I'd guess that the National Archives would only be interested in the paperwork, Ivo. I can't see them wanting to take the exhibits which would probably be more relevant in the V&A but previous topics have referred to perceptions that glass is the poor relation in the V&A collection so it perhaps would not be an ideal venue. I do think the collection needs to be kept together if BH is to close, so paperwork and exhibits all should be retained as a research and display collection rather than divided between other venues.
I seem to recall reading that govt wants to spread collections around the country rather than have them all concentrated in London, so to that end I'd be looking at a dedicated Glass Museum elsewhere than the capital. I also think it should not be run by any local authority to avoid the sorts of problems being seen with Bury, or by a company in case of insolvency and subsequent liquidation of the collection.
A relocated and restructured glass museum would probably need independent (and charitable?) status and be run by trust which can access funding from charitable and private sectors, with trustees drawn from local councillors, business, academia and collectors to ensure a balance of viewpoints. A support/fundraising group of Friends would probably be required also.
Locating such a museum in the centre of the country near to good transport links and near traditional glassmaking areas makes sense. Sunderland is perceived to be so far north but in fact is not far from middle of the country if you look at Britain as opposed to just England, which would bring in the option to cover glass north of the border. If, as Marcus says, the NGC has no collection, then maybe this could form the core of one to enhance the NGC experience, but their focus seems to be more on transient exhibitions than permanent displays.
Pilkington's at St Helen's is a commercial enterprise which has a massive collection, much of which is not on permanent display due to lack of space, according to emails I had from a member of their staff, so that would raise concerns about how accessible the collection from BH would be, as well as the previously mentioned corporate solvency issues.
If the intention is to be an English (rather than British) National Glass Museum, then a location in the Midlands makes more sense from an access point of view, and if the Red Cone was available and could be leased or bought by such a museum trust, it could prove an ideal venue. (I note there are four surviving glass cones in Britain, one in
Lemington in use as a stove showroom, one in
Rotherham in a sheltered housing complex, and the last in Alloa in Scotland, so the Red Cone appears to be the only English cone option. Currently the Red Cone appears to be run (?leased?) by Dudley authority as well - is this correct?)
The other suggestion of incorporating the museum into the Ruskin Glass Centre also has merit and could, depending on the management and organisational structure intended, work extremely well.
I think the most important thing at the moment, for us as a group or as individuals, is to ensure (as Nigel said earlier in this topic) that the word is spread as widely as possible and to stay alert for any developments or official announcements made.