Atkinson chief says it’s just the start for museum
WITH the new Atkinson museum set to open tomorrow, the director of Southport’s arts centre says this is just the beginning for the attraction.
February 13 will see the launch of the final part of the museum – a permanent exhibition called Between Land and Sea – 10,000 years of Sefton’s Coast, which explores the rich and varied history of the borough and our amazing coastline.
Some of the offerings that visitors can expect to see include a unique item from the Mesolithic period found during an excavation of Lunt Meadows, as well as sections on tourism, land speed records and everything else in between.
Atkinson director Emma Anderson told the Visiter: “There is always a last-minute rush to get everything ready, especially because we are creating something new. It will go right to the wire because we want to make it perfect for people.
“As we have developed the museum we have been finding new things and it has been exciting to find ways to include new material or information.
“We have been learning more about local stories and there’s been lots of people coming to us with stories.
“I have been working in Southport since 2013 and at first I did not know much about it. The development of the museum has really helped my own understanding of the area.
“I have loved it, there have been lots and lots of tiny stories about a couple of people or a small community or something that has happened that take you off in a different direction. I really hope people will share that journey, the characters and events.
“For me the most moving is the story of FJ Hooper, the young polar explorer from Southport who discovered Captain Scott. There is a real heart-stopping moment when you realise what he experienced.
“Our piece from the Mesolithic period shows how significant the coast has been to life here for 10,000 years.
“I have been getting really excited myself and it has been infectious throughout the team – and I hope the enthusiasm will rub off on visitors and that they get a sense they can contribute in some way.
“We have interviews with people who have contributed with their stories or information and we always want more people to film.
“This is the beginning of the museum and not it being finished off. The museum is about an area where people live and how they live here – we have a lot to look forward to in the future.”