Feeling gloomy with Stephen Fry but uplifted by Hannah Rose Platt at The Hunterian Museum

Back in the day (as they say) I used to love popping into The Hunterian Museum at The Royal College of Surgeons in Lincoln's Inn Fields. I'd sometimes arrange to meet friends by Charles Byrne's very tall skeleton which formed a central focus to the exhibits that surrounded it as shown on this wikipedia page.

In 2017 the museum closed for a refit and did not reopen until May 2023. I never like visiting places when they are full of visitors so I let the rush go and resolved to visit later that year. Wandering through the square one day in September, with an hour or so to spare before I met a friend in Covent Garden, I wandered in to have a look and see what had changed. 

They two ladies at the desk asked me if I had a ticket. No. Why would I need one – it's free.  It's timed entries, they said. Grunt. Covid-era rules still in place.

I lied and said I was only in London that day and I had made a special effort to get there. They suggested I wait for a slot. I hovered in the empty foyer for about ten minutes and watched about eight people dribble in. How ridiculous. I went over to the security fella at the entrance to the museum proper and said all I wanted to do was have a peek to see what had changed. Nope, sorry love, more than my job's worth.

Bonkers. It was clear there that there was barely anyone in there and those people who had registered for free tickets hadn't bothered showing up because it was such a nice day outside. I decided to make the best of that weather myself and instead went for a wander. 

I tried again another day in Spring 2024, hoping to just slip in when they weren't looking, but it wasn't possible. I'm a spur-of-the-moment follow-my-nose girl so it simply hasn't occurred to me to book a ticket in all this time. I mean, can't we just arrive and queue up as per John Soane's on the opposite side of the square?! Two years have whizzed by. 

On 16th April I booked a ticket for a concert within the Hunterian's library. Hannah Rose Platt performed songs from Fragile Creatures which is about women in history. It was an amazingly engaging performance and I will be reading more about those stories. The ticket included access to the museum before the gig.

Oh dear. Let's cut to the quick – I don't like it. I'm disappointed. 

On entering the first room there is a cabinet of all sorts and I completely missed an info panel because it's about A3 size and people must have been obscuring it. I only found it when I returned to the room later because I was convinced I had missed some vital information somewhere along the line. 

Like many things these days, the new modern look is grey and boxy, moody and gloomy. The narrow corridors are claustrophobic, like being in an underground maze. There are rows and rows of shelving interspersed a few side rooms that are easily missed. Some directional signage to these would be useful. 

Most of the displays look like a Damien Hirst installation. 

Some headings here and there to explain the different sections or groupings would be of use. After all, most of us haven't a clue what we are looking at or why these things were of interest when they were collected. There's also scant info to explain what was learned from these specimens, who benefitted from the research going forward. 

A few interactive 'page-turning' displays don't make up for the lack of focal points now that Mr Byrne is no longer on show. I wasn't the only one who wandered into a side room, glanced around, pulled a puzzled face and walked out again. I did three laps convinced I had missed a turning or whole room or a display. Nope. I'd seen it all. 

But I did spot something that amused me. A group of four paintings includes one of Mr David Middleton (1705-1785) – I had to do a double-take because I thought it was Stephen Fry!

I might return to the museum with a friend who hasn't visited before to see what they think of it. Shall we book in advance or shall we try to just wander in when passing...?