Bexhill Museum finished its spring clean and re-opened today (24 January) for the new season with new items on display. But what happens behind the scenes to prepare for another 11 months of welcoming residents and visitors?
The museum closes for three weeks every January to enable staff and volunteers to refresh and replace the items on display.
Planning starts months before as newly-acquired items are considered against ones already in the stores to choose which will fit with the chosen themes for the year. Items are retrieved from the stores and prepared.
The pictures show some of the work which has been going on. Click on each for a bigger view.
- A: The Down Mill model gets a delicate dusting from Mary Bywater of the Collections Team
- B: Colin Bennett makes some adjustments to the model railway barriers
- C: Steve Chatfield prepares to re-lay tram tracks on the World War 2 model
- D: Say hello to the museum’s tiger
- E: One of the dresses ready to take its place in the Costume Gallery
- F: The Elva sports car needs to have its engine turned over by hand regularly. Here Graeme Lacey does the deed
- G: Underneath the Bexhill 1940 model railway. Steve Chatfield tackles the wiring.