All tickets have now been sold for the Great Feast of the Pie at the Museum of Miniature Found Objects on New Year's Day. Those members of the public without tickets will still be able to observe the traditional Carrolling of the Pie in the Great Court at the museum. This much-loved practice goes back to 1839, when the Board of Trustees generously provided an evening of feasting and games for the orphans from the nearby Home for Waifs and Strays, and as the great pie was carried into the museum, the children sang its welcome. By tradition this event is held each year on New Year's Day, as it was on that very first occasion. Today, 174 years later, the Home for Waifs and Strays now being closed, money raised from the ticket sales is donated to children's charities.

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Found objects:
= plastic flower: 10.03am, Saturday 21 December, Lordship Road, north London;

= red felt heart: 12.30pm, Saturday 23 November, Dentons Green Lane, St Helens.

The Museum of Miniature Found Objects is delighted to present its annual festive display in the foyer at the museum, this year created by St Ninian's School of Podiatry. And the Museum of Miniature Found Objects would like to wish all visitors over the past year a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

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Found objects:

= Christmas tree: 10.53am, 23 December 2012, Lordship Road, north London;

= snowflakes and heart: 12.58pm, Christmas Day 2012, Queen Elizabeth's Walk, north London.

On show in the Wild West Suite at the Museum of Miniature Found Objects is this inaugural display of items on display from the Museum of Sporting Impedimenta, Honolulu. In a radical break from curating tradition, Hedwig Peeve (Apprentice Curator, MMFO) and Bertie Vreiss (Curator, MSI, Honolulu) have used the Smythe-Pattinson cataloguing system. This revolutionary system organises collections around smell, using the table of scents drawn up by Dr Smythe-Pattinson in 1974. Peeve and Vreiss worked entirely with objects giving off the scent of the teeming labyrinth of Neapolitan back streets to create this striking installation.

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Found objects:
= diamanté knot earring: 1.46pm, Friday 8 November 2013, Highbury & Islington underground station;

= gold star with hole: 5.37pm, Tuesday 20 March 2012, Lower Clapton Road, east London;

= large gold star: 23.14pm, Thursday 11 July 2013, Lower Clapton Road, east London;

= large silvered plastic star: 10.27am, Friday 29 July 2013, Lyne Crescent, east London;

= miniature golden star: 3.50pm, Friday 25 October 2013, Norcott Road, north London;

= purple sequin: 4.09pm, Wednesday 15 May 2013, Cecil Sharpe House, Regents Park Road, north-west London;

= red fabric heart: 12.30pm, Saturday 23 November 2013, Dentons Green Lane, St Helens;

= red, pink, green and blue sequins: 11.04am to 11.11am, Saturday 22 June 2013, Stoke Newington Church Street to Stoke Newington High Street, north London;

= small gold indented heart: 7.15pm, Saturday 2 March 2013, Alexandrina Drive, Clayton Bay, South Australia;

= small gold star: 11.02am, Sunday 24 February 2013, Queen Elizabeth's Walk, north London;

= small pink star with scratches: 1.06pm, Tuesday 20 August 2013, Highbury Crescent, north London;

= small silver bent star: 3.29pm, Friday 25 October 2013, Downs Park Road, east London;

= Virgin Mary paper image: 5.08pm, Thursday 14 November 2013, King's Cross underground station, central London.

Due to an unfortunate infestation by the giant driller beetle (scarabaeus maleficus gargantua) at the Museum of Miniature Found Objects, the museum has had to close temporarily in order to carry out an eradication programme. Native to Hawaii, these insects are noted for their powerful jaws and have been known to bore their way through concrete. They are believed to have arrived in a consignment of objects on loan from the Museum of Sporting Impedimenta, Honolulu.

The Museum of Miniature Found Objects is delighted to announce the agreement of reciprocal object loans with the Museum of Sporting Impedimenta, Honolulu (where Mrs Beryl van Buren formerly held the post of Chief Archivist). Raoul Théière, Curator of Body Parts at the Museum of Miniature Found Objects, will be giving an introductory talk on Thursday evening on the exciting challenges facing curators at both museums as they develop this ground-breaking relationship. Further information is available from the Ticket Office in the main entrance.

The Museum of Miniature Found Objects is honoured to announce the inauguration of the van Buren Golden Orb. An annual inter-departmental award to staff at the museum, this highly prized accolade is presented for 'most innovative display'. And congratulations to Sandie Muffins and the staff of the Horology Pod, winner of the first ever van Buren Golden Orb.

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Found objects:
= glass marbles: 10.41am, Thursday 2 May 2013, 44 Hart Hill Drive, Luton;
= metal diamonté wing: 9.30am, Tuesday 16 July 2013, corner of Parkholme Road and Queensbridge Road, east London;
= pink bauble: 12.51pm, Tuesday 19 March 2013, Earls Court Tube Station (district line, west-bound), London.

The Museum of Miniature Found Objects is delighted to be presenting a new series of its highly acclaimed talks on Saturday afternoons. The first, 'The MMFO: An International Runaway Success', was hosted by Mrs Beryl van Buren (Keeper of Collections) yesterday afternoon. At the close of the session, after some stimulating exchanges, the audience presented Mrs van Buren with the bouquet pictured above. Next Saturday's talk will be: 'The MMFO: Too Popular?' and will be hosted by Gloria del Marre, Curator-in-Chief.

These talks are free, but advance booking is required. Tickets are available at the Museum Gift Shop.

The Museum of Miniature Found Objects is delighted to announce the inauguration today of the van Buren XpressWay between the museum and its close neighbour, the British Museum. After in-depth consultation with public amenity focus groups, Mrs Beryl van Buren (Keeper of Collections) and the design teams at both museums worked together to produce a ground-breaking solution: a travellator that will carry visitors between museums in under 30 minutes. Mrs van Buren said, "I was thrilled to see the initial concept become a reality after many, many months of hard work. It was a real challenge, but we felt strongly enough about our design to see it all the way through." For visitors wishing to use the van Buren XpressWay, please follow the signs to Roman Britain (Room 49).

The Museum of Miniature Found Objects is thrilled to announce Mortie Taub and his Harmonica Gang will be appearing at the Rivoli Rooftop Bistro all this week. Alive with lights and gaiety and music, Mortie and his gang of mirth-makers bring all the wit and sparkle of Mayfair nightlife to the museum's rooftops. And mid-afternoon the dancing and merriment pause only for delicious patisserie and light refreshments. Booking is advised, and further information is available at the ticket office in the main entrance.

Currently on display in the DigiLab at the Museum of Miniature Found Objects is this forgery identified by Mrs Beryl van Buren and the Object Authentication Department. Extensive pollen tests carried out by the department revealed fresh traces of Tufted Saxifrage, a plant growing only in mountainous regions. This indicated the object could not have been found in the low-lying arable lands of Suffolk, as claimed by the donor. The Board of Trustees requires all forgeries to be removed from the collection and destroyed. Individuals identified as donating such items will be banned from the Palm Court Tea Rooms.

To assist visitors bringing items to the museum for authentication, the Department has put together a list of helpful hints for identifying forged or stolen miniature found objects:

  = the object's provenance is uncertain,

  = the object's finding appears to be 'too good to be true',
  = the object has been polished with Brasso,

  = the object's finder is in a hurry to part with the item,

  = the forged object has been prematurely aged to make it look more genuine.

If in doubt, do not acquire the object and contact the police immediately. Remember, forgery is a criminal offence.

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Found object:
= fabric duck: 10.56am, Wednesday 18 September 2013, Cannon Street, Bury St Edmunds.