If a contractor drops a tool during extensive conservation work, and there's a guided hard hat tour near by, does anyone hear it?
​Yes.

This is an abbreviated version of a much longer moment, where a gent convinced his increasingly impressed other half that yes, he had learnt to read "hireglifs" in school, and it had stuck in his brain ever since, because it was so interesting.

The look on her face when he hit his punchline was fantastic.

Another cartoon from an interaction observed at the Charles I art exhibition - I keep suddenly remembering more gems!

Display label is missing from display.

Can't insert head into the cabinet at the right angle to see if it's dropped behind the display plinth.

Use phone to take a photo down the back of the plinth, to find the label is there.

Dob blue tack onto name badge, and use phone camera feed to see where to aim it behind the plinth.

Successfully stick name badge to display label and pull both out.

Replace display label in correct location.

Feel proud of ingenuity.

Realise no-one is around to recognise achievement.

Go and treat self to posh coffee to celebrate. 

www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/picture-of-month/displaypicture.aspx?id=108

So, there is a great story behind this painting: "The painting is believed to be the result of a challenge between father, William Nicholson, and son. Nicholson senior, whilst looking at one of his son's works showing a single jug, commented, 'but why one jug?' to which his son, Ben, replied 'well, why don't you paint a hundred?' Here we see the result - Nicholson's still-life 'tour de force'."

Why did he have this many jugs? In part, because of his still life paintings.

"The jugs, mainly English pottery and some china ones, were an important part of Nicholson's life. They adorned the surroundings in which he lived. His son, Ben, later admitted, 'But of course I owe a lot to my father - especially his poetic ideal and his still-life theme. That didn't come from Cubism as some people think, but from my father - not only from what he did as a painter, but from the beautiful striped and spotted jugs and mugs and goblets…. which he collected. Having those things throughout the house was an unforgettable early experience for me'. (Sunday Times, 26th April 1963)."

Our location is a Very Rural tourist information centre, with two visitors, two volunteers and a boarder collie. 

Me: We did try to visit the local museum, but it was closed.

Tourist information lady: That is strange. It's after Easter and before October, and it's a Tuesday, and it's not gone half one yet. It should be open, David is very keen.

Her friend: Unless The Other David was due on today?

TIL: I'll phone David for you and ask him to pop down and open the museum. 

Me: Stammers about that not being necessary, really, even as she's making the call. 

*quiet fear that this is about to go full League of Extraordinary Gentlemen*

TIL: He's not picking up.

Me: THANKS BUT DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, WE'LL CHECK OUT THE OLD CINEMA INSTEAD!

*visitors politely flee*

I've been very rubbish about posting museum reviews, usually because I write up half my notes, then leave the document languishing for ages, and finally come back to it and either:
A. Forget what the rest of the notes mean.
B. The exhibition it's about has finished.
C. Both of the above. Which might make for an interesting-ish, but not actually useful blog post.
 
So I'm going to be giving you some reviews I’m thinking of as “Explaining it in a pub”. Sort of stream of consciousness, or bullet point pros, cons, what grabbed my attention, a bit of gut reaction, with not too much in depth museum jargon or analysis.

Essentially, how I'd chat to a reasonably interested mate if they asked me in a pub “How was that place you went to the other weekend? Worth it?”
 
The fist of these will be coming up soon about the Star Wars toy exhibition at Leicester museum, hopefully, before the exhibition finishes…