MEET THE TEAM

Nicola Wood - Museum Manager & Curator

Nicola is the Museum Manager and Curator. She is responsible for the day to day running of the museum, the development of key projects and for ensuring the delivery of the museum’s core activities and events programme

Nicola has a postgraduate degree in Heritage Management and has worked in the heritage sector for over 15 years in both local authority organisations and charitable trusts.

She has developed many Heritage Lottery projects across the UK and was responsible for the award-winning The Old Stables at Dalby House - Learning and Visitor Center and the Arts Council funded ‘Local Heritage Local Lives’ collections access project.

Nicola is a heritage consultant, mentor and leadership adviser within the East Midlands and particularly enjoys helping to initiate, develop and project manage Heritage Lottery projects.

Andy Bone - Technical Demonstrator

Andy originally started at the museum as a volunteer, and was invited to join the staff in October 2011 when his predecessor departed to start his own business.

Getting to know and understand the frames was a very steep learning curve - the learning curve never actually flattens out! Working with the frames and meeting visitors is hugely satisfying and enjoyable experience for Andy, and is further enhanced by excellent and knowledgeable colleagues.

Helen Brownett - Textile Artist & Technical Demonstrator

Helen joined the Museum in 1995 as a volunteer on a government training scheme and has been with us ever since.

In 1997, she became a paid member of staff mainly demonstrating the Griswold machines, and helping visitors to enjoy and appreciate the circular knitting machines. Helen now works as a Textile Artist and Technical Demonstrator

Helen is extremely creative and is a talented artist. She enjoys using these skills to help develop the museum’s events programme, and to create and set the scenes for the many imaginative events that take place at the museum.

She also enjoys working with local artists and organising creative craft workshops, alongside helping to maintain the museum’s beautiful Victorian cottage garden.

Holly Batley - Framework Knitting Apprentice

Holly is a craft apprentice and has been part of our team since April 2016. She started her career working for Nottinghamshire County Council and was involved with Heritage Tourism. This included conducting tours around Rufford Abbey and Bestwood Pumping Station. Part of her duties also included working with the archaeology team, which Holly found most interesting. Holly also spent time on the Mansfield Woodhouse Heritage Link; assisting in starting an audit and recording local people’s memories of past events. She was also tasked with assisting in putting on exhibitions.

Since joining the museum, Holly has taken on various roles – volunteer coordinator and managing our social media to name but two. These are in addition to her role as a demonstrator of both circular knitting machines and the heavier, older knitting frames. These duties require a very good ability to be able to engage with our visitors of all ages.

Somehow Holly has found time to spend one day a week at Cluny Lace Manufacturing Company; the last UK producer of genuine Leavers Lace - for which Nottingham was once famous worldwide.

Julian Ellis - Trustee (Chair)

Julian is a textile technologist by profession, interested in all areas of textiles, particularly our textile heritage.

He is also a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters. Julian joined the Board in October 2007.

Faye Stenson - Trustee

Faye joined the Board in October 2014 with the aim of using her marketing, events management and business skills to help promote the museum and its events. She is actively involved in the Fundraising Committee and has attended two fundraising training courses to broaden her skills.

In summer 2017, Faye project managed the production of the museum’s new website, which was funded by an Arts Council Museum Resilience grant. Away from the museum, she has worked as a freelance copywriter and marketing communications specialist since 2008.

Ian Rowson - Trustee

Ian has worked in and around the museum sector for over 20 years. His specific field of interest is collections management and documentation.

Ian particularly likes working with technology and social history collections, and his role as a Trustee for the Framework Knitters gives him an opportunity to keep engaged with many of the things that he is most interested in. Ian joined the Board in November 2016.

Sue Jacklin - Trustee

Sue is Head of Development at Derby Museums, responsible for fundraising, marketing and supporting commercial income generation. She coordinated the successful first round pass from Heritage Lottery Fund to develop Derby Silk Mill – Museum of Making and is working to secure the remaining match funding of the £16.4m project.

Sue started her career in direct marketing and has been a grants assessor for The Big Lottery Fund, Coalfields Regeneration Trust. Sue became a Trustee in 2016 and aims to use her experience to support fundraising and commercial income generation at the Framework Knitters Museum.

Brian Playle - Trustee

Brian was a former museum professional with Nottingham City Museums.

He is a long standing Trustee of the Framework Knitters Museum.