Exeter Heritage Volunteers put the shine back into the city's historic silver collection

Exeter’s amazing collection of silver held at the City’s Historic Guildhall has been given a much-needed makeover – by a team of willing volunteers.

Members of the Exeter Heritage Volunteers – a pilot project instigated by Exeter Culture and funded by a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund – spent a morning at the Guildhall polishing a wide range of historic silver items at the historic building.

The volunteers, who have a passion for restoring and cleaning historic artefacts, were given the challenge of polishing some of the city’s precious silverware and returning it to its former glory.

They were quick to rise to the challenge and managed to transform a large range of discoloured silverware using a special chemical restoring fluid.

Among the items cleaned up was a 14-inch silver centrepiece embossed with panels of the Guildhall. It was presented by Alderman Robert People and made in Sheffield 1897.

Brenda, one of the Exeter Heritage Volunteers, said: “It is so important that we maintain our heritage, and when we heard that the Guildhall wanted some help with its large silver collection, we were very happy to volunteer.

“We all worked together, and it is very sociable. When you see the results of the work we have done it certainly makes it all worthwhile.”

Mayoral Support Officer Emara Roth said: “Thank you so much to the Exeter Heritage Volunteers who worked so hard and did a fantastic job in cleaning some of the very large collection of silverware we have at the historic Guildhall.

“We really are grateful that they gave up their time to help us in this way and the results of their work are really stunning.”

Exeter Heritage Volunteers is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players.