Broadfield House to Close

[aa]

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

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

Doesn't seem as if that huge PR department at Dudley Council has been doing a very good job, then! 

[Anne]

My thoughts entirely, Adam!

[nigel benson]

                       HELP SAVE BROADFIELD HOUSE GLASS MUSEUM
                                         YOUR VOICE COUNTS

Details taken from the Express and Star - 19 August 2008:

"Dudley Council spent £945,000 on public relations in the last financial year – employing 18 full-time Press officers who get an average of more than £32,000 a year. The total staff wage bill, including six part-time staff, was £680,000 while running costs spiralled to £265,000. Figures were released after a Freedom of Information Act 2000 request.

The outlay was attacked as “incredible” but finance chief Anne Millward said taxpayers got value for money. "

What a shame that they didn’t/don't see fit to promote a major museum to its own locality. Says a lot for the publicity machine and about the Dudley MBC over and above the attitude and capabilitiy of Cllr Anne Millward.

Nigel

[yelooc]

Message from Simon Bruntnell sent today:

Dear cllr Millward, & cllr Caunt

I would like to introduce myself, my name is Simon Bruntnell I am a freelance photographer based at the Ruskin Glass Centre in Stourbridge. If you look at my website www.northlightphotography.co.uk you will notice I specialise in photographing glass. I now have artists and designers come to me nationally and internationally to have there work photographed by myself. I travel abroad to photograph national collections. Corning Museum in New York collects  printed material that I have produced on glass. All this, within the space of six years, before that I had never photographed a piece of glass. The contacts I have made at Broadfield House Museum as been instrumental
in building up my portfolio and reputation.

I'm Dudley born and bread. I grew up on the Russell's Hall Estate about two or more miles away from  cllr Millward's ward and where my father still lives. I went to Stourbridge Art College.

So I can say with a certain confidence I'm not an outsider, making a fuss, I am very much on the inside as a local, and as a person who makes a living within the glass world, and what a world it is. The through traffic of international names that pass through the doors of Broadfield and the local area goes unnoticed. I think people locally have not expected the national, let alone the international response to the prickly subject of Broadfield House Glass Museum and  closure. I also doubt your council would have expected such a response. But what I never expected was the response's from a public official 'talk about buckets of petrol' I have waited to consider the comments moving backwards and forwards.

All I can say at the moment is, I have an almost embarrassed feeling of being from Dudley with regard to recent statements from your office. 'Pet projects' and 'local people not knowing what Broadfield Museum was' is fairly damming of local people. This lacks insight of people working in public life and politics, because I assume it's the councils job to make sure people do know what and where it is, and not make 'Pig on the wall' statements regarding a national heritage and international treasure. I really do think your office needs to consider it's statements and I really think it would be worth cllr Millward retracting her statement as it's now throwing a bad light on the conservative party in general. We now have TV personalities calling cllr Millward 'The Homer Simpson of culture' It's starting to become personal and I believe it will get worse if action is not taken by you.

Simon Bruntnell

[Anne]

Collect It magazine, April 2009, has a large News item about the Broadfield House Glass Museum's uncertain future, with quotes from Mark Hill, Adam Aaronson and me. The piece also includes links to the online petition and the Friends of BH website. (The Collect It website hasn't yet been updated to reflect the April issue contents but when it is it's here: http://www.collectors-club-of-great-britain.co.uk/)

[flyboy90]

Well said Simon,very true words indeed, will the message ever get through to the people concerned?? I sometimes
wonder how they sleep at night? I couldn,t if I was up to their tricks.

[simon bruntnell]

The letter should do I've just put it into the council office post box, well to : Clare Marshall, Marketing & Communications, Council House, Dudley Council, Dudley DY1 1HF to be exact as I heard this is the person taking on all the  snail mail.

[Anne]

Well written Simon, I hope they take note.

[yelooc]

Historic factory shop to close
Stourbridge News by Bev Holder

http://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/news/4230419.Historic_factory_shop_to_close/

WORDSLEY’S historic Stuart Crystal factory shop is shutting its doors for the last time this week (Thursday March 26) - with nine long-serving staff members set to lose their jobs.

The shop on the Red House Glass Cone site has been trading for 60 years - attracting custom from glass collectors across the country and overseas. But the demise of the Waterford Wedgwood Group - which owned the shop and which is now in administration - has sounded the death knell for the popular outlet.

New York based private equity company KPS Capital Partners LP has bought certain UK and Irish assets belonging to the renowned crystal and china company. But the deal has not saved the Wordsley factory shop, which attracts hundreds of visitors a week and which still houses some of the famous glass tableware manufactured - but delivered too late - to grace the tables on doomed White Star Line steamship the Titanic.

Manager Jann Richards - who has worked at the store for a decade - described the closure shock as “heartbreaking”. She told the News: “People are going to be absolutely stunned because it’s been here so long. I don’t think people will comprehend what’s happened - it’s been everybody’s local glass shop and it’s the last of this size in the area. “We really thought they would keep the shop. It’s been here for 60 years and we were a reasonably successful business considering the economic climate. “Since Christmas we’ve been holding our own.”

She said staff members facing the dole queue had been associated with the glass industry for much of their lives; with longest-serving worker Ros Rigby notching up 40 years at the historic site and glass engraver Alan Crannage having perfected his trade for the last 30 years.

The shop closure will not affect the Dudley Council-run museum and cone, which are rented under a 99-year-lease agreement.

[Anne]

Looking at the photo of the shop in the article it looks quite small.... as in not large enough to house the Broadfield House museum collection?

[Lustrousstone]

It isn't!! That would be ludicrous. Areawise, it's smaller than the antiques centre in Morecambe (that's to give Anne an idea).

[nigel benson]

                    HELP SAVE BROADFIELD HOUSE GLASS MUSEUM
                                             YOUR VOICE COUNTS


        MUSEUM RECOGNITION – CONGRATULATIONS!!   


26 March 2009 – “Best of the West Awards”:

“Best Individual” – Roger Dodsworth, BHGM’s curator

“Best Exhibition on a Small Budget” – for the exhibition held at BHGM:

“The Danger of the Image – Glass Dresses by Diana Dias-Leao”


Having won a number of awards and achieved recognition over the years Broadfield House Glass Museum was successful in gaining both the awards that they were entered for in the “Best of the West Awards” run by Renaissance West Midlands.

This is a body that represents the museums, libraries and archives council which is a national organisation. It means that a panel of judges who know and understand have voted for BHGM to be recognised for their endeavours with these awards.


Nigel

[nigel benson]

                    HELP SAVE BROADFIELD HOUSE GLASS MUSEUM
                                             YOUR VOICE COUNTS


And, the record of BHGM...............


BROADFIELD HOUSE GLASS MUSEUM – Awards and recognition:

Opened:
 
“Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
 Broadfield House Glass Museum
 Opened by
 HRH Princess Michael of Kent
 On 2nd April 1980”

In first year:

“Come to Britain Trophy
 Certificate of Distinction
 Awarded to Dudley MBC and
 Broadfield House 1980”


“National Heritage
 Museum of the Year Awards
 1981
 Highly Commended
 Illustrated London News”


Regarding the Entranceway/foyer glass structure:


“This project has been partly financed
 with aid from
 European Regional Development Fund
 17 November1994”


“Civic Trust Awards 1996
 Contribution to the Quality and Appearance of the Environment”


“Registered Museum
 Broadfield House Glass Museum
 No. 764
 Complies with the standards of the
 Museums and Galleries Commission
 Registration Scheme”
 2 June 1998


 “Investor in People
  Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
  Planning and Leisure Department
  Awarded 15 February 2000,
  by Dudley Training and Enterprise Council”


 “Heart of England
  Excellence in Tourism Awards
  2006
  Visitor Attraction of the Year
  (Small)”


Nigel

[aa]

Threatened Museum Scoops Top Awards

http://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/news/4240273.Threatened_museum_scoops_top_awards/

[Anne]

Thanks Christine, that does help with the size comparison.

Well done to all at Broadfield House with the latest awards.