To celebrate the recent 80th anniversary of VE Day, the Museum of Policing in Cheshire joined a free event that transported the community back to wartime Warrington.
As part of the celebrations for the 80th anniversary of VE Day at Culcheth Community Day, crowds of people enjoyed a host of activities including a strongman competition, music, dancing, games, vintage cars and appearances from the Constabulary’s long-running community partners, the Warrington Wolves.
Volunteers from the Constabulary’s own Museum of Policing were also in attendance to meet and greet residents and provide them with information relating to its services, with Museum Deputy Manager Len Cotterell suited in an authentic 1940s police uniform, similar to those officers from Cheshire Constabulary would have worn at the time.
Located on Aprley Street, next to Warrington Local Policing Unit (LPU) at Charles Stweart House, the Museum is the home to a number of policing artefacts including vehicles, weapons and investigative tools used to tackle crime and a wide collection of uniforms from across the force’s 150-year-plus history on show.
Anyone keen to visit the museum can drop in, free of charge, during the next Friday open days, which will be held on August 8, 15, 22 and 29.
The museum is an independent charity run by volunteers in cooperation with Cheshire Constabulary, which has recently hosted schoolchildren from across the region, the force’s newest recruits and retired and senior officers alike.
Museum Deputy Manager Len Cotterell said: “Thousands of people visited us over the course of Culcheth Community Day. It was a fantastic day with lots of fun that kept everyone happy.
“There was lots of great community engagement with both the officers and our volunteers, with many people who came to see us interested in finding out more about the museum, so we were kept busy.”
Officers from Warrington Local Policing Unit were also in attendance with the Safer Streets Safety Bus, providing useful crime prevention information as we move into the summer months, offering a security marking service for bicycles, and allowing visitors to have their fingerprints taken.
For more information about the museum, which is funded through public donations, you can visit the Museum of Policing website or call 01606 365803.
