Scrapping of preserved coaster 'Wincham'

In the course of my work I today visited the small shipyard at Bromborough , Wirral , where I saw the last remaining parts of this vessel being cut up. You would think that the vessel being in the care of a preservation society & being berthed at a so called maritime museum would ensure her future - but no !, the vessel had been taken to Bromborough for hull repairs, but when the cost of repairing the sprung riveted hull plating was ascertained the society walked away from the ship & our wonderful maritime museum followed suit. The decision was then made to scrap the vessel & as of this morning the bow & stern remained, together with the ship's bottom between them. The society received a large grant ,I think from the H.L.F., several years ago & they are now demanding repayment of this. Meanwhile the glory hunters at National Museums & Galleries on Merseyside are completing their £50m monstrosity at Liverpool Pier Head to display another load of tat similar to the World Museum in the city centre which is very interesting if you are an Eskimo or Zulu or are descended from a mummy.
What is needed here is to dump the overpaid morons who are in charge of these museums & employ experienced preservationists who know what people really want to see.
The Maritime Museum has Britain's second largest colection of ship models , but you can't see it because 90% of it is in storage. These were removed to make way for a slavery exhibition - who the hell in Liverpool is interested in slavery ?
Maybe we should export these incompetent curators to West Africa or the deep south of the U.S.A. to open a slavery museum- it would be more appropriate.
Anyway it really depressed me to see a so-called safe vessel being scrapped. I didn't take any photos as the yard owner is a friend of mine who has already been slagged off in the press ,despite his only involvement being selected as the shiprepairer.
Bob.

 

Unbelievable
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogs ... ncham.html

 

for balance, slavery of course is of huge relevance to the maritime history of Liverpool...and indded this nation seeing as a large proportion of its wealth was acquired through this trade...

 

Ditto - completely unbelievable!

 

Someones arse needs kicking real hard for this!

Perhaps MV Winchams fate may just raise the plight of Manxman.?

All very sad.

Stan

 

Slavery - fine in a museum of anthropology - but the Liverpool Maritime Museum is located on the Albert DOCK on the RIVER MERSEY WATERFRONT

We have, to a point, debated preservation to death in the correspondence about the fictitious livery applied to 48624 and whether that is preservation or playtime. This is the logical extension of failing to preserve and wanting to tell stories instead.

Liverpool has become just about the most unfriendly port in Britain to active passenger shipping - international as well as UK heritage based, thanks to Peel - whether Ports or Developments.

The new liner terminal can't start cruises because it was designed incapable of that function. The new Steam Packet berth has railings along the seaward side that prevent other than Steam Packet vessels berthing. The Ferry terminal is still the replacement for the floating stage with no spare capacity.

The M&GM people have systematically ruined their museum over the last two decades,and refused to have anything to do with those big expensive things that float - you know - ships.

But a bit of politically correct trying to make up for what happened two hundred years ago - oh yes - we'll have some of that!

It makes you weep - but these are the management of today - and from what I can see of the compliant followers on - it ain't going to get better anytime soon.

U534 in three pieces, and now The Wincham are a terrible admission of how they continue to get it wrong - but of course - they are the management, qualified professionals and budget holders - so what do we know?

I would submit that we know more than they do

 

Then again, there is the ongoing saga of 'Cecil Raikes', and 'Lion'...

 

For your information the powers that be at N.M.G.M. don't want to return 'Lion' to steam, but her keepers do. The plan is that she goes into the new waterfront museum with the Overhead Railway coach, but 'Cecil Raikes' & the M.D.H.B Avonside 0-6-0 ST will remain in store.I have had ongoing dialogue with the museum regarding a proposal for 'Cecil' over the last 2 years.

Bob.

 

You can have my job tomorrow if you like Frank. It's a hard world of budgets in museum-world at the moment, and we're not all as uncaring as you suggest, but we have to live in a harsh economic world where "heritage" is not as important as keeping folk in jobs. It grieves me at times to read what people say on here about the museum world, but I try not to take it too personally. Everyone knows better than we do, and we are constantly told so.

 

how odd to hear a museum curator stating keeping people in jobs is more important than hereitage....typical public sector attitude.

 

Tell that to the thousands in our region who have lost jobs in the last few months.

Heritage IS important, of course it is, I wouldn't be in work without it, but for a moment spare a thought in this day and age for those for whom heritage is the last thing on their minds - and that includes friends of mine in the preservation world.

Local authorities, funders and all sorts have to prioritise at the moment, and I'm afraid our sector comes low down on the list of priorities. I have just run a diesel gala without any locos from the TOCs because "they cannot afford to send a loco/our priorities at the moment lie with our customers..etc...etc..."

That's the first time I'd been told I have a typical public sector attitude. I'd better resign tomorrow!

 

well it does rather sound as if you are concerned to maintain your staff level over your exhibits doesnt it?
Maybe the correct course of action in a recession would be to reduce your staffing level if at all possible whilst maintaining your raison d'etre, your exhibits, which you are charged to care for for future generations; once they are gone, thats it....

 

My staffing level? It'll be hard to reduce one. Still, it'll save the lectric and phone bill if I give up and cut myself... ;-)

Then there'll be no-one to look after the stuff... :-(

 

To give you an idea of the quality of people employed by our wonderful museums here on Merseyside, in the 90's they acquired a former railway warehouse in the centre of Liverpool to convert into a conservation centre. The building had large raised lettering high up on its face proclaiming its original ownership. This wording was laid out as below :-

MIDLAND RAILWAY
GOODS OFFICES

Subsequent documentation referring to this building called it the MIDLAND GOODS RAILWAY OFFICES

Morons or what !

Bob.

 

Anthony - I was made redundant from the public sector railway eight years ago - in the boom years, remember them? I fought my way back into employment using my qualifications, experience, and skills which have apparently served me well despite my advancing years. I asked at my appraisal - appraisal - whats that about? last week, why I was being kept on as a part timer. I was told it is because I have such a range of diverse skills and will take anything on, even though I may have to learn new skills to succeed at it.

I now look at the public sector around me which was never apparently touched by the Thatcher years and can't believe it survived so intact, the waste that I see, the empire building and nest feathering, coupled with evasion of decisions that goes on, or the inability to use flexible thinking or imagination to obtain results. Not my job mate!

Whitehall sucks in money, and Europe, the civil service and the town halls simply waste it away. Town hall employees on six figures - tell me they earn it with a straight face!

I cured a reputed £1.5m problem that no-one had ever questioned for £7,500 recently. I have submitted a three site proposal that sorts all sorts of problems and should kick in an eight figure result in due course - So yes - I know all about budgets - and realising them - imaginatively, and protecting heritage where I can - The Grasshopper for instance in Birkenhead - that's one of mine now locked up by the Council, and beyond view.

But - back on topic - I'm sorry but I have no respect at all for M & G o M

Their better hardware is locked away out of view and has been for generations. They have presided over the destruction of what was a fine and promising museum at the Albert Dock, and as for the disfigurement of the Three Graces by the twin ski slopes - don't get me started - intellectuals with budgets - God preserve us!

Their aim seems simply to ignore what they should be seeking to retain - even if budgets won't allow restoration. The Wincham was a disgrace - the Manxman will be unforgiveable and any director of M & G o M in place if she is broken up should go and jump in the Albert Dock - if he isn't pushed first.

I know you didn't qualify in a discipline that anticipated running a business so as to preserve heritage, but that is where we are today, and I know you are overladen with multi level bureacracy as part of the Science Museum - but the challenge is to survive that situation and adapt it to best advantage.

The independent sector is doing it - my daughter is at Beamish - so we know all about it. The preservation charities and businesses are doing it. The NRM is no exception.

 

Frank,

I didn't know that the Grasshopper was shut & I drive past it every morning !. Anyway you have well summed up the situation as far as NMGM is concerned. They are empire builders along with the glorified Geordie bus mechanic currently running Merseytravel & responsible for the abortion of a U-Boat at Woodside which I also unfortunately have to pass every morning.The NRM is well run compared to this lot. I just wish they could persuade their associates on Merseyside to release 'Cecil Raikes' to somebody who will finance its restoration.

Bob.

 

Quite so Frank - I wasn't sticking up for ALL the public sector. We're having a particularly trying time with one branch of it at the moment as it happens.

I'll look out for your daughter at Beamish next time I'm up there (driving a steam roller at the end of May if not before), as I work closely with Paul, the curator of transport there - unless you've tipped her off and she runs in the other direction screaming...

I cannot comment on NM&GoM, but would simply say "by their fruits you shall know them" and note that we're not all the same in this business.

I thought the Cecil negotiations were ongoing - but very quiet, as I know one pro-restoration member of NMGM staff who told me last year and asked it to be kept quiet. It's one hell of a big engine, and most of it's there - Barry wreck it ain't!