Milestone at town museum for Geoff (60)

The milestone saw youngsters from Crescent Primary School, in Booth Avenue, pay a visit to the Leeming Street museum to explore the lives of child evacuees during the Second World War.

And the visit, which took place on 12th November, was also a personal milestone for the museum’s education officer Geoff Liptrot.

The 60-year-old was appointed to the museum in 2004 for an initial 18-month period, and has personally overseen all 1,000 visits.

A museum spokesman said: “Nine years later and Geoff is still as busy as ever developing new topics linked to the ever-changing National Curriculum.

“The fifteen subjects he offers to schools from all over north Nottinghamshire and beyond are just as popular as ever, which is how he came to teach his 1,000th all-day session in eight years recently.”

Mansfield Museum was the brainchild of William Edward Baily, a wealthy collector and natural historian.

In 1903 he offered his collection and a building to the town and the museum opened the following year.

The museum moved to new premises in 1938 and a fourth gallery was added in the 1960s.

The museum now plans to expanding its education provision with more National Curriculum-linked sessions.

“Geoff added: “I was really lucky to have a lovely group of Year 4 children to mark what was a milestone for me. The children and staff all came dressed 1940s-style. That made November 12th really memorable. ‘