Chairman’s Update February 2025

I’m writing this update just under two weeks from our opening day on March 1st. It hardly seems that winter is over (or not) before we are open to the public again. During the winter volunteers have been busy maintaining the buildings and changing some displays so that is always something new for regular visitors to see.

While we have done everything we wanted to indoors, the weather has not been favourable for outside work and we will start the season a bit behind where we would like to be. The main outstanding job is a re-paint of the exterior of the Tower. This will probably not be completed until April at the earliest.

We are really looking forward to this season. Last year, thanks to the miniseries ‘Masters of the Air’ we had record numbers of visitors, and we expect a busy year this year too. Already we have many tour groups, veterans’ families and others special events in our diary in addition to our normal opening days. Fortunately, we have an excellent team of experienced volunteers now boosted by some new ones for this season. We also have some big changes coming along later in the year about and I hope to be able to tell you what they are soon.

If you have been to Thorpe Abbotts before, we look forward to seeing you again. If you haven’t visited us yet, please come along soon! We are open Saturdays and Sundays March to end of October and additionally on Wednesdays May to September We are open Bank Holidays too. We open at 10 and last entries are at 16:00 but the Café and shop close at 16:30. I strongly recommend that you allow at least two hours for your visit. Entry to the museum remains free!

If you wish to bring a tour party to the museum, please contact our events team (via info@100bgmus.org.uk) and the earliest opportunity as available slots are already filling up. Unfortunately, because of the increased footfall through the museum we are unable to accommodate tour parties on open days and we are no longer able to accept requests from vehicle groups to meet at the museum on open days. However, we are always open for veterans’ families who should contact the events team as above: we will endeavour to give you a memorable day at the museum, and we can help with travel arrangements.

Reg Wilson

Chair of Trustees