Meet the Team
Staff
Briony Hudson, Director
Having done a History degree and trained in Museum Studies, I’ve worked in lots of different museums of all shapes and sizes for over 25 years. I joined Amersham Museum as Director in July 2022 – leading the team here is a fabulous job! Every day is different from making grant applications to giving talks, and recruiting volunteers to devising exhibitions and events. My background is in medical history, so the museum’s wonderful garden is fantastic, but I think that my favourite item in the collections is the medicine chest from Haddon’s Pharmacy that operated from opposite the museum building on the High Street for nearly 130 years. Beyond my museum role, I enjoy family dog walks and gardening, and spend time on a number of medical history committees!
Sarah Minty, Learning Officer
I joined the Amersham Museum team in 2021 as my ‘Career of My Third Age’, following many happy years working for a National Homeless Charity, and then retraining and working as teacher whilst raising my family. I taught locally in Amersham schools and have always loved being involved in community work. Much of my work is outreach with educators, children and families and I never tire seeing how this wonderful museum can inspire, intrigue, and spark those moments of awe and wonder. Having lived in Amersham for 25 years, I am definitely still learning and delight in finding out and sharing stories about this special area. Apart from the museum being my happy place, I am most likely to be found curled up with a book or stomping through the muddy fields and woods exploring the Chilterns.
Emma Treleaven, Collections Manager
I started my career with a degree in Fashion History and Theory, followed by a Masters degree in Museum Studies, and I have been working in museum collections and exhibitions ever since. I’ve been lucky enough to work in all sorts of collections all over the country, from pottery in Stoke-on-Trent, to Enigma machines at Bletchley Park, to couture dresses at the V&A. I joined the Amersham team in October 2021, and have completely fallen in love with the museum and its weird and wonderful collection. When I’m not working at the museum, I am a PhD student studying the history of shoemaking, so the museum’s collection of shoes are some of my favourite objects (just don’t tell the rest of the collection!).
Trustees
Alison Bailey; Vice Chair
After a career in financial services and then in property, I have been volunteering at Amersham Museum for over 10 years. I’m involved with many areas of the museum including our Age Friendly Programme, access and inclusion, research, writing articles for the website and stewarding. I also lead walks and give talks on women’s history and architecture. My particular interest is 19th and 20th century social history, when the arrival of the railway brought many exciting people and new ideas to Amersham. I wrote ‘Women at War’, a celebration of our local suffrage campaigners and their contribution to WWI for the museum and have a regular social history column in the Bucks Free Press.
Jenny Baker OBE
My voluntary sector career covered 35 years with the National Trust leading volunteering and outreach and as Chief Executive of a health charity. With experience of national and local charity governance, I’m a trustee of Wycombe Museum and was Chair of Healthwatch Bucks and Board member of Community Impact Bucks. What appeals to me about Amersham Museum is the exemplary leadership of an active and passionate partnership of people working towards the same shared end; enhancing understanding of local life in Amersham – past, current and future.
Jane Barnes
I have been a volunteer at Amersham Museum for over 12 years and have been involved in several different areas, but I now have responsibility for our Age Friendly Programme. This includes both work within the museum for our reminiscence groups and outreach work in care homes and community groups. We have seen this grow over the years and become part of the wider community. I’m also involved in helping to record oral histories and we’ve built up a large collection over the years.
Martin Day; Chair
After a career in finance and education I’ve retired to Amersham but still work as a non-executive director with learning providers and am Chair of a local Multi Academy Trust. After my first visit to the museum I signed up as a Friend of Amersham Museum and volunteer, which proved so enjoyable and rewarding it led to me becoming a trustee. My particular interest is in George Ward’s extensive photographic collection of Amersham life across the turn of the 19th century; a truly amazing legacy.
Tessa Drysdale
I am a human resources professional specialising in the charity sector and became a trustee of Amersham Museum in 2023 with a particular focus on people issues. I enjoy working with the trustees and the museum staff and, in addition to my HR focus, I’m particularly interested in our environmental agenda.
Nick Gammage; Honorary Secretary
I have lived in Amersham and Chesham Bois for more than 30 years. My career was in journalism and communications – so it’s perhaps not surprising that my special interest lies in investigating the rich history of this area and sharing my discoveries. I also act as Secretary for the Board of Trustees.
Linda Gould
I have been volunteering at Amersham Museum for over 10 years and am involved with many different areas of the museum including implementation of the new volunteer IT system, school learning visits, photography of events and collection items, social media and stewarding. My area of particular interest is the museum’s beautiful herb garden – a wonderful place to relax and enjoy nature.
Pete Healy
Amersham born & bred, I’ve been volunteering at the museum since 2012, where my main role is purchasing for the museum shop and running its point-of-sale system. I also undertake regular stewarding sessions and drive ‘Anthony’, our retro-style vehicle which operates as a mobile museum, to local events. I also research and write up occasional historical articles for the website and give museum talks to local organisations.
Kieran McPolin, Honorary Treasurer
I spent most of my career in finance and telecommunications but was also a trustee for a national educational charity for more than 10 years. Since moving to Amersham 25 years ago I have had a keen interest in the history of this wonderful town and its people. I now enjoy volunteering at the museum and am one of the regular guides who lead the town walks for our visitors each Sunday.
Mary Tebje
Volunteering locally is important to me and being able to do this within my professional sector suits me very well. I bring to the role my extensive professional marketing communications experience plus a knowledge of the local Chilterns visitor economy, to raise awareness of the museum and to invite the community and visitors to discover the story of Amersham. Being able to peel back the layers to reveal the sense of place and links to the local landscape is what really appeals to me.
Amersham Museum is a much bigger team than its paid staff, with around 120 volunteers brilliantly supporting all aspects of the museum’s work. From welcoming visitors to running events, gardening to research, book keeping to web editing, volunteers are vital to the museum. Find out more about our volunteering roles here: Volunteer – Amersham Museum
Plan Your Visit
Opening hours:
Wednesday to Sunday, and Bank Holiday Mondays, 12noon to 4:30pm
49 High Street
Old Amersham
Buckinghamshire
HP7 0DP
01494 723700
[email protected]
“Enjoyed our visit to this wonderful interactive museum where you are positively encouraged to touch things!”
“Visited Amersham museum yesterday – lovely place, provides many details on the history of the place. Plenty of cute cafes, pubs and shops around also… not difficult to find free parking nearby. ”
“A well-run, informative and interesting small museum on the main street. It’s mostly volunteer-run and they do a great job in keeping it and making you feel welcome…Check out the herb garden too.”
“Enjoyable film and television location guided walk around Amersham hosted by Amersham Museum – here are the Sun Houses on Highover Park and further up the hill is High & Over.”
Staying In Touch
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