This year is the hundredth anniversary of the Vapor Aymerich, Amat i Jover woollen mill. From its earliest days, the mill's history has run in parallel with events that have taken place in society. The mNACTEC, its current occupant, wants to commemorate the Vapor's hundredth birthday and is organising a whole series of events and activities during 2008 to bring together the past, present and future of the landmark building in Terrassa.

The Vapor Aymerich, Amat i Jover mill was opened in November 1908 in the heart of the industrial city of Terrassa as a venture by the three industrialists whose names it bears. It immediately became one of the main driving forces of the Catalan economy, and its history has always reflected the events occurring around it.
In its 11,000 square metres of industrial space, the wool went through the whole cycle of manufacturing processes. The workers were organised into groups to operate the machinery that carried out the different processes: from combing and carding to spinning, weaving, dyeing and finishing. The noise in the weaving-sheds was deafening and workers all too often had to communicate with sign language.
Originally, a single firm carried out all the processes, but later the premises were gradually divided up between smaller companies, each of which carried out a part of the process. In 1962, the mill was severely damaged by floods, marking the beginning of the end of its golden years, and in 1978 the last major company working in the mill closed its doors. In 1983 the Generalitat de Catalunya bought “El Vapor” with a view to adapting the building to enable it to be used as a museum, a purpose for which it had not been designed. Looking back, we can conclude that the new use given to the mill was well chosen, and that in some sense it pays tribute to the thousands of workers who contributed to the success of the mill, the textile industry, the city and the country.
Just like the life of a person, the life of “El Vapor” has been rich and varied, turbulent and, at times, uncertain. We trust that having crossed the threshold of one century of existence, the Vapor Aymerich, Amat i Jover will continue to make history, indeed many histories, all steeped in industry and culture.

Last autumn the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) began to operate at CERN (the European Centre for Nuclear Research).
The mNACTEC is showcasing this event in activities that began in 2007 and will continue throughout 2008 thanks to aid from the Ministry of Education and Science. The first event was the lecture Particle physics with the LHC: a journey to the edge of the Big Bang, given on 6 October by the researcher Hugo Ruiz, who adapted his presentation to a mixed audience.
Two further activities completed the programme for 2007. On 18 November, a lecture entitled CERN, another Pandora's box? was given by Jordi José and Manuel Moreno of the UPC, who explored the hopes and fears inherent in scientific research . Their presentation included films and allusions to science-fiction comics, a format that succeeded in gripping the attention of young and old alike. On 1 December, a Dialogue between physics and biology: from understanding the smallest scale to interpreting the most complex was held, led by two physicists, Lluís Garrido and Josep A. Grífols, and two ecologists, Jordi Bascompte and Jordi Flos, and chaired by Sílvia Bravo. The event was in a format that was innovative for a very varied public: families, students, young graduates and adult experts, resulting in a very positive debate in a relaxed atmosphere.

On 8 and 9 November 2007 , representatives of the Museu Industrial del Ter and the Museu de la Pell d'Igualada i Comarcal de l'Anoia (Ter Valley industrial museum and Igualada Leather and District Museum, respectively) took part in a conference in Guimarães (Portugal) as part of the EU's ANTENA project to lay the basis of two cooperation projects: the adaptation and renewal of the industrial heritage and the creation of a virtual network of museums connected with textiles. The other representatives came from Terrassa, Lotz (Poland), Prato and Como (both in Italy), as well as cities in Croatia and particularly Portugal, all of them members of the Association of European Textile Collectivities (ACTE), a body whose aims include that of stimulating the textile industries as sectors that could give prominence to the culture, creativity and innovation of companies and the places where they operated through the restoration of the industrial heritage and putting it to good use.
During the meeting, both Manlleu and Igualada set forth new challenges for the recovery of the industrial heritage in their respective cities. In the case of Manlleu, the emphasis is on the backbone formed by the river Ter as the industrial landscape that reveals most about the district's past (with its characteristic industrial remains) and its present (prime for studies and proposals for new cultural and leisure options). Igualada's proposal stressed the imminent reopening of the old slaughterhouse as a cultural centre, as well as that of the former Igualadina Cotonera (cotton mill), and described one of the city's great challenges: to realise the value of the old tanning district as one of the town's most characteristic urban landscapes as well as one of the most remarkable in the whole of Catalonia, and the urgent need to make people aware of its potential for recovery as an attraction.

Close cooperation between the Museu de la Colònia Vidal de Puig-reig and Hines, the US-based real-estate company that owns most of the property in the industrial village, has made it possible to create an interesting video on the oral history of “Cal Vidal”.
The documentary is the outcome of many hours of interviews and conversations between the key players in the story—those who lived in Cal Vidal—and was made at the Museu de la Colònia Vidal de Puig-reig.
The 15 hours of recorded material were condensed into an entertaining and moving 30-minute video of great historical value. It constitutes a repository of oral history which will no doubt prove to be a contribution of great value to the archive of material on the history and memory of the industrial villages. Previously, one of the most comprehensive and rigorous works to have been devoted to the subject was Històries del riu, a book put together by the journalist Dolors Clotet and published by Regió 7.

Scientific culture as an integral part of a healthy democracy was the linking theme of this, the Congress's fourth edition, which was held from 21 to 23 November at the CSIC in Madrid. The large public was a sign that scientific communication, in all its forms, has acquired a higher profile in recent years.
Amongst other topics, there was a debate on the need for television to regularly schedule programmes on research and there was a discussion on whether or not there should be a specific section for science in the media. The Congress also considered the challenge of achieving a society with enough understanding of science to be able to take part in decision-making and noted the need for social networking at the local level. A novel move in this respect is the appointment by FECYT (the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology) of a local agent for scientific culture.

From 9 to 14 October the Museum, invited by the book art association of Germany, the BuchDruckkunst, took part in the Frankfurt Book Fair. With a generously-proportioned stand of over 33 square metres the Museum was able to demonstrate how paper is made by hand and display its range of paper for book and graphic art.
The Museum also had a presence at other related stands such as that of the Carmen Balcells literary agency where Corol·lari Català, by the authors Miquel de Palol and Valentí Gómez, was on display. It is a one-off manuscript book on paper made at the Museum and written and illustrated by hand by the calligrapher Keith Adams. The prestigious Carmen Balcells agency also presented the book Thopaga at the Frankfurt Book Fair. This book contains illustrations by the artist Miquel Barceló and uses very special paper made at the Museum. The Institut Ramon Llull donated the poster of the Institute's logo, designed by Miquel Barceló and printed on Museum paper.

The 3rd Catalan Train Week was held during the last week of October. The idea for a Train Week was the brainchild of both the Museu del Ferrocarril (railway museum) and the Federació Catalana d'Amics del Ferrocarril (Catalan Federation of Friends of the Railway). During this, its third year, there was a wide variety of events held from 22 to 28 October at the premises of the organisers devoted, on this occasion, to the future for railways.
Notable amongst these activities was the presentation of the film Trenhotel, sponsored by TV3 and France3, with the special collaboration of ELIPSOS Internacional, S.A. The event took place on 23 October at the Museu del Ferrocarril in Vilanova i la Geltrú and consisted of the signing of an agreement by ELIPSOS Internacional, S.A, the Museu del Ferrocarril de Vilanova and the Fundación de los Ferrocarriles Españoles and a screening of the film followed by a discussion.

Work on the new road providing access to the Museu de les Mines facilities in Bellmunt concluded in July. The facilities are located in the former Eugènia mine industrial complex and the new access road has led to a reduction in the amount of traffic within the town and means that it is much easier for large coaches to reach the Museum along the road that now runs outside the town without passing through the narrow streets within it. Furthermore, parking space for coaches has been provided at the exit to the mine itself and signposting to the Museum has been improved by erecting a new signpost at the junction of the N-420 highway with the TP 7101 that links Bellmunt del Priorat with Falset.

The museums forming part of the mNACTEC Territorial System are amongst the hundred museums and cultural facilities providing free access for teachers with the aim of further influencing young people's cultural consumption. Teachers need only to download a ticket from the Catalan ministry of education's Web site at www.gencat.cat/educacio. The ticket is the outcome of an agreement between the Catalan government ministries of Culture and the Media and Education. The ticket is valid for all the museums run by the public authorities in Catalonia and others that have subscribed to the scheme.

On 3 November the starting gun sounded at 9.30 a .m. for the vintage cars, congregated in the Plaça del Monestir de Pedralbes in Barcelona, to start their way on the Rally Tardor which, pausing to see the Salvador Claret car collection in Sils, would continue to the finish line in Tossa de Mar.
That day, from 11 a .m. and for almost two hours, visitors to the Salvador Claret car collection were able to contemplate a large number of extraordinary vehicles amongst which were three well-restored E-type Jaguars and a Chevrolet Belair convertible. After a guided tour of the collection the participants continued on their route to Tossa de Mar, where their prizes awaited them.

The Parc Cultural de la Muntanya de Sal in Cardona received a visit last August from the former president of the United States , Jimmy Carter. Cardona could hardly hide the steps of the man who had once been the leader of the world's most powerful country, a man renowned for his open and warm manner.
Accompanied by his wife, Carter was paying an un-announced private visit to Cardona. Nevertheless the unusually large police presence generated expectation in the town. Carter, who is also a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was given a warm welcome by the mayor, Josep Maria Sala, and named an Honorary Citizen of the town. Later he visited the Parador hotel and the castle before visiting the salt mines where he followed the explanations given with great interest and was able to acquire some items made from salt.