The Beck Isle Museum of Rural Life in Pickering is to open its doors for a new season following a £300,000 revamp.

A new building, several display areas and a new shop will open for the public on Saturday following a turbulent 12 months.

"It has been a difficult year," said Gordon Clitheroe, new chairman of the management committee. He continued: "One year ago the museum was under 18 inches of water from the floods which ruined the new building. The damage had been made good when Paul Glew, the chairman, suddenly died.

"He put a tremendous amount into the museum, and it was a big shock to everyone. All the volunteers have worked very hard to get the museum ready and I feel we really have a lot to shout about."

Funding for the improvements came from the National Lottery Heritage Fund while the museum also paid a matching share.

The new lottery building contains an education room and store room. The museum already operates a successful loan box service to local schools but the new building means the museum can now offer greater educational facilities.

"We want to try to encourage more of the schools to use the new facilities," said Mr Clitheroe.

Other groups will also be able to make use of the room.

Visitors to the museum can also expect to see an exhibition of photographs of Pickering taken by local photographer Sidney Smith in a new gallery. New cases and displays will also house the museum's expanding photographic archive.

Another new display in the costume gallery has been based on the theme travelling through the ages.

Costume curator Gillian Timms said: "We really wanted to make it different this year and went to the extent of commissioning a backdrop to be painted. It really lifts the room and makes an interesting display."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.