VISITOR INFORMATION
Please see the drop down on the Venues tab for each location, address, opening times, entertainment, travel information etc.
OWL FLIGHT: We have no owl flight at Abbey House Museum as when we were at this venue in March 2019 the museum received a couple of complaints. One was regarding a gun one of the people in costume was carrying and another about the birds being inside the museum.
1ST AID: In the event of anyone needing 1st aid (for themselves or for a visitor) please contact the reception desk and ask for the Venue / Shift Manager. All venues have staff that are 1st aid trained and will take the necessary action.
EMERGENCY EVACUATION: For any enquiries, please contact the reception desk and ask the staff. All traders will be briefed on the emergency procedures at the venue 15 minutes prior to opening.
We will be uploading PDFs relating to the venues in due course.
WEAPONS POLICY: LSM has a strict weapons policy which can be seen here.
When we were at Abbey House in March 2019 the museum received a couple of complaints. One was regarding a gun one of the people in costume was carrying and another about the birds being inside the museum. I did meet (during the course of the weekend) the person that the museum management are referring to and pointed out to him about his weapon being against the weapons policy. However as he'd paid admission and since passed through an additional staffed barrier I assumed the museum staff were happy for him to carry it. I told him I was agreeable to it being carried as he'd already been admitted with it, provided it was kept safely to his side so that he didn't pose a hazard with it.
As the museum has to act on any complaint they receive they have asked us to include in our advertising that customers and traders won’t be allowed to bring guns into the museum.
Once again, we emphasise that LSM does not allow any sort of weapons to be worn or carried in the museum. By all means bring them if you plan on doing photoshoots elsewhere that day (Abbey grounds for example) but when visiting the museum, leave them in the car!
PHOTOGRAPHY: We welcome everyone to take as many photos as they wish at our events.* All we ask is that if you want to take a photo of anyone, be it a visitor or a trader, do please be courteous and ask if they mind first. Chances are they will be more than happy but occasionally there will be a trader who is very protective of their work and designs and ask for no close ups. If you are planning on publishing the photos you take, do please advise your subject where that will be and supply them with your contact details so they can get a copy. Majority of the photos end up on Facebook so do please ensure you make the album on your profile as a public one and then share the url of the album as a link on the Facebook group and page so everyone can see it.
*Please note flash photography is not permitted at Abbey House Museum.
Photographers are welcomed as an official LSM "tog". This involves purchasing one of Captain Cumberpatch's camera designs at LSM, usually these ones below (showing you have earned your wings :) ) and in return we give you an LSM tog pass. Carry this with you at all LSM events and show it to gain discount from the food and drink concessions. Just our little way of saying thank you for taking great photos and sharing the love.
THE VENUE: Please have respect for the staff, other visitors, the building and its grounds at all times. If you smoke, please do so well away from the entrance in the designated spots. Dispose of your cigarette butt thoughtfully (i.e. not thrown carelessly to the ground, in the bushes or over a wall into the canal!) by ensuring it is fully extinguished before throwing it away in an appropriate bin.
Please do not eat or drink as you walk through the areas with exhibitions - use the outside areas. Do not leave empty food wrappers, drinks cans or paper cups in random places, empty them of excess fluid and use a waste bin to dispose of them, making use of recycling bins where possible.
CAR PARKING: Please ensure you park in the designated parking spots and observe the venue's signage in respect of access routes in and out - it's not always immediately obvious!
If the car park you use is not run by the venue, it may be a Pay & Display one. Do make sure you have sufficient change to pay for your whole day of parking (allow for the time to load in and out) and display your ticket in a visible place.
If the parking is full, you will need to look for alternative places to park such as public roads, side streets etc. Please be considerate and courteous if parking in residential areas (not blocking driveways etc) and be aware of any parking restrictions in place. Use common sense and not park on corners where you could lose a wing mirror to a passing bus; likewise remove any items of value or put them out of sight.
In all instances, you take responsibility for your own vehicle's safety.
FUND RAISING: Every LSM we used to have a raffle as a fundraising event for a nominated charity which has now had to be changed to a tombola due to Data Protection not allowing the charity in question to take people's phone numbers if they win a prize and are not there for the draw. All the traders donated items for this.
I've not been able to have any more charities in yet as still finding my feet again!
HOW TO GET THERE:
Each venue has its own page on here and we will keep them updated as much as we can in regards to giving you help with travel. If using public transport, please ensure you check in case there are any disruptions to your journey such as engineering work and rail replacement services.
Gocompare has designed a fuel price calculator and guidance to help drivers plan ahead for any journey and cut down on fuel use. This tool will be useful for you https://www.gocompare.com/car-insurance/fuel-price-calculator/
