Hornsea Museum – A New Exhibition

This month sees the opening of a new exhibition in the Museum dedicated to Hornsea’s Flying Sailors. They were the Royal Navy Air Service (RNAS) who were based on the Mere from 1915 as it provided a safe, calm landing area close to the North Sea coast. Their aim was to protect the shipping convoys. To do this they had two sea planes for the general patrols and anti-submarine flights; one plane carried bombs and one had torpedoes. The RNAS built their facilities, including workshops, at Kirkholme Point on the Mere with some of the concrete bases still being visible or used to support present buildings. In 1918 RNAS became part of the newly formed Royal Air Force (RAF) whose centenary is this year. The base closed in March 1919. The new exhibition was supported by a grant of £7,900 from the National Lottery’s Heritage Fund that is helping to tell the story of the RAF across the country. The exhibition will be formally opened on Saturday 28th July and, to mark it, the Museum will have an Open Day with free entry from 10.00 am until 4.00 pm with refreshments available. The RNAS project will run until Autumn 2019 and will continue to work with local people and organisations, such as the Civic Society and University of the Third Age (U3A), to carry on collecting photographs, documents and stories for the long term archive of the Museum. As a reminder, the Children’s Craft mornings will again run on Thursday mornings from 10.00 – 12.00 starting on 26th July and then on 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th August when the children will be able to make cards, bags and hats amongst other crafts. The cost is £3.50 per child who must be accompanied by an adult who pays £1.00 which will also enable them to go round the whole Museum and Hornsea Pottery exhibition. There is more information on the website www.hornseamuseum.com or call (01964) 533443

Leave a Reply