Gavin-Phillips

I'll third it and I'll also be sure to mark that down as a place of interest on my next visit to the island! :cheesy: Hopefully they'll create some jobs there too. Very happy to hear this. Best regards Gavin

Maybe there's just not enough trade to make a viable business from tank & armoured vehicle restoration? Very sad to hear this. I don't know if this is true for this specific business, but in some places I know they take on apprentices so they actually get hands-on experience of welding, fabrication and similar jobs. Invaluable training and expertise, much sought after since the shipyards have all but closed and the skills have been lost since the workers have had to leave the area for work or change jobs completely. Oh well, I don't suppose I'll ever see another Churchill tank again. Best regards Gavin

Thank you for the update Rick, I'm glad to see they haven't joined the mighty scrapyard in the sky. I'm not sure I'll be back on the island this year as my holiday time is already pretty much spoken for but next year is a good bet I think. Thanks again. Best regardsGavin

Very good to hear they are still in business - albeit somewhat out of the public viewing I suppose? Thank you very much for that information. Best regards Gavin

No worries and thank you for the welcome. I get called Gary, Darren, Kevin, Graham and Daryl at times. The worst part of it is is that I answer to them as well...:nut: Thanks again.

As someone who's visited the island at least once a year for the past few years (since 2004 I think), I was gutted to hear about the closure of the museum. Every trip I made to the island, I dropped in to have a wander around, chat with some of the staff and it was a fantastic opportunity to get up close to one of my favourite AFV's of all time; the Churchill tank. Their facebook page confirmed that they officially closed as a business on 18th of October 2013 (or that's when the message was posted anyway). My other main interest in the museum was the small number of vintage machinery they were using there, two 1970's JCB's and a couple of cranes. I was always hoping to get better pictures of these but now I guess they've gone as well? Does anyone have any contact with a former member of staff maybe? I've tried searching for any contact details available and have come up with nothing so far. Hopefully someone else has had more luck than I have! Thanks. Best regards Gavin

Hello everyone, my name is Gavin. I've been a military vehicle enthusiast for quite a number of years now, although I don't actually own any nor have I even managed to visit many museums either; not driving doesn't help much in that regard. I found this forum quite by chance when trying to find information concerning the closure and the "whats happening now" with regards to the military vehicle museum on the Isle of Wight; somewhere that I'm very fond of. My main interests in life are earthmoving plant & machinery, military vehicles (particularly Soviet ones), photography and reading when I get the chance. Not quite sure what else to say here really, but if there was a "what vehicle would you most like to drive" around here, I'd pick a BMP! :cool2: Very sleek vehicles they are. Best regards Gavin