A CURATOR who made it her mission to make visiting a town's museums educational and fun is on the move.

Hilary Wade has devoted a quarter of a century to making Middlesbrough's museums and galleries more accessible to people.

She was behind the development of Middlesbrough's Captain Cook Birthplace Museum, with the support of the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum Trust.

She played an important part in preparing the bid and vision statement for the proposed new art gallery and craft centre, and a revamp and extensions to the Dorman Museum. Phase one is almost complete.

The newly-refurbished museum will feature a Linthorpe Pottery Gallery, a discovery centre, resource room, classroom space for schools and lecture facilities. There will also be a lift.

Hilary, the curator of Middlesbrough Museums and Galleries Service is leaving Teesside to take up a post as head of museums and galleries in Nottingham.

An admirer of local man and nationally-known archaeologist Frank Elgee, who was curator of the Dorman at the turn of the Century, Ms Wade said: "It's always been my dream to improve the Dorman and make it a museum the people of Middlesbrough can be proud of and, with the help and support of Middlesbrough council and the Dorman Museum and Art Gallery Trust, that dream is about to be realised.

"I'm very sad to be leaving Middlesbrough after 25 years. It's an exciting time for the town, not least on the museum and art gallery front.