Fresh bid launched for military museum in Widnes

By Runcorn And Widnes Weekly News on Feb 26, 09 01:32 PM in 2000 onwards

FRESH moves are under way to establish Halton's first dedicated war museum.

Widnes-based war historian Terry Burns has been pleading with councillors and MPs for several years to find him a site to store his impressive collection of military memorabilia.

Terry, who tours schools with items from his collection and gives talks on the subject, wants to establish a permanent display to educate visitors on the borough's proud wartime past.

Now the council and Widnes Historical Society have pledged to help Terry try to secure a heritage grant, and a possible new home for his collection has been found at Kingsway Learning Centre, Widnes.

Terry said: "Derek Twigg MP and Howard Cockroft from Halton Council have been working hard behind the scenes to help put my collection in a museum.

"Two representatives of the Widnes Historical Society recently came to view my collection and also agreed that it should be in a museum. The latest news is that the society will be applying for a heritage grant from the National Lottery for display cases with a view to setting something up in the library."

Howard Cockroft, Halton Council's operational director for cultural and leisure, said: "The intention is to try to display as much of Terry's collection as possible at the library.

"In order for this to happen, the collection needs to be catalogued and annotated in specialist display cases.

"But to do this we require a heritage lottery grant."

Terry added that it was important to remind people of the sacrifices made in war.
He displayed some of his collection at the recent Remembrance Day service at Victoria Park - which attracted record crowds - and his educational work with schools is continuing.

He said: "The kids absolutely love the pieces and the love hearing about the war.

"Widnes suffered greatly in the wars, in the first alone the town lost 818 people with hundreds suffering from gas attacks and shell shock.

"And I have the medals of many former Widnes soldiers in my collection."

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