Name
Jill Holmen

Job title
Collections Management Officer

Describe a typical working day at Epping Forest District and Lowewood Museums.
Impossible to do – there is no such thing for me. I could be cataloguing new acquisitions, or researching and updating the records about some of the things we’ve had for a while; packing items for travel, and/or transporting them; answering public enquiries; changing a display; viewing items offered for the collection; interviewing prospective volunteers; writing a policy, plan or procedure; compiling guidelines for a project; helping Press & PR put together a Press Release or article; photographing objects for our records; selecting objects or sourcing images to include in a new display or for a social media post; taking environmental readings; adjusting dehumidifier settings; or planning a more efficient collections storage facility.

What is your favourite thing about working at the Museum?
The collections and using them to help the public to understand and learn more about the area and its history.

Share one piece of advice for those interested in working in the Museum field.
Gain as much and as wide a range of experience as you can.

Which historical figure would you like to meet and why. What would you ask them?
Amy Johnson. I’d ask her to teach me how to fly a De Havilland Dragon

Where would you choose to go/visit if you could go anywhere in the world for a day?
If it was only for a day, I’d like to spend it somewhere like the Kennedy Space Centre, the British Museum or the Cloisters, New York. Somewhere where you can guarantee to find something new and amazing around every corner.

What was the first music track or album you bought?
The first single (45RPM 7” vinyl) I bought was ‘Golden Brown‘ by the Stranglers.