VITAL volunteers who ensure local visitor attractions and heritage sites stay up and running, were rewarded with a tea party at Haslemere Museum, last week.

Haslemere Decorative and Fine Arts Society chairman Alison Marston and her committee, together with Anna Hawtree from Fine Arts Society’s heritage volunteers, hosted the event to thank their many volunteers for all their hard work in support of tourist destinations including, the town museum, Watts Gallery in Compton, and National Trust properties.

“A traditional English tea was served with sandwiches and a great variety of cakes made by the committee,” Mrs Marston said. “People really enjoyed meeting for a social occasion and there was much chatter and laughter.

“HDFAS president Roscelin Rees gave an amusing and informative account of how work got under way in the museum going back as far as 1992,” Mrs Marston added.

“The work ranged from bringing pictures down from the attic and cleaning and cataloguing them, to painstakingly cleaning each spine of a porcupine or cleaning and sorting a 1922 collection of African animal bones.

“Many jobs remain to be done, as well as the general dusting and maintenance, so any new volunteers are always welcome.

“Instructions and guidance are always available.

“After tea Anna thanked everyone for their work and introduced Jane Stopford-Russell who is the co-ordinator for the Church Recorders. She was able to bring us up to date on the work being done for St Bartholomew’s Church and speak about the beginning of the developing of ideas for a children’s church trail there.

“We were able to look at and admire the beautiful record that had been completed for St Christopher’s Church.

“Finally we were very pleased to welcome Maggie Johnson, our area co-ordinator for heritage volunteers in South West Surrey. She was very impressed with the volunteer work taking place in our area and considered us to be an excellent example of what can be achieved.

“It was a most enjoyable afternoon for us all and made us think that, as we move into the future with a new name —The Arts Society Haslemere — it is a good thing to reflect on the history of volunteering and look forward to achieving even more in years to come.

“Congratulations and thank you to all the volunteers.”