Bugs and Other Creepy Things

'The best things in life are free'

I am against the use of clichés, it should be illegal. Wealthy idiots also annoy me and you don’t often find the intelligent use of wealth. But I think I've been proved wrong on both counts.

I’m talking about the Rothschild’s, the family of bankers and philanthropists who did good works in the best Victorian tradition.

One of the endearing things about this family, was their love of bugs and other creepy things.

I’m talking about the Natural History Museum at Tring, (UK) which was founded by Lionel Rothschild, who began collecting insects as a child of six.

It ‘s full of natural wonders, and it’s free. A great place for the kiddies.

The Museum

The Museum is very child friendly; they can run up and down and no one tells them off.
The children scream, and no one tells them off. Wonderful.
For some.

The children are just as entertaining as the animals. I enjoyed the way little kids threatened the stuffed bears and tigers - the less brave clutched Mummy’s knee, and sobbed.

Poor little mite was convinced that the snarling Tiger was going to leap out and eat her.
Very enjoyable.

I still think it’s amazing we have this collection, beautifully kept, displayed. And it’s free. They even let the kiddies open the 19C cabinets full of jewelled butterflies.

They let the kids bang ‘em shut as well.

Lionel Walter Rothschild

Very entertaining it was too. A wobbly child made several escape attempts, doing happy gurgling noises as he set off past the cabinets of possums and opossums.

Yes, I do know the difference, so there.
Possums.

The wobbly child got corralled, but my guess is, it won’t be long before he makes the Great Escape.
However I do approve of making the little ones work hard, and enjoyed the way they ran round with clipboards and pencils, making notes. It was a bit difficult to move sometimes, when the eager note-takers flopped down on my feet.

The only thing I didn’t care for, was the skeleton of the Giant Sloth: actually, it was the remark “It reminds me of you.” that I didn’t care for.

I’m sure most of you will understand.

Put it this way, I suggest you do.
Yep.

Bibliography and Notes

The Walter Rothschild Building
Akeman Street
Tring
Hertfordshire
HP23 6AP
Tel.44(0) 20 7942 6171

Opening Times
Mon to Sat. 10 .00– 17.00pm
Sunday 14.00 – 17.00

Closed: 24-26 December.

Lionel Rothschild

In 1889, when Lionel Walter Rothschild came of age, his father, the first Baron Rothschild, gave him a piece of land in Tring Park on which he built two cottages, one to house his collection of insects and books and the other for a caretaker. A much larger building designed for the display of mounted specimens was also built and first opened to the public in 1892. As his collections grew, he continued to devote much thought and care to the arrangement of the galleries, selecting especially fine specimens for exhibition and sparing neither time nor expense over their preparation. Thus in addition to their scientific interest, the specimens displayed are outstanding examples of the taxidermist's art of the 19th century. The Museum continued to expand, and in 1910 and 1912 additional wings were added.

Taken from

Hertfordshire History

Other Useful Web Sites

Natural History Museum

Tring