk by actor, director, and author Angela Wren.
Angela provided an interesting insight into her inspirations and methods, when writing a book, including some of the issues around approaching publishers the difficulties getting published.
For more information on Angela visit her website www.angelawren.co.uk.
Held at Danum Gallery, Library and Museum (DGLAM), Flying Scotsman room, at 11am.
Christmas Social
Held on Saturday 6th December 2025
The Friends ever popular Christmas Social was very well attended and enjoyed by all, to read more about this event please click on the link below:
Dunhuang to Doncaster
An odyssey of exquisite ancient art from Dunhuang China to Doncaster
The opening event was held on Saturday 8th November 1pm
Our members were invited to the preview of this exciting exhibition.
The Doncaster Chinese Hakka community brings you an appreciation of ancient Buddhist themed mural art from the Mogao Caves, Dunhuang, a UNESCO World Heritage site in North-West China. The exhibition showcases a selection of meticulously reproduced mural art made possible by local artist Olivia Pang, a graduate from the Chinese National Academy of Art.
The exhibition is on until January 4th 2026
The Friends are holding a blind auction during this exhibition, for more details click below:
Rail 200 Talk
Held on Saturday 27th September 2025.
Nigel Hyde gave a detailed presentation about the history of the railways, the talk was held next to the museum's two locomotives, at DGLAM, a perfect setting.
Our thanks to the staff at DGLAM for their help setting everything up, especially Helen.
Rail 200 celebrates the 200th anniversary of the modern railway. More details can be found at railway200.co.uk
Day Trip to Beverley
On Tuesday 23th September 2025
Our members enjoyed the delights of Beverley, a town with a rich history, beautiful architecture and a variety of attractions.
Visits were made to the Minster, a Gothic masterpiece, the Treasure House, art gallery, and of course coffee shops, restaurants and shops. Not forgetting St. Mary's church, a must visit.
The weather was perfect and there was plenty of time to stroll around.
Annual General Meeting
Held on Saturday 13th September 2025, 11am
The Friends Annual General Meeting was held at DGLAM, Flying Scotsman room, and was followed by a talk about the Grand Theatre presented by Bill McHugh. for more details click on the link below:
Summer Social
Held on Saturday 5th July 2025 in the Paddington Room at DGLAM.
The Friends Summer Social event was a chance to have fun, meet fellow members, and to get to know the trustees better.
As the event was a success we will be holding another Summer Social next year.
Lincoln Trip
Tuesday 20th May 2025
The Friends arranged for its members to visit Lincoln, where they had the opportunity to explore the city's many historic sites.
Doncaster's
Mansion House
A Talk by Jackie Gladden
From The Friends of Doncaster Mansion House
On Saturday 26th April 2025 Jackie Gladden gave an insightful talk about the Mansion House. Opened in 1749 Doncaster's mansion house is one of only three in the country, the others can be found in York and London. It is hoped will be able to arrange a follow up tour of the Mansion house at a later date.
The Friends would like to thank Jackie for her talk and our members for attending.
Murder in Victorian Doncaster
A Talk by Nicola Fox, Collections and Exhibitions Officer
(Social History)
On Saturday 8th March, 2025, Nicola Fox gave a talk recounting a number of murders that took place in Victorian Doncaster. We learnt about the victims and their killers, in a fascinating insight into the crimes of that period, how they were handled and the eventual outcomes of investigations.
Thank you to our members for attending, and to Nicola for the very informative and excellent presentation.
The Murder of Carolyn Susan Challenor
A Talk by Retired Detective Superintendent John Hope
On Saturday 8th February, 2025, John Hope delivered a talk about the murder of Carolyn Susan Challenor. John, a retired Detective superintendent who served for 33 years, provided a fascinating insight in to the investigation of Carolyn's murder, her body was found in an orchard in Bawtry in 1993.
Thank you to our members for attending, and to John for the excellent talk.
Christmas Social
14th December 2024
Our annual Christmas social was a great success, and a big thank you to all those that attended, and for the hard work of trustees that made this event possible.
I hope our guests enjoyed the games, and lets not forget the buffet for which we would like to thank the staff of the 1910 café.
The annual raffle was drawn and winners will be notified.
There was also the craft store with a great selection of handmade gifts made by our trustees.
Annual Raffle
The annual raffle was drawn on Saturday 14th December 2024 and the lucky winners will be notified. A big thank you to everyone that bought tickets.
Ben Parkinson Portrait
Saturday 2nd November.
A portrait of Ben Parkinson, Commissioned by The Friends of the Doncaster Museums, was unveiled by Ben in front of honoured guests.
We thank all those attended the event, and the staff at Danum Gallery Library and Museum (DGLAM) for their hard work in making this event a success. We also thank our members and sponsors.
The portrait is now on public display at the Art Gallery (level 2), DGLAM.
More photos and details can be found on our articles section.
AGM
Saturday 21st September
Today was our Annual General Meeting held at the Danum Gallery, Library and Museum. We took the opportunity to thank David Adgar for his dedication and hard work during the past five years, as he stands down as our Chair, of course there was cake.
Dr Matthew Jones (on the left of the adjacent photo) has kindly stepped in as the new Chair of The Friends of the Doncaster Museums. I and the other trustees look forward to working with Matthew and our members to continue the valuable contribution we make to Doncaster's museums and archive. I'd like to thank all those that attended today and the museum staff.
The Trustee’s Report, April 2023 – March 2024, is now available in the Chair's Report section of this website.
Nathan Turnbull, Trustee.
Cusworth Hall
Isabella's Garden
Wednesday 14th August saw a group of Friends join a guided tour of the Walled Garden and Lady Isabella's Garden at Cusworth Hall. Led by David Shore, the Head Gardener, the group were able to view recent developments and get an overview of plans to develop things further. It was a lovely morning and a number of us decided to make a day of it and retire to the cafe for lunch.
St Catherine's Walled Garden
Members Visit
On Tuesday 9th July, a small group of members braved the torrential downpour to join the Head Gardener of the Walled Garden at St Catherine's in Balby.
Notwithstanding the rain , our members were fascinated by the way the garden is developing and future plans. The site is being developed to promote well being and our visit to the cafe for coffee and cake certainly improved ours! The final 'garden visit' organised for the summer will take place at Cusworth Hall on 14th August.
Brodsworth Hall
On Tuesday June 25th there was an organised tour of Brodsworth Hall and Gardens. Built in 1860s the hall is one of the most complete examples of a Victorian country house, with stunning gardens.
Celebrating Chinese Culture
Doncaster has a significant Chinese Community. To celebrate their contribution, to the city, The Friends are working with local community groups, businesses and individual practitioners to develop a programme of events and visits during 2024. The programme will culminate in the early months of next year, when The Friends will help develop an exhibition in the Community Gallery at DGLAM.
At the beginning of the year, artist Olivia Pang delivered two calligraphy workshops, and these were followed by two guided tours of King Asia Food factory. The programme continues with a Tai Chi workshop and then an examination of traditional Chinese medicine. The Friends would like to thank all those who have contributed to this programme of events.
