LOCAL families and visitors looking for something fun to do in the holidays can now have a VIP experience at Bodmin Keep Army Museum, which has opened its doors to the public after five months.
The museum is opening on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays with private visits for up to 12 people from two households. These ’bubble’ groups will have the museum to themselves for an hour plus use of the grounds for picnics if they wish.
Visitor Experience manager Verity Anthony said: ‘The safety of our visitors, staff and volunteers is our priority so we’ve decided to open the museum for single groups of up to 12 people from a maximum of two households at a time.
’Groups will be welcomed at the gate by a member of our friendly team who will give them an introductory talk, then they will be able to safely enjoy exploring the galleries.
’There’s something for everyone in the museum and we hope that the visit will be popular with inter-generational family groups.’
Within the walls of Bodmin Keep is told the story of Cornwall’s County Regiment, the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, and its predecessors and successors over 300 years of history. Arranged over two extensive floors, the collection takes you from Waterloo to World Wars 1 and 2, to Northern Ireland and the Fall of the Berlin Wall. There are displays of uniforms, medals and silverware, weaponry and the memorabilia, and stories of soldiers through the ages. There are also special exhibitions about Military Music, the Territorial Army, and Military Fashion, and a fun trail for families to enjoy while exploring the galleries.
For anyone that can’t visit in person, Bodmin Keep is still offering online exhibitions and free learning resources for young people – this summer, the museum explores the history a military style with a new exhibition entitled ’Frontiers of Fashion’, focusing on how military uniform has influenced civilian fashion.
To find out more visit www.bodminkeep.org