Happy New Year!
Hope you're all ok and not still too stuffed on turkey and all the Christmas trimmings!! Well, it's going to be an interesting start to 2008 as we're off to London in a couple of weeks. Hope you're all looking forward to it!
Now, it's not just a jolly little holiday to our nation's capital, I want you to do a little bit of work whilst we're there. We're going to be looking at some different types of leaders and why they do the things they do in the way they do. I know Fairham has been talking to lots of different people, from firemen to policemen, and up in Manchester we've been thinking about political leaders like Mrs Thacher.
But leaders can come in any form. What use is a Prime Minsiter with no power to inspire? But equally, how does a policeman calm a situation down and take control? The same skills are needed for both.
So, we're going to look at Churchill as a major political leader. If you get a chance, do a bit of research and see what people have said about him. He tops poll after poll as the top Briton as a statesman, soldier, author, orator and artist, but does everyone think this? How did he get to this iconic position?
On the Sunday, we're going to look at why we collect and how we store things. You've all been to IWM North or NCCL, or both, and we have stuff in cases. Well, why do we have it? Where did it come from? Is there more? If so, where's the rest? Why is this bit on display and that bit isn't?
The last questions hinges around making decisions again, like leaders do all the time. Leaders take decisions that have immediate or long-lasting impacts, the decisions museums make are often of the longer lasting variety.
Anyway, I'd better go. So, have a think and I'll see you all soon.
All the best,
Kate
