DONATIONS are needed to bring a museum, gutted in a massive blaze, back from the ashes.
The Cae Dai Trust’s 50s museum in Denbigh has been operating out of a temporary building since an arson attack two years ago destroyed much of its collection.
“We never really closed but people just thought we’d given up and that was it,” said manager Shereen Lunt.
“A lot of the problems we have raising money are because people think Sparrow Harrison owns the museum.
“It used to be owned by him before the fire but now a trust owns it and we’re a self funded charity which helps vulnerable adults.”
The trust estimates it needs to raise around £30,000 to reopen the museum on its original site in Lawnt.
“We’ve started rebuilding the old museum on the site of the fire,” said Shereen. “The frame’s up and the brickwork’s up but that’s all.”
The museum building damaged in the blaze was formerly an old cow shed so did not bring in much money from insurance.
Many of the exhibits were destroyed during the fire but a lorry, used to stash cash stolen in the 1963 Great Train Robbery, survived.
The wrecked cars include a Cadillac, a Chrysler Windsor, a Vauxhall Cresta and a Ford Anglia police car used in ITV’s Heartbeat series.
Flames also destroyed Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs’ birth certificate, a glass cased mink coat and a car once owned by the late actress Diana Dors.
The trust has built the collection back up though and is now inviting people to buy a brick for £5 so they can restore the site.
Visitors can make their donation during a trip to the temporary museum, on Facebook, or over the phone.
“The old community hall is now the temporary museum and is next door to the old museum,” said Shereen.
“In the museum’s hey day it brought a lot of people in.
“There’s absolutely loads here in the collection now because we started again. People have been fantastic with donating things and we’ve started the whole collection again.”
To buy a £5 brick call 01745 817004 or visit the Cae Dai Trust Facebook page.