Exhibitions at Portland Basin Museum

At Portland Basin Museum we run a fantastic changing programme of exhibitions - so there's always something new to see!

Current Exhibition

If You Go Down to the Woods Today

15 July 2017 until April 2018

If you go down to Portland Basin Museum, you’re in for a big surprise. The museum has been taken over by teddy bears! Big and small, old and new, each bear has a special story to tell.

‘Ted’ has just turned 60, having been bought for his owner from Mr Lowry’s on Wharf Street, Dukinfield.  ‘Biggles’ was bought for his owner when he gained his pilot’s licence at the age of 70. And the most daredevil of all the bears, ‘Teddy’, recently did his first parachute jump! The bears have been loaned to the museum by people across Tameside.

As well as starring in the exhibition, some of the bears enjoyed a picnic at Stamford Park. Their adventures were captured by photographer Alison Hempstock and can be seen on display at the museum. 

To celebrate the exhibition, internationally renowned knitting and crochet designer, Emma Varnam, has designed Portland Bear.  Emma, who has written several crochet books and writes a popular blog on the subject, explains: “Portland Bear is inspired by my favourite museum, situated down by the picturesque Ashton Canal. Portland likes nothing more than spending his days on his pretty canal boat. He loves watching all the wildlife that live on the waterway. But his favourite thing to do is to welcome the school children who visit his museum.  A day filled with laughter, fun and learning something new is a great day for this little bear”. The pattern to make your own knitted or crocheted Portland Bear is on sale in the museum shop.

There are lots of hands-on things for children too, including a teddy trail, a pretend teddy bears’ picnic and books to read. Bring your bear along to join in the fun! 

Somme Exhibition

1 July to Summer 2017

The commemorative exhibition at Portland Basin, which opened on Friday 1st July, includes historical artefacts from the battle such as an original grave marker and medals awarded to local people, such as John Hallows, who fought in the battle. Further information is also available on the ‘Men Behind the Medals’ website which can be found at http://www.themenbehindthemedals.org.uk/.