LAWRENCE House Museum at Launceston will re-open to the public at 10.30am on Monday, March 21, just in time for Easter visitors — it will be open on Easter Monday.

Although closed during winter, the museum does not actually hibernate and there are many lovely new exhibits to see and things to do.

The first of the displays in the downstairs Exhibition Room is the work of members of Launceston Camera Club. Their brief was to photograph the bridges in North Cornwall and West Devon featured in the museum’s collection of watercolours by Otho Peter from as near the same point as he painted them.

If a bridge is no more, the site has been photographed. Photographs and watercolours will be displayed side by side so people will be able to see what has happened to the spot over time.

In the ground floor display case is a display of cooking utensils from the museum’s collection to help people ask and answer the question ‘Did cooking make us human?’ This exhibit was inspired by the work of Professor Richard Wrangham, of Harvard University, who had family in Launceston. He maintains that mastery of fire and the ability to cook food, making it more nutritious, caused our more ape-like ancestors to evolve into the first recognisable humans, homo erectus.

Children can come and search for the Mermaid of Widemouth Bay. She’s rather a tease, always hiding and not always truthful, but if they listen carefully, she may tell them her name so they can take part in a naming competition. There are also colouring/painting and storytelling competitions but people have to come to the museum to take part. This year too there is a Beatrix Potter animal trail to follow.

There is also the Toy Room with toys youngsters can play with, a working Polyphon people can operate with an old penny and a lovely garden perfect for a picnic or a quiet sit and think on sunnier days. There are some more splendid wedding dresses on display, all different from last year.

Entry is free so people can come as often as they like. Donations are appreciated to support the museum’s work but there is no payment to get through the door!

Visitors to the museum have liked it so much for the last couple of years that it was awarded another certificate of excellence by Trip Advisor. The comments can be seen on their website.

The museum will open every weekday (including bank holidays) until Friday, October 28 during the hours of 10.30am to 4.30am — last admission 4pm.

The museum is open every Bank Holiday Monday. Keep up to date by visiting www.lawrencehousemuseum.org.uk The museum is signposted from all the town’s car parks and has a ramp for wheelchair access to the ground floor.