On Saturday the 25th of September, the Fusilier Museum will celebrate the first anniversary of its opening. The museum was officially opened last year by HRH The Duke of Kent. In its first year the museum has welcomed over 20,000 visitors. By comparison, the old museum site at Wellington Barracks usually had 2000 visitors a year. All museum staff and volunteers have worked extremely hard to make the first year a real success.
Over the past 12 months, the museum has developed an Education programme, and is continuing to build relationships with many primary and secondary schools in the area. One big success was a partnership project with Bury Art Gallery, Museum and Archives, and four local primary schools – St Maries, St Josephs and St Bedes, Tottington Primary and St John with St Mark. Renaissance North West supported the museum with a £2000 grant to work with the four schools to develop learning sessions to support teaching literacy.
Five temporary exhibitions have been displayed in the museum, covering a wide variety of Fusilier themes. These have included an exhibition on Fusiliers’ experiences in Northern Ireland, and another exhibition on communicating with home when Fusiliers are on operations. The two current exhibitions on display are ‘Hackles in Helmand’, an exhibition on the Regiment’s experiences in Afghanistan, and ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’, an exhibition based on Bury Home Front experiences in the Second World War. The objects and photographs for this exhibition have been locally sourced.
According to Helen Castle, the museum’s Collections and Learning Manager, the temporary exhibitions are very important: ‘The temporary exhibitions programme ensures some of the museum’s stored collection goes on display, and it is great to have different parts of the museum collection in the museum so people can visit time and again ’.
The amount of documents and objects donated to the collection has doubled since the museum opened last year. A lot of interesting material has been acquired, telling personal stories about those who have served in the Regiment. Family history research has also been really popular, with many people sending enquiries to our Research Officer Tony Sprason, or attending one of his research surgeries on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the museum.
Many events have taken place over the past 12 months. These have included holiday activities for children, as well as ‘Hands on History’, a programme of monthly informal talks on the Museum Officers’ object of the month. The museum has also taken part in Heritage Open Days, as well as Armed Forces day which is a free entry day. Please ring 0161 763 8950 for more information on future museum events.
Helen Field, the museum’s General Manager, is working hard to ensure that visitor numbers continue to grow: ‘it is important to build on this year’s success by planning lots of interesting events, and improving the marketing of the museum.’
Over the next year, the museum will be involved in national initiatives such as the Big Draw in October, and Museums at Night in May. A Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Ceremonial temporary exhibition is planned for November, as well as a full programme of family activities during October half term. Watch out for staff and volunteers promoting the museum in the Millgate Shopping Centre every month. The museum has been asked to be a national case study in the next stage of the Museum, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) Museum Accrediation, and all at the Fusilier Museum are proud of the feedback and recognition they are getting.
