Hundreds of people headed to a unique celebration of Burnham-On-Sea’s past on Saturday (25th July) when Burnham Heritage Group hosted a special one‑day history exhibition.
The popular event at Burnham Community Centre in Berrow Road was well attended a steady flow of visitors through the day for a wide range of displays, photographs and artefacts charting the Burnham area’s heritage through the decades.
Organiser Ann Popham thanked all those who had attended and said the event had brought together local memories through posters and postcards, pictures, postcards and stamps, historic coins and other objects from down the ages, offering a rare chance to see many pieces not usually on public display.
A dedicated section also focused on Burnham and Highbridge’s former maritime radio station, once a key part of the town’s coastal identity, with images and information tracing its role in communication and safety at sea.
Ann thanked all those who had attended and said the exhibition had attracted a wide variety of visitors, from long‑time residents to newcomers keen to learn more about the town’s past.
Among those visiting was Burnham resident Sue Stevens and her husband Ray who reminsced about the photos of The Queen visiting the radio station in Highbridge in 1958, as reported here.
Sue says: “My friend and I ran across the school fields to see The Queen go by and we sat on a gate to watch her car go by. I remember that she looked over at us and gave her special wave – it was a wonderful moment. Later, my friend Ray, would go on to become my husband so it was extra special for us.”
During the day, there was a gathering of several past staff members from Highbridge’s former maritime radio station, pictured below, where further stories and memories were recounted.
