Favourite Museums

[rmurphy195]

If you are in Gloucester, try the waterways museum.

Equally interesting in some ways is the Wetherspoons a short distance away, near the mariners church (itself worth a look). I think the building was an old ship repair workshop, there's loads of bits in there that were just left behind and are now used for decoration!

[Whippet]

I found a great museum on Saturday, RAF Tangmere. The appearance from outside was of a handful of huts, I said to a friend that it won’t take long to get around. I was very wrong, it’s crammed with fascinating exhibits and lots of hands on exhibits.
Here’s me on the Lightning simulator:

https://youtu.be/4niDsnF8kLs

Basically, we’re all qualified to fly Lightning’s now

Link to museum:

https://www.tangmere-museum.org.uk/

[Sweep]

The People's History Museum Salford, the story of how democracy was forged through struggle.

In other words, what should be taught in schools, but is ignored in favour of a fake narrative of English royalty and aristocracy.

All in my humble opinion, naturally.

Been to this. I can second your opinion. Very good - in fact better than I thought it would be - I thought it might be rather dry.

Mind you it did make me feel kind of old seeing stuff from 80s protests, some of which I was on, in a museum.

Great thread by the way - only just found - museums often great to visit by bike.

Will try to contribute when more time.

And I agree with you about school teaching of history - seems to be conspiracy to make it boring - can only think that the teachers and teaching authorities are scared of being accused of sowing division.

FF my own (state) secondary school was founded by Bloody Mary and her husband - now how "interersting" was the fraught history of that period, which I tend to think has contributed to a pretty common contemporary Brit attitude to religion? And religion and the state.

But did they teach us much about that interesting period, which could have taught us so much about the path of history and the ways of political machinations?

No of course not.

They preferred to witter on about Louis the fourteenth.

[Cyril Haearn]

I found a great museum on Saturday, RAF Tangmere. The appearance from outside was of a handful of huts, I said to a friend that it won’t take long to get around. I was very wrong, it’s crammed with fascinating exhibits and lots of hands on exhibits.
Here’s me on the Lightning simulator:

https://youtu.be/4niDsnF8kLs

Basically, we’re all qualified to fly Lightning’s now

Link to museum:

https://www.tangmere-museum.org.uk/

Next you may visit the Watercress Line and learn to drive a steam engine, then you have a choice of careers

[rmurphy195]

Next you may visit the Watercress Line and learn to drive a steam engine, then you have a choice of careers

Or Klondike Mill and learn to drive a traction engine or road roller?

[Whippet]

Great idea, I’d like to upgrade from my Mamod.

[Cyril Haearn]

Went on a long train journey to visit an exhibition of photographs, it was disappointing, one could have viewed them just as well on the interweb at home
There is an exhibition of steam irons starting October, it is not far from home, I shall cycle there, looking forward to learning things I never wanted to know

I like to read oral history, reading about midwives in the 1930s+ now, short accounts really bring history to life
Studs Terkel and George Ewart Evans collected and published a lot of old stories

[Cyril Haearn]

In Giessen Germany there is a museum of Giesskannen, watering cans

There was a gardening show in Giessen some years ago, someone realised that 'giessen' is also a verb: to irrigate!
..
The exhibition of smoothing irons opens soon
Back then poor people couldnae afford/thoyle smart clothes so they ironed their plain white shirts to look as smart as possible
There is an ironing competition planned too. Who wins, the fastest?

[al_yrpal]

Visited the Aeospace Bristol Museum this morning and stepped aboard the last Concorde. Full of exhibits from my Apprenticeship. Concorde, Harrier, Bloodhound, Olympus 593, Rapier, a great experience. The visit was part of our 60th MOD Apprentices anniversary get together. Whilst a handful have dropped off the perch others are still grafting for Britain designing and manufacturing all sorts of special purpose machinery for export. Made me very proud and the recent drive to revive Student Engineering Apprenticeships like we experienced is very satisfying.

Al

[Cyril Haearn]

Why, there is talk of a new concorde that could reach Mach 5! I prefer Mach, Machynlleth, Cymru
..
The National Cycle Museum in Llan3! Does England have a such?

[Cyril Haearn]

The cycle museum in Llandrindod is the only one in the UK now, what happened to the others, Harlow, Lincoln?
Doubtless many local museums have Ordinaries on display (52" gear)

[philvantwo]

Theres quite a few bikes on display at Coventry transport museum including one of Eileen Sheridans. I went a couple of years ago when it was free admission but now its £14! Theres a Wetherspoons 2 minutes away!

[rmurphy195]

Theres quite a few bikes on display at Coventry transport museum including one of Eileen Sheridans. I went a couple of years ago when it was free admission but now its £14! Theres a Wetherspoons 2 minutes away!

Ouch - I used to go there a few years bac and as you say it was free - I don't mind a nominal fee, but 14 quid is a ripoff compared to, say, the motor cycle museum or Gaydon. Train from Northfield station, lunch at Wetherspoons, nice day out after retriement while the wife was still working.
At the time they were looking for vounteer staff to help look after the cars - however when I volumteered and got there they really wanted people to come in before opening time and stay until after closing to vac the carets etc. A horrendous journey in the mornig ruch hour from Birmingham, to do housework, for me so no thanks. fter the interview I came across a local newspaper artcile that said Coventry had fired all the museum cleaners 2 weeks before to save money!
(Just looked at web site, £14 is for a year's admission so not so bad after all)

MOAN OVER - In case I hadn't mentioned it before, its worth looking into an annual passport for the Ironbridge Gorge Museums, alhough with an OS map and a pair of eyes amd maybe a local guide book you soon find the whole area is one big museum!

As is the Peak District around Matlock, Cromford, Brassington etc.

[Cyril Haearn]

Likewise one could say Ludlow is one big museum
'Free' admission for repeat visits is good maybe if one lives nearby, and plenty of museums are so big it makes sense to go again
Many have cheap or free entry, so one can thoyle paying a lot occasionally. The worst thing is when museums are full of visitors

Was it not the Bliar regime that scrapped admission charges for many museums?

[Sweep]

Was it not the Bliar regime that scrapped admission charges for many museums?

Yes i think it was.
Charges to many of londons finest museums effectively a gift of la thatch, a philistine and so many other awful things. So i stopped going, and only returned when they were free again.
As i recall the british museum was the only major museum that maintained free admission.
More glory to them.