Portishead now has its own, small but perfectly formed, Heritage Centre thanks to a great deal of goodwill and community spirit.

Located at the Folk Hall in High Street, HQ to Portishead Town Council, the area designated for heritage is set at the rear of the main hall on the ground floor.

The heritage centre is home, not only to many of the town council’s archives and collections, but items donated by members of the community ranging from old maps and letters to a Portishead crest tea set and a variety of history books.

The project was led by town councillor Janet Davey, who says it was one of the most wonderful projects she has ever been involved with.

A time-line, put together by local historian Sandy Tebbutt, will be placed around the walls of the hall and a table has been fitted with a glass top, to allow the display of maps.

The intention, once Government guidelines on restrictions allow, is to run free heritage afternoons at the centre, whereby visitors can spend time looking through the historic items of interest, enjoy a cup of tea and talk to other residents interested in the town’s heritage.

Full details and updates will appear in the news section on the Portishead Town Council website and also on the council’s social media pages. For those who don’t use technology, notices about the heritage afternoons, when they begin, will be placed on the public notice boards.

A welcoming tourist information area is also being set up in the foyer of the Folk Hall main hall.