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Fanfare as Rotunda is reopened - COMMENT ON THIS STORY
SCARBOROUGH'S £4.4 million world class geology museum has been officially opened by Lord Oxburgh.
Sponsors and supporters of the Rotunda, the William Smith Museum of Geology, were invited to yesterday's ceremony which saw the internationally renowned geologist and past president of the Geological Society unveil the finished product of a two year renovation project.
Lord Oxburgh, who travelled up from Cambridge for the occasion, said: "I am both honoured and delighted to be here opening the Rotunda. It is almost impossible to imagine the transformation that has taken place.
"Yorkshire can now make a strong claim to having made the greatest contribution to English geology and quite possibly world geology."
Shirley Collier, chief executive of Scarborough Museums Trust, presented Lord Oxburgh with a framed picture of the Rotunda Museum as it was in 1829, to thank him.
She said: "The finished product is better then I imagined it to be – it is so beautiful and has been finished to such a high standard. I think the public will be absolutely delighted with it. It is their museum and we have taken it away from them for two years now. To be able to give it back to them is super and I know it will be enjoyed by a lot of people, as there really is something for everyone."
Lord Derwent, chairman of Scarborough Museums Trust, also gave a speech, thanking everyone for their support. He is a direct descendent of John Johnstone, who attended the museum's original opening.
He said: "My great great grandfather was at the opening of the original Rotunda. He was born and lived in Scarborough for many years and was chairman of the Philosophical Society, to which he introduced William Smith. He actually employed William Smith to work for him in Hackness, which is where much of the stone used for the museum came from.
"I think if he could see it now he would be thrilled and very proud."
After Lord Oxbrough unveiled the official plaque, he presented the winner of the Rotunda Story Writing Competition with his prize.
Sebastian Held, 11, from St Augustine's School, was declared the overall winner after writing a story about a boy who stumbled across some dinosaurs at a secret beach.
He said: "I am interested in geology and dinosaurs and I have been looking forward to seeing the museum as I had never been before it was restored."
The other competition winners were Rebecca Wake, six, from Gladstone Road Infants School, who won the five to seven year old category, and George Osgerby, 11, from Cayton, who won the eight to 11-year-old section.
The renovation cost 4.4 million, of which 1.9 million came from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Fiona Spiers, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Yorkshire and the Humber, explained that 4.2p of every lottery ticket goes towards the Heritage fund, meaning 42,462,526 lottery tickets had to be sold to fund the Rotunda project.
She said: "I think the Rotunda is very impressive. We chose to support this project as it is one of the country's first purpose built museums and was dedicated to geology.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? YOU CAN ADD YOUR COMMENTS BELOW. It is very special because it is so distinctive.”
Another sponsor of the Rotunda is Shell UK, which provided the Shell Geology Now gallery, which uses multimedia to present current geological and environmental research.
Andrew Eddy, director of Shell UK, said: “It is the most wonderful museum and a real tribute to William Smith.”
Today, 600 Evening News readers, who took up the free entry offer, were due to attend the museum’s grand public opening, along with Coronation Street star, Susie Blake.
l See Monday’s Evening News and login at www.scar borougheveningnews.co.uk for full coverage.
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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