The Manx Aviation and Military Museum is to reopen tomorrow (Saturday) and Manx National Heritage is extending opening hours at its venus too.

At the military musuem opening hours will be the same as usual - from 10am to 4.30pm - but the days will be restricted to Thursdays to Sundays for the rest of the summer season.

During lockdown a lot of work has been going on.

The biggest project has been behind the scenes with the installation of a new high-efficiency boiler to ensure a constant supply of hot water for hand washing and for better heating of the museum in winter. Another backroom project has seen the museum’s archive store being redesigned and made easier to access.

Museum director Ivor Ramsden said: ’With more than 9,000 objects in our collections we can’t possibly display everything so a lot of items are held in store.

’Even though they aren’t on show it is important that we keep them easily accessible so that we can let people see them on request and I can now do that after many hours of work installing new racking and using a new design of archive storage boxes.

’It’s not been the most glamorous job but it will save a lot of time in the future.’

In addition to all the old exhibits, which include a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine from a Spitfire and the big and impressive self-propelled Bofors gun, visitors will find new displays which tell the stories of some of the Manx aviation pioneers in the 1920s and 30s and the story of passenger flights to and from the island.

New stories have been added to First World War exhibition and Mr Ramsden says that anyone whose family has been on the island for more than 100 years is likely to find one or more of their military ancestors mentioned somewhere.

Mr Ramsden said the military museum’s shop is stocked with model aeroplanes and souvenirs and the second-hand bookstall has been enlarged with a range of stock on all military and aviation subjects.

The books are not priced, but a reasonable offer will secure any book for your library. All the proceeds go towards the running and development of the museum, which is a charity. Outside, the museum garden provides a sheltered spot to relax.

Mr Ramsden said: ’We weren’t able to do any work on the garden during lockdown so we lost a lot of plants because it was very dry.

’However our garden guru, Elaine Wood, has worked her magic and things are starting to look better. It’s a real sun trap - I just wish I’d got more time to sit and relax in it but there’s always something else that needs doing.’

Admission is free.

Manx National Heritage has also announced it will have a full opening schedule from tomorrow (August 1) to November 1 which sees an increase to seven-days- a-week opening from 10am to 4pm for the Manx Museum and House of Manannan.

In addition, Castle Rushen and the Laxey Wheel will open five days a week from Saturday to Wednesday, also 10am to 4pm. Peel Castle, The Grove and Rushen Abbey continue to open Thursday to Sunday from 11am to 3pm.