SEVENTY years ago, the model town in Wimborne opened its doors for the first time.

The town was incomplete at the time, but the owners wanted to show people what was being built.

Seven decades later, the town is still inviting guests in and showing them the history of Wimborne.

Over the years, the town has moved, volunteers have fought for its survival and it is now preparing to reopen when coronavirus restrictions ease.

And the management plan to celebrate its anniversary next year, when the completed town opened.

However, with the help of former manager Greg Hoar, we take a look at the history of Wimborne Model Town.

THE OPENING IN 1951

As mentioned, the site opened behind the corn market while still incomplete towards the end of 1951.

“They had only just started building it then,” Greg said. “It didn’t finish being built until 1955.

“It opened officially at the beginning of August 1952, we have got newspaper archives which shows some of the buildings.

“We are looking forward to it. We are looking at getting stories, pictures, videos from peoples’ collections over the last 70 years.

“We will have a 1952 fever to it, 50s cars and clothing.”

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THE BIG MOVE

In the 1980s the site was earmarked for building by a property developer.

A new site was found in Kings Street and a board of trustees worked to save the town.

Greg said: “The property developer gave them nine months to get the buildings out in 1987.

“They were cut up with an angle grinder, the wall couldn’t be touched so all the buildings had to be craned over.”

The model town trustees managed to lease a site for a “peppercorn rent” and put the buildings back on the site, working on it from 1988 to 1991 when it reopened.

“We celebrated 25 years at the new site not so long ago, that was a celebration of the fact the model town was saved by hard-working volunteers,” Greg continued.

“It has been volunteers that have kept the place going.”

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WHAT’S NEW IN THE TOWN

Recently, Wimborne Model Town had new residents in the form of the Wareham bears.

The bears were living at the Blue Pool but moved to Wimborne after the pool closed.

“To look forward we have the Wareham bears and we have the life before Lego exhibition,” Greg said.

“That’s an exhibit with everything people did before the introduction of Lego. It very much reflects the town when it was new.”

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THE TOWN FOR THE COMMUNITY

The Model Town has become symbolic in the town and its longevity speaks for itself.

And Greg said the community are what has kept the town going for the last 70 years.

He said: “The community in Wimborne has always been very supportive.

“It is the town people who have given generations of people pleasure. It was the town people who dedicated to save the town.

“We are there to provide a correct model of what the town was, all the shop fronts are the same from the 50s.”

Greg said the town looked forward to welcoming the community back when they open up next month.

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THE TOWN AFTER COVID

Like nearly all public places, measures have been put in place to help people stay safe from Covid-19.

“We are well aware it is still Covid time and we have a socially-distanced route,” Greg said.

“It is the outdoor buildings and the gardens that are open.

“We have a distanced route with a quiz trail as you go round the route.

“It is really excited, the town gets under your skin, driving it is the volunteers help, that has kept it going.

“We are looking for a few more volunteers on the weekends, looking for an extra pair of hands right from April 12.”

With the town set for reopening after this third lockdown, will you be heading for a walk around the historic streets of Wimborne? And what can you remember from the model town of the past?