A WORCESTER museum closed for five months for a lottery funded revamp has reopened to the public today, ahead of an official opening.

The refurbished Museum of Royal Worcester, supported by a National Lottery grant of £1.4million awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, opens its doors after a five month closure.

The new galleries at the museum are swathed in deep period colours and the graphic back drops to the showcases have been carefully chosen from the museum’s rich archive to show the porcelain off to its very best advantage.

As well as displaying the world’s largest collection of Worcester Porcelain the interpretation includes information about manufacturing processes, customers, worldwide distribution and the social history of the people behind the porcelain.

An official opening is planned for autumn.

Meanwhile, a temporary museum shop, which has been based at the Guildhall for the past six months, closed yesterday with the shop moving back to the museum’s main home in Severn Street ready for today's reopening.

The shop has been selling vintage and antique Royal Worcester made at the museum’s factory, alongside the largest range of Portmeirion’s contemporary Royal Worcester goods in the local area. The museum has also hosted craft demonstrations and other family activities in the temporary shop and in the Guildhall.

Sir Michael Perry CBE, museum chairman, said: “Being able to relocate the Museum of Royal Worcester shop to the Guildhall was of massive help and importance.

"It allowed us to keep a presence in the city during our closure and gave us an opportunity to showcase the museum’s work to a significantly wider audience.

“The income generated from the sale of goods was immensely helpful, especially as without the Guildhall shop we would not have had any alternative way of selling or storing our stock."

Councillor Jabba Riaz, the city mayor, said: “I am delighted that the city council was able to step in and help one of Worcester’s most iconic tourist attractions to continue trading while their main building was closed for refurbishment.”