Eric celebrates his 100th Birthday

July 1, 2019

Born on 1st July 1919, Eric Pearce is one of only a few non-RAF personnel who became a member of the famous Guinea Pig Club. As a Lieutanant in the Fleet Air Arm, Eric was testing a newly delivered Air Sea Rescue Sea Otter plane at Lee on Solent, Hampshire. 

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Sister Jill Mullins – Key Member of McIndoe’s surgical team

May 30, 2019

Sir Archibald McIndoe, the pioneering Plastic Surgeon had a brilliant team assisting him with his ground-breaking surgical methods. “The Immortal Trio” or the “Firm of Three” as they were called, consisted of Archibald McIndoe, Plastic surgeon, John Hunter, Anaesthetist and Jill Mullins, Theatre Sister. Jill was a slim attractive woman

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A huge achievement for Bob Marchant

September 22, 2017

East Grinstead Museum are thrilled for Bob who has received The Mid Sussex District Council Community Service Award for outstanding service to the community as Secretary of The Guinea Pig Club & Trustee to the Museum. Presented by The High Sheriff of West Sussex, Lady Emma Barnard & Cllr Bruce Forbes

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Military Nurses Visit East Grinstead Museum

August 2, 2017

On Wednesday 19th of July, East Grinstead Museum welcomed 8 Military Nurses from both the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead and Birmingham for a tour of the Rebuilding Bodies and Souls exhibition. The Military Nurses held a fund raising event at the Queen Victoria Hospital and kindly donated half the funds

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A Good Read for the Summer…..

July 19, 2017

East Grinstead Museum’s exhibition ‘Rebuilding Bodies & Souls’ tells the story of Sir Archibald McIndoe, world-famous plastic surgeon, and his pioneering work on the young airmen who were shot down & badly burned during WW2.  They knew that they were his ‘guinea pigs’, and so the infamous ‘Guinea Pig Club’

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Guinea Pig Club members, an actress, international visitors and a live BBC Radio Broadcast!

June 30, 2017

June has been an exciting month… On Saturday the 17th of June East Grinstead Museum welcomed VIP guests,Guinea Pig Club members Jack Perry and John Miles; accompanied by friends and family including actress Fiona Dolman.  Bob Marchant, Secretary of the Guinea Pig Club and Museum Trustee, led a guided tour of

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“….in what was formerly a dusty lumber-room of the Church Tower…”

June 14, 2017

A volunteer bought these lovely ‘East Grinstead and its Parish Church’ booklets to my attention. The oldest of these seen on the left, is dated 1934 and sold for Threepence;  beautifully illustrated and printed by Exors of H.W. Cullen of East Grinstead, and low and behold include articles about East Grinstead Museum. The Museum

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A Merry May Day!

May 5, 2017

Our very first Coffee, Cake and the Collection morning at the museum, this May bank holiday was a huge success; with 91 people through the doors its safe to say that it was a hit!  The cakes were delicious and the coffee freshly brewed, especially lovely as a treat to

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A Guided Tour of Queen Victoria Hospital

March 24, 2017

Bob Marchant, honorary member of the Guinea Pig club and once an operating theatre technician at the Queen Victoria Hospital (QVH) under Sir Archibald McIndoe, kindly gave a few of us museum staff a tour of the hospital. Built as a town hospital, the impact of WWII led to the

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The Research Room

March 15, 2017

East Grinstead Museum has a wonderful research room available for visitors and researchers alike.   With books, magazines, and news paper cuttings about the local area you are able to read and research your area of interest. As a result of our Rebuilding Bodies & Souls exhibition we have welcomed medical and history students recently

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