North Somerset Museum and The Helicopter Museum
are looking for volunteers in a major new heritage project – “Made
in North Somerset”. The museums in Weston-super-Mare are combining
their resources to research the industries of the area to create new
exhibitions in the two museums.
The museums are hoping to track down people who
worked in local industries to record their recollections. They are
also looking for people to give up their time to carry out the
interviews, research the history of businesses and to help produce
the exhibitions.
“This is a unique joint project between North
Somerset Museum and The Helicopter Museum,” said Nick Goff, Museum
Manager at North Somerset Museum. “Both museums have some
material. By sharing what we have and with the help of local people
we will be able to build up a much fuller archive and create more
detailed exhibitions.”
“The project is a first because although there
will be one exhibition, it will be sited in two locations – half in
each museum,” said Lee Mills, Manager of The Helicopter Museum.
“This way we have more space to tell the story of the industries of
North Somerset.”
Two special open days have been arranged for
anyone wanting to find out more about “Made in North Somerset” and
about volunteering opportunities in the two museums. The open days
will include speakers from both museums, a tour of facilities, lunch
and a chance to discover the uniqueness of the project. The first
takes place on Thursday 27 August at The Helicopter Museum and the
second on Saturday 12 September at the North Somerset Museum. There
is no charge to join in, but places should be booked by contacting
the relevant museum.
