An Egremont museum and charity shop, which has been at the heart of the community for nine years, will close its doors for the final time this month.
Egremont and Area Heritage Centre, on the town’s Main Street, was born out of a weekly meeting set up by Marianne Hornby, called Memory Lane.
Now it is having to close, having created memories of its own for the dozens of people who popped in for a cup of tea, browsed the second-hand goods on offer and popped into its mini-museum, charting the town’s history.
When Marianne had a bicycle accident and it was clear she was not going to return, in 2014 the committee decided to keep the shop going for her and it has thrived since then.
Run by a dedicated band of volunteers, the charity shop began to make enough money to cover the bills, thanks to donations of items from the community, and so the committee began to make donations to local good causes.
It has raised hundreds of pounds and became a meeting place for the town’s older generation – many visited regularly to catch up with friends and remember the good old days.
Liz Dixon, committee member, said: “It has been a hub of activity and we’ve had visitors from all over the world – including Denmark, America and Australia. After nine years, we have many regulars and made lots of new friends.
“We are often asked about local and family history, and have lots of photos of local events like the Crab Fair and other special occasions like VE Day and the coronation.
“It is the end of an era and we are grateful to our landlord Andrew Tang, who has been so supportive over the years, but we know that now is the right time to close.
“We will miss the shop and all the friendly customers, thank you to everyone who has supported us, donated items and popped in for a chat.”
The committee said that over the years, it had many items donated or loaned to the museum – and if anyone wants to claim them, they need to collect them before the shop closes at noon on Saturday, July 30.
