It was a real trip down memory lane for Doreen Wootten, 84 when the care home in which she now lives just outside Chippenham arranged a day out at the Holburne Museum in Bath.

Back in the early 1930s Doreen regularly stayed at the museum with her aunt and uncle who were caretakers there.

She came from her home in Chippenham during the school holidays with her grandparents on many occasions to the Holburne where she was allowed free run of the extensive grounds but had to be very careful when she was taken on a trip around the museum.

"My Auntie Amy and her husband had a flat on the right hand side of the museum as you look at the front door," said Doreen.

"I loved stying there although I remember that the clocks of which the museum had a great many were very noisy at night all going off at the same time."

Doreen must be one of very few people to have slept at the Holburne which has been a museum since 1916.

Doreen says that her Auntie Amy had been cook at Royal Crescent Hotel and while working there had met and married her husband.

Later – Doreen is not sure how much later – the Mans moved to down into the city centre to look after the Holburne Museum where they took great pride in looking after the museum and its world famous collection of antiques and works of art.

When they left the museum the couple moved to Combe Down where Doreen also used to stay during the summer holidays from her family home at Chippenham.

Although Doreen can't recall ever having gone back to the Holburne since those long ago childhood visits, she does keep her museum connections, working one day a week at the town museum in Chippenham where her family can trace its history back 300 years.

"It was lovely to see the Holburne again," said Doreen.

"Outside and even inside it has not changed very much although there is of course the extension at the back."

So how did she find the controversial new building?

"A bit too much glass" was her comment.