NAVY war veterans took a trip down memory lane after being exclusively invited to a coastal town’s “stunning” museum for a special tour.

Members from the Brightlingsea Branch of the Royal Naval Association visited the new Brightlingsea Museum on Tuesday afternoon.

The educational facility, which is run by volunteers and was previously a police station, is dedicated to bringing the area’s rich history to life.

Following their arrival, the eight veterans enjoyed a socially distanced walk throughout the museum with curator Margaret Stone and her team.

During the visit, the group’s Second World War hero, president Ron Underwood, even discovered a photo of himself as a 17-year-old cadet.

Mike Fletcher, honorary secretary of the Royal Navel Association’s Brightlingsea Branch, said he was amazed by the quality of the overall experience.

He said: “Although only eight members were able to take part on the day, all agreed it was a must for the others to visit individually when they could possibly do so.

“A hasty on-site committee meeting voted to make a branch donation to the museum, just before we left after a visit that will long live in our memories.”

The sailors’ stop-off was particularly fitting seeing as Brightlingsea acted as an important naval base during the Second World War.

As HMS Nemo, its duties included conducting trials of an exciting but dangerous way to detonate the Nazi’s then new electro-magnetic mines.

The devilish mines initially appeared invincible, but the Brightlingsea-based matelots eventually found a way to dominate them.

To find out more about the Brightlingsea Museum, which is free to enjoy, visit facebook.com/brightlingseamuseum.