Chatty Café

The Chatty Café is back at The Museum of English Rural Life on Tuesday 17 November, from 14:00 to 16:00. It's a free drop-in session run by the museum as part of its Wild Being programme, and it happens on the third Tuesday of every month in the museum's café.

The afternoon is set up for carers and loved ones to come along and socialise, with crafts and MERL-themed board games on the tables. It's an informal space to meet staff and volunteers, and to share stories and reminiscences inspired by the museum's historical collections and sensory resources. A drink comes with free cake, and companion tours are available if you're visiting with someone.

The café sits within the museum's wider Reminiscence and Memory Sharing Programmes, which celebrate memory through the immersive stimulus of objects, photographs and other prompts from the collection. The museum runs these in partnership with community organisations like the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Younger People with Dementia, Alzheimer's Dementia Support and Age UK.

It's a free, drop-in session, so you can just turn up on the day. If you're coming in a group of four or more, the museum asks that you get in touch in advance. You'll find it at The MERL Café, The Museum of English Rural Life, Redlands Road, Reading, RG1 5EX, on Tuesday 17 November from 14:00 to 16:00.