LAST week's topical article about Valentine cards got Helen Castle of the Fusiliers' Museum thinking.

Helen is preparing the collection and archive to be moved to its new location at the Arts and Crafts Centre, where the new museum will open in April 2009.

"I have been looking at some of the cards in the archive and the messages written on them are often more fascinating than the cards themselves," she told me.

She sent me a photograph of three postcards from someone called Bert to his sweetheart Annie. Bert was based at the Martinique Barracks in Aldershot in 1916. One reads: "My dear darling Annie, I was very pleased to receive your lovely letter today to know you were keeping well dear. I am pleased to know that George is quite well. I am feeling in the best of health, but the weather is very hot for training. I hope you enjoyed yourself at Haslingden on Tuesday. I wish I could have been with you. Hope to hear from you soon. I will close with all my love and heaps of kisses.

Ever yours, Loving sweetheart Bert, xxxxxxxx"

These brief personal insights are a delight for Helen and the team of volunteers that she works with and makes working with the collection a very rewarding task.

Less romantic work is proceeding on the construction site.

Members of the steering group attended a site meeting this week. It was brief and very routine - a reassuring sign that work is on schedule and progressing well. After the meeting the team toured the site where the new layout is beginning to take shape with some of the internal partitions and new staircases already in position.

Unfortunately, good progress results in regular large bills and with around £300,000 still needed, campaign manager Eric Davidson is pushing the brick sponsorship scheme harder than ever.

If you have not already supported Eric and his team's efforts, fill out a coupon or visit our stand in the Mill Gate Shopping Centre.

Every brick sponsor is issued with a certificate and their name and message will be preserved forever in the museum. Learn more about the museum project or make a donation on our website www.fusiliersmuseum-lancashire.org.uk.

For any other information call 0161 764 2208.