Rebuild of military museum complete

5 hours ago

Pamela BilalovaNorth East and Cumbria

Durham County Council Ben Kelsey, senior projects and performance manager, councillor Joe Quinn, cabinet member for planning, investments and assets, councillor Karen Allison, cabinet member for leisure, tourism, regeneration and high street, and Ian Lamming, senior pre-construction manager at Willmott Dixon, smile as they pose on a staircase inside The Light. The spacious venue has lots of windows and round light bulbs. Ben Kelsey is wearing a navy blue suit with a blue tie. He has short ginger hair. Joe Quinn is wearing a white shirt, brown jacket and grey trousers. he has short brown hair. Karen Allison is wearing black trousers and a blue shirt. her straight brown hair reaches her shoulders. Ian Lamming is wearing a dark grey suit and a pale blue shirt. — Councillor Karen Allison claims the new venue will attract tens of thousands of visitors each year

The rebuild of a military museum has been completed and work is to start on kitting out its interior.

Over the past two years, the former Durham Light Infantry (DLI) Museum building at Aykley Heads, Durham - now renamed The Light - has been stripped down to its basic structure and almost completely rebuilt.

The venue is expected to host major exhibitions and house a dedicated DLI gallery when it reopens in the summer.

Durham County Council cabinet member for leisure, tourism, regeneration and high street Karen Allison claimed the new venue would attract tens of thousands of visitors each year.

She said installation of the museum's first temporary exhibition was due to begin with light art playing "a prominent role".

The venue will also have facilities for hosting private events and conferences and a café.

Construction was previously expected to be completed in late 2025 and it had been hoped the venue would open in early spring.

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