Joe Kipling Courtesy of The Bowes Museum
A hundred-year-old message in a bottle hasbeen discovered by a stonemason carrying out renovations at the Bowes Museum in County Durham.
Joe Kipling, 18, discovered the message from the then curator Owen Stanley Scott which he had hidden in a blocked up fire place 102 years ago.
Mr Scott hid the bottle when the museum underwent changes on ‘Easter Eve, April 14 1906,’ when stoves were removed and chimneys were blocked up to make way for ‘Hot Water Heating Apparatus.’
Staff at the museum think that the message hidden in the ‘Ushers Extra Hopped Beer’ bottle after Mr Scott had been celebrating the securing funds to have the museum upgraded.
Stonemason Joe was only inches away from smashing the bottle as he drilled into the flu to create a new archway from the museums entrance hall into the newly extended shop.
“We were all curious as to what was in the message and it caused a lot of interest among the men on the site,” he said.
The message in a bottle Courtesy of The Bowes Museum
Site manager Peter Barker, of principal contractors Simpson of York Ltd has worked on a number of historic buildings and was delighted when the contractors came across the hidden message.
He said: “Working at the museum means that your curiosity is satisfied straightaway rather than having to wait for official feedback.”
The museum’s Director Adrian Jenkins, said: “It’s intriguing to have found this tangible link to the museums past. We are proposing to leave our own mark during the transformation for future generations to discover.”
A full programme of events is available from the museum by calling 01833 690606 or go to www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk
