Press Release
The trustees of Thame Museum are delighted to announce that Dwina Gibb, the widow of Bee Gee Robin Gibb and a benefactor of Thame Museum, has agreed to become a Patron of the museum.
Dwina worked with the museum last year as they put on an exhibition of rare photographs and family memorabilia, provided by Dwina, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of her husband, legendary Bee Gee Robin Gibb’s death, in May 2012. The exhibition was very popular as a tribute and fans came from across the globe to see it. As a result, the decision was taken to make the exhibition permanent, as an enduring tribute to a musician who, with his brothers Barry and Maurice, achieved worldwide fame during his lifetime.
The exhibition will be refreshed from time to time with different items of memorabilia, from clothing and artefacts to Robin’s Harley Davidson bicycle, and the museum is grateful for the new glass cases which are being installed this summer, an acquisition facilitated by Dwina from the Robin Gibb Trust.
Dwina commented, “I am delighted to become a Patron of Thame Museum, which is devoted to telling the story of Thame over thousands of years. Robin loved local history and was fascinated that our home, the Prebendal in Thame, used to be the residence of the Bishop of Lincoln’s prebendary in which many hundreds of years of prayer had taken place. The museum is a treasure house of wonderful exhibits and holds regular talks and exhibitions. Hopefully people will continue to enjoy Robin’s exhibition now that it is permanent, and it will bring visitors precious memories of an outstanding musician and songwriter.”
Adrian Dite, chair of the museum trustees, said, “We are very grateful for Dwina’s amazing support and encouragement over the past year. Without her help, we would not have been able to mount such a successful – and enduring – exhibition, devoted to Robin Gibb, who lived in Thame for the last 28 years of his life. The museum’s mission is to enable a wider audience to participate in and enjoy the museum’s work, enabling people to gain an understanding of the historical life of Thame. We also plan to provide visitors and those participating in the museum’s outreach work with a sense of Thame’s evolution and place within the community. Dwina’s support will help us in achieving this goal.”
Notes for Editors
Dwina Gibb is an author and artist, who started writing stories at the age of nine and whose first exhibition was held when she was fourteen. Her art has been exhibited at the Jonathan Poole Gallery in Woodstock, and she has published volumes of poetry, including Ergot On The Rye, Butterflies and Drums (under the pen name of Bridie Morrigan) and Love Unbound. Dwina is also the author of the novels Cormac: The Seers, and Cormac: The King-Making, and books one and two of a trilogy about Cormac mac Airt, a second-century High King in Ireland. She has a deep interest in various religions and in esoteric studies, and is Patroness of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. Dwina also supports earth conservation and clean water action.
Thame Museum is dedicated to telling the story of Thame through its collections, which include wall paintings and other artefacts of national significance. The Museum also has an active programme of talks and exhibitions through the year and is a charity, run entirely by volunteers.
The Robin Gibb Exhibition is now on permanent display at the museum, and visitors are welcome to view it during opening hours (Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays 10:00am to 4:00 pm and Sundays 1:00pm to 4:00pm). Entry is free. A selection of Robin Gibb merchandise, including tribute t-shirts, prints, keyrings and a limited-edition tribute brochure, are on sale both at the museum and through the museum’s online shop: https://thame-museum.myshopify.com/search?type=product&q=robin+gibb
For more information email info@thamemuseum.org. Follow Thame Museum on Twitter @MuseumThame and Facebook.
For more information or for interviews, please contact Yvonne Maxwell at yvonne.maxwell@me.com or on 0788 548 4406.