KINGSBRIDGE Cookworthy Museum is now open for the 2016 season with an officially opening and preview evening before Easter.

This was an opportunity for friends and supporters of the museum to explore this year’s changes and new exhibitions, and to thank those who have lent items for display or helped in other ways.

The main new exhibition this year is ‘Wish You Were Here’ in the Ilbert Room, which looks at seaside holidays in South Devon with displays of swimwear from the 19th century onwards – did we really wear that to swim in? – memorabilia, postcards and photographs of seaside fun through the generations.

There is also a beach cut-out photo board for visitors to add their own snaps to the gallery, and some of the guests took advantage of this.

There is a new window display on the local wool trade, new material in the First World War exhibition, and a new ‘mouse trail’ for children, so there is plenty to see and do.

The evening also included the inauguration of the Lorenz Room at the Museum. This was previously known as the Top Gallery, but has now been renamed in honour of Margaret Lorenz, founder committee member, long-time chairman and most recently Honorary Life President, who contributed so much to the life of the Museum.

Al Parker, who was Margaret’s deputy at Kingsbridge Community College for many years, marked the renaming with a short speech.

Appropriately, Al is also a Kingsbridge Grammar School old boy, and was a pupil in the original Grammar School building now occupied by the Museum when the Kingsley Road school suffered bomb damage in 1943.

To find out more about the Cookworthy Museum, located at the top of Fore Street, visit the website: www.kingsbridgemuseum.org.uk.