At Somerset Coalfield Life at Radstock Museum, we are hoping you can help us and the Co-operative Society to celebrate 150 years since they opened their first shop in Radstock.

We will be holding an exhibition on the History of Radstock Co-operative, including all the village Co-ops in the group, in the summer. We would love to hear from you if you have any photographs, documents or artefacts; or if you worked in any of the local Co-ops in the past and can tell us about your job, and if, and how, it differed from the jobs staff carry out today.

We are especially interested in the Co-op shops in the surrounding villages which are part of the Radstock Co-operative Society. Old photos and any memories and artefacts from these shops would be really appreciated. Please contact Nalda Morrissey from Radco on: 01761 430219 / [email protected]

Museum Volunteer, Irene Burchell, has a special interest in the History of the Co-operative Society, and for our school visits, dresses up for roleplay as a shop assistant about to serve a customer with loose tea in the silver packet, milk in a glass bottle and sugar, which was always in blue bags, colour-coded for those in the community who could not read.

The museum has many varied volunteering opportunities. If you are interested in volunteering, please go to: www.radstockmuseum.co.uk for details, or ring: 01761 437722 and ask for Miranda Litchfield, or email Miranda at: [email protected]