Some Culture with Your Cucumber, Madam?

A product of the industrial revolution, the Renfrewshire town of Johnstone can trace its modern history back to 1781, but it has never been renowned for being a world leader in either retailing or culture. However, in April 2008 the Scottish town became the first in the world to unveil a permanent museum sited inside a supermarket.

The Johnstone History society, which under normal circumstances meets every Tuesday at 7.30 p.m. prompt in the coffee lounge of the Town Hall, persuaded supermarket giants Morrison’s to agree to the construction of the first-ever purpose built ‘museum in a supermarket’, which duly opened on Monday, April 7th 2008.

So, in addition to filling their shopping baskets with the week’s groceries, shoppers can now find out all about their town’s official 226 year history, thanks to an impressive display that includes a large collection of local artefacts, photographs and company archives highlighting the social and industrial development of Johnstone.

Volunteers from the historical society act as curators at the first museum ever opened in the town’s history. They keenly engage with visitors, attempting to pass on their enthusiasm for the history of the town to fellow residents.

The bulk of the funding for the ground-breaking initiative came from the Heritage Lottery Fund which provided a substantial £29,100 grant. The funding was critical to the success of the project as it enabled the Johnstone Historical Society to buy new display and storage units and exhibition panels. In addition, it also provided enough cash to allow for the production of publicity materials and the cost of training volunteers and Morrison’s staff.

However, the Historical Society are keen to point that the museum will be more interactive than a traditional display as visitors are encouraged to take part in craft making workshops and sign up for guided tours of the town. In addition, the Historical Society also plans to hold regular lectures and talks at the museum based upon the town’s heritage.

The Morrison’s store in Johnstone was opened in July 2007 and was the 50th outlet opened in Scotland by the supermarket chain. But, it is the only one in the country where special offers also include the option to find out more about the town and its history! Whether this is the start of a nationwide trend remains to be seen, but Morrison’s are, for now staying tight-lipped about revealing details for any other in-store museums.

About the Author

Andrew Regan is an online, freelance author from Scotland. He is a keen rugby player and enjoys travelling.