What's On

Can you help the Rumble Museum at Cheney School save stories, memories, and objects from the First World War?

We need people to bring any objects (photographs, diaries, letters, medals, souvenirs, etc) that your family has kept from World War One, or just stories that have been passed down to our Digital Collection Day. We will then record your story or photograph the object and get details from you on their background and upload this to a major web site to be launched on 11^th November 2018. The web site will be freely available to anyone to use and will help preserve these key objects and documents from the War.

Friday 9th February 2018, 3 - 7pm

We are delighted to announce our Festival of Imagined Worlds on Friday 9th February 2018. This event will celebrate novels set in imaginary worlds, exploring how ancient myths and histories have often inspired these worlds. There will be museum artefacts to explore and handle which are connected to imagined worlds and stories.

The event will include author talks and book illustration workshops, as well as a wide range of stalls, activities and exhibitions. Visitors will be able to walk through different fictional worlds as they explore the site, each one containing striking decorations, workshops, stalls,  performances and activities themed on novels and authors. These will include the worlds of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lewis Carroll, J.K. Rowling, Philip Pullman and others. A number of museums will be bringing artefacts, and running stalls and activities.

The stalls, activities and exhibitions run from 3 until 6pm. It is free and caters for all ages. School groups are warmly welcome.

The following author talks will also take place throughout the afternoon and evening:

2.30 - Melinda Salisbury, author of The Sin-Eater's Daughter

3pm - Alice Broadway, author of Ink

3.30 - Alan Gibbons, author of Shadow of the Minotaur 

4pm - Stuart Hill, author of The Icemark Chronicles

4.30 - Steve Voakes, author of The Dreamwalker's Child

5pm - Angie Sage, author of the Septimus Heap series

5.30 - Susan Price, author of The Ghost Drum

6pm - James Treadwell, author of the Advent Trilogy

6.30 - Marie Phillips, author of Gods Behaving Badly

The festival itself does not require booking unless you are visiting with a school group. Author talks do need to be booked, and can be done so by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Poster image,"Bluebell Woods", by Danny Flynn, is inspired by Wytham Woods in Oxfordshire. Danny Flynn will be running workshops as part of the festival.

Tuesday 7th February 2017, 3 - 7pm

We are delighted to announce that the we are holding a Festival of Ancient and Modern Science on Tuesday 7th February 2017, 3 - 7pm at Cheney School.

This is an Iris Classics Centre event, open to all, where visitors are able to see the museum exhibits.

This event is a celebration of ancient and modern science, and areas of the school will be themed on different areas of scientific understanding, with a very wide range of organisations offering activities, stalls and events which explore ancient and modern connections.

All ages are welcome to attend - there will be activities, performances, stalls and events suitable for every age range. There will also be outdoor bird demonstrations with the Department of Zoology, and stargazing with Professor Allan Chapman. School groups are very welcome to attend - please email to book.

The Festival will be opened by Professor Robert Winston, and from 3 - 5.45pm there will be activities, demonstrations, stalls and exhibitions, and a walk-through exhibition in the Library. There will also be re-enactments, music and drama performances.

We are also hosting the following talks from authors and experts:

• 3 - 3.30pm - Professor Robert Winston opens the festival
• 3.45 - 4.15pm - Kyle Grant: "Growing Plants on Mars"
• 4.30 - 5pm - Ben Kane: "Archimedes and Ancient Weaponry"
• 5.15 - 5.45pm - Professor Helen King: "What’s wrong with me? Symptoms and labels in Hippocratic medicine"
• 6 - 6.45pm - Professor Anthony Grayling: "The Science of the Presocratic Philosophers"

A brochure containing full details of stalls, exhibitions, activities, speakers, and performances can be downloaded here  (6MB).

The festival itself does not require booking unless you are a bringing a group. Author talks and Professor Winston do need to be booked, and can be done so by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., stating which talk(s) you would like to attend in the title.

If you would like to be involved in helping out at the festival, we would be delighted to hear from you.