A NEW shop run by the charity which helps to support the Museum of East Anglian Life is to be officially unveiled.

The Friends of the Museum of East Anglian Life, in Stowmarket, has invested thousands of pounds in the new facility which will be opened on Sunday.

The group has previously been next to the site’s Osier Café but have now moved to the what was the Groom’s House.

Chair of the friends group, Sue Michell, 57, said: “Stowmarket’s town mayor, Anne Whybrow is coming to officially open it. We had a lot of water come through the roof of the old building and it just really was not viable.

“The shop will sell bric-a-brac, jigsaw puzzles, all sorts of things. All the money that we raise goes back into the museum to help various projects.

“We had to spend £2,000 for new flooring and everything. It appears quite a bit of money to invest but it will be warmer. It will be manned by volunteers right through the museum’s season – from this Sunday to October.

“We will be open seven days a week, 11am to 4pm. Hopefully because of the location it will mean more people will have easier access from the main gate. We might get one or two people who may not have been aware that it existed. In nicer weather we will be able to have stalls outside to make people aware that we are here as well.”

The friends group was created in 1969 and had operated out of the shop by the Osier Cafe for more than 20 years.

This Sunday the museum will hold its annual Stowmarket Free Day where it will be open for one day only free of charge.

There will also be a special offer of 25% off season tickets.

Last year the museum opened the newly-refurbished 18th century Abbot’s Hall and attracted 40,000 people to the 75-acre site.

Sunday will be the first day of the new season which will have dozens of events organised at the museum including Stow Blues and the annual beer festival.