The Mary Rose has been on social media for around 11 years, but who are the poor individuals who keep our followers informed and entertained on a daily basis?
Monitoring and responding on social media, producing content and maintaining the Mary Rose website.
14 years (11 working on digital)
Hatch, the ship’s dog. Why do you think I let him have his own twitter account?
If shows like QI have taught us anything, it’s that nobody likes a smart arse unless they’re being funny. That’s why I try and inject humour into most of what I do, so people will remember it, and hopefully share it too.
Obviously, being a shipwreck with a tragic history this isn’t always possible, so it’s important to maintain the correct balance.
There’s been a few, getting the First Sea Lord's Award for Best Use of Digital Media was pretty good, but ultimately I think the highlight was meeting my childhood hero, Timmy Mallett.
I manage our memberships, fundraising and generally try to get more people interested in our museum.
6 years in different roles
There is a small knife in the Master Gunner's case that has a decorative pommel of a female and male figures on either side. It demonstrates that practical items could be beautiful as well (and sometimes colourful), unlike what may be portrayed in historical films and TV shows.
No matter what you post, you won't be able to please everyone. Once you've found a tone of voice and content that pleases the majority, it doesn't matter what the grumpy ones think!
If a TV crew want to film at the museum I often get to spend my day following them around. My favourite filming day was when I got to meet Tony Robinson.
Making sure our visitors are happy before, during and after their visit, responding to inquiries and taking booking for guided tours.
Since August 2018
I love any item with a mystery behind it which is why the Mary Rose Museum is so brilliant.. It's full of mysteries we have yet to solve! If I had to choose one? The bone panel carving that was recovered from inside a chest found on the Main Deck of the Mary Rose. It depicts two angels in profile walking in a procession to the right each carrying a candle. It is similar to panels made for triptychs in the Northern Italian workshops of the Embriachi family (late 14th and early 15 Century) making it the oldest artefact in our museum! These panels were typically part of a series.. why just one was found remains a mystery!
Don't put too much pressure on yourself, try to have fun with it and post a mixture of things! Whether it's promoting a tour, a funny artefact post or a photo of our lovely volunteers people will be drawn to your social media for different reasons. Experimentation is also very important- don't be afraid to post something because you don't think it will get enough likes, you may be surprised!
I wish I could say I've met a celebrity like Simon and Kate but unfortunately the majority of my time here has been during various lockdowns over the past year. I have met Hatch though.. he counts as a celebrity right? #GetHatchABlueCheck
Chasing rats, being admired
Since around 1544, so just coming up to 477 years
Me. Duh.
Don't be afraid to take inspiration from others, and don't expect results overnight. Unless you're already really, really famous you're not going to get a huge following overnight (although it is possible - just ask the MERL!), so don't feel disheartened that you're not getting big numbers straight away. I spent 436 years buried on the seabed, and another 25 in a cardboard box, so I'm used to being patient.
Oh, and you can't just make things 'Go Viral', no matter how many times you get asked to.
Attending Crufts was pretty good, though I didn't win anything.