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Lorraine Heyes
Scriptwriter for the Castle's interpretation panels
.
Best memories - My best memories are of exploring the Victorian prison
with historical researchers Susan Payne and Helen Bates. With their
knowledge, and the journal entries made by prison staff, including
Governor James Foster and Surgeon Ralph Howitt, it was possible to
identify individual prisoners' cells, and the locations where specific
incidents - such as escapes and arguments - had taken place. It sent a
shiver down my spine!
Greatest challenge - My greatest challenge was condensing the
huge amount of meticulous historical research to fit the space on the
interpretation panels. Fortunately, visitors will be able to discover the
stories we couldn't fit on the panels by using the Castle Explorer tablets
in the Victorian prison.
Susan Payne
Researcher on the Castle's earlier history.
Best moment - My best historical research moment was tracking down,
in the Bodleian Library, the original delicate pencil sketch by Samuel Buck
of buildings he saw within the Castle in about 1724.
Worst moment - My worst moment was receiving the digital image and
realising that it was too faint to reproduce as a small image in the new
guide book.
Helen Bates
Lincoln Castle Prison content researcher.
Helen has been researching
the history of the prison and finding stories which reflect prison life.
Best moment - Reading the documents relating to the Prison's serial
escapee, Joseph Ralph. Reading the report produced after his escapes
was wonderful. I will never forget smiling at the letter from the prison
cook who had recaptured Ralph and the excuses he gave as to why
he was delayed in his return to the Castle. It was later revealed that
when he recaptured Ralph in Barton upon Humber, he spent a few days
basking in the glory of his success and enjoying the hospitality of the inns!
Worst moment - Reading about the shocking suicide of the murderess,
Mary Ann Milner. When I cross referenced all the staff journals to see
what each employee had written about the event, I discovered that in
the Chaplain's journal, a page had been cut out for the dates following
the suicide. As the Chaplain had faced criticism at the time for neglecting
Mary on the night before she faced the gallows, I imagine that he may
have tried to explain his actions but was either told to remove this from
the record or decided to remove it himself. I remember my sense of
despair when I realised that this page had been destroyed!
Jessica Marshall
A member of the Tourism Team
Jess has managed the funding and
budgets for Lincoln Castle Revealed and the Heritage Skills Centre.
Best moment - The reaction from people attending the many press visits,
familiarisation trips and presentations that have taken place. I never tired
of showcasing how incredible the project was and seeing the enthusiasm
it generated from the audience. At times it was easy to lose focus of
the bigger picture, then taking a group onto the brand new wall and
witnessing their reaction would make you remember why it's all worth it.
Most challenging aspect - such a large project has a number of
different funders who need to ensure their contribution was being
spent and monitored effectively. Although necessary and completely
understandable, trying to balance and meet all their varying
requirements was rather complicated!
Lorraine Heyes
Susan Payne
Helen Bates
Jessica Marshall