David Sheffield Sorrell

David Sorrell qualified as a teacher and taught for several years before transferring to a museum teaching post. Subsequently he studied for the curatorial Diploma of the Museums Association: becoming an Associate by examination with Honours in Museum Education. He was a member of the Museums Association Board of Studies and served as an examiner for Education Services & Curatorship. As County Museums Officer for Derbyshire for over 15 years, he developed the Working Estate Museum, Elvaston, Derbyshire in 1980; named by the Independent as one of the 50 best in Britain. This innovative museum, one of the first of this kind, had no labels; with the staff in costume, role playing within the cottage and workshops and carrying out traditional crafts and agricultural work in the surrounding fields.
David has always studied and been interested in the varied work and social life of people in the past and formed a DREAMS (Drama, Education and Museums) group, bringing together many teachers and museum staff to develop historical role play in Derbyshire museums. Shortly before he retired the new displays at Buxton Museum received a Museum of the Year Award for the best Archaeological or Natural History museum.
Since retiring he has worked with his wife, Kaye and co- produced :
A display for, ‘Lakeland’s Woodland Heritage’, with associated leaflets, trails and maps to support the tourist industry in Backbarrow, in the Lake District.
A permanent display on the Westmorland Showground, Cumbria, for the Dry Stone Walling Association with supporting leaflets.
Two publications entitled:
‘Coppice Crafts’ and ‘Greenwood Trails’ 
for Cumbria’s Fells & Dales ‘Landscapes and Local Products’, Leader + programme.
Research, advice & development of a new museum for the Laurel & Hardy collection now housed in the original 1930’s auditorium of the Roxy Cinema, Ulverston, Cumbria.
Resident now in The Lake District he continues with research and projects that interest him.