Can you help museum with 'Maritime Minehead' exhibition?

The museum, based in the Beach Hotel, is celebrating after another successful season but planning for next year is already underway.

Minehead’s prosperity was closely bound up with the sea and for over two hundred years the port of Minehead was second in local importance only to Bristol, as sailors from Minehead traded up and down the Bristol Channel, across to Wales and Ireland, to the Mediterranean and even to the West Indies.

Besides trade, fishing was important, too. Ships used to sail in convoy from Minehead to Newfoundland to bring back cod, and more recently Minehead was famous for its herrings.

During both world wars, Quay Town men and women served at sea and at home.

Trustee Sue Lloyd, who is coordinating the research for the new display, said: "Who were the masters and crew of the old sailing ships and more recent vessels too?

"We have already begun to research this information, and we are also building up a collection of photographs of the ships, the Quay and Quay Town.

"We will also be finding out about life in Quay Town over the years, not only for the mariners but also for their families.

"We already have links with some of these families, and we would like to hear from others.

"Does anyone have experiences they would like to relate, or items from their time at sea, or memories of the vessels family members sailed in?

"Many Quay Town sailors had wartime experiences, too. We would like to display mementoes and medals."

The museum can copy and return any photographs you may have relating to our theme of Maritime Minehead. Gifts and loans of items will also be welcomed at the museum, although storage space there is limited. A call to Sue on 01643-706461, or an email to museumsue@btinternet.com, will get a response.

And there's still time to catch this year's exhibition on Entertainment and Leisure: the museum is open until October 30 from Tuesday to Sunday every week, from 10am (11am on Sundays) to 4pm.