Our Burntisland Home

The Burntisland Home was purchased in November of 2003 and provided the Museum with its first-ever permanent base. That we were able to purchase it outright was due to the generous donations coming from members who had responded to the appeal to build up a New Home fund. The purchase was also assisted by a price which reflected the fact that the building had been allowed to deteriorate since it was closed up in January of 2001.

The front of the building is on two floors and the rear is a long hall with the rearmost part on a slightly higher level. The front was constructed on the early 1970s but the rear is much older. There is approximately 5000 sq ft of space including some cellerage. Previously run as a club for ex-servicemen, the building has nearly all the facilities required for public access, albeit there is a need for upgrade

In 2005 we decided we had to open to the public to show what we were about. An exhibition space had to be created towards the front of the hall area in what had been previously the club’s main bar. With a great deal of effort, the exhibition was designed and mounted in time for opening on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of VE Day which saw the end of WW2 in Europe.

Subsequent exhibitions in this area have covered the subject of Television, staged in 2006 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the death of John Logie Baird, our 2007 exhibition, ‘From Big Band to Broadband’ that showed how home entertainment technology had changed from the gramophone to the iPod, and most recently our 2008 exhibition ‘Chips with everything’ that demonstrated how the invention of the transistor and integrated circuit have changed our lives.

Meantime, we are also developing applications for grant funding to develop the building along the lines of a Design Study that was carried out for us in early 2005.

Burntisland is an ancient port and holiday town. It has many historic buildings and is located on the Fife Coastal Path. The Museum’s exhibitions and its other activities will add to the town’s attractions. We will also aim to contribute to education and lifelong learning by opening our doors to school parties, and providing opportunities for skills training in the fields of electronics and communication.