Broadfield House to Close

[Anne]

I received a letter today from Ian Pearson, M.P., advising that on Friday 13 February he had a "positive meeting" with David Caunt, the Leader of Dudley Council, at which they discussed the BH glass collection. Ian says that David informed him that "he [David] wants to look at opportunities to enhance the museum service in the Borough and that there may be opportunities to develop the Red House Cone site, so that more of the collection could be shown there than is currently at BH."

Ian attached a copy of a letter from David Caunt to Ian Pearson, which Ian says, "helpfully indicates that the proposed feasibility study will involve those who have contacted the Council on this matter."  Ian further states, "I will want to be sure that the current staff and facilities at Broadfield House are retained as they are at present, but am prepared to have an open mind on whether in the future something even better could be developed at the Cone which would strengthen the international reputation we have for glass."

The letter from David Caunt states,

"It has been well known for a number of years that Broadfield House is far too small and we are only able to display about 20% of the glass collection. You may remember the project to convert Himley Hall into a national glass museum that only failed as it did not stack up financially.  The Council attempted to purchase the site of Stuart Crystal, opposite the Red House Cone, but for reasons that I explained to you, we failed.

"The current suggestion is that we use the present opportunity to enhance the facilities at the Cone so that a greater percentage of the collection is on view alongside the historic cone and develop an enhanced museum service based in the heart of the historic glass quarter. I have been assured that the forthcoming feasibility study will involve all those who contacted the Council recently."

Nowhere in either letter does it indicate why the attempt to purchase the old Stuart site failed, or when this was (recently? years ago?)

Interesting that the figure quoted by David Caunt is that BH can only display 20% of the collection... yet the RHC site is smaller, so surely that means that even less than 20% can be displayed there... or am I missing something....?!

[KevinH]

Ah! That wonderful word, "enhancement".

To achieve an 'enhancement' of displaying more than 20% of the [current] BH collection:

1. Remove from the collection, by sale or return of loans, all items that are greater than, say, 10 inch (25 cm) size. That will get rid of much of the superb 19th century cameo carved stuff and a good number of the really interesting Stourbridge decorative pieces.

2. Use the space freed up to display smaller items from the collection. That could probably allow display of two to three times the present number of items, particularly if they are displayed "shoulder-to-shoulder".

[Frank]

particularly if they are displayed "shoulder-to-shoulder".

Or in V&A style... "packed to the gills"

[sueglass]

Call me cynical but to me the council see this as a nice wedge from a developer for 7 luxury apartments. Or have I got it totally wrong?? probably not. I have signed the petition, I have never been there but too many things in this country are disappearing. Sue

[aa]

http://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/news/4169670.Councillor_labels_renowned_museum_a__pet_project_/

[yelooc]

Dear John Polychronakis,

Pet Project, Definition: "a project, activity or goal pursued as a personal favorite, rather than because it is generally accepted as necessary or important."

Councillor Anne Millward's comment that objections to the Closure of Broadfield House are a "Pet Project", i.e. personal rather then necessary or important, is astonishing. I'm not sure if you fully understand the anger that this has caused. This attitude from such an important member of your council demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of the passion felt worldwide about this issue.

http://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/news/4169670.Councillor_labels_renowned_museum_a__pet_project_/

I suggest that a complete retraction of the statement and a public apology from Cll Millward are in order.

Graham

[aa]

From the Stourbridge News  link above:

'Dudley Council still maintains no decision has been taken to close the Compton Drive museum and that a feasibility study will determine whether or not its collection is to be moved to Wordsley’s Red House Glass Cone.

However the issue was listed in last night’s full council agenda, which was given the nod in a 40-1 vote, with a brief report which talks about the council’s intention to “dispose of Broadfield House and realise a capital receipt in due course - in time for the start of 2010-11 financial year when it has been assumed savings of £120,000 per annum will be achieved.” '

[yelooc]

Quote from the Petition:

Broadfield House Glass Museum celebrates the Stourbridge glass industry. The very thought of dismantling this internationally renowned museum is a monstrous crime against the generations of glassmakers, every man woman and child both past and present, who have made this area a world leader in glass making and glass decorating. If this action goes ahead it will be further proof that the cultural heritage of this country should not be left in the hands of short-sighted and parochial politicians.

Charles Hajdamach

[yelooc]

Message from Cllr Dave Tyler:

From: Cllr. Dave Tyler [mailto:cllr.dave.tyler@dudley.gov.uk]
Sent: 05 March 2009 08:37
To: Barbara Beadman (E-mail); Adam Aaaronson (E-mail); Charles Hajdamach (E-mail); Brian Clarke (E-mail); Graham Cooley
Subject: Broadfield House

Good Morning everyone,

Good to see that you are all as appalled as I was about Councillor Anne Millward's disgraceful and patronising comments at the Budget Setting meeting of Dudley Council on 2nd March.

When she said that Broadfield House was a "Pet Project" and that most of the letters and complaints she had received had come from people "Who don't even live in Dudley" it confirmed to me that this Council will do all it can to reduce our Glass Heritage into part of a walk-in one hour visitor attraction, rather than a World Famous Centre of Excellence.

I know people have asked for a retraction or apology of her comments but my experience shows that will never happen and is more likely to bring about a further garbled or derisory comment dismissing complainants as people who "Do not understand the situation Council's are in".

I had an early opportunity to respond to Cllr Millward as Leader of the Liberal Democrats at the meeting and derided her for such disgraceful comments. Other Councillors also joined in my condemnation and at her summing up and responses she had the audacity, when reaching the subject of Broadfield House actually turned to me and addressed the issue and forcefully told the assembly that she stood by every word she had said. I was an incredible and patronising outburst and as far s I was concerned dismissed the whole Glass Community and our Glass heritage. This really was a low moment in the history of our Council when a leading Member launched such an attack on the very people who keep our heritage alive.

As far as your campaign is concerned you will now have the opportunity to have your say during the Feisibility Study. I am presuming there will be facilities available for the public to have their say and that is precisely what you must encourage people to do. The more responses made the more difficult it will be for their Members to dismiss the views of the public.

Looking at the Stourbridge Area Committee Minutes of 19th January 2009 I see on Page 7 that "Councillor Kettle requested that glass displays currently exhibited in the Broadfield House Glass Museum be relocated to a venue within Stourbridge, should that property be closed. Councillor Mrs Walker agreed with the suggestion made."

(Cllr Walker is a Member of the Cabinet who made the decision to save £120,000 from the Museums Budget hence the Broadfield Saga)

You should be in no doubt that certain people and parts of the community in Stourbridge have never really taken to being within Dudley Borough and would love the chance for the clocks to be turned back to allow Stourbridge to have its own Council again. This mindset is evident in the comments made about the glass collection at the Stourbridge Area Committee.

Once again can I please tell you that you have my full support following the Budget Setting Meeting where all Conservative Councillors voted in favour of saving £120,000 from the Museums Service and all that means for Broadfield House. I look forward to presenting your online and paper petitions to the next Brierley Hill Area Committee on 2nd April and will see Barbara before that date.

Good luck and keep up the fight.
Best wishes
Dave 

[flyboy90]

The Stourbridge  News has given it front page news again,great report by Bev Holder.

[yelooc]

Posted on behalf of Nigel Benson who is unable to access this site at present:
Letter sent to Cllr David Caunt today.

Councillor Caunt,

Like Dr Cooley I am amazed at the totally uninformed opinion expressed by Cllr Anne Millward, which disturbingly, appears to reflect the councils’ own summation of Broadfield House Glass Museum, and exhibits no civic pride in its own heritage.

The Friends of Broadfield House Glass Museum are a locally based group that helps and supports the museum (including helping, through donation, to buy exhibits and archive material) and the idea that it is a “pet project” clearly demonstrates that one of the most important members of the local council has a complete lack of understanding of the situation.

A modicum of research on the Dudley.gov.uk website would have shown her just this. Furthermore, a visit to the museum by her guided by a member of the museum’s staff (and indeed any other member of the council who hasn’t seen or understood what they are voting upon) should be a prerequisite to gain a concept of the national and international status that the museum commands.

These collections and archives are not, and should not be regarded as a quick one hour jaunt that can be ignored by the uninitiated. Without the glass heritage it is conceivable that much of the borough would not now exist.

It is deeply patronising to the locally based association (the Friends) and local objectors to the proposed move to the Red House Cone site, who she has dismissed through a total lack of knowledge. At the same time it is disingenuous to both national and international interests that wish to save the museum, its contents and archive material from being boxed up and hidden in storage.
 
Where on earth does Cllr Millward think tourists come from?

In the council’s own document, Agenda Item 8 - SELECT COMMITTEE ON REGENERATION, CULTURE AND ADULT EDUCATION - 14th JANUARY 2009 - REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT - REPORT ON THE VISITOR ECONOMY , it is stated quite clearly, under point 22 – 

“encourage existing day visitors to become overnight visitors, therefore encouraging greater spend in the local economy.”

The document also discuses the value to the economy of tourism, and also states, under section 49:

             “….attracting top collectors and enthusiasts from around the world.”

And under section 50:

            “……in the region of 10,000 visitors – from all over the UK and the world.”

Both points are being made within the report written by John D Millar, Director of Urban Environment, who is being realistic about tourism and how local income can be achieved. However, if the council insists in limiting itself to a parochial attitude aiming to gain visitors to the museum from its own locality then, by definition, they will go home at night and not spend!
 
Cllr Millward should not only retract her statements, but also apologise for her inept and uninformed comments.

Nigel Benson
 

[yelooc]

Letter from Jeanette Hayhurst to Cllr Caunt sent today:

Dear Cllr. Caunt
 
I am writing in response to the attitude of Dudley MBC towards the Broadfield House Glass Museum. I will not repeat my previous  logistical objections but would like to draw some more salient points for your consideration.
 
The expression 'pet project' has been well explained by Graham Cooley and is a total patronising insult to many of us who have supported the Museum for years. The petition has been supported by most of the world leading academics and collectors, the fact that we are not local,  we are deemed to be irrelevant, I was under the impression that the council was trying to encourage visitors to the area. May I remind you that people who have in the past and might have in the future visited BH, have and would have contributed to the local economy. I, like many others, have over many years lectured on many occasions for the Museum and various societies in the Stourbridge area, helping to boost local income  not only in the shops but  hotels and restaurants. I, like many, will no longer visit the Stourbridge area if the collection is pushed into the Cone with the loss of the archive.
 
I cannot believe that the council takes so little interest in the importance of the collections and presumably have never visited the Museum, because if they had they would realise from information boards shown around the galleries, that this museum or our 'pet project' has been supported by major institutions amongst whom are The National Art Collection Fund, The Heritage Lottery Fund and The Victoria and Albert Museum grant scheme. The Atrium was funded by The European Regional Development Fund in 1994 and in 2006 the museum was awarded Small Tourist Visitor Attraction of the Year by the Heart of England tourism.
 
Many of the supporters of the Museum have given up their time, for free, to help source or even curate exhibitions and now feel totally let down by the councils lack of respect for their contribution to your tourist attraction. I personally was responsible for introducing Michael Parkington to Charles Hajadmach, the outcome of which was his important bequest to the Museum, I wish that this never happened, as these wonderful objects would have been sold alongside of the rest of the collection for the benefit of nominated charities and not consigned to ignominy.
 
Jeanette Hayhurst

[Anne]

My email to Cllr Caunt on this matter was deleted without being read, according to the read notification I have just had back.

Nice!   

[jsmeasell]

Perhaps I am but one voice from "over the water," but I thought others who frequent this board would like to see a copy of my recent email to Cllr Tyler:

Dear Cllr Tyler:

Thank you for supporting the continuance of Broadfield House.

I thought you might appreciate these brief details of my background and a forthcoming trip to your borough.

I have visited Broadfield House several times (1993, 2005, and 2008) in conjunction with research on Harry Northwood, the eldest son of John Northwood. My research resulted in the publication of several books on Northwood glass, and I was pleased to contribute two articles to The Blackcountryman magazine.

Early this year, my wife and I planned a trip to England. We will fly to Manchester, and we have booked a self-catering lodging in Stourton. We expect to shop in the local grocery stores and other shops, and we plan to visit as many glass-related sites in the area as possible during our stay. We will also go to the Black Country Museum. We will attend the National Glass Fair near Birmingham. There are some items I want to see at the Dudley public library, but my research focus will also take me to Broadfield House. In the past, the staff there (particularly Roger Dodsworth) has been most helpful.

While our brief visit may have relatively little impact on the local economy, I daresay there are many others with similar stories, ranging from a pleasant day or two in and around Broadfield House to more extended stays.

I work for a glass manufacturing company in the United States. We have a small museum, and we offer tours of our glassmaking and decorating areas. Tourism is quite important to our overall success, and we consider expenditures to maintain and strengthen tourism to be good investments. In October 2005, we had the great pleasure of welcoming about 30 members of The Glass Association to our plant for a full day of factory tours and special programs.

Kind regards,

James Measell, Historian

[yelooc]

TV star dubs cllr "Homer Simpson of Culture"
Stourbridge News 3:25pm Wednesday 11th March 2009
By Bev Holder

ONE of the country’s top glass experts has branded Dudley’s finance chief the “Homer Simpson of culture” after she labelled a world famous Kingswinford museum a “pet project”.

Andy McConnell, one of Britain’s leading authorities on glassware - and a regular on the Antiques Roadshow, has hit out at Councillor Anne Millward, from Gornal, who made the shock remark at the last full council meeting on March 2 where plans to close Broadfield House Glass Museum were hotly debated.

He told the News: “What this woman has come out with is peculiar. It’s so completely out of order. She’s truly the Homer Simpson of culture.”

TV’s Mr McConnell is one of a host of UK glass specialists left outraged at cllr Millward’s controversial comment.

Many others within the glass community have now called for her to make a public apology or resign. Glass collector Graham Cooley described cllr Millward’s remark as “astonishing” and added: “This attitude demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of the passion felt worldwide about this issue.”

While Allister Malcolm, resident glass artist at Broadfield House, said: “It has offended many of the groups whose collective support to the glass world is immense.

“I am truly worried if this statement is not retracted that support from these groups will cease.”

But cllr Millward, who is also Dudley Council’s deputy leader, has refused point blank to back down on her stance.

She told the News: “I will not retract a single word. It’s my job to look after the finances of our council and the borough “I was elected with a very large majority by people in my ward - I certainly will not resign my position as deputy because I want a personal opinion “Less than 20 per cent of our glass is at Broadfield House, it’s in storage.

“I’ve had a number of calls from council tax payers saying they have never heard of Broadfield House Glass Museum.

“I have the vision to have a world glass centre complete with disabled access - not some pet project.”

Dudley Council still claims no decision has been taken to close the Compton Drive museum and that a feasibility study is getting underway to determine whether its collection can be moved to Wordsley’s Red House Glass Cone.

Meanwhile, Minister for Culture, Barbara Follett MP, has vowed to keep an eye on the situation after Stourbridge MP Lynda Waltho urged her to intervene to help protect Stourbridge’s glass collection based at Broadfield.

http://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/news/4194385.TV_star_dubs_cllr__Homer_Simpson_of_Culture_/