Cilla Black’s mini joins the eclectic line-up at the Grampian Transport Museum for 2024
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‘Surprise-Surprise!’ as Transport Museum opens for 2024 season.
“Our new for 2024 exhibition is sure to excite, amaze and probably give some visitors ear- worms!” was the interesting prediction of assistant curator Nick Webb at the Alford based Grampian Transport Museum (GTM).
As he was busily preparing for the 2024 season opening on Friday 29 th March, in time for the school Easter holidays, Nick explained: “We have some really exciting new transport heritage exhibits to suit a ‘lorra-lorra’ people but the one which is causing the earworms is a unique ‘Wood and Pickett’ Mini which was purchased new by Bobby Willis for his superstar wife, Cilla Black. It has been loaned to the museum by a local collector complete with cardboard cut-out of the star herself and we now seem to spend most of the day humming famous hits of the 60’s and 70’s!”
Cilla’s Mini is just one of the new exhibits starring this year amongst many of the regular favourites.
There is also a very rare original Ken Costello built MGB V8 which pre-dates BLMC eventually making its own version; the world’s smallest PSV (Public Service Vehicle, i.e. bus) – a Ford Fiesta ‘Post Bus’ which used to cover the Newtonmore - Kinlochlaggan postal round. It eatures in a special display with another Post Bus - a Land Rover Series 3 which covered the Clatt-Huntly round in 1984-87 before becoming the workshop runabout for the PO in Aberdeen.
They will be joined mid-season by a LandRover Defender from the Blaigowrie-Glenshee round and which was last used to take a party of local schoolchildren to Iceland!
Museum Manager Ross McKirdy is justifiably proud of the 2024 exhibition “We try to change around a third of our exhibition every winter but I think the team of staff and volunteers has excelled this year. We have a new motorcycle exhibition layout which will develop further over the coming years with many superb new exhibits in the wings. This year it features another motoring heritage celebrity - the famous motoring Journalist Denis Jenkinson (DSJ), perhaps best remembered for navigating Stirling Moss on his record breaking Mille Miglia race win for Mercedes in 1955. DSJ was also a keen motorcyclist and this year we are very privileged to have one of his rare machines in our exciting motorcycle display.
“There really is something for all the family to enjoy - Famous Women in motoring heritage remembered; fascinating Formula 1 memorabilia; 40 years of previously unseen items from the museum’s archives; a memory provoking display of heritage transport toys which demonstrates the importance of play in the development of some of the world’s best motoring engineers (Meccano and Hornby have a lot to answer for!), and so much more.
“The museum shop is full of exciting new GTM branded goods which make great souvenirs and interesting gifts for all ages.
“For the 2024 season the museum will be open 10am-5pm 7days/week until October and our much-loved Junior Driving School will re-open every weekend thanks to the support of Jim Reid Vehicle Sales, Kintore.
“We have also developed a new, top value ticket which enables an unlimited number of museum visits throughout the season and through an association with Autism specialist ASCS-S we are able to offer free use of sensory borrow bags as part of our inclusivity programme. In addition, we have a full programme of regular and new events planned throughout the year.”
For full details of opening times, tickets and events visit www.gtm.org.uk.
Grampian Transport Museum is an award-winning, self-funding registered Scottish Charity and is a dog friendly visitor attraction.
