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Category: General News

  • VisitEngland Attraction Quality Scheme 2017 – Results

    The Museum has maintained its high score of 85% in the most recent Visit England quality assessment (VAQAS).

    This is great news and follows a visit by a Visit England assessor on 12 October – a term-time day to allow comparison with previous assessments carried out during the summer holidays.

    The assessment scores the Museum against a number of set criteria, a full set of which – including scores – can be found in the ‘Market Research’ folder of the Museum documents tab above.

    Here are some highlights from the assessors feedback:

    The pre-arrival section is scoring an impressive 100%, as the website, social media activity and leaflet are all examples of great practice.

     

    The 1.30pm Tour of the Boat Dock, the 2.00pm Cinema showing and the 3.25pm Mine Tour were all sampled and provided excellent interpretation of the exhibits.

     

    It was fabulous to see the groups of school children thoroughly enjoying their visit to the Museum, especially playing with the authentic games in the street outside the Station Road Cottages.

    The VAQAS assessor was delighted to hear of our plans for a new Visitor Welcome as part of BCLM: Forging Ahead as the current facilities at Rolfe Street are currently holding back our scores.

    Feedback will be used to continue to improve our offer for all visitors.

     

  • Pay dates over 2017 Christmas period

    Pay dates over 2017 Christmas period will be as follows:

    Friday 22nd December 2017

    December salaries

    Five weeks ending 24th December 2017 (w/e 24/12/17 estimated hours)

    Friday 26th January 2018

    January salaries

    Four weeks ending 21st January 2018

  • Free Entry for National Lottery Players

    On Saturday 18 November, we’re offering free entry to National Lottery Players as a thank you for the funding we’ve received from The Heritage Lottery Fund towards BCLM: Forging Ahead.

    All people will need to do is show their lottery ticket for draws between 13 & 26 November when they arrive at the Museum for free entry (Terms & conditions apply – see below).

    We hope that lots of people will visit – some of whom may never have visited before – so please give everyone on that day the same warm welcome as ever and let’s get them excited about Forging Ahead.

     

    Ts & Cs

    Valid for entry to the Museum on Saturday 18 November between 10am and 4pm only. Lottery ticket shown must be for a National Lottery game (including Lotto, Euromillions, Thunderball, Hotpicks and National Lottery scratchcards) between 13 & 26 November (proof of online National Lottery play valid). Each valid proof of play shown admits one person free of charge. Maximum of 5 proofs of play per party. Not valid in conjunction with any other offer. Free entry does not qualify for an UnChained Annual Pass.

     

  • Friends of President win Marsh Volunteer Award

    Last week, the Friends of President won the Marsh Team Volunteer Award for their efforts in operating and maintaining President and Kildare. President is registered as part of the National Historic Fleet (www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk)

    The Award recognises the Friends of President efforts in undertaking regular maintenance of both boats, training of new members and most importantly their operation on canals and waterways.  Through their efforts, the sight, sound and smell of a steamer with a butty in tow can still be enjoyed and appreciated.

    Now in its seventh year, the Marsh Volunteer Awards recognise outstanding volunteers in the conservation or operation of historic vessels in the UK.  The Marsh Volunteer Awards are supported by the Marsh Christian Trust.

     

  • Change to door entry codes

    On Tuesday 14 November the following door entry codes will change:

    New codes
    Rolfe Street Office – 6823
    Hartills Office – 6823
    Morralls Office – 6823
    Cupboard opposite reception desk – 6823
    Guide Hut – 6823Z

    Please do not pass new codes to contractors or other third parties without written authorisation from Jonathan White – Operations Manager.

  • Christmas Greenery Appeal

    Can you help the Museum decorate the site for Christmas, by donating greenery please?

    We are looking for evergreens, including holly and ivy, as well as fir cones, to help us create festive evergreen displays to decorate the site. If you can spare any from your garden we would be grateful for donations of greenery over the next few weeks as we prepare the site for Christmas.

    The Santa Hunts and ‘Christmas in the Home’ start on Saturday 25 November this year so we will start preparing key buildings from Monday 20 November and continue the following week.

    If you can bring in any materials you can deposit them:

    • Outside the guide hut (please tell the Duty Manager, who can alert Collections to move the greenery)
    • First floor – Cast Iron House
    • By Reception before 10am – please let someone in Collections know so the greenery can be moved before 10am.

    If you can’t bring in greenery w/c 20 or w/c 27 November we will be in need of greenery throughout December to replenish and for a ‘Christmas in the Home’ activity.

    Any queries please speak to Clare/ Grant in Collections (ext. 223) or Steven Hearn (ext. 294).

  • Hut 14 – A New Addition to the Museum

    On Monday 6 November, work to reconstruct former ‘RAF Hut 14’ at the Museum will begin.

    Formerly of Elmfield School in Stourbridge, Hut 14 was acquired by the Museum earlier this year to provide an additional space for school lunch facilities and school holiday & event activities. It will be temporarily reconstructed in the cleared area opposite the Workers’ Institute until a permanent location is sought as part of BCLM: Forging Ahead.

    Martin Evans Construction will be undertaking the reconstruction works, aiming to complete their scope of works by Christmas.  Our in-house Historic Buildings Team will then undertake additional works so that Hut 14 is ready for use by schools in the Spring Term of 2018.

     

    A bit about Hut 14

    Barrack Huts are numbered. The number 14 was chosen for this particular hut as it was collected from 14 Love Lane, Stourbridge. Further research is required to establish the exact dating of the Hut but it is thought it may be a World War One design.

  • October Half-Term Performance

    Last week was another exceptional performance from all corners of the Museum.

    Between Monday 21 and Sunday 29 October, including our four Halloween Nights, we welcomed over 18,600 visitors. That’s 6% higher than we’d budgeted and a significant increase on the same week last year.

    As we move towards our winter opening hours, we are now 2% ahead of our budgeted visitor attendance figure year-to-date and 5% ahead of the same point last year; a great position for us to be in as we progress our development plans.

    This success is down to you and I want to thank everyone who worked so hard over the past 10 days to achieve such impressive results and more importantly, to make sure our visitors had a great experience.

    Andrew

  • Stour Off For Repair

    Stour Off For Repair

    On 29 October, Museum narrowboat, Stour will be towed to Caggy’s Boatyard for repair works to her hull. These works will reduce the level of pumping required for Stour to stay afloat.

    She will return to the Museum on Sunday 5 November, following which there will be an assessment of her long-term restoration strategy.

     

     

     A bit about Stour

    Stour, built in 1937 by Fellows, Morton & Clayton, was one of a large fleet of all wooden boats used by Thomas Clayton (Oldbury) Ltd for liquid cargo carrying, the main hold area being fully decked over.  When new she would have carried more refined fuels such as gas oil for powering machinery and when older she was used for carrying heavier lubricating oil from the fuel distribution plants on the Manchester Ship Canal. Her last job was collecting gas water (a by-product of coke manufacture) and transporting it to Albright & Wilson at Oldbury.  Stour was owned throughout her working life by the Beechey family until 1966.

    Stour came to the Museum in 1991 and the front end of the boat was rebuilt.  In 2003-04, she had a major overhaul including replacement of most of the wooden bottom and re-painting to her original Clayton’s livery.

     

  • BCLM Staff in the Paper

    On Monday 23 October the Express & Star ran a ‘day in the life of’ spread of some of our staff.

    12 team members from across the Museum were interviewed about why they love working at BCLM.

    To read what they said, visit the Express & Star website – https://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/2017/10/23/labour-of-love-at-black-country-living-museum/#gfUGwwvDx6yCxWIU.01

    Thanks to everyone involved in creating such a great piece.

     

    Image courtesy of Express & Star