Many, many years ago I was on an early postal mailing list for the Museum of London – and when they launched their Friends system, I joined up as a founder member. I even got a nice little tie pin to note the fact.
Anyhow, I had to let the membership lapse due to financial woes and recently thought that it was about time that I rejoined as I do pop in a fair bit and am increasingly working on odd bits of history.
Filled in the forms – and got an email asking if I am the same Ian M who used to live at address X in year Y. Blimy I thought, and replied in the affermative – the net result being that my membership from yesteryear has been renewed and when I got the welcome pack through the post, I still have membership number 149.
I know its a bit silly, but also quite woosome to still be showing up as one of the original Friends.
Also technically a breach of Data Protection Act, but I’ll overlook that!
Am off there this afternoon as it happens, as they are having a short event at 3pm where they will let visitors handle bits of burnt and melted “things” saved from the Great Fire of London.
I still get excited when handling old documents down at the Public Records Office, not to mention my own slowly growing collection of The Illustrated London News from the 1870s so handling burnt wood from nearly 350 years old should be rather novel.