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Category: General News

  • Vehicle Donation Drives Forward Our Fundraising Campaign

    Our Forging Ahead £1.9m fundraising campaign is off to an excellent start today thanks to the Patrick Foundation of Kings Norton who have pledged a gift of £500,000 towards the project plus a donation of five vintage vehicles from the Patrick Collection.

    Following the arrival of the Austin 10 and Alvis Speed 25 Saloon in December, the remaining three donated vehicles – a 1960 Morris Minor Van, a 1963 Daimler Dart SP250 Sports and a 1965 Daimler Majestic Major Saloon – arrived at the Museum today (Fri 5 Jan) and despite the wet weather, it was a wonderful sight to see them pulling in off the Tipton Road.

    The foundation has also pledged an annual donation of £30,000 per year for the next ten years to support the Museum and the maintenance of its heritage vehicle collection.

    In recognition of this generosity, we’re naming the lower ground floor of the new Visitor Centre ‘The Patrick Gallery’ and Jordan’s role as Junior Motor Mechanic will from now on be referred to as ‘The Patrick Foundation Junior Motor Mechanic’.

    The Patrick Foundation’s Trustee, Alexander Patrick CBE DL, is widely known for his charitable work and was awarded a CBE in 2012 that recognised his support for charities. The Patrick  Foundation has previously supported several of the Museum’s past projects, including our much loved access vehicle ‘Doris’.

    We envisage all five vehicles to be a regular feature of the new 1940s-60s town once it is built. For now, we will be housing them in existing Museum vehicle shelters.

  • January 2018 Diary Dates

    Some dates for your diaries:

    Wed 10 Jan & Thu 11 Jan – all staff meeting, 9am-10am, Hall 2 (attendance is only required at one)

    Mon 15 Jan – staff social, from 5.30pm, Workers Institute

     

  • Development Opportunities

    Developing the food & drink team – Early 2018

     

    With the continued growth of pace in the development phase of Forging Ahead, as part of our ongoing commitment to develop our people and, in the light of recent changes in the staff levels within food & drink area, we are proposing that we better define, for a fixed period, some development opportunities for the food & drink team.

     

    The following initial secondments are therefore now open to all Museum staff, to apply for.

     

    Area Lead – Heritage shops

    Area lead – Workers Institute

     

    Secondment opportunities do not affect your existing role, to which, at the end of the fixed term secondment you would return to your substantive original role.

     

    Please visit the vacancies section of the intranet for detailed role descriptions, information on how to apply and closing dates.

     

     

     

     

  • Merry Christmas!

    We will be celebrating the Museum’s 40th Anniversary next year; so if the achievements of 2017 weren’t enough for you, there is plenty to look forward to!  This year has certainly been a milestone, as we secured the majority of the investments funds we need to continue our long tradition of evolving, improving what we do for our visitors, and fulfilling the ambitions of those that had the foresight to establish the Museum all those years ago.

    I am always struck by the fact that we are all reliant on each other to be able to fulfil our roles, and in my last message of the year, I want to thank you all for the first-rate part you have played in our success in 2017.  It was quite exceptional; not just by our own measures, but by national and international standards.  So as we near the end of 2017, allow yourself to be really proud of what you’ve done this year, and the contribution you have made to our continued success and the wider impact we are now having on the region.

    With my best wishes for Christmas & the New Year, to you and your family.

    Andrew

     

  • Snow update – Tue 12 Dec

    Snow update – Tue 12 Dec

    Thank you to everyone who shovelled and gritted us out of closure on Friday and Saturday last week – a tremendous team effort on Friday meant that 1100 people still got to enjoy a Traditional Christmas Evening!

    We did have to close the Museum reluctantly on Sunday 10 December and as such had to cancel a number of Santa Hunts which is a shame but we are working to make sure those people who missed out get priority booking next year.

    The decision was also made to close the Museum to staff on Monday 11 December due to treacherous travel conditions. It is due to be open to staff on Tuesday 12 December but before we can open to the public on Wed 13 December, there is a lot of snow to be moved around the Museum. Therefore, we ask that all staff who are able pull together again on Tuesday and come prepared to grit, scrape and shovel snow  – warm clothes and sturdy footwear is a must!

     

     

  • New vehicles arrive

    The first two of five vintage vehicles have arrived at the Museum today, donated by The Patrick Foundation. The gift of the vehicles – a 1934 Austin 10 Patrick Special Saloon, AOA 282 and a 1939 Alvis Speed 25 Saloon, FOB 506 – forms part of a wider donation the Patrick Foundation will be making towards BCLM: Forging Ahead, details of which will be announced in the coming weeks.

    The remaining three vehicles are due to arrive at the Museum on Monday 11 December.

    The Alvis and Austin are temporarily being housed in the workshop of Bradburn & Wedge whilst a longer term location is sought for them.

    We envisage all five vehicles to be a regular feature of the new 1940s-60s town in the future.

    We won’t be announcing news of the donation externally until the new year, so please do keep this news internal only for now.

  • Festive Fridays are back!

    Festive Fridays are back! This means you can have 20% off in the Museum Shop every Friday in December.

    Great Christmas present ideas including:

    Peaky Blinders Gin / Rum / Whiskey – £31.96 (was £39.95)
    Museum Calendar featuring some of our Costumed Demonstrators – £7.96 (was £9.95)
    Whiskey Barrel Photo Frames – £28 / £32 / £36 – Was £35 / £40 / £45

    Happy Christmas!

  • Volunteers- We Need You!

    The Christmas events are fantastic fun for all of those that attend….the aftermath and the clean up operation not so much! (Although there will be mince pies!)

    The cleaning team do a great job of ensuring that the Museum maintains high standards of cleanliness but they could really do with some extra help after the Christmas evening events and we are appealing for some goodwill from staff to volunteer to help on the mornings of 9th,10th, 16th and 17th December between 8am-10am. 

    If you are able to offer to help please let HR (Michaela) know ASAP in person, via email or by telephone.

    Thank you! 

    [email protected]

    0121 521 5619 

    Internal 238

  • Diary Dates – BCLM: Forging Ahead drop-in sessions

    The first of the planning applications for BCLM: Forging Ahead is due to be submitted to Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council (DMBC) on Friday 8 December 2017.

    The application will include extensive project designs for the new Visitor Centre and new historic development, many of which you will have already seen. However, we will be holding two staff and volunteer drop in sessions at 9am on Thursday 14 December and Wednesday 20 December in which there will be an opportunity to view all of the designs that will be submitted as part of the application.

    Members of the project team will also be on hand to answer any questions you may have.

    Please feel free to drop-in during either session, both of which will take place at 9am in Hall 2 so that staff who work on site can attend before their working day.

     

     

    Other Forging Ahead related news

    We have recently updated the Forging Ahead FAQs – saved within the Museum documents tab above – in light of some recent questions. Please do take a look.

     

     

  • Rationalisation of Tram Collection – update

    This update follows the news article posted in October regarding the deaccessioning of the four tram bodies under tarpaulins by the Albion Depot:

    • Cable Tram (1975/014/001) – Birmingham Central Tramways cable car – the only surviving example of its type – has been donated to and collected by the National Tramway Museum, Crich where, it will be preserved, and possibly restored.
    • Tram 75 (1975/016/002) – Due to the condition of the woodwork of Tividale single-deck, Tram 75, the roof has been lowered to prevent collapse. The body will be investigated to see whether there are any remaining elements that could be utilised for a potential future refurbishment of Tram 34.
    • Tram 102 (1984/466/002) – Tividale single-deck, Tram 102 will be posted on the Museums Association’s ‘Find An Object’ service. It is being offered to any other Museum that would be interested in acquiring it for their collection.
    • Tram 361 (1998/036/001)-. Lisbon Tram, Tram 361. As per tram 102 immediately above.

     

    In addition, the following of Tram Movements have also taken place:

    Wolverhampton Corporation Tramways horse-drawn double-decker, Tram 23, has been moved from Albion Depot to the Tall Vehicle Shed.  Tram 23 will form part of the new display within the Tall Vehicle Shed that will be opened in March 2018.

    Albion Depot now contains the Wolverhampton Corporation Tramways double-decker Tram 49 and the Tividale single-deckers Tram 5 and Tram 34.  Tram 19 has been moved inside the Albion Depot to improve the long-term preservation of this unique tram.  Tram 19 was built by Dick Kerr Preston, circa 1901, as a narrow gauge open-top double decker tram and probably operated on the Dudley-Stourbridge route.  Only the grounded body now survives, the structure is in fair condition with remnants of the high-quality interior. Externally, fragments of a cream and maroon livery along with the inscription ‘WG Bond, General Manager’ are visible on the side.

     

    Image – Birmingham Central Tramways car being loaded for its journey to Crich