25-year battle for museum ends in victory

Published on Thursday 2 July 2009 10:09

CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating today after a 25-year drive for a new museum in Musselburgh finally resulted in success.

East Lothian Council has announced that an empty shop next to Musselburgh's Old Town Hall will be converted into the long-awaited venue.

It will house a large collection of items, including Roman remains and items relating to the town's fishing and industrial heritage.

The council has set aside 1 million for museums in Musselburgh and North Berwick, although refurbishing the shop is expected to cost much less.

Sheila Henderson, of the Musselburgh Museums Committee, said they were "thrilled" by today's announcement.

She said: "We've been waiting for 25 years.

"Most of the people who joined the committee in 1984 have stayed with us. Now they are seeing their hopes rewarded."

The campaign has been supported by organisations including the Musselburgh Conservation Society and the Honest Toun Association, as well as local councillors.

Campaigners had initially hoped to convert the first floor of the Old Town Hall, or Tolbooth, into the museum, as it is currently used for temporary exhibitions, but this has no access for people with disabilities, and it would have been very expensive to convert.

Instead, the council has set aside the former grocer's and clothing shop next door, which is now empty. It plans to open it by early summer next year.

The attraction will be run jointly by the council and the museums committee and staffed by volunteers.

Mrs Henderson said: "It's absolutely ideal. It's a big area in very good condition. It doesn't require a lot of work.

"We're planning to have revolving displays. We've got a lot of items in storage at the moment, and others that people have promised us."

Exhibits will include themes such as the history of Musselburgh, the Romans, the town's mills and the fishing industry. They will also focus on famous people from Musselburgh and the Honest Toun Association.

The announcement comes just a few days before the opening of their latest exhibition, next Tuesday. The exhibition I Kent His Faither will focus on well-known people from the town. It will run for three weeks at the Old Town Hall and is the 15th exhibition held by the committee since 1988.

East Lothian Council's museums service carried out a review and consultation before making the decision on the location. It is still hoping to reopen the museum in North Berwick.

Councillor Stuart Currie, the chairman of the East Lothian Heritage Forum, said: "The Old Town Hall is a focal point on Musselburgh High Street but there were significant challenges turning the first floor of a listed building into a modern museum that would adequately house Musselburgh's heritage and be fully accessible.

"When this adjoining property became available, we moved quickly."