Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre Reopens after 6 Months of Lockdown

Thursday, 20 May 2021 10:53

By Matthew Pells

Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre has reopened its door after 6 months of lockdown.

Scarborough's town crier gave a loud address to everyone in Eastborough and highlighted his delight at the artefacts on display that belonged to the previous town crier, Alan Booth MBE.

Chairman, Mark Vesey, said

'we are delighted to be able to reopen and welcome back our volunteers and the public. We have a brand new exhibition about Scarborough during the Victorian era as well as the town crier's artefacts donated earlier this year'

The new Victorian exhibition commemorates the 120th anniversary of the end of Queen Victoria’s reign in 1901. It looks back at the huge growth Scarborough underwent during her reign whilst acknowledging the poverty and social upheaval that accompanied it. The exhibition explores the growth of the town, new schools, churches and major buildings. It looks at the fishing industry, the visitor attractions, the growth of manufacturing and mass marketing, poverty and childhood mortality.

The museum has also been given the MBE, medals, bells and certificates of Scarborough Town Crier, Alan Booth MBE, who passed away in 2020. Alan was Scarborough’s town crier for 31 years, a record for the Yorkshire coast, and held the titles of National and European town crier champion for several years in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was also an honorary Freeman of Scarborough, in recognition of his work in raising the profile of the town.

The Maritime Centre celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2019 and has welcomed over 50,000 visitors. Exhibitions change on a regular basis and there is a reading and research area for use by the public. Opening times are 11am to 4pm, Wednesday to Sunday and entrance is free.

http://www.scarboroughsmaritimeheritage.org.uk/