Celebrations including a buffet dinner for volunteers, a visit by local MP Michael Tomlinson and the near completion of buildings for the charity attraction’s Model of the Model Town 70th anniversary project, culminated in a special cry by Wimborne’s town crier, Chris Brown. He marked the day which 70 years before had seen the start of visitors paying to view the then freshly constructed tourist destination.

The new miniature Model of the Model Town in 1/100th scale has been placed behind the Corn Market in the WMT’s diorama recalling the position the attraction had in the real town in 1952. Project director and trustee Penri Jones has estimated that in excess of 1500 volunteer man hours have gone into the Mini Model Town so far and that production and painting of the smaller scale structures is nearing completion.

Recalling the commercial origins of the post war tourist destination from 1 August 1952 and its continuing popularity 70 years later, marketing manager Greg Hoar said: “The original site was far from complete when it opened but rapidly become a very popular destination for visitors to the south coast area.  We continue to offer a good value fun destination for all the family, only made possible by decades of support and work by our loyal volunteer force”.