Council News

06 May 2008

North Wales Football Legend Kicks off Museum and Galleries Month

Welsh football legend Ian Rush MBE kicked off Museums and Galleries Month (MGM) in style this week with a personal appearance at Wrexham County Borough Museum.

The former record Wales and Liverpool striker was in the town on Thursday (May 1) to help celebrate the special exhibitions on display at museums and art galleries across Wales throughout May as part of MGM 2008.

Ian was thrilled to see some of his old football shirts in the museum’s own Welsh Football Collection. The collection, which contains more than a thousand items relating to the history of Welsh football, is stored inside the museum’s innovative Collection Centre. At the touch of a button visitors can choose then view items from the collection which are not on display.

MGM is a UK-wide campaign which is supported in Wales by the Welsh Assembly Government.  It will take place between 1- 31 May and this year’s theme, ideas and innovation, allows museums and galleries to explore Wales’ home-grown inventive talent. Special exhibitions during the month will range from an exhibition dedicated to one of Wales’ top innovators and pioneer of the Welsh Co-operative movement, Robert Owen, to the Gilbern Car, the only car to be produced completely in Wales.

Ian Rush, who grew up in Flint, said: "I wish we had had a local museum like Wrexham's when I was growing up in Flint. It's been great to come back now and see the region's heritage on show - not to mention seeing my own football shirts and photos of me and my Wales team mates in the Welsh Football Collection."

“Museums and Galleries Month is a really great opportunity for people to take advantage of the local culture on their doorstep as there are loads of special activities going on throughout the month.”

Latest figures show that more than three million visits are made to Welsh museums each year. MGM aims to increase the number of visitors to museums and galleries across the country, not only during May but throughout 2008.

Alan Watkin, Wrexham’s Chief Leisure, Libraries and Culture Officer said: “We’re delighted to be involved in MGM again this year. We had great success with the events we held last year and are hoping to build on that this time.

“Our Collections Centre provides an opportunity for the public to see the huge number of artefacts held in museum stores that are not usually on display. Our football collection is a classic example of innovation in Wrexham, because the town played a key role in the early development of football in Wales and is still the game’s spiritual home. It is an honour to have Ian Rush MBE at our museum to witness our collection – especially since he actually used to wear some of the collection!”

Heritage Minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas is also supporting Museums and Galleries Month. He said: “Wales has a fantastically rich history and culture. This is reflected in the diverse collections held in more than 140 museums across the country. This year’s theme - ideas and innovation - is particularly apt. Wales was home to the first steam railway locomotive, the first radio broadcast over water and equals sign!”

For more information on events happening across Wales during Museums and Galleries Month 2008 visit www.mgm.org.uk (external link)