Lord Cobham declares Museum of Carpet open (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Lord Cobham declares Museum of Carpet open

3:27pm Friday 19th October 2012 in News By William Tomaney

KIDDERMINSTER’S Museum of Carpet has been declared officially open at an emotional ceremony.

The ribbon was cut by a “humbled” Lord Cobham at noon at Stour Vale Mill, Green Street, bringing to an end a 30-year campaign to bring a carpet museum to the town. It opens to the public tomorrow.

Museum Trust project manager Peter Reed, founder trustee Charles Talbot, museum manager Paula Kovacs and Lord Cobham addressed an audience of civic dignitaries, family, friends and other guests.

Mr Talbot said: “We are fitted out, the long hours will hopefully not now be so long, the looms are ready to weave and they have the wow factor.

“Breathless, we are here - our future lies before us. We are a museum of national significance in Wyre Forest so arise Kidderminster, we have got nothing to lose but being miserable.”

Ms Kovacs added: “It has been exciting, amazing, the last two weeks have been exhausting. We are going to be here to put Kidderminster and the museum on the map - we will be fun and inspirational.”

Mr Talbot also led an emotional tribute to former Carpet Museum Trust chairman and trustee Richard Pugh-Cook who died in August.

“He ought to be standing here today,” said Mr Talbot.

“The spirit of what he taught us which we have got from him and our own determination to see this through always is one of the memories I shall always carry with me. I assure him we have not let him down.”

Lord Cobham said: “I am completely humbled by what I have just heard.

“We have all come together to produce something that is of significant importance for our area - I have nothing to add but to declare the Museum of Carpet open.”

From tomorrow at 10.30am, the museum will open Tuesdays to Saturdays 10.30am until 4.30pm and Sundays noon until 4.30pm.