Transport Museum

[Spuffler]

I was very surprised to hear the other day that the Transport Museum in Coventry is free entry. It seems to me that, given its national importance it should at least charge adults for entry, even if kids are allowed in free. Wouldn't this be a way of aiding the funding of such things as the watch making museum?

When money is tight, does it not make sense to find ways of funding the things that would benefit the community like that? Those things could then attract more people in, who could also pay a fee - maybe a small one - to help build another specialised museum, so that Coventry's museum infrastructure is grown so as to attract (more) tourism. These museums would also spawn at least some restoration/conservation jobs, too, thus maintaining a bit of the skills infrastructure.

There was on TV this week someone saying their museums had to be free, so that people are attracted in, but that seems very short-sighted to me, since without funding, museums are likely to wither and die in the present economic climate. I don't believe that a modest fee would deter museum footfall - especially if we're talking about museums of the quality of the Transport Museum.

What does anyone else think on this?

Moving to General Discussion DM

[dutchman]

Only visited there once. The staff appeared uninterested and huddled in groups talking to each other. Even when I found something of interest and needed more information I had great difficulty attracting their attention. Took me all of five-minutes to view the entire place. Couldn't find a souvenir model that day which was Coventry-related and didn't feel inclined to donate when leaving.

[Spuffler]

M'mm, both, interesting comment. I went there about 30 years ago, and thought the exhibits really good, but there was no-one to ask any questions of. I seem to remember that you had to pay to go in then, but can't truly remember.

Museums are a real problem at the moment, the big issue being how to fund them in the present climate. The watch museum to my mind is too small a venture to have much success. It needs a lot more funding and imagination IMHO to make it viable; yet it's a subject that could be very interactive, and lends itself readily to a Living History type approach. I guess the problem would be finding enough people in Coventry these days who could train people to staff it as a Living History venue. (And training would be very necessary!)

I wasn't aware that there is a conference facility there, despite working in the industry since 1973!! The main industry body that I participated in used the Technocentre; I imagine that car parking is much easier there, from what I remember of the Transport Museum. However, we also occasionally used BMIHT conference facilities, and it's certainly nice when holding industry meetings to go somewhere directly related to the industry, rather than a place like the Technocentre. Of course, BMIHT also has extensive car parking, and it's a major factor when delegates are country-wide, and indeed, some, from abroad.

I find it hard to see how a cafe and gift shop can fund anything much, but of course food for a major conference is a different matter.

Where I live there has been much debate recently about how to keep museums going with reduced funding from local government - and our museums all charge, but are good value. One decision has been to make a large investment in order to be able to host travelling exhibitions of national importance - the major cost being security. Such events DO attract people from far and wide, and with them, a lot of money into the locality. One good example is the Dutch Old Masters exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. But of course, neither the Transport Museum nor the watch museum lend themselves, do they?

BTW - I take it the Transport Museum is council-owned...? Or is it a trust?

[dutchman]

BTW - I take it the Transport Museum is council-owned...? Or is it a trust?

It's a limited liabilty trust Spuffler, registered in Cardiff for some odd reason!

[Spuffler]

Blimey, that's really weird! I should have thought that even more reason to make some sort of charge for entry. (I'm not suggesting a lot of money, but say £3-£5 per adult.)

What's the situation for the Herbert ? Does that charge for entry - and I presume it's council-owned?

[dutchman]

What's the situation for the Herbert ? Does that charge for entry - and I presume it's council-owned?

There's no entry charge except for special exhibitions. The Herbert is managed by charitable trust. The money for the building came from a number of sources including the city council Advantage West Midlands and the EU Regional Development Fund. I suspect the council has ultimate responsibility for the building.

Getting back to transport, I'm not sure a museum is even a good place for old cars? I mean, when I see a vintage model driving past in the street I'm suddenly enthralled and want to know everything about its history. Vintage rallies are also great fun. Static displays just don't do anything for me I'm afraid.

[Spuffler]

I tend to agree, but I think that museums should run them - Beaulieu does, so why not others?

The problem with their being in private hands is that their future is often uncertain. When I had my 1934 Wolseley I sold it to someone who I suspected - rightly that he wanted it to turn into a special. Fortunately, he didn't, but sold it on. But it went to someone who is 77,so it's future may soon be uncertain again, especially as it suffered a nasty bit of woodworm in a door, and the new owner was struggling to sort it last year. I think it should be preserved since it's the last of its model but that, and originality, don't count for much when there is a prospect of making money from something. In some ways I wish I'd given it to a museum.

[dutchman]

I mentioned in "another forum" a few months back that I'd spotted an Austin A35 outside a house which had been sanded and I assumed was being prepped for a paint job. Unfortunately nothing has been done to it since and although still driven regualrly it's been parked outside all through the winter months which won't do its condition any good at all. It's a shame because I've seen on an A35 enthusiasts' website just how much can be done either to restore it to its original conditon or update many of its features to modern standards. I think the very minimum that's necessary is overnight storage in a garage or at least under a car port?

The thing which stil strikes me about the A35 is just how tiny it is. It's smaller than a Ford 'Ka', 10 inches narrower than a Smart 'Fortwo' and yet is a full foor-door, four seater!

[Spuffler]

And have you ever sat in a Morris 8 or an Austin 7 or Ruby?? If you think an A35's small, you should should try one of those!!! Even my Wolseley wasn't very big; for instance, the windscreen was 39 inches across!

Of course, people have got larger. Very obvious when you sit in the cockpit of a Lancaster bomber; the flight engineer's seat had to be set slightly behind the pilot's seat to allow them to sit across the width, and I can easily touch both sides of the cockpit. Two people my size - and I'm only average height - couldn't sit comfortably side by side in it.

Shame the A35 is being a bit neglected, but the problem with them was from the underside of the panels, really, not the surface. There are so many mud traps..... With modern paint and rust treatment, these cars can be used very effectively still, with the exception that coach-built bodies are very vulnerable to the weather. People often said to me talking about my Wolseley "they don't make 'em like that any more!" And my response, "No thank goodness!!" At 5 years most 1930s cars were wrecks. When you see how they were made, it's obvious why; wood framing trapping water against bare metal panels, no seals anywhere, water and mud traps everywhere, and very poor paint treatments. They had thick paint, but it was brittle and had poor adhesion. It was only the quality of the steel that ensured anything of a reasonable life. (People also think the panels were thick, but they weren't. On my Wolseley 22 swg. It was 1950s and 60s cars that had thick panels - on the Austin Cambridge Farina, for instance, wings were 18 swg.) [22 swg = .028"/0.7 mm; 18 swg = .048"/1.22 mm] Modern cars have much lower quality steel, and much thinner panels (about .015"/.37 mm) but the paint is incredibly durable in comparison, with excellent adhesion and high chip resistance.

[dutchman]

And have you ever sat in a Morris 8

Yes I have but it was late version which was quite a bit roomier than the original.

Incredibly, the owner traded it for a Ford Popular which I thought was considerably inferior to the Morris it was clearly copied from.