Mayflower Pilgrims Museum opens at Retford Hub

The new chair of Nottinghamshire County Council, John Handley, was warmly welcomed to a VIP reception at Retford's Hub on Friday evening.  He officially opened the brand new 'Pilgrim Visitor Centre' at the Hub in Churchgate in the traditional manner by cutting the ribbon. He said: "It is my first official duty as Chair of Nottinghamshire County Council and we are delighted to be supporting this project which will help to promote the strong links this area has with the Pilgrims.  It will help the local community to learn more about our fascinating history and also encourage many more people to visit the area." Chris Daniels along with local design company Createinn, historian Adrian Gray,  Sue Allan and Rick Brand worked together to create this imaginative, local resource which tells the story of the Pilgrims.  Using memorabilia collected by Richard Copely Baines as a starting point, informative story boards, audio and visual props plus costumes allow visitors of all ages to interact with the story. Many volunteers have also helped to construct the new visitor centre at Retford Hub – which opened to the public on Saturday. Chris Daniels of the Hub said:  "We have received generous funding from local businesses 'Ye Olde Bell Inn', 'TLS' and 'Ten Green Bottles' as well as Nottinghamshire County Council, however we would still like to hear from more local businesses that can support this high-profile project.  Funds are still needed for the promotion of this pioneering resource. "We are extremely grateful to our sponsors and we have had a great response to our call-out for volunteers - and we are indebted to them for their help.  We look forward to welcoming locals and visitors to the town who will be able to learn about the far-reaching influence that the area in and around Retford has had on the rest of the world."