KIDDERMINSTER'S Museum of Carpet has announced when it will reopen - and staff are asking people to send in old photographs for a new exhibition.

The much-loved museum is set to open on Tuesday, May 18 as part of the next phase of lockdown lifting, thanks to a grant from the Culture Recovery Fund.

The galleries will undergo a deep clean by the museum tenants, the National Carpet Cleaners’ Association, to ensure the museum is spotless for their reopening.

One-way systems and sanitiser stations will also be in place. Visitors can book in advance on the museum's website now.

A spokesperson for the museum said: "Staff and volunteers couldn’t be happier to return to the museum and prepare for reopening.

"Visitors can be assured that the Museum of Carpet will offer an enjoyable, safe and secure day out."

"Our Collections and Archives can now reopen and volunteers are working hard on researching exciting and diverse enquiries. We received unprecedented interest in our collections during the third lockdown as local people traced their family and embarked on research projects."

The museum will also be launching their summer exhibition on June 28. Generation: The People and Production of Kidderminster will showcase photographs of the Kidderminster carpet industry and local community from the Museum of Carpet’s extensive archive.

The exhibition will combine historical photographs from the last century with photographs of life in Kidderminster and surrounding areas now, submitted by local children, young people and adults.

Staff are asking members of public to help complete the exhibition by sending in their photos to comms@museumofcarpet.org.uk before 23rd May 2021.

The museum spokesperson added: "Young, old or somewhere in-between, we would love to see your picture of life in Kidderminster exhibited at the Museum. So get snapping."