News Placement at Headstone Manor

By Ronaldas (Work Experience Student at Headstone Manor)

Did you ever have an experience in your life that leaves such a profound impact on your psyche that the memory of it is forever marked on you as a person? Well, I can assure you that I have, specifically at this small local museum, which you may visit every day. I never believed that my path in life would lead me to Harrow and even so to Headstone Manor, yet I’m glad I was able to experience all of it through my placement here. If you couldn’t already tell, I am very passionate about this piece of treasure that the inhabitants of Harrow have; however, no amount of words or articulation would even let me describe to you how much Headstone Manor impacted me. So, my dear reader, let this passage of vowels and consonants be my way of saying thank you to Headstone Manor.

Firstly, hi, my name is Ronaldas, and I am a university student studying History at Queen Mary University of London. As a part of my studies, I partook in a module that was focused on public heritage, which comprised half the semester being focused on studying heritage, but in the latter half of the semester, we were able to do a placement for six weeks at an institution of our own choosing. I decided on Headstone Manor because I was intrigued by the prospect of working in a very small heritage institution.

Upon my first arrival, on the cold days of November, I was greeted by lots of friendly faces who made my stay at Harrow quite comfortable. I would always ask lots of questions about various topics surrounding Headstone Manor, and the staff would always be more than happy to answer. Furthermore, not once was I ever made to feel like a temporary placement, as everyone talked freely and openly around me, just about regular things or gossip (scandalous, I know!), which made me feel like a part of the community.

As I began working throughout the weeks, I was doing a variety of jobs. Ranging from auditing collections and taking part in events, which allowed me to develop a whole variety of skills and ideas that I know I’ll be utilising for the rest of my life. Each day always had something new to do, and in general, I had a lot of fun each day.

But I don’t want to just talk endlessly about what I only did, as that would just be tedious. Rather, I want to use this to bring to attention the little things that make Headstone Manor so important. Before I started this placement, I always had the tendency to think big, and I always viewed the world on a national or international scale. I never paid much attention to the people around me, and I was very cynical about concepts of community, which I think a lot of young people, who have grown up with the digital age, also view things as well. However, as I continued on into my placement, I began noticing the same people day in and day out, just doing normal things; Hanging out in the café, reading a book in the park or taking their families to the events occurring at the museum.

Then it began to truly dawn on me how important this small heritage institution is to the local people of Harrow because of what it provides to them. A place to relax for our seniors, a place for students to study, a place for children to run about. However, none of this would be possible without the staff and volunteers at Headstone Manor.

While I briefly mentioned their kindness, I must also acknowledge their dedication to this place, as the only reason why Headstone Manor is still operational is due to the efforts of this small group of staff and volunteers. Working with these wonderful individuals has shown me what perseverance actually is, and it’s not something that would necessarily save the world from an apocalypse; they make sure that the gardens are tended to, that there are accessible entrances and that there are colouring sheets. Even with all the stress that they put up with in these difficult times with budget cuts for public heritage spaces, they still get the job done. So to all of them, I say thank you for keeping Headstone Manor running and for teaching a cynic like me the value of thinking down to Earth.

So my dear reader, if you ever happen to visit Headstone Manor for the first time or even again, if you ever see an individual with a lanyard attributed with the museum, give them a wave or a smile, but most importantly, thank them for me.

And I ask you again, did you ever have an experience in your life that leaves such a profound impact on your psyche that the memory of it is forever marked on you as a person?

Well, I can assure you that I have.