Today I learnt the name of the Turkish football team Galatasary translates to 'Palace of the Celts', after the Celtic people who settled in Anatolia.

One of our lesser known volunteers sunbathing yesterday.

Today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. This is quite difficult for an industrial museum but please feel free to hop on board one of our buses on our Autumn Bus Day (Sunday 21st September) and join the Amberley crew for a voyage around the Site! Ooooh-Arrrr! www.amberleymuseum.co.uk

They may be small but nearly 40 miniature steam engines can make an unbelievable amount of noise!

Miniature steam engines queuing up for water. A bit like wildebeest around a water hole in Africa. Only wetter, greyer and smokier.

We've posted this before but we still think it's a marvellous picture.

This is a Brown Long Eared Bat. We met one today, as it was found on the floor of our Paviours museum and needed help. We coaxed it into a box and took it to the marvellous Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital who will feed it up ready to be released!

Yes, this is Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, or a replica anyway. It will be visiting for our Steampunk weekend on 11 & 12 October. Did you know that the original Chitty story was written by Ian Fleming, who also wrote the James Bond books?

We tried posting a picture of a car for our Land Rover Day on 28th September, only to be told very firmly that it was a Minerva, not a Land Rover. So here are some cars, the type of which have been to Land Rover Day in the past. 😜

This is a Gardner Diesel Engine from the 1950s. It was made to operate the Littlehampton Swing Bridge. It isn't in Littlehampton anymore but is in our Municipal Engine House. Today it was Officially Switched On!

Today is both National Beer Day and National Pet Rock Day. We can't help wondering if there's a link there.

Current mood… Bride of Frankenstein(1935) #movies #moviesky #filmsky #horror

We're going all Steampunk on 11th & 12th October with a truly mind-blowing number of stalls and performers, like Greg Chapman. Although we're a bit worried about what he might find out with his mind-reading skills.

Today is both #NationalBeLateForSomethingDay and #BringYourMannersToWorkDay. So we're going to take our time and be a bit late for things but be very polite about it.

Who knew that it was this easy to tow a Land Rover? 😂

It's National Wildlife Day! We have so much wildlife here at Amberley, including these gorgeous lizards. We've also seen fallow deer, hares, squirrels, rabbits, swallows, swifts, peregrines and even a mole!

OMG 😆

This is a Ferguson tractor. We like this photo because it looks all mean and moody. Who knew tractors had this ability?

Travelling on a traction engine can be mesmerising.

OTD in 1976, Mary Langdon was formally appointed as a professional firefighter to the East Sussex Fire Service. She was the first woman in peacetime to be appointed as a full firefighter. Here she is, wearing the East Sussex version of the West Sussex uniform that we display.

I find this strangely pleasing (from today's @vchlondon.bsky.social copy): 'The abbot [of Stanley] had constructed a pig house (porkariam) by 1289' Love the word, love the spelling.

We're famous! Thank you David, for coming up with this! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

This is a Tramocar. They used to run around Worthing 1924 - 1942 and, amazingly, were converted from dustbin lorries. This rather glorious rebuilt replica will be out and running on our Bus Day - Sunday 21st September.

MCR21, the BBC outside broadcast van from the 1960s has set up at Amberley. Just in time for Communications Day tomorrow.

World Lizard Day! We have a chameleon telephone in our Connected Earth exhibition. What more could you ask for?

We're in shock. How can you tell if something is likely to go viral? We posted this on FB last Friday. A volunteer trying to get an Austin A7 started after 3 years asleep. (The car, that is.) It's had 1.75 MILLION views. And rising. How? Why? What did we do?

Our volunteer, David Waters, has managed to link a telex machine from 1974 to ChatGPT! You type a question and then watch as, a few seconds later, the answer types out in front of you! Try it for yourself on Sunday 17th August.

We know that #internationalcatday was yesterday but felt this needed a wider audience.

Too good not to share.

Lots of our museum friends are posting about #internationalcatday We used to have cats...

Searching for social media inspiration, we often have a look at National Special Days. Today is a particularly glorious mix: Raspberries & Cream Day Sea Serpent Day India Pale Ale Day Handloom Day And our favourite - Particularly Preposterous Packaging Day!

This is Dame Caroline Haslett. She trained in practical engineering at the Cochrane Boiler Co in London and was the first secretary of the Women's Engineering Society in 1918. Her Electrical Handbook for Women was in print until 1980.

This has nothing to do with us but is too good to miss. Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury under Elizabeth I was born OTD in 1504. Apparently, he had a very long nose and was very inquisitive. Hence the phrase 'Nosy Parker'!

We found a Jersey Tiger moth yesterday. Perched on the side of a crane, rather than tasty plants. Still, it seemed quite happy.

We found this yesterday on the display of one of our Retro Wheels exhibitors. No, it isn't. It's a canvas bucket/watering can from WW2, still with the War Department stamp on the side.

Please enjoy this Klimt Eastwood

We all know that @romanpalace.bsky.social likes a nice bicycle. We wonder how they'd get on with this 1946 Hawtin Bucking Bronco fairground bicycle?

Today in 1086, William the Conqueror was presented with the Domesday Book. Amberley was there, belonging to the Bishop of Chichester, with 75 households. Quite big for the time. The Museum is quite a bit later - there's a surprise. We opened in 1979. But the Norman is there. In the background.

We just felt we needed this.

Who doesn't love summer at an open air museum?

Today is Uncommon Musical Instruments Day. Whilst this water pump isn't exactly a musical instrument, we do get visitors quite literally moving to the beat!

We've just nicked this from our good friends @the.merl We have a very similar issue.

Communications Day is Sunday 17 August. Joining us for that weekend is MCR21, a 1960s BBC Outside Broadcasting Van that was part of many big events of the decade, including Churchill's funeral and the 1966 World Cup at Wembley. Come along and look at a broadcasting legend! www.amberleymuseum.co.uk

One of the best posts we've seen for a long time. This sentiment definitely needs sharing!

It's National Friendship Day! We love our Bluesky friends, such as @medmilmedicine.bsky.social @merchantshallyork.org @romanpalace.bsky.social @roystonmuseum.bsky.social @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social @stalbansmuseums.bsky.social 😍😍😍

Today is the anniversary of the opening of the Surrey Iron Railway in 1803. It was horse drawn, as it just predated the use of engines. Amberley is a truly amazing museum. We went looking for an example of a horse drawn railway wagon and instead found bits of the Surrey Iron Railway itself!

An illustration of how our day is going. Disturbingly, we've only just noticed and nobody told us.

Honestly, the lengths we go to to publicise our events. We have a 1960s Day on Sunday. Intended as a bit of fun, we have life-size cutouts of Sean Connery and Buzz Aldrin to take your photos with. As illustrated here. Far more fun than most other offerings around!