GOVERNMENT cuts have left Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery facing a new budget slashed by £70,000, reduced opening hours and the loss of seven out of its 18 staff by April 1. Our reporter ALEX TATE popped in to see for herself what you could be missing. YOU probably walk past it every day, perhaps even throw it a casual glance but chances are you will walk straight past one of Blackburn's greatest treasures without a second thought.

Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery is one of this town's best resources and yet one of the most under-used with only 500 visitors a week.

I decided to take a look at just what we could missing and discovered another world packed with curious items ranging from the beautiful to the monstrous. Without a doubt, the most exciting and unusual exhibit is an Egyptian mummy dating from AD 90. It lies tucked away on the museum's eerie second floor where lights are dimmed to preserve the ancient exhibits, including one of the largest collections of religious artefacts in the country.

Children are particularly drawn to the mummy, according to museum keeper Maggy Simms. "There's a painting placed over her face and kids always want to know if that's what she really looked like," she said.

Art lovers will not be disappointed with the museum's own collection of paintings called The Traveller in Europe. They are the work of rich Victorian artists who followed the fashion of making a grand tour of the continent. The jewel in the collection is Joseph Turner's The Falls of Terni.

In the next room, a massive collection of creepy crawlies from all over the world nestles in a cabinet. To prevent faint-hearted visitors from going into shock, the enormous bugs - some are four inches long - are hidden behind a thick curtain.

Another draw has been the fascinating 100 Years of Cinema exhibition which includes old footage of local factory workers and photographs of Blackburn's old picture houses.

The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday. School parties are welcomed and after opening hours children are allowed to handle some exhibits - even 2,000 year-old pottery - under the supervision of their teacher.

For further details call the museum on 667130.

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