A town museum is asking residents to come forward and share their experiences of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown for a new project.
Wymondham Heritage Museum decided to keep its doors closed for the rest of 2020 to protect volunteers and visitors, though the committee is already planning ahead for future displays and attractions.
One of those ideas is to collect human stories from the current pandemic in order to build a Covid-19 archive.
Publicity manager Neil Haverson said: “As we deal with the impact of coronavirus, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that we are living through history in the making. How will future generations look back on what’s happening today and how we battled our way through it?
“Everyone has a story of how they have been affected. In years to come the museum’s committee will be able to call on the archive to stage displays of such a significant event in the town’s history.”
Residents of the town are being asked to send in an anecdote of their experiences, with a photo if possible, describing things like how they coped with lockdown, how they kept in touch with family, what day-to-day life felt like and how it was adapting to working from home and home-schooling children.
The first contribution to the archive has been made by Christine Watts, the museum’s committee member managing the stewards, who joined Norfolk Scrubs Volunteers in May.
She said: “I was initially anxious about the commitment I had made, not having made an item of clothing for some 25 years. However, I set to and have thoroughly enjoyed using my sewing machine and being part of a team working to support the NHS, hospitals, GP surgeries and care homes across the country.
“Although my contribution of eight small sets of navy blue scrubs was so few in comparison to that of other sewers, I felt such a sense of achievement. I am now halfway through sewing another four sets of extra large brown ones.”
• If you have a story to tell about your experiences during the coronavirus pandemic, email whm.info@wymondhamheritagemuseum.co.uk.
• Alternatively, write to Wymondham Heritage Museum, 10 The Bridewell, Norwich Road, Wymondham, NR18 0NS
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