The Fusiliers Museum in Wellington Barracks will close its doors for the last time on August 4.

But only to reopen them, nine months later, in the newly-refurbished Arts and Crafts Centre in Bury town centre. The museum is being relocated as part of a 3.75million Heritage Lottery Fund project which includes the refurbishment of one of Bury's best-loved historic buildings. The new museum will open with its revised title of Fusilier Museum on Gallipoli weekend in 2009.

Museum Curator Mike Glover said "With so much conservation work taking place, which involves objects being removed from display to go to the Conservation Studios, and with the huge amount of careful cleaning, recording and packing which needs to take place here; it won't be possible to carry on opening to the public after the beginning of August.

"The date has been agreed to enable anybody wishing to attend the museum on Minden Sunday - a special day in the regimental calendar - to pay a last visit before the closure."

Some large objects have already been taken to Preston, where the Lancashire County's Conservation Team will be working on them in their specialist studio. Helen Castle, who is managing the removal of the collection, has planned the work, which is meticulous and painstaking, to take place between now and mid February. After which, the redisplay will start to take place.

The museum project which is now on site at the Arts and Crafts Centre still depends on raising a final £300,000, so please support our brick sponsorship scheme. If you haven't already, clip out the coupon from this newspaper or visit our stand in the Mill Gate Shopping Centre. The Campaign Office has also introduced a car raffle - providing a less serious way to support the project and the possibility of winning a new car!

Learn more about this and the museum development or make a donation on our website www.fusiliers museum-lancashire.org.uk.

For any other information call 0161 764 2208.