Welcome to the Maritime Museum

Transcript

Helen: Good morning everyone and welcome to the Harbour Maritime Museum. My name is Helen, and I'll tell you a little about the museum before you start exploring on your own.

Helen: First, some practical points. The museum is open from ten in the morning until five in the afternoon, Tuesday to Sunday. On Saturdays we stay open later, until six, because that is our busiest day. We are closed on Mondays.

Helen: Please leave large bags and coats in the lockers, which are on the ground floor next to the shop. The lockers take a one pound coin, which you get back when you return the key. You can take photographs in all the galleries, but please don't use a flash in the Navigation Gallery, because the old maps are easily damaged by light.

Helen: Now let me tell you about the layout. There are four galleries. As you come in from the entrance hall, the Ship Models Gallery is on your left. Many of the models there were built by retired sailors, and the oldest dates from the eighteenth century. Straight ahead is the Navigation Gallery, with maps, compasses and a working model of a ship's wheel, which children especially enjoy. Upstairs, the Cargo Gallery shows what ships carried, from spices to machinery. And at the back of the ground floor, beside the garden, you'll find our newest display, the Lighthouse Room, which opened last spring.

Helen: If you get tired, the cafe is on the first floor, overlooking the harbour. It serves hot meals until three o'clock, but you can buy drinks and snacks until closing time. There's also a quiet area next to the cafe for families with young children.

Helen: Finally, today at two o'clock there will be a short talk by a retired captain in the Navigation Gallery. It's free, and there's no need to book. Enjoy your visit.