Tranent funeral parlour 'overwhelmed' by donations to community Remembrance museum

A funeral care parlour in Tranent has been ‘overwhelmed’ by support for its temporary Remembrance Museum, featuring military-related items loaned by local people.

The co-op has organised a Remembrance window display.

Co-op Funeralcare on the High Street set up the museum last weekend, intending it to run for just one week.

But the collection has been extended due to the ‘overwhelming’ interest and donations from locals.

Temporary donations include letters, medals, uniform and even a World War One gun which has been displayed in the window.

The display includes uniforms loaned by locals.

The collection also includes an MBE letter from King George given to Captain Joe Ritchie, who was a minister in East Lothian for 32 years after leaving the army.

The letter was loaned to the museum by his son, Duncan Ritchie.

In the window also stands a fibreglass 6ft horse called Fred donated by Harbro Saddlery in Dalkeith to mark the contribution of horses to the war effort.

A suitcase of rations from World War Two holds teabags, toilet rolls and other preservatives which still survive.

“People have been amazing in handing things in,” said Funeral Director Lee.

“Rather than putting a picture of a poppy in the window as we usually do, we wanted to do something will the local people, and to make it about the community.

“We’ve got a big window and we wanted to put it to use,”

“It’s been overwhelming - everybody has been amazed by the response.”