Popular Museum closes for Winter with a Christmas Cracker

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The atmospheric 1917 Airmen’s Mess was surrounded by a number of traders, mingling ceramics and metalworks with art and crafts. Inside the Mess, more stalls gave Christmas shoppers a chance to pick up a special something from a local creator. Meanwhile, the award-winning exhibitions were also open for those that wanted to enjoy the traditional offer at the site.

As Father Christmas wandered around and chatted, the crowds had a special treat – Bishop of Bradwell, the Rt Rev. Adam Atkinson, led the Chelmsford male Voice Choir in a carol service, encouraging all present to join in.

This event is the last of a busy run of events at the embattled museum, as it fights to secure its future. After being devastated by road closures that prevented its visitors reaching it in the Summer, the team pulled out all the stops to fight on and recover. This event was another example of the charity trying to attract diverse audiences and build income. Ian Flint, CEO of the charity, picks up the story:

“We love putting on fun, exciting events and our supporters know that. Today is no different – you can always rely on the team at Stow Maries to have something interesting on! This year, we have ranged from big airshows to historical seminars, Living History events to dog shows. All of these have contributed to keeping us open and brought in new audiences. We’re very grateful to everyone for their support”.

The museum is now closed to the public – but, thanks to a lot of hard work and fund raising, it will open on 14th February next year. There are already lots of events on their website and the charity is gearing up for a great 2025, as Mr Flint notes:

“We faced the worst-case scenario this year. Through no fault of our own, we were looking at being forced to close permanently. Thanks to the team and some very generous donations, we are now looking forward to 2025. We’re not out of the woods yet, but we’re still here. We’re aiming for a fantastic year and with support like we have seen today, we’re going to have one!”

The museum opens again to regular visitors on Friday 14th February 2025. All proceeds from this and all future events directly funds the ongoing work to preserve and protect Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome and support its battle for survival.