Hartlepool’s Heugh Battery Museum cafe reopens for the first time in over a year

Heugh Battery Museum manager Diane Stephens reopens the museum cafe with its outdoor seating area.

People sat down for a cuppa and a sandwich in the sunshine as the outdoor seating area at the Heugh Battery Museum’s cafe, in Moor Terrace, Hartlepool reopened following the latest easing of lockdown restrictions.

Manager Diane Stephens has said bacon sandwiches, teas and coffees proved most popular with customers on the opening day on April 16.

Diane said: "It’s going quite well, we’ve had a few customers coming in this morning. Hopefully as time goes on we’ll get more and more people turning up.”

The Heugh Gun Battery Museum itself will remain open until at least July 2.

Both the museum, which retells the tragic story of the Bombardment of the Hartlepools during the First World War, and the cafe have been closed since the first lockdown last March.

Under normal circumstances the museum would provide the majority of income and Diane has appealed to people to stop by at the cafe and show their support.

She said: "The museum itself isn’t open and it could be a while before it reopens.

"It’s our main source of income and we just need people to come and support us and we hope people will come back.

"With so many people discovering how lovely the Headland is during lockdown, we just hope all the people who’ve come and seen what a beautiful part of Hartlepool that is will keep coming back. “

Before the pandemic struck, the museum was set to host more visitors, events and activities after it was saved from closure thanks to the support of local people in 2019.

In October last year, it was awarded more than £70,000 from the Government’s £1.57billion Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) to survive the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

It is hoped the museum will reopen on Friday, July 2, and Diane has said it is good to see people on the premises once again in anticipation of the full reopening.

She said: "It’s the people who make the museum and it’s great to have the people back.”

The cafe is open every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10am until 4pm. Take away service is available as well and socially distanced seating is provided.

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