The start of 2021 marked 25 years since the fire that destroyed over half of Milton Keynes Museum's collection.
In the early hours of New Year's Day in 1996, a large section of the independent museum went up in flames.
Fire crews spent hours battling the blaze, and managed to stop it from spreading to the museum's iconic main house.
Unfortunately, the fire destroyed the museum’s Grade II Listed threshing barn and cowshed, both built in the 1850s, and two smaller buildings. Over half of the museum's artefacts were lost.
Since then, Milton Keynes Museum and its volunteers have been working hard to rebuild the historic collection and create an enjoyable experience for adults and children alike.
In recent years the museum received a £7.3m expansion, funded by Milton Keynes Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Arts Council. Two new galleries were introduced and have since included special exhibits.
The museum is popular amongst the local community, drawing in over 100,000 visitors a year. It is mainly run by volunteers, alongside a small number of paid staff. A number of these volunteers have been with the museum for years.
Reflecting on the devastating fire, a spokesperson for Milton Keynes Museum said: "But in difficult times it is important to remember those who go the extra mile - and the hard work, determination and resilience of our volunteers turned a disaster into a triumph.
"Some of those involved then (Jack Isles, Jill Harper, Ron Unwin, Clive Boddington, Neil Loudon, Diane Roder and Judy Jones) are still volunteers today, so huge thanks to them."
And in 2021, just like other organisations across the country, Milton Keynes Museum has too been struggling after being forced to close its doors due to COVID-19.
Museum director Bill Griffiths said: "We now face another challenge, but I know we will emerge from it even better than before because, although many of the volunteers have changed, they still have the same character, ethos and strength of the ones that reacted so brilliantly years ago."
