In the 23 years I’ve lived in Exmouth there have been a lot of changes to the town.

Some, such as the new Lifeboat Station, the Queen’s Drive Space and the cycle track along the estuary, have been really welcome changes that continue to make a positive impact on us all. Some, such as the departure of Rolle College and the demolition of the Elizabeth Hall and its subsequent replacement with a chain hotel, have perhaps been less welcome or at the very least a point of contention. Whether we like it or not, change is an inevitable part of progress. The decisions we make today change the way we as inhabitants use the space around us and interact with each other. I love coming across old photos or postcards of the town that show what it used to be like, seeking out the familiar rooflines to help identify the buildings that are still standing, silently observing us all as we go about our daily lives.

Earlier this year, despite the pandemic, our richest source of photos and artefacts of Exmouth's past, managed to secure its future. Exmouth Museum – through the generosity and support of locals – bought the building they inhabit, ensuring they can continue to be custodians of our town’s history for many years to come. Just a few weeks ago they re-opened their doors to visitors and I took my two youngest with me to visit for the first time in about eight years. The thing I love most about local museums like ours is the eclectic mix of artefacts preserved for our perusal and how, with each visit, something new catches the eye. Each display cabinet contains a montage of previous lives in our town: military medals and roll calls of the dead from our world wars, photographs of eminent Victorian residents, remnants of the heyday of steam trains, school photographs from the 80’s and 90’s, toys from my own childhood era and so much more. On this occasion, our attention was mostly held by two things – firstly a map showing the sites of bombs across the town from WWII and secondly, old photographs on the stairs depicting the seafront, the zoo and the former outdoor pool. The longer I live here the more I can relate to the connections that the museum makes, the more family names I recognise, the more landmarks I have seen become consigned to the past.

I have lived in Exmouth longer than I’ve lived anywhere else, so I almost consider myself a local. I have come to appreciate the amazing sense of community we have here and that the history of Exmouth’s forebears is being preserved for future generations by the generosity of a small handful of volunteers. So my column this week is a plea to all who consider Exmouth their home. Go and visit this little treasure trove, volunteer to help there if you can, put your hand in your pocket and donate towards the upkeep of the museum, because one day we’ll all be part of Exmouth’s history. I think we’d all like to believe that someone will still care about the town that we’ve made our home, will care about the choices we’ve made to shape its future, and will care enough to record its evolution.

Exmouth Museum is open Mondays and Saturdays from 10.30am - 12.30pm, Tuesdays 10.30am - 2.30pm, Wednesdays and Thursdays 10.30am - 4.30pm. It is free to visit but donations towards upkeep are always much appreciated.

Correction: I would like to apologise for the error in my previous column about Exmouth’s Pride flags. I stated that the Stonewall riots were in 1978. This is incorrect and should have been 1969.