Duxford Land Warfare Hall

[mike65]

Have just been told this, today, by a work colleage, an avid MV modeller and member of Friends od Duxford.

 

The Land Warfare building will be closing during the winter months as a cost cutting exercise.

 

Worth bearing in mind if you are thinking of visiting.

 

However the only way that I really see this saving any money is if the lighting (not much anyway) and the heating/climat control is turned off. This will probably be detrimental to the exhibits.

 

Has anybody heard anything else and if further closures (even part time) are planned.

 

Mike

[private mw]

well if this is true in my eyes duxford wouldnt be worth visiting :shocked:

[Jessie The Jeep]

I went to Duxford in December last year. The big freeze had just started and there was about 3/4 inch of snow on the ground. Everything was closed except the main entrance Airspace building because of H&S!

 

Went to RAF Hendon the following day, and all the hangars were open, they just spread a bit of grit down on the snow.

[Tony B]

It has ben rumoured that the Land Warfare Hall will close completley.

[private mw]

if so where will the vehicles go ! :shocked:

[jchinuk]

Have just been told this, today, by a work colleage, an avid MV modeller and member of Friends od Duxford.

 

The Land Warfare building will be closing during the winter months as a cost cutting exercise.

 

Worth bearing in mind if you are thinking of visiting.

 

However the only way that I really see this saving any money is if the lighting (not much anyway) and the heating/climat control is turned off. This will probably be detrimental to the exhibits.

 

Has anybody heard anything else and if further closures (even part time) are planned.

 

Mike

 

I wonder what will be regarded as the "winter months"? Surely the Christmas period is relatively busy for example?

 

I agree that I don't quite understand how much money will be saved assuming some heating is kept "on" and I wasn't aware there were lights anyway :-).

 

The museum seems to regard the LWH as an unwanted embarrassment, all the effort seems to be concentrated to the Eastern eand of the site.

 

jch

[Jessie The Jeep]

Would the winter months be when the clocks change and the museum closing time moves forwards to 4:30? If so, it is going to be closed for a significant part of the year.

[Rick W]

if so where will the vehicles go ! :shocked:

 

I may have some inside info on that, cant say anything at the mo though.

[mike65]

I may have some inside info on that, cant say anything at the mo though.

 

So it is closing!

You are doing a deal to buy all the vehicles on the cheap and don't want the rest of us jumping in an pushing the price up!

 

Mike

[Rick W]

If only I had that sort of disposable income....maybe one day...

[jchinuk]

I may have some inside info on that, cant say anything at the mo though.

 

Will they have to make the gift shop bigger?

 

On a serious note, if there is any large movement of vehicles to another site (even another location on the Duxford site) surely any costs saved over the winter will be minimal?

 

jch

[Great War truck]

I can't beleive that they would sell the whole lot off. if they sold just a couple of choice exhibits i am sure that would fund them for a year or so.

 

On the plus side if they do sell everything off at least we will get to see some of it driving around rather than crammed into a dark shed.

[FW200]

I'll take the shilka! :-D (If only..) They had some nice stuff, sadly rusting outside..

[mike65]

By all accounts there is loads of stuff stashed away on the other aide of the road aswell.

Chap at work received his latest members newsletter yesterday. Nothing further in there.

 

Mike

[steveo578]

FW200

.........They had some nice stuff, sadly rusting outside..

 

Let's be cynical about this if Duxford close the landfare hall and dispose of its assets they will end up in the hands of rich private collectors -many probably in the USA (despite regulations on the import of WMD):angry never to be seen by the public again and s*d all the cash they have had from Lottery -Government and Local Authority funding on the pretext of education.:argh: And while I'm at it where is the 10.5cm FH auf PzKfz III/IV?:???

[Jessie The Jeep]

Look on the bright side, they can always use the money to build a proper shaped hangar that doesn't require a tin opener to get the planes in and out.

[private mw]

i want montys caravan for w&p next year ,:-)

[Stefano]

I'll have the Super Snipe... and the Quad... and the Albion... and the Comet.... and.....

[Jessie The Jeep]

Perhaps we should collectively pool our pocket money and make an offer to the IWM Duxford?

[Runflat]

I've been having a look at the Imperial War Museum Act 1920: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/Acts/ukpga/1920/cukpga_19200016_en_1

 

Section 2(1)© gives the Board of Trustees powers to dispose of duplicate assets and, subject to approval by the Lord President of the Council, any other assets.

 

I assume the LPC is the Lord President of the Privy Council, which means the current incumbant is Nick Clegg http://www.privy-council.org.uk/output/page497.asp

[alan turner (RIP)]

check the all important words of the Museums act in that they CANNOT SELL any item directly to anyone and that any item for disposal must firstly be offered to any other interested Museum,Once this criteria is follwed then and only then can it be allowed to be placed out to tender normally for scrap value.

 

Happened at Firepower witrh forced closure of the Rotunda.

[Runflat]

Well run museums will have an acquisitions and disposals policy, which may well be along the lines you outline. But I don't believe there is a statutory basis for this. I may have missed something though, so I'd be grateful if you could be more specific as to the governing legislation.

 

The Public Libaries and Museums Act 1964 is here: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/Acts/ukpga/1964/cukpga_19640075_en_1

 

The Museums and Galleries Act 1992 is here: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/Acts/ukpga/1992/cukpga_19920044_en_1

[steveo578]

Runflat

...........which means the current incumbant is Nick Clegg http://www.privy-council.org.uk/output/page497.asp

 

Well yep, that really puts my toubled mind at rest:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

 

as I said before

where is the 10.5cm FH auf PzKfz III/IV?:???

it is a unique asset- and if everything is up fornt no-one will object to explaining the circumstances of its removal from the collection- for example is it being restored as a runner?

[Runflat]

The Museums Association's code of ethics is here: http://www.museumsassociation.org/download?id=15717

 

Disposals are covered at Item 6.

[berna2vm]

Surely they will not shut the Land Warfare hall. This is as important as the aircraft there and is a national asset....