内容摘要：Cologne was subjected to particularly heavy bombing during WW2 and unexploded ordnance can still pose a danger.

Cologne was subjected to particularly heavy bombing during WW2 and unexploded ordnance can still pose a danger.

When did she know the game was up? "It's tricky to say when I knew it was going wrong, I was very hopeful to the end. While there was a lot of uncertainty there was a strong pipeline of opportunities."She remembers the moment the axe fell and she joined 200 colleagues in the HQ's auditorium.

"It was the 31st of October, a Thursday, I knew it was bad news but when you're made redundant with immediate effect there's no time to think about it. We'd all been fighting right to the end so then my adrenalin crashed."And those final hours were recorded. One of her colleagues brought in a Polaroid camera. Portrait photos were taken and stuck on a board with message expressing what Reaction Engines meant to individuals.What did Ms Evans write? "I will very much miss working with brilliant minds in a kind, supportive culture."

Since then she's been reflecting "on an unfinished mission and the technology's potential".But her personal pride remains strong. "It was British engineering at its best and it's important for people to hold their heads up high."

Her boss Adam Dissel, president of Reaction Engines, ran the US arm of the business. He laments the unsuccessful struggle to wrest more funds from big names in aerospace.

"The technology consistently worked and was fairly mature. But some of our strategic investors weren't excited enough to put more money in and that put others off."The youngest volunteer is 16 and the oldest is in their mid-80s.

Mr Spooner, 70, said: "One thing that is talked about a lot today is mental wellness, anxiety, loneliness and isolation. Volunteering at the museum gives people a chance to meet and engage with others."It is a chance to do something worthwhile [and] give something back to the community... You don't need to be an expert on local history – you just need to able to engage with visitors and be enthusiastic."

He added that the museum was "an important pivot for the community, not just for looking back into the past but [for] looking to the future as the town grows".Visitors to the museum can see a wealth of unusual objects, including mobile stocks from 1774 and an early "boneshaker" bicycle.