Derby: Flood-damaged Museum of Making reveals reopening date

A revamped museum in Derby has announced it will reopen in the new year after being devastated by flood water.

The Museum of Making has been undergoing repairs after its workshop and kitchen suffered "substantial damage" during Storm Babet in October.

The museum, which is based in Silk Mill Lane, announced it would reopen to the public on 26 January.

Bosses said they were "delighted" to be reopening.

Flood water made its way into the museum on 21 October when the River Derwent topped 3.58m (11.8ft) - the highest point since records began.

Alex Rock, director of commercial and operations, said he feared the museum could have been closed for up to six months.

"It's been a really difficult time for us after Storm Babet," said Mr Rock. "So we're all really excited about reopening.

"When I watched the CCTV and saw 70cm of water wreak havoc across our ground floor, I thought we were looking at being closed for far longer than this.

"I thought we were looking at perhaps March or April, so three months feels like a big success."

The flooding, which the museum said had come at a financial cost at the "top end" of five figures, failed to damage any of the collections inside the building.

Refunds also had to be handed out for Christmas events and bookings had to be moved to alternative venues.

An exhibition called Lego Lake District, which was due to start the day after the museum closed, will now be showcased from January.

Mr Rock added: "We have a responsibility to reopen as soon as we possibly can and we've been doing everything we can to get the doors back open.

"[In January] we will be fully reopened and people will be able to come and enjoy the Museum of Making experience that everyone knows and loves."

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