Broadfield House to Close

[nigel benson]

I've spent the evening having a few very welcome glasses of red wine (so get ready for more spelling mistakes than normal by me) and chatting on the phone, whilst giving your 'challenge' a bit of thought Graham.

I think, on balance, we've drawn the problem to the attention of as many people as possible, which in itself is great. BUT, if we are not careful there will be as many plans as people viewing this thread (let alone those who have been kind enough to put their thoughts down for us to consider - for which I thank with deep sincerity).

If we are going to get anything done I have a suspicion that there has to be work done in the background, before reporting back to everyone with a plan (or plans) to be considered by all. After all we cannot all canvas the councillors or MP's involved at this stage, because, if nothing else, it may fall on deaf ears. Best to know and understand their various positions regarding Broadfield House and its collection(s) before approaching them en mass.

At that point it may well be that people here should be asked what their expertise is and what they might consider contributing to a concerted effort to, at worst, save the collection and its archive and, at best, create a situation where the museum is elevated into a better position than it is now (well a guy can dream). In other words take on board the constructive suggestions so far, whilst also being fully aware that a healthy dose of realism is necessary to keep us on the straight and narrow (thank you, Marcus  ).

I also have a suspicion that we will be greeted and understood better if we understand the problems involved with the particular situation and come up with practical solution(s) - even if that involves creating a business plan - possibly even with the view to creating funds that had not even been thought of by the council.

Yes, I know this would be a tall order in normal circumstances, but now? Well, that is the challenge folks, however sobering.


Kind wishes to all, Nigel

[Sklounion]

whilst also being fully aware that a healthy dose of realism is necessary to keep us on the straight and narrow (thank you, Marcus  Smiley).

Never assume that the above attitude prevents one from realising one's dreams.
I am not a natural pessimist, in fact, quite the contrary.
M

[aa]

Well said, Nigel.

While we see this as a global issue of great importance, the fact is that it is perceived by Dudley Council as a local issue. The fact remains that councillors are really only interested in votes. If I were to ring a Dudley councillor and protest, they wouldn't take much notice, because I live in London. However, our residents association of 22 members has two of our local councillors plus a head of department coming to meet with us shortly to discuss issues of importance to us locally. A little bit of lobbying goes a long way on the local level.

If anything is going to be achieved, we will need to channel our international energy through a local group. We need to find someone who lives and works within Dudley Metropolitan Borough who has the energy, tenacity and inclination to set up a campaigning organisation - perhaps "Save Broadfield House Museum" or "Save Broadfield House Collections" or similar. Does anyone who has posted here or reading this live in Dudley? I know Roger Dodsworth might be the ideal person, but there may be contractual and other reasons why he could not take on the role, and it may be better for the campaign to be run from outside the museum.

Graham would be the ideal person, but I don't think you live within the borough, do you?

As soon as that body exists, approaches to councillors can begin and they will start taking the issue seriously. Whatever they may say, they are not going to pay attention to letters from glass collectors all over the world.

The only way to succeed is to campaign locally.

[aa]

set up a campaigning organisation - perhaps "Save Broadfield House Museum" or "Save Broadfield House Collections"

Once the local organisation is set up, it will not be difficult to persuade other non-local organisations, such as CGS, Glass Association, GMB, and myriad collectors groups and other museums to become affiliate members, which will add wider support to the "local" campaign. This in turn will help to encourage local grass-roots support because Dudley residents will gain a different perspective on how their local issues are perceived internationally.

It is just a question of channelling the energy!

[yelooc]

Public Meeting Tonight

There is a public meeting of the select committee for regeneration at The Dudley Council House at 6pm in committee room 2 to discuss Broadfield House.

If you live in the area and you care about our heritage please go to the meeting and say what you feel.

I spoke to the local newspaper today. I impressed upon the reporter the local, national and international importance of the collection. I pointed out that if there is a move, a world class collection needs a new world class facility within which it can expand. I also expressed the concern of the whole glass collecting community that the council may not understand the importance of the collection and the decisions they are making.

To contact Dudley councillors see: http://councillors.dudley.gov.uk/

From Brian Clarke, Chairman of the Glass Association

Brian Clarke Chairman of the Glass Association has written to David Caunt, The Leader of Dudley Council, this is what he said:

Dear David

News has come out, that Dudley Council is considering the closure of Broadfield House, with an envisaged move of all the glass collections and facilities to the Red House Cone site, as from March 2010.

This is just an initial query, to ascertain the true intent of the council.

Along with The Glass Circle and The Friends of Broadfield House, we have an enormous interest in ensuring that if there is to be a move ( we are aware that Broadfield House, though having “a name” in the glass world, is not sacrosanct – a better facility could easily be envisaged ),the move should be a step up and not down. Our concerns are that as a world class facility, the collections should remain on view, those in store at Broadfield and Himley Hall should have room to be viewed and that the library and research facility should remain intact and accessible. It would also be desirable for a modern lecture facility to be established.

Thank you to Brian and the other Glass Association committee members.

Graham

[nigel benson]

 
Sadly, I am unable to go to the meeting, and a seven hour round trip without the possibility of being able to make representation to the committee does not encourage me to take the time out. Indeed, Adam's points about outsiders not being given credence at such local meetings are well made. If it were possible, I most certainly would go.

Therefore, I have to content myself with adding a further point to the ones I have already made.

It occurs to me that, given the visitor numbers have increased so much over a one year period that the people who visit the museum spend money in the locality. Not all the visitors will be 'outsiders', however we do know from the media that currently people are not so disposed to go abroad for their holidays and many are considering holidaying within the UK.

Surely, if the visitor numbers are on an upward curve, now is not the time to downsize such an important museum. Instead, it seems to me, the council should be looking at this phenomena as a means of helping their electorate earn income. In other words bringing outsiders money into an area that would benefit as a whole through money spent at hotels, B&B's, eateries, etc. These in turn have to buy in supplies - and so on.

I have been visiting Broadfield House since 1987 to see the collections and to do research. When I stay, naturally I spend, but the thought of NOT being able to view the collections to the degree that is possible now would detract from the experience and certainly make me reconsider visiting so often.

Not only is this an important museum both nationally and locally, it is an important draw to help the locality cash in on the leisure industry.


Nigel

[Frank]

Both Scotland and Stourbridge celebrate 400 years of glass-making in 2010. Stourbridge thus has an additional incentive to ensure the collection is well marketed for the potential of such a significant anniversary.

[Ettiene]

There is also the matter of the glass studio currently occupied by Allister Malcolm. If they do move the museum will they make sure that the glass making studio is not lost. Premises are hard to find and with the running costs being so high its a wonder there are any glass blowers at all.

Ettiene

[yelooc]

Dear All

Please see the attached press articles. The Stourbridge News articles include a poll so you can vote and add a comment (on both pages). To date the museum has had 100% support. I suggest we send these links to our friends to vote. If you have a dristribution list please send them out.

Treasured museum faces the axe
3:32pm Wednesday 14th January 2009
http://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/news/4047034.Treasured_museum_faces_the_axe/

Councillor vows to save museum
12:52pm Thursday 15th January 2009
http://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/search/4049883.Councillor_vows_to_save_museum/

David Blood is clearly a good person to write to; contact details below.
http://councillors.dudley.gov.uk/home/conservative/david-blood

Shock at moves to shut glass museum
http://www.expressandstar.com/2009/01/14/shock-at-moves-to-shut-glass-museum/
Wednesday 14th January 2009

Graham

[Anne]

So they intend to close BH to save £120,000 a year. In terms of their overall budget that is small beer surely? And what about the income which the museum visitors bring into the local economy which would be lost when the museum closes. Such a short-sighted approach to budgetary control!

I have sent an email to David Blood supporting his campaign to retain BH, perhaps other board members should consider doing the same.  If support comes from a whole range of people then maybe it will help convince Dudley that this is not just a local issue but a national and international one.

[Oxbridge Fairs]

Here's another link to a page on the local BBC website: www.bbc.co.uk/blackcountry/content/articles/2009/01/15/broadfield_house_feature.shtml

We understand that Allister Malcolm is looking for new premises.

[David E]

So they intend to close BH to save £120,000 a year.

I understand the figure is closer to £140k but, as Anne points out, this is still a miniscule amount compared to what the council probably spend on 'jollies' for 'fact-finding' ventures around the world...

[Anne]

I've had an acknowledgement from David Blood this morning, and he passed my email onto John Sanders of the Friends of Broadfield House who has also replied and sent me a copy of his letter to David Blood which states the current position from the Friends viewpoint. 

In his email to me, John Sanders says:

The proposed saving for the Council, if the Museum is closed with effect from 1 April 2010, is estimated at £120,000 annually. There has been no evidence to show how that figure is reached. The closure proposals do not originate from Councillors, they originate from Council officials who have offered no evidence of how much it would cost the Council to establish Museum facilities to accommodate the Broadfield House operation on the Red House Cone site.

The Council of the Friends of Broadfield House Glass Museum meet on Monday evening, 19 January, when the situation and immediate plans will be formulated.

If you wish to add your voice further, may I invite you to take up membership of the Friends.

For as many glass enthusiasts to do this as quickly as possible would make sense as it will strengthen the Friends' voice when dealing with the council. Currently the Friends have around 300 members who are spread around the world. If we can boost that number I am sure it will help the Friends. Membership is not expensive (£6 per year) - see this page for more about the Friends and an application form at the bottom: PAGE LINK

I have asked John for his permission to share the contents of the letter with the board, and will update this when a reply is received from him.

John also said in his email:

If you wish to make further representations at Councillor level you may wish to lobby Cllr. Karen Shakespeare the cabinet member for environment and culture who was involved in the 7 January cabinet meeting which endorsed the budget proposals which would result in the closure of BHGM.    Her contact details are on the Dudley MBC web site.

I think such an approach may help as well.

[nigel benson]

This is what I wrote to the BBC link, and a copy to David Blood, and the local paper.

"For many years the best glass museum in the country, Broadfield House Glass Museum, has needed a larger site in order to display its collections and those that are own loan to it. For various reasons Himley Hall was rejected as an idea by Dudley Council. Now, rather than keeping the status quo, the museum has been targeted as a means of cost cutting for the borough. NO cost benefit analysis has been done, NOR any feasibility study. Instead, it would appear that someone has had the idea that vacating the current premises in favour of moving to smaller premises, could save money. If this happens, not only will it be difficult to maintain current services, it is highly unlikely that the collections will have enough space to be stored in, let alone be displayed.

Last year, visitor numbers went up from 11,000 to 15,000, totally bucking the trend in museums across the country. It would seem that no account of this has been taken. Importantly, in the current economic climate, where it would seem that many more people are proposing to holiday in this country, no account or thought appears to have been given toward gaining important revenue to help the income of the counsellors’ own electors. Even the idea of selling the Broadfield House building seems ill thought out, since pretty well the whole country is aware of the downturn in property values.

As for the move itself you’re NOT talking normal move prices like when moving home – expensive though that can be. Moving the collections (particularly of a fragile nature), back-up office space, current storage, and display cases (those that can be moved) all requires specialist operatives. Old display cases may not fit, so new will be required; the same will be true of information boards.

All-in-all one wonders about why counsellors see this as a good move. Well, sacking some of the staff will of course be the soft option if comparing their situation with other council workers and will give an ongoing yearly saving. There may be a gain from the sale of the building, but will it only be marginal? Quite possibly.

Surely, now is NOT the time to move a successful national glass museum? Now should be the time to consolidate on the work of the museum and raise its profile helping to keep, and possibly create, work in the area. This museum is a highly important record to the industry that is indigenous to the area, as well as holding the most comprehensive and diverse collections of British glass in the country. The threat of its move may also threaten the collections that are on permanent loan – presumably loaned originally providing they were out on display. No other museum would seem a likely candidate to hold these collections, so it is likely that we will also be deprived of having access to a large number of exhibits that will no longer be available and are not held elsewhere.

Now should be the time of raising Broadfield House Glass Museum’s profile, not of sweeping it into a corner elsewhere. The council and/or its representatives should look into obtaining extra funding, perhaps by getting Designated Museum Standing which might allow access to national funding.

I have been visiting the museum for about 21 years and see this as a totally retrograde step by the council. Maybe I’m being cynical, but, it’s easier to go for downsizing than to work for extra funding – it’s certainly easier to plicate other council workers and the electorate by closing or downsizing what might be seen as a luxury by some local counsellors. Perhaps I’m also being cynical when I ask why, apparently, has nobody checked the floor space involved in each case, surely that is rudimentary to whether the move could be even be feasible?"

[simon bruntnell]

Hello all just skimmed though the texts and what a shock I had this news last week but was waiting to hear what Alistair Maclombe said (artist at BH) Talk about cultural vandalism.
Just to let people also know, that the proposed development for the Ruskin Glass Centre has also been put on hold last week by the Learning Skills Council. They have put a hold on all
funding for three months for all projects. So they have halted all the match funding so nothing can go ahead.  We the businesses where supposed to moving off site in April/May time but we
have been told to stand down till  at least this time next year, because of all mess this will have caused. I believe a couple of heads had rolled before Christmas at Dudley council because of a 10 million
short fall. £120,000 that's probably one executive isn't it. I think the sword should be swung towards the bureaucrats and dead wood that seems to endemic within our councils and local government?