Bustling museum that celebrates art of noise

Popular visitor attraction draws the crowds

came forward and said her husband had one sitting in the garage, not being used; that’s the one that went on display. “T h e refurbishment means the museums department had a proper area to display a lot of items which had been in storage, which made a huge difference; and people who have memorabilia and family photos that mean a lot to them are happy to share them with the public at exhibitions.

“It’s a joy to raise funds in this area, because the people of Airdrie and Coatbridge are so open-hearted and supportive.

“Summerlee is brilliant – the finished museum exceeded my expectations. The design is super, it’s so airy and there’s always so much going on. We had a preview the night before the official opening; everybody was very happy to see what the money had achieved, and it was a relief to see a job well done.”

The refurbished museum opened its doors to the public again in 2008 and attracted more than 70,000 visitors in its first six months; it then had its official royal opening in February 2009 when Princess Anne came to visit – and was “very complimentary” about the new state-of-the-art facilities. Summerlee celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2013 andd the following year welcomedd the Queen’s baton relay ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Mr Cox retired from his role as lord lieutenant on his 75th birthday in 2010; and a decade on from the Summerlee appeal, is now back in a similar role – this time chairing the £ 9m capital appeal at St Andrew’s Hospice, for its completet rebuilding and refurbishment.