Mayor attends museum opening by Duke of Kent

Mayor Keith Swift

The Mayor of Rochdale, Councillor Keith Swift was one of the guests as the new £4.3 million Fusilier Museum was officially opened by Field Marshal His Royal Highness, The Duke of Kent KG.

The Duke unveiled a plaque before an invited audience of 230 people including the Lord-Lieutenant, Mr Warren Smith; the Colonel of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, Brigadier Trevor Minter; Councillor Bob Bibby, leader of Bury Council; and the mayors of Bury and Salford as well as Mayor Swift, to celebrate nine years of dedicated work to make this new museum a reality.

The museum commemorates more than 300 years of Regimental history and includes the impressive collection of the Lancashire Fusiliers and the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers - who are currently on active service in Afghanistan.

Mayor Swift said: "It is a wonderful building housing a fantastic museum. There are two large memorial boards from Rochdale that the Rochdale Fusiliers Association have renovated and are now proudly displayed. The museum is well worth visit.

Mike Booth, general manager at the Fusilier Museum, said: “This is a very exciting time for us all and we are very honoured that HRH The Duke of Kent officially opened the museum today.

“We opened our doors on 27 June this year, on British Armed Forces Day, and since then have had more than 5,500 visitors - and it is particularly pleasing that the museum has been so well received by the young and old alike.”

The new building houses the Fusiliers collections, the Tourist Information Centre, Hero’s cafe and a shop. The Lancashire Headquarters of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers have also relocated here along with a new Army recruiting office.

After opening the museum, the Duke walked around Gallipoli Garden to the sounds of the Lancashire Fusiliers Band and Drums and the Lorne Scots Pipes and Drums.