SIX-year-old Oliver Cowles was recently invited for a special ‘behind the scenes’ tour of the Natural History Museum in London.
Oliver, who wants to be an archaeologist when he is older, wrote a letter to the museum to tell them about his passion for dinosaurs.
He wrote, “Dear Chief Archaeologist. My name is Oliver Cowles. I would like to dig up the Tyrannosaurus rex. The king of the jungle. They are in North America. Thank you for reading my letter. Love from Oliver.”
Much to Oliver’s dad James’ surprise, Dr. Fiona E. Fearnhead, identification & advisory service palaeontologist at the museum, wrote back to Oliver and invited him and his family to the museum for a ‘behind the scenes’ tour.
James said, “I couldn’t believe he got a reply, let alone a special invitation to the museum. It was so kind of her. He is dinosaur-mad so he was very excited.
“We were taken down to see some different exhibits that are normally closed to the public including icthysoar teeth and a selection on fossils which included coprolites (fossilized poo) and some fossilized crocodile skin that was still intact (soft tissues are pretty rare).
“He was a little unwell so had to be dosed up and was a little spaced out, but otherwise very much enjoyed himself. Dr Fiona was lovely and very accommodating to the dosed up and vaguely dozy crazy child. He will be writing a thank you letter soon.
“He is a lovely little boy with a bigger heart than anyone I know. He’s decided he wants to be a vegetarian because he doesn’t want to hurt animals.”
![Melksham Times Past
A column about days gone by in Melksham by local historian Lisa Ellis
The Independent Chapel and Women’s Rights in the 1840s
A document I recently transcribed lists the baptisms performed at the Independent Chapel. This record is especially helpful in that, along with baptisms, a lot of them include birth dates - one of the ways I discover which day someone was born.
The following is taken from a Wiltshire Times article published on 9th November 1878 which reports a speech given during the 100-year services and to celebrate their renovations (what we now know to be the Rachel Fowler Centre).
One speaker, Rev. T. Mann, minister in Trowbridge, talked about the Chapel’s origins when he related how Rev. Honywill came to Melksham and how he’d gone on to remain as the minister for the Independent Chapel for almost 60 years. [Honywill and his family lived on King Street in what we now call “Legion House”.]
Read more on our website, the link is in our bio.](https://scontent-lhr6-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.75761-15/505444438_18038424887647822_3264519508333556874_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=18de74&_nc_ohc=gXZQJoHTNiEQ7kNvwHezuPI&_nc_oc=AdlrJvMDapuork_EjycPOcegNeMnCA37GEIudkxkTeCfTgvB5iijE05ojpwlYCd5gN8&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-lhr6-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=2ejTZ6D9dPXIFkdtQ-bGfg&oh=00_AfMePUYDK6PXDzeUYs-aKY4wfMPOaURY8Z6OwO7o8TXJSA&oe=685718CA "Melksham Times Past
A column about days gone by in Melksham by local historian Lisa Ellis
The Independent Chapel and Women’s Rights in the 1840s
A document I recently transcribed lists the baptisms performed at the Independent Chapel. This record is especially helpful in that, along with baptisms, a lot of them include birth dates - one of the ways I discover which day someone was born.
The following is taken from a Wiltshire Times article published on 9th November 1878 which reports a speech given during the 100-year services and to celebrate their renovations (what we now know to be the Rachel Fowler Centre).
One speaker, Rev. T. Mann, minister in Trowbridge, talked about the Chapel’s origins when he related how Rev. Honywill came to Melksham and how he’d gone on to remain as the minister for the Independent Chapel for almost 60 years. [Honywill and his family lived on King Street in what we now call “Legion House”.]
Read more on our website, the link is in our bio.")
