On July 9th and 10th, the staff of the Museum of Zoology traveled to Pevensey near Hastings in Sussex to visit the site where our Finback Whale washed ashore in 1865. We took with us one of the (smaller!) vertebrae, and met with the Pevensey Timeline Assocaition and visited the Pevensey and Westham Primary School where we made a recording of a skipping rhyme chanted by children in the 19th century inspired particularly by the smell the rotting whale made! The weather was beautiful, and we were able to go to Normans Bay itself, and pinpoint where the whale washed ashore using historical photographs and the help of local homeowners with knowledge of the local history. Check out this video we made of the beach at Normans Bay.
The Museum of Zoology Public Engagement team will be back in Pevensey on August 23rd, accompanied by sound artist Chris Watson and choir leader Rowena Whitehead for two Ocean Song workshops. Details coming soon!
