Guildhall and Tourist Information Centre close amid staff shortages

[dutchman]

Coventry’s magnificent medieval Guildhall and Tourist Information Centre were both forced to close last Sunday (April 3) amid staff shortages – further highlighting underinvestment in attracting visitors to the city’s ‘crown jewels’.



The Observer has learned of ongoing problems with understaffing at the two council-run venues, including on Easter Sunday, with skeleton staff dipping below sustainable safety levels – further threatening opening hours in the tourist season.

The Guildhall is also set to be closed to the public for at least one other Sunday this season to make way for weddings. It is already closed on Fridays and Saturdays when it is scheduled for commercial use, but not always used.

The Guildhall was also closed on Tuesday (April 5) to make way for a disaster management conference involving Coventry and other councils.

St Mary’s Guildhall in Bayley Lane, a spectacular architectural masterpiece next to the cathedral ruins, has been described as the most important and preserved medieval Guildhall anywhere in the country by distinguished historian Dr Jonathan Foyle.

Dr Foyle is among those who has argued not enough is being done in opening times, promotion and marketing to attract more visitors from the UK and across the world to glimpse Coventry’s rich medieval buildings.

He has described the 760-year-old St Mary’s Guildhall as a jewel in Coventry’s crown and ‘living history at its best,’ adding that Coventry need not look at Warwick with envy.

But for years the attraction has been closed throughout the winter.

The Great Hall houses the Coventry Tapestry masterpiece, stained glass windows, an ornate ceiling, and life-size portraits.

Dr Foyle has pointed to the Coventry Tapestry being older than those in Hampton Court, while another hidden treasure was its preserved medieval window depicting kings of England.

Coventry’s guildhall was also once the seat of the Royal Parliament in the 1400s, when Henry VI fled to Coventry in the War of the Roses.

But scratch below the surface of the building’s beauty and there is evidence of neglect in council hands – including graffiti and a pervading rancid smell of fatty food and chips from years of weddings and banquets.

The Observer has seen evidence it was forced to close all day last Sunday with staffing down to one (excluding kitchen staff for Godiva’s restaurant), and cover has recently had to come from the Tourist Information Centre, which are both council-run venues.

The situation has been so dire that staff have had to nip between the two venues to prevent ‘lone working’, which is not regarded as good practice in council safety policies – including on Easter Sunday.

One member of staff at the Tourist Information Centre going sick was, due to the weekend rota for a skeleton staff, enough to trigger the complete shut down last Sunday of the Guildhall and the TIC in St. Michael’s Tower, Cathedral Ruins.

Nigel Clews, a council executive, confirmed the closures, and said Sunday’s closure of both venues could be avoided in future with the same staffing levels – as two staff could combine to keep one of the venues open. He said attempts were being made to ensure both venues always had two staff.

He said commercial activities were required to fund the free public opening of the Guildhall.

[rebbonk]

Not good is it?

Aspirations for the 'City of Culture' and some of our best assets are closed?

[dutchman]

Now magnificent Guildhall closes to tourists for more days

COVENTRY’S magnificent medieval Guildhall is to close to the public on more days throughout the tourist season, our SaveThePriory campaign has learned.

Following the council closure in February of the nearby Priory Visitor Centre – home to the ‘internationally important’ 1,000-year-old remains of the city’s Lady Godiva-founded first cathedral – we also disclosed last month that St Mary’s Guildhall and the Tourist Information Centre had been forced to close on Sunday, April 3 and due to staff shortages.

We stated the Guildhall was also set to close to the public for at least one other Sunday this summer to make way for weddings. It is already closed throughout the winter, while Fridays and Saturdays in the spring/summer are scheduled for commercial use, but not always used.

Now we have learned the Guildhall in Bayley Lane – described by eminent architectural historian and TV presenter Dr Jonathan Foyle as the country’s greatest surviving mediaeval guildhall – will be closed or partly closed for many more days in the months ahead.

The council has now confirmed in response to our questions the following Guildhall closure dates, with the following reasons given:

• May 9: Closed all day Monday – a day business conference
  
• May 12: Closed all day Thursday – a day business conference on Work Related Learning
  
• June 21: Closed all day Tuesday – a day business conference on Climate Change solutions
  
• June 30: Cosed from 3pm – closure just one hour earlier than normal for event set-up. Community Cohesion Awards – event starts early owing to special needs of many in attendance
  
• July 31: Close from 2pm – closure maximum two hours earlier than usual for event set-up. Wedding.
  
• September 8: Possible evening conference dinner. (Not confirmed)
  
• September 25: 70th anniversary dinner for Coventry Freemen’s Guild. Timings not confirmed.
  
• September 28: Possible closure one hour earlier than normal for evening dinner. Not confirmed.