A group of vision impaired people from west Norfolk were given the chance to get hands-on with crime and punishment in King’s Lynn when they were treated to a special tour of the town’s Old Gaol House.
The visit was organised by sight loss charity Vision Norfolk and the Stories of Lynn Museum. The group were given special permission to touch exhibits at the museum, and after they had visited the medieval cells they were treated to a session handling a number of items held in the town’s archive collection.
Museum learning and engagement officer Lizzie Joisce was on hand to bring the town’s crime and punishment history to life, telling stories of some of the notorious criminals who have found themselves incarcerated in the gaol over the centuries, as well as some of the gruesome crimes they committed.
In the handling session, the participants were able to handle items such as handcuffs, a police whistle and a vintage truncheon.
The visit was part of Vision Norfolk’s activities programme, which aims to help boost wellbeing and tackle the issue of social isolation among the vision impaired.
“This was a fascinating couple of hours which really brought to life an aspect of our town which many of us were unaware of,” said Penny Whitby, west Norfolk hub co-ordinator for Vision Norfolk.
“It makes a huge difference to be able to touch the exhibits, and Lizzie’s commentary really brought the subject to life.”
Vision Norfolk’s King’s Lynn hub has a vibrant programme of leisure, social and sporting activities for people living with sight loss. More details can be found at www.visionnorfolk.org.uk.
