Rachel Mackay
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rachmackay.bsky.social
Rachel Mackay
@rachmackay.bsky.social
530 followers 93 following 130 posts
Head of Hampton Court Palace. Author of Delivering the Visitor Experience. Dundonian, dog owner, dancer. (That last isn’t true but I needed a D word)
therecoveryroomblog.com
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rachmackay.bsky.social
Thoroughly enjoyed the amazing #MarieAntoinette exhibition @vamuseum.bsky.social
October 24, 2025 at 4:43 PM
rachmackay.bsky.social
A brilliant time to visit the Wilderness at Hampton Court Palace - the autumn colour is stunning 🤩
October 15, 2025 at 9:54 AM
rachmackay.bsky.social
A Welsh escape this weekend enjoying beaches, hills, BBQs and lush landscapes 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
August 17, 2025 at 4:35 PM
rachmackay.bsky.social
#GotchaDay

Can’t believe it’s a year since I brought this fluff ball home 🧡

Yes I deliberately wore the same top
August 5, 2025 at 7:14 PM
rachmackay.bsky.social
Flora and I had fun hanging out with London Fire Brigade and the RNLI as part of #WorldDrowningPreventionDay at Hampton Court Palace

As a riverside palace, so important for us to help engage our local community in water safety 💧
July 25, 2025 at 11:38 AM
rachmackay.bsky.social
We’re well into the 2025 run of the Hampton Court Palace Music Festival - always one of my favourite times of year! James, Rag n Bone Man and Tom Jones have already knocked it out of the park (palace) - tonight it’s the turn of Bananarama!
June 14, 2025 at 9:06 AM
rachmackay.bsky.social
It’s dahlia time in the Gardens!
June 9, 2025 at 6:31 PM
rachmackay.bsky.social
Spent a wonderful day at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and @maryrosemuseum.bsky.social as part of our HRP Ops Leads away day
June 4, 2025 at 11:11 PM
rachmackay.bsky.social
Looking forward to being in Theatre 2 at 13:00 @museumsandheritage.com Show today - come and hear us talk about our new philosophy of visitor engagement!
May 15, 2025 at 9:56 AM
rachmackay.bsky.social
Going all out for Flora’s birthday today - meeting up with her siblings this afternoon! 🥳 🎂
May 4, 2025 at 8:38 AM
rachmackay.bsky.social
There have been many power struggles over the centuries at Hampton Court Palace, but none more tense than that between Flora and her pigeony nemesis.
April 27, 2025 at 4:12 PM
rachmackay.bsky.social
Peak blossom time at Hampton Court
April 24, 2025 at 7:15 AM
rachmackay.bsky.social
I’m horribly fickle when it comes to Hampton Court tulips:

Here are today’s faves 🌷
April 22, 2025 at 4:15 PM
rachmackay.bsky.social
Or these, quite frankly, bonkers Mariettes!

I INSIST you visit soon and choose your favourite! 🤩
April 12, 2025 at 12:11 PM
rachmackay.bsky.social
Or the blousy decadence of the Don Pedro…
April 12, 2025 at 12:10 PM
rachmackay.bsky.social
Like these sharp, crisp, citrusy bursts of Spring, Clusiana Crysantha…
April 12, 2025 at 12:10 PM
rachmackay.bsky.social
My favourite bit is always the Lower Orangery Garden, where we showcase rare and unique tulips…
April 12, 2025 at 12:08 PM
rachmackay.bsky.social
It’s the first weekend of the award-winning #TulipFestival at Hampton Court!
April 12, 2025 at 12:07 PM
rachmackay.bsky.social
Hampton Court is really starting to bloom now 🌺
April 7, 2025 at 7:42 PM
rachmackay.bsky.social
An MA student asked me a question last week and afterwards, I felt like I’d answered it in a really unhelpful way!

I’ve tried again on LinkedIn, so posting it here too, with alt text.
A MA student on a placement this week asked me about my career path and I realised afterwards that I’d made it sound all very simple. Which probably wasn’t very useful advice! When you have a job you love it’s easy to forget all the wasted applications and unsuccessful interviews. But for anyone who is struggling in the sector, I think it’s important to acknowledge the hard bits and the rejection too. Cracking in can be tough! So here’s a list of all the organisations who said no to me 😂 There are probably many more I have forgotten, but actually, I don’t consider any of them wasted. Spending time getting to know another organisation in the sector is always useful, and you can get surprising benefits from doing so (for example, I’d never listened to Jimi Hendrix before; now, I love his music 🎵) And yes, my current employer is on there, because I had to knock on the door a good few times before they eventually gave up and let me in 😂 So if your rejection list is longer than your acceptance list, please don’t despair. Only the right one has to say yes. National Museum of Scotland National Galleries of Scotland Postal Museum V&A (South Ken and East) Freud Museum Handel & Hendrix National Trust English Heritage National Trust for Scotland Tower Bridge Gunnersbury Park Museum York Museums Trust Science Museum Southbank Centre Historic Environment Scotland Arundel Castle Garioch Heritage Centre Museum of London Royal Collection Trust Strawberry Hill House Historic Royal Palaces
March 23, 2025 at 12:26 PM
rachmackay.bsky.social
Nice to see the first signs of life appearing on the Great Wisteria
March 22, 2025 at 5:13 PM
rachmackay.bsky.social
The Palace is looking amazing tonight for the dress rehearsal of our new after dark audio tour, #StillTheHours 🎧

This is something very special ⏰

Find out more ⤵️

www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-cour...
March 18, 2025 at 10:30 PM
rachmackay.bsky.social
A bit of spring colour in the Gardens at Hampton Court
March 16, 2025 at 10:54 AM
rachmackay.bsky.social
Just finishing a fab couple of days in Liverpool, learning at the Association for Cultural Enterprises conference.

So much great content and a wonderful city to explore!
March 14, 2025 at 8:00 AM
rachmackay.bsky.social
Genuinely Royal pancakes!
March 4, 2025 at 10:22 PM