ASTON MANOR TRANSPORT MUSEUM MUSEUM NEWS No. 69 January - March 2012 Quarterly review It is good to be able to revert to a quarterly format after last year‟s trials and tribulations. Evacuation of the old premises in Witton Lane was completed with the removal of the lower saloon of Birmingham tramcar 107 on the morning of December 28th, with a hand over of keys to the premises taking place a few hours later. For those that don‟t know, the vast majority of items and vehicles stored at Witton moved to Unit 3 Beecham Business Park, Northgate, Aldridge WS9 8TZ. While we are not presently open to the public, the opportunity has been taken to work on a number of vehicles, reports of which will appear later. A start has also been made on accessioning all documents, archives, artefacts etc., a job that we never got properly round to whilst at Witton, and one for which a proper “Collections Development Policy” is being created. If we are able to reopen then we would be looking to seek Museum‟s Accreditation of which this policy document would form an important and crucial start point. For a change I will include some sub headings in this review to highlight certain important areas in this review period. There are still a significant number of supporters who made pledges and for those who are not also members I am sending you an abridged version of this newsletter. Pledges remain „live‟ even though our efforts to save Witton failed. We will require funding to create a new museum if we can agree terms with our landlords, but at this stage I do not consider it appropriate to call in your pledge while there is no „deal‟ actually on the table. However, if you wish to rescind your pledge on the basis that „Witton‟ was what you wished to support, I would appreciate you letting me know so I do not keep sending you information about Aldridge. MUSEUM EGM – MARCH 11th This meeting was attended by around 40 members, many of whom were „Friends‟ at the time, but sufficient full members were present to ensure all the resolutions were passed. While I will cover some of this with separate subscription renewals, the main points were that from April 1st 2012 there will just be one class of member – Full members of the Museum Company. A new subscription rate will apply from this date of £25pa. Friends will have the option of immediately applying for membership with an additional fee of £10 that then covers to 31.3.2013. „Friends‟ will be wound-up at 31.12.2012 with the option to then apply for full membership at £25 to expire 31.3.2014. There are one or two „Friends‟ under the age of 18 and it will be necessary to create some form of junior membership as the Company‟s Articles of Association preclude young people under the age of 18 as being able to apply for membership. PLANNED EVENTS We have been allowed to have 2 events, and subsequently a third has been added in. The first event is due on Sunday April 15th and will be a running day. A timetable is enclosed, but there will be a one-off service from Birmingham Moor Street at 9.45am from the 50 bus terminus (opposite the station), returning from Aldridge at 4pm. This is being provided by Roger Burdett, but no guarantee can be given that there will be room – however, the 997 service is close by, although only hourly on Sundays if Aldridge is the destination and you are unable to join Roger‟s trip. An opportunity to view the collection inside its new setting will also be possible and there will be a number of sales stands and other attractions. Next up is a Two Museums‟ event on Tuesday June 5th with a free service on a half-hourly basis from Wythall to Aldridge via B‟ham City Centre using the stops adjacent to the Alexandra Theatre on Suffolk 1 Street Queensway. This has been initiated principally by the private vehicle owners at Wythall so will not involve their Museum‟s Class VI buses. What stupendous support for our new venture! Finally, we are retaining the long standing July Open Day, this year on Sunday 8th. Guest vehicles particularly welcome, although an official entry form is required for this. Please note that for all these events on-site car parking will not be feasible for visitors, there will be barely enough room for volunteers. Car parking is possible on local side roads, while all bus services presently planned will go via the town centre where you can board for the short journey down Northgate. We will also be opening at 10.30am, rather than 11 for all these events. WHEN WILL THE MUSEUM REOPEN? Towards the end of last November we signed a Tenancy at Will agreement with Jack Allen Holdings Ltd., owners of the site, on a free rental basis, but with liabilities for a significant service charge, business rates, buildings insurance cover, electrical and water usage. This is all subject to a more permanent agreement where Volant PVS will sign a lease with JAH Ltd. and then sublet to us. Our initial expectations were that this would have taken place by now but Volant‟s plans are taking longer to come to fruition and with other issues to be resolved we may not be able to open this year. From a financial point of view, we need to be able to trade on a regular basis again; presently we are eating into reserves. I have prepared a 3 year cashflow projection based upon being open similarly to Witton, although that is the minimum position, and this indicates we can trade satisfactorily. Let‟s hope we have the opportunity to prove that. Richard Gray - Editor CHAIRMAN’S NOTES A warm welcome to all of you for 2012. I was particularly pleased to see so many Friends and Members at the EGM held on March 11th and the very positive support that this enforced move to Aldridge has been creating. There is still some distance to go, but I do feel that the future could be very positive for all of us, not least with the opportunity to start afresh at a completely different site. There are fresh volunteering opportunities with specific tasks to be completed, so if you would like to be a part of helping set-up a new museum do let myself, or one of my colleagues, know. You will also have seen details of the 3 events lined up over the next few months. Come along and see the progress being made to vehicles and artefacts and find out more about the plans we have for the future. Without your continuing support, both in the final few weeks at Witton and now the first few months at Aldridge, none of this would have been possible. I do look forward to seeing you at these events and perhaps be able to tell you more of how the future is looking. Yes, and don‟t forget the shop – we will run a sales stand at these events, there is still some stock of all types remaining and I can still order you die-cast requirements. Just let me know! Geoff Lusher - Chairman Subscription renewals / reminders It was very pleasing to have so many renewals from Friends, but there are a number who have not renewed. A further renewal form is attached, but if you have decided to renew but would wish to as a full member, details appeared above but I will forward a Member‟s application to you. For Full members, it is also now time to renew. Those of you who have vehicles at storage sites must renew as part of the arrangement. A renewal form is therefore enclosed with this newsletter. If you have any queries over this, then please come back to me. RHG 2 The unique Guy LUF / Saro LJW 336 was the last bus to leave Witton. Richard Gray NatEx West Midlands have refurbished a number of Volvo B6‟s of which 669 is one. Richard Gray 3 RM506 – a star of daytime TV? At the start of the year, the physical move to Aldridge was virtually complete and the reality of our situation was becoming clear - for an indeterminate period, the Museum would have substantial outgoings and little or no income. What could we do to find alternative income streams? Out of the blue, in the first days of January, came the enquiry, “Could the BBC use the Routemaster for one day for shooting an episode of „Doctors‟?”. With some past experience, we knew that long hours of boredom could result, but it seemed an offer we couldn‟t turn down. After an agreement was reached, all went quiet for a couple of months, until an e-mail arrived; one day on set had become two, preceded by an hour of „familiarisation‟ for the actors who would have to drive on set. This all caused a bit of personal diary reorganisation, but, at 8:30 on the Tuesday morning, a black Galaxy arrived at Aldridge bringing Natasha Carlish, the producer, with regular cast member Lorna Laidlaw (Mrs Tembe) and guest star Aleksander Mikic, a Bosnian who has appeared in a range of dramas over the ten years or so that he has worked in the UK. Familiarisation went well, both cast members professing to enjoy the experience, though it was very clear that Lorna in particular had taken the RM to her heart.