Kendrick’s Cave

Fresh off the press.

I have been a volunteer at Llandudnos museum for over six years assisting the curator Mr Richard Hughes in his task of running the towns excellent museum.

This evening (Tuesday April 1st) over two hundered eager listeners gathered into the Town Hall to listen to a very interesting lecture given by Dr Jill Cook who is deputy curator of Archaeology at the British Museum.

What a particularly interesting hour and a half describing the significance of the Llandudno finds on a European scale and how there is a connection with the Pyrannees area in southern France.It has something to do with the unusual chevron markings to be found on the bone itself.

The towns museum has been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Horses jaw bone for over a year ( i know because i was told some time ago about the POSSIBILITY of the British Museum loaning it).The amount of paperwork and hoo hah involved to recieve such a pricelsss item into a small privately run museum was very exhausting but well worth it.

The priceless item was finally put in its very expensive (Brand New) display case only this afternoon at 3-43pm to be precise.It is surrounded by the two large femurs of the people burried there aswell as the cranial cap of one of the dwellers all over 13,000 years old.

Thanks must also be given to the National Museum in Cardiff which has also loaned many smaller but equally impressive Kendrick items.

The museums Tom Stone collection of Kendrick artifacts go to make what is a small but very impressive display of artifacts from Wales oldest known ART.

Kendricks cave directly above the Empire Hotel in upper Mostyn St on the Orme headland dates back to 14,000 years.

At 9-25pm i along with the museums other long serving volunteer Bob Barnsdale was given the first preview of what should be a very successful 6 month long exhibition.

The museum was lucky enough to acquire substantial grant aid to allow the purchase of many new rather expensive but oh so modern display cases.

The exhibition even drew comment from Jill Cook who helped set it up on Tuesday April 1st.

More importantly this is the first time in just over a hundred years that all of Thomas Kendricks finds have been brought together and i can say that those who make the effort will be rewarded in seeing artifacts of world importance brought together in Llandudnos small but excellent museum.

The museum is open every day except Mondays and please make the effort to visit because after the six month visit the jaw bone will return to the British Museum prabably for ever,as the last time it left was in 1935.

I was really surprised at seeing the quality of the finished exhibition .

Working at the museum over the many months,seeing the painting and decoration of the display area,the arrival of the beautifull and terribly expensive cabinets all the way from Scotland.

Assisting last Friday in placing smaller artifacts in the larger cabinet and awaiting the arrival of this most famous piece of ancient art seen by nearly three million visitore every year in Londons museum.

The realisation of over a years hard slog to set up this important exhibition,and then seeing the finished article i can honestly say im really proud to be part of what should be the chance of a life time to see all of the world famous Kendricks cave artifacts all together for over a century.