Staff at the Gainsborough Heritage Centre are striving to make 2025 another successful year.
Behind the scenes, the dedicated volunteers are working extremely hard, with new displays in the exhibition rooms and many new pictures of the old town now decorating the walls, along with famous paintings by local artists Karl Woods and William Edwards Millner.
The archives and the research team sort artefacts kindly donated by members of the public, carefully cataloguing each item to be used in future displays. The top-floor research team continues to add and organise the many files, which are stacked from floor to ceiling. This is a must for anyone researching a family tree or just wanting to take that nostalgic trip down memory lane.
Newly published books by Paul Kemp, Jeremy Curtis, Susan Edlington, Andrew Birkett, Ian Palmer, and many more are available in the well-stocked gift shop, along with scaled-down copies of Marshalls and Rose’s drawings – the only place to purchase these valuable items.
The chairman, Andrew Birkett, uses his time compiling interesting facts for the members’ newsletters, working alongside his wife Lynne, who strives to gain the well-deserved Museum accreditation.
The front-of-house volunteers welcome people through the doors, serve in the shop and in the cosy café, and do the never-ending cleaning. Without these valuable, dedicated people, the Centre would not survive. If you have time on your hands and would like to join this friendly team, don’t hesitate to pop in, pick up a form, and have a chat.
Group bookings are proving ever popular, so if your group or organisation would like to arrange an out-of-hours visit, please get in touch. The Centre is open on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10.00am to 4.00pm or visit their Facebook page for up-to-date information.
The cost is just £3.00 to enter, with children free if accompanied by an adult. With half-term coming up, it’s a great way to keep them entertained, with a fun quiz to encourage them to look more closely and ask questions, with a small prize at the end.
The shop and café are free to enter and the building is disability-friendly with toilets and a lift to all floors, situated on the corner of North Street, DN21 2HS.