Great volunteers

Firstly, on Friday evening in Little Common Community Centre we held our first quiz night where some 50 of us pitted our wits, not only against each other but against a very demanding quiz master. The writer much to his surprise won a prize - the wooden spoon. Of course I blame my fellow team members for scoring so few points!

Although many volunteers were involved in staging this event, I must mention the three persons largely responsible for its success - Claire Eden, Claire Carey and certainly not least Cllr. Stewart Earl.

Saturday saw our second Christmas Craft Fair at the museum, where 29 stall holders displayed and sold an astonishing array of items ranging from preserves and pastries through to jewellery to paintings to beauty products and many types of hand made craft items.

The three galleries, cafe area and education room were thronged all day with visitors not only buying from the stalls and the museum shop but also viewing our wonderful range of exhibits.

Again, many volunteers were involved, not only helping on the day but donating raffle prizes and providing the refreshments, available free to visitors. But I must mention again the two Claires who were responsible for the overall organisation of this event.

I would like to round off this letter with just a few words about the Society of Bexhill Museums Ltd, the registered charitable company which manages Bexhill Museum on behalf of all residents of the town. We do depend so much on entry fees for a large percentage of our income, far more in fact than do similar size museums; largely because our statutory funding is relatively low.

We are obliged to keep our overheads to a minimum by employing only an administrator and a part time cleaner, all other management duties being undertaken by volunteers. I write this final paragraph in the hope that those readers who have not yet visited us will make the effort and come along and see what we have to offer.

Where are we? Just due north from the clock tower on Egerton Road overlooking the park.

JOHN BETTS

Chairman

Society of Bexhill Museums Ltd